Several motorists and passengers were forced to spend the night on the road on Friday evening after heavy traffic congestion brought movement to a near standstill along the busy Nairobi–Nakuru highway.
Reports from the ground indicated that the gridlock, which stretched for several kilometres, was largely caused by ongoing roadworks along a section of the highway. The construction works reportedly reduced the road to fewer usable lanes, creating a major bottleneck as traffic volumes surged ahead of the festive season.
However, some road users blamed the situation on widespread lane indiscipline, with drivers, particularly of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs), overtaking recklessly in an attempt to make extra trips and ferry more passengers travelling upcountry. This behaviour is said to have worsened the congestion, eventually leading to a complete shutdown of both lanes of the highway.
The standoff left hundreds of PSVs, private cars, trucks, and buses stranded for more than seven hours, with many passengers spending the night in their vehicles. Some travellers were forced to sleep in the cold, while others ran out of food, water, and fuel as the traffic failed to ease deep into the night.
The massive snarl-up disrupted travel plans for many Kenyans heading to various destinations for the holidays, sparking frustration and complaints on social media. Motorists called on authorities to improve traffic management, enforce lane discipline, and provide timely communication during roadworks to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents on one of the country’s most critical transport corridors.