Mai Mahiu Standstill: Nairobi - Nakuru Highway Paralyzed, Leaving Commuters Stranded for Hours

15, Dec 2023 / 1 min read/ By Livenow Africa

Travellers found themselves caught in a massive traffic jam along the Nairobi - Nakuru Highway, enduring a standstill at Mai Mahiu for over eight hours.

The gridlock, which commenced just before 10 pm on Thursday, December 14, persisted until 8 am the following Friday, leaving motorists frustrated and stranded.

While transport officials had not provided details on the cause of the snarl-up at the time of publishing, some reports suggested that the congestion was exacerbated by overlapping motorists.

Travellers lamented the absence of traffic officers on the highway, contributing to matatus bound for Western Kenya overlapping to navigate the traffic.

To cope with the situation, those planning to use the route were advised to explore alternative roads. John Njoro warned, "Avoid Mai Mahiu road from Nairobi. The traffic is very bad starting from Kwa Governor to the Hilly Place. Use alternative roads."

Patrick Sigey, stuck since 9 pm the previous day, echoed the sentiment, urging others to avoid Mai Mahiu if possible.

Motorists voiced their concerns, calling on the government to expand the road to prevent recurring traffic woes during festive periods. Some also urged the deployment of traffic marshals to manage the congestion promptly.

Notably, a similar scenario occurred last year on December 3, 2022, prompting leaders to appeal to Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to address road issues.

In response, Murkomen revealed plans for the government to dual highways from Mombasa to Kisumu under a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) program, with toll stations set to be piloted along the Nairobi - Mombasa highway.

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