Stuck in Nairobi traffic for hours? You are not alone

By , K24 Digital
On Tue, 12 Nov, 2019 11:13 | 2 mins read
Commuters in Nairobi on Tuesday morning (November 12) were stuck in traffic for hours, with a majority not knowing what led to the gridlock. [PHOTO | COURTESY]
Commuters in Nairobi on Tuesday morning (November 12) were stuck in traffic for hours, with a majority not knowing what led to the gridlock. [PHOTO | COURTESY]
Commuters in Nairobi on Tuesday morning (November 12) were stuck in traffic for hours, with a majority not knowing what led to the gridlock. [PHOTO | COURTESY]

Commuters in Nairobi on Tuesday morning (November 12) were stuck in traffic for hours, with a majority not knowing what led to the gridlock.

Several travellers took to micro-blogging site, Twitter, to express their frustration for staying in the same spot for at least one hour.

Oscar Kendele tweeted at 10:24am, saying: “Lang’ata Road traffic has extended to Petrocity on Magadi Road. [If possible], find alternative routes.”

Another user, I am Tyga, said: “Lang’ata Road traffic is all the way until Galleria [Mall] and Ngong road traffic is all the way until the by-pass. Wueh!”

Another Twitter user said: “Kiambu Road is a big mess today! Three lanes to town, and none is moving.”

J Meka Official said: “Between DCI headquarters to Muthaiga, traffic is not flowing at all.”

Same sentiments were shared by commuters using Jogoo Road, Waiyaki Way, Thika Superhighway, Mombasa Road, and even those in Nairobi’s central business district. A Twitter user claimed she had stayed on Kenyatta Avenue for one hour – from 8am to 9am.

The specific cause of the heavy traffic snarl-up is yet to be officially communicated, though it is suspected that the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which begins on Tuesday (November 12) and ends on Thursday (November 14) in Nairobi could be the key reason traffic is not flowing on major roads.

At least 8, 000 delegates including Heads of State and ambassadors pooled from across the world will attend the event to be held at the KICC. Most roads leading to and exiting the KICC were closed, leaving motorists with few alternate routes to use.

The gridlock resulted in some motorists on Lang’ata Road using pedestrian footpaths, causing further traffic mayhem.

On Waiyaki Way, commuters suspect the opening of the Westlands roundabout has worsened traffic flow on the busy route that links parts of rural Kenya to Nairobi.

On Mombasa Road, the closure of a stretch on the busy highway further disrupted vehicular movement.

“KeNHA wishes to inform the general public that a section of Mombasa Road (A8) at Mlolongo will be closed between November 12 and November 20, 2019 in order to install the deck of the footbridge in Mlolongo Town. Motorists heading to Nairobi and Mombasa will use the provided diversions as directed by the signs and traffic marshals,” said KeNHA in a tweet sent out on Tuesday.

Twitter user Muga the P said: “Unfortunately, there are not many viable alternatives out of the mess. We need proper links to Kangundo Road, Lang’ata Road and the various bypasses to manage this mayhem. I hope that happens in the near future.”