Your evening commute just got a whole lot more complicated – the Kenya National Highways Authority has announced a complete 24-hour shutdown of a critical section of both Mombasa Road and the Nairobi Expressway starting this weekend.
KeNHA confirmed that the closure affects the stretch between the General Motors junction and the Airfield area, where crews will be installing a new pedestrian footbridge. The shutdown begins at 6 PM on Saturday and runs until 6 PM on Sunday, forcing thousands of motorists to find alternative routes during one of the busiest travel periods of the week.
For anyone who regularly uses this route – and let's be honest, that's half of Nairobi – this means your usual 20-minute trip to town could easily stretch to over an hour. The affected section handles some of the heaviest traffic in the city, with matatus, private cars, and commercial vehicles all squeezing through this corridor daily. Think about it: this is the same road that connects Industrial Area workers to their jobs, families in South C to Westlands, and basically anyone trying to get from the airport to the city center.
The footbridge installation is part of ongoing efforts to make pedestrian crossings safer along the busy highway, where jaywalking has become a dangerous daily reality for thousands of Kenyans. While the long-term benefits are clear – fewer accidents and safer crossings for people who can't afford to take matatus for short distances – the immediate pain will be felt by everyone who depends on this route.
Alternative routes through Jogoo Road, Outering Road, and Uhuru Highway are likely to experience massive congestion as displaced traffic seeks other ways around the city. If you're planning to send money via M-Pesa to someone stuck in traffic this weekend, you might want to add some extra fare for the longer journey they'll definitely be taking.
The question on every commuter's mind: is one weekend of traffic chaos worth the long-term safety benefits, and couldn't this work have been scheduled during a less disruptive time?