Traffic along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru highway was on Tuesday, October 19, disrupted as Uthiru residents took to the streets.
Speaking to the media along the highway, the residents of Uthiru and Kabete lamented the spike in the number of accidents along the road.
The Kiambu residents claim that since the road was constructed six months ago, it has claimed the lives of more than 80 people.
“The contractor did a good job by erecting a wall in the middle of the road. However, there are no signs or bumps on the road and this makes it useless,” one of the residents lamented.
They say that despite their frequent pleas, no one from the county or national government has taken action, forcing them to hold protests.
While chanting “Tumechoka!” (loosely translated as we are tired), along the streets, they demanded that the department in charge mounts bumps and signs on the road to contain the situation.
“The road is good. What we are asking for right now are bumps and rumble strips to slow these vehicles down when we are crossing the road,” one of the locals noted.
The residents say that since the government has taken no action, one of them is now helping elderly people and the general public to cross the road.
The residents say that although the man has not been employed and is receiving no salary or stipend, he has come up with signage indicating when they should cross or not.
“There’s someone you will always see having a board written on one side ‘cross’, and the other side ‘stop’.
“Those old men and women are helped by that man, not that he is being paid but because he wants to help reduce the death rate on this road,” one of the residents told the press.
They now want the county government to address the matter as soon as possible, since the drivers do not show caution when approaching the spot.
