NAIROBI, Kenya — Traders in Githurai 45 have paralysed sections of the Thika Superhighway in protest against the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA)’s demolition of roadside structures, disrupting traffic along one of the country’s busiest transport corridors.
The unrest erupted on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, after KeNHA moved in with excavators and police officers to flatten makeshift kiosks, stalls and metal structures that had encroached on the road reserve near the Githurai overpass.
The authority said the clearance followed a notice giving traders seven days to vacate the affected areas to pave the way for the construction of designated bus bays and other highway safety improvements.
By evening, irate traders had barricaded parts of the Thika Superhighway and set tyres ablaze, leading to heavy smoke and chaotic scenes that rendered sections of the road impassable and significantly slowed movement for motorists.
Some commuters were forced to find alternative routes amid long traffic snarl-ups.
The protests followed mounting frustration among traders and residents, who say the eviction notice was abrupt, lacked adequate public consultation, and did not include a clear relocation or compensation plan.
About 1,600 traders are affected by the KeNHA directive, many of whom have operated roadside businesses for years and rely on daily income from their stalls.
“We were given only short notice and no place to go. This is how we feed our families,” one trader told reporters, underscoring widespread anger at the sudden enforcement action.
Police were deployed to manage the unrest and oversee the demolition exercise.
While authorities maintain that the road reserve must be cleared to enhance traffic safety and reduce accidents, some traders and local leaders have described the move as heavy-handed and insensitive to the socio-economic impact on small-scale traders.
The Kenya National Highways Authority has reiterated that reclaiming the road reserve is part of broader efforts to improve infrastructure, including safer passenger pick-up and drop-off zones and reduced congestion along the corridor.
However, traders say they were not adequately consulted before the enforcement action, and many are still counting their losses.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has condemned the demolitions, saying they were executed in an inhumane manner.
“The celebrity and clueless Cabinet Secretary for Interior claims to understand the plight of small business enterprises, yet he dwells in ivory towers and pure indulgence in the excesses of public resources while threatening the opposition leaders,” he said.
Gachagua wondered, “What was the supposed urgency behind the Githurai demolitions and the deployment of a full government force on innocent citizens at a dead night hour?”
