The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) on Monday, May 29, unveiled its plans to end cows invading Outer Ring Road and other major roads within Nairobi.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, KURA's chief corporate communications officer, John Cheboi, condemned the trend and indicated that discussions were ongoing with the County Government of Nairobi to curb the menace.
He pointed out the safety hazard the animals cause to motorists as well as pedestrians while crossing the roads in no particular order.
Cheboi indicated that a meeting was scheduled for the coming week to address the challenge and put the matter to rest.
Further, he alluded to the street lighting project which had stalled for several weeks - noting that the contractor was on site to complete the plan.
According to Cheboi, the contractor's progress was affected by two challenges; vandalism and financial constraints.
"The contractor is on-site though a bit slow as he is facing two challenges: financial constraints and vandalism hence it becomes harder to continue with the project," he stated.
On the issue of vandalism, he noted that discussions with the Nairobi County Government were ongoing to provide security for the project.
Motorists have frequently lamented about the cows blocking traffic along major roads in the city, especially in the Eastlands area.
"Not just outer ring road, these cows are all over the city. I think the people in charge of this capital city of Kenya are very serious jokers!" Lamented one user.
"How can we remove these cows from Outering Road?" questioned another.
Ranked Among the Most Unsafe Highways
In July 2022, the 13-kilometre Outer Ring Road was ranked among the most unsafe highways in the world during a high-level United Nations meeting.
Urban Mobility expert Claudia Adriazola-Steil indicated that the road was the most dangerous road in Nairobi in the first nine months of 2021.
Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Outer Ring was listed as the most dangerous route in Nairobi with 44 accident deaths recorded, followed by Waiyaki Way with 38 fatalities.
