Heavy overnight rains disrupted the morning commute in Nairobi, leaving motorists and residents grappling with heavy traffic snarl-ups on major highways as vehicular movement slowed across several key routes leading into and out of the city.
The congestion was particularly pronounced along the Nairobi Expressway, where the high-speed corridor became a slow-moving stream of vehicles as the morning rush hour was compounded by the effects of the downpour.
The traffic jam stretched from Mlolongo near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and continued along the median of Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway, and Waiyaki Way before extending towards James Gichuru Road in Westlands.
Live traffic feeds obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed sluggish vehicle movement near Njuguna’s Place in Westlands, with the queue of cars slowly creeping towards Lion’s Place. However, Moja Expressway Company had not issued an official statement regarding the Expressway gridlock by the time of publication.
On the lower deck network, traffic backed up along Waiyaki Way from Kabete Police Station all the way past Westlands towards the Kenyatta Avenue roundabout on Uhuru Highway.
“I left the house at Kikuyu at around 5:30am, and I have been stuck in traffic up to around 9:30am. This has really consumed most of my time.” Esther Muthoni, a media practitioner, narrated her experience, saying the prolonged congestion had significantly disrupted her schedule and consumed valuable time.
Several feeder roads branching off Waiyaki Way also experienced similar congestion as motorists sought alternative routes to bypass the main highway gridlock, including sections around Peponi Road.
Along Thika Road, heavy traffic was reported from Pangani towards Utalii College and further extending near the General Service Unit Training School exit, with the congestion affecting both inbound and outbound lanes.
The Muthaiga Roundabout remained among the most affected junctions, with additional delays reported along Murang’a Road.
Other areas experiencing traffic pressure included Gigiri, Red Hill near the United States Embassy in Kenya, and sections of Kilimani around Dennis Pritt Road.
Meanwhile, traffic flow along the Outer Ring Road was gradually improving in some sections by mid-morning as congestion started to ease-Kenyans.co.ke.
