Motorists Stuck For 8 Hours on Mai Mahiu Road

Motorists stuck on the Mai-Mahiu road for hours on the night of Friday, November 12
Motorists stuck on the Mai-Mahiu road for hours on the night of Friday, November 12
Photo
KeNHA

Hundreds of motorists plying the Mai Mahiu - Nairobi Highway were on the night of Friday, November 12, stuck on the road for over 8 hours.

According to police reports, the traffic gridlock started forming at around 7:30pm and cleared at around 6am in the morning of Saturday, November 13.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Nakuru Police Commander, Beatrice Kuragui, stated that a truck had developed mechanical problems blocking a section of the road and leading to the traffic snarl up.

Motorists stuck on the Mai-Mahiu road for hours on the night of Friday, November 12
Motorists stuck on the Mai-Mahiu road for hours on the night of Friday, November 12
Photo
KeNHA

She, however, informed that the issue had been sorted and the traffic was moving smoothly.

The stuck motorists took to social media to air their plight and ask the Inspector General of Police, Hillary Mutyambai, to send more traffic marshals to the area.

"What has happened on Mai Mahiu Road tonight should be declared a national crisis. We have literally slept on the road. The worst traffic snarl up to be witnessed in this country in the recent past," Masinga Buria stated.

"It's tough, spent more than 4 hours. This is just unacceptable," another netizen, John Akanda, commented.

Others lamented that they had stayed hungry for hours and requested the Kenya Red Cross to offer them food and water.

A similar snarl up was witnessed on the road in June 2021 when the World Safari Rally Championship was ongoing.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) stated that it had embarked on dualling the road stretch through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme. 

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia noted the construction would reduce traffic congestion on the northern corridor.

The 233-kilometre contract that was awarded to a French consortium and will see the road expanded into a four-lane dual carriageway through a Public-Private Partnership model.

Motorists stuck on the Mai-Mahiu road for hours on the night of Friday, November 12
Motorists stuck on the Mai-Mahiu road for hours on the night of Friday, November 12
(Courtesy)