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Kenya: Lamentations as Nairobians Spend Another Night on Mombasa Road

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4 years ago

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Nairobi residents who use Mombasa Road now say the pain of spending hours on the road has become unbearable.

On Thursday night, just like many other nights, travellers had to endure long hours on the road while others spent the night there in a heavy traffic snarl-up.

Motorists and commuters have had to suffer the consequences of the ongoing construction of the Sh62 billion Nairobi Expressway despite assurances by officials to minimise the traffic gridlock.

Jeff Angote, a Nation photojournalist, said he reached his destination at 2am after leaving the city centre at 7pm.

“I live in Katani and I use Mombasa Road every day and this traffic mess has become unbearable. Almost every other night we are forced to spend hours on the road as we cannot walk to our homes in the dead of night,” he said.

Social media was also awash with accounts of what people felt was amiss.

Dr Mary Mugo, who also uses the road, blamed the China Road and Bridge Corporation, who are building the expressway, for digging trenches along the road, forcing motorists into a single lane instead of three.

“How is Mombasa Road people got home at 2.04 am why would the contractor dig trenches right, left, and center? Why would they not do one side at a time? These Chinese seem not to care about us,” she said.

Kepha Murage also blamed the contractor and wondered why trenches are not refilled once dug.

“The contractor is busy making trenches everywhere. Why can’t he refill some to enable easy passage? We are (being) treated like people without a Government. We are on our own. How can a contractor make trenches all over the road at the same, inbound and outbound not bothering if we have people who use the road?”

Another motorist said he left his office at 4pm and got home – 26km down Mombasa Road in Athi River – at 2am.

“The Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) is there anything you can do to improve movement on Mombasa Road? Can’t the Road contractor be more organised?” he posed.

No justification

Kanini Kaseo also wondered why the contractor has done little to make it easier for motorists to manoeuvre.

“Is the contractor not obliged to adhere to his terms? Is there budgetary allocation for diversions/ signage/ dust mitigation? Is he guided by his perception of who he thinks lives in Westlands vs who lives in Mlolongo?” he wondered.