Thousands of passengers and motorists have been forced to spend over eight hours on the Nairobi- Mombasa Highway due to heavy traffic.
According to the Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association, the traffic started building up from Mtito Andei and Voi before stretching to that highway
The situation was exacerbated by motorists who were overlapping and thus ended up closing both sides of the busy highway.
“People and cargo still stranded. It’s been more than 8hrs and still no movement,” Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association’s statement read in part.
Other photos shared by motorists stuck on the highway revealed that vehicles were not moving as early as 8 am on Saturday, March 2.
Motorists lamented over the gridlock arguing that there was no other alternatives to manoeuvre along the Nairobi- Mombasa Highway.
Passengers were exposed to the danger of wild animal attacks as the highway is surrounded by Tsavo East and Tsavo West.
By the time of this publication, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) had not explained the cause of the heavy traffic.
However, the Motorists Association of Kenya implored Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to prioritise the expansion of the highway.
“Kipchumba Murkomen Make Mombasa Nairobi Dual Carriage using our taxes and loans,” they stated.
Bus companies also issued notices informing customers of expected delays due to the traffic.
“Dear customers, there has been a huge traffic jam at Kanga area near Mtito Andei where buses to and from Mombasa have been stuck overnight. This might result into some of our morning and afternoon departures being delayed or bus being changed. We apologize for inconveniences caused,” one of the companies wrote.
