Piece by: CYRUS OMBATI

20 July 2024

• Some motorists had to light fires on the road to warm themselves.

• The Kimende stretch is cold and can drop to six degrees.

Hundreds of motorists travelling to and from Nairobi faced a horrible ordeal on Friday night after being trapped on the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway for over 12 hours.

Some had to light fires on the road to warm themselves. The stretch is cold and can drop to six degrees.

Police blamed the situation on earlier protests by locals in Kijabe area who had blocked the road to protest against Kenya Power and Lighting.

They claimed a transformer had been stolen hence the situation.

The chaos went on affecting the traffic flow.

This caused a jam on the road prompting impatient motorists to overlap.

Overwhelmed police officers withdrew from the road leaving chaos spiraling for kilometers as motorists rushing for a weekend to western Kenya remained trapped.

The traffic chaos began near Limuru at around 5 pm and continued throughout the night, forcing many to spend the night at Kimende, Sokomjinga and other shopping centers on the highway.

The traffic gridlock extending beyond 12 hours, left hundreds stranded.

As temperatures dropped, desperate travellers lit bonfires to keep warm, with scenes of the night captured and shared widely on social media.

The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) has not explained the issue.

Affected motorists used social media to express their frustrations and anger over the issue.

Travellers continued to share their predicaments in real-time, highlighting the dire need for a prompt and effective response from the authorities.

As dawn broke on Saturday, there was still no sign of relief. The highway, a vital artery connecting Nairobi to other parts of the country, remained clogged.