The Nairobi–Nakuru Highway turned into a nightmare on Sunday night as thousands of passengers and motorists were trapped in a standstill that lasted deep into the night.
This vital road, which connects Nairobi to western Kenya, was completely blocked between Naivasha Prisons and the Keroche area. Both lanes were frozen, leaving buses, lorries, and private cars stuck for hours. For many travellers, what was meant to be a normal journey turned into an endless night of frustration, stress, and exhaustion.
The chaos was made worse by heavy rains pounding nearby areas. Visibility dropped, road conditions deteriorated, and the entire stretch became a parking lot of trapped vehicles.
Many passengers could not hide their anger. “This isn’t the first time we’ve been left helpless on this highway,” one commuter lamented. “There should be a rapid response system for such a busy road.”
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Others blamed reckless driving for the nightmare. “Too bad. It could have been avoided, but a few drivers decided otherwise,” another traveller complained, referring to drivers who overlapped and broke traffic rules.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. Just days earlier, on Thursday, the same highway had also been blocked for hours. That jam began near the Delamere area in Naivasha and stretched for several kilometres past the Gilgil weighbridge, affecting both personal cars and commercial trucks.
On Friday, the nightmare repeated itself on a different road. Along the Nairobi–Mai Mahiu–Naivasha highway, motorists were once again stranded overnight. At Mai Mahiu, heavy traffic and poor discipline among drivers left vehicles lined up as far as the eye could see.
Reports showed that the Friday jam began around 9 p.m. and stretched for more than 21 kilometres. The gridlock locked both lanes of the single carriageway, leaving travellers with no escape.
Witnesses said the main cause was lane indiscipline. Some drivers attempted to overlap, blocking all paths. By the time police arrived, the situation was already out of control. Efforts to restore order failed, and motorists remained stuck until morning.
Images shared on social media painted a grim picture: endless rows of headlights, stranded passengers walking along the road in search of food or shelter, and PSV buses turned into temporary waiting rooms for tired travellers.
“This is not just about inconvenience, it is about safety,” said one passenger. “People were left in the dark, with no food, no water, and no help. If there had been an emergency, we would have been in real danger.”
Kenya’s highways, especially Nairobi–Nakuru, are lifelines for both passengers and cargo. A blockage of this scale means delayed goods, lost business hours, and huge losses for transport companies. Long-distance buses connecting Nairobi to western Kenya and beyond were forced to cancel or delay their trips.
Motorists have been calling for stronger traffic management. Many believe that with a rapid response team, the chaos could have been avoided. “We need traffic police on standby along these stretches, especially during weekends and rainy seasons,” one driver urged.
Another commuter added: “We depend on this road for everything, business, family visits, even emergencies. If this keeps happening, it will cripple the economy.”
For now, the memories of that long night remain raw. The cries of stranded passengers highlight a deeper issue: poor traffic discipline, weak enforcement, and lack of preparedness.
As one frustrated passenger summed it up: “This isn’t just rain or bad luck. It is a failure to manage Kenya’s busiest highways.”
The question now is whether authorities will act, or if Kenyans should brace for another endless night of stranded vehicles and broken journeys.
Because for thousands who sat in darkness on the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway, this was more than a jam. It was a warning of how quickly the lifeline of a nation can be brought to a standstill.
