This archive report was first published on 3 August 2019.
On August 3, 2019, a severe traffic congestion occurred on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway at Gilgil, leaving motorists stranded for over 12 hours.
The gridlock was exacerbated by the closure of a truck lane near the Gilgil weighbridge, according to officials.
Emmanuel Opuru, the Gilgil sub-county police boss, explained that the lane was closed to facilitate ongoing road repairs.
‘The traffic was unusually high due to the closure of schools, leading to the gridlock,’ he said.
Opuru also criticized motorists for their ‘culture of impatience,’ which he claimed contributed to the snarl-up.
‘Some drivers took to the wrong lanes, while others used adjacent earth roads, further worsening the situation,’ he added.
Despite the efforts of traffic officers, the congestion persisted into Saturday morning, with the snarl-up stretching over 20 kilometers.
A Twitter user, Gilbert Kaunda, captured the frustration of motorists, tweeting, ‘A country of jokers. Stuck from 12am up to now. Gilgil.'
