NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi woke up to a grinding halt on Monday morning, July 7, as police roadblocks locked down major roads, trapping thousands of commuters in what turned into a city-wide traffic nightmare.
From Thika Road to Mombasa Road, from Waiyaki Way to Jogoo Road, the message was clear: getting into the city would not be easy.
And despite a court order barring the erection of such roadblocks ahead of the planned Saba Saba protests, authorities moved forward with the lockdown—raising eyebrows and tempers.
Traffic came to a standstill at key intersections including Roysambu, Guri Nanak, GM Roundabout, and 75 Roundabout on the Eastern Bypass.
On Kangundo Road, vehicles were backed up near Njiru, Mama Lucy stage, and Donholm. Even Museum Hill and Kangemi along Waiyaki Way weren’t spared, with public service vehicles rerouted or turned away entirely.
The only exception? Private vehicles, allowed through after intensive inspections, slowing things down even further. For thousands of Nairobians trying to get to work or school, Monday morning became an unplanned endurance test.
Online, the frustration boiled over. Kenyans flooded social media with photos and videos of clogged roads and stalled commutes, with many accusing the government of deliberately sabotaging movement to stifle the Gen Z-led Saba Saba demonstrations.
Adding to the tension, Kenya Air Force officers were spotted alongside police manning the Juja Road checkpoint, a rare move that underlined the state’s heavy-handed approach.
All this happened while Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku ordered civil servants to report to work without fail—threatening stern action against anyone who didn’t show up. Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen chimed in, promising that safety was guaranteed and that businesses should open as usual.
But the ground reality told a different story.
Kenya Railways announced the sudden cancellation of its Nairobi-bound passenger trains, citing technical hitches.
That explanation didn’t fly with many Kenyans online, who saw it as yet another calculated move to suppress protests by limiting access to the capital.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that hundreds of youth trying to travel from Mombasa to Nairobi for the protests had been blocked from boarding buses at the Summer Tide Festival.
Despite the clampdown, youth across the country—particularly Gen Zs—remained defiant.
The Saba Saba Day protests, aimed at commemorating the fight for multipartism and highlighting police brutality, still loomed large, even as the government appeared to dig in.
The result? A capital city paralyzed, a nation on edge, and a government walking a tightrope between asserting control and igniting further dissent.
