NAIROBI, Kenya — It wasn’t your usual Monday morning in the capital. Nairobians trying to get to work, school, or simply move through the city found themselves caught in a full-blown gridlock, courtesy of dozens of police roadblocks set up before sunrise on July 7.
From Thika Road to Ngong Road, Kiambu Road to Uhuru Highway, traffic was jammed, tempers flared, and questions piled up.
What’s going on? In short: it’s Saba Saba Day, and the government is doing everything it can to keep Gen Z protesters out of the Central Business District.
A court order had already barred authorities from setting up roadblocks to stop the demonstrations.
But judging by the scenes in Nairobi this morning, that ruling was quickly ignored. At Guru Nanak, Roysambu, Madaraka, Kasarani, and nearly every artery leading into town, police officers stood their ground, inspecting cars, turning away public transport, and paralyzing movement.
Even private cars weren’t spared delays. Though they were allowed through, drivers were subjected to intense inspections, dragging the city into a crawl.
Commuters shared videos and photos on social media under hashtags like #SabaSaba, venting their frustration — and pointing fingers at the government.
And while Nairobi’s streets were choking with traffic, Kenya Railways quietly canceled Nairobi-bound commuter trains, citing “technical hitches.”
What’s at the heart of all this? A new wave of Gen Z-led protests calling out government excesses, police brutality, and state overreach. This year’s Saba Saba — a day that originally marked Kenya’s fight for multiparty democracy — has taken on a new shape, with digital activism morphing into physical resistance.
Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku ordered civil servants to report to work without fail, threatening action for those who didn’t. Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen added that “security was guaranteed” and businesses should open as usual.
But the view from the ground told a different story. Nairobi wasn’t just congested — it was strategically blocked. Among the roads affected were:
- Guru Nanak towards town (Thika Road)
- Roysambu footbridge and roundabout
- Ngong Road at City Mortuary
- Arwings Kodhek/DoD roundabout
- Kangemi overpass
- Kiambu Road (DCI HQ)
- Gitaru interchange
- Valley Road
- Nyayo Stadium, Landhies Road, Kenyatta Avenue, Uhuru Highway — all under tight surveillance
These weren’t your ordinary traffic stops. This was a tactical lockdown, enforced despite a legal order to the contrary.
And it’s not just Nairobi feeling the heat. Over the weekend, hundreds of young people traveling from Mombasa were blocked from boarding buses to the capital. Online, outrage grew. On the ground, frustration boiled.
So yes, while government officials assured Kenyans that all was under control, the chaos on the roads told another story: a city under siege on a day meant to honor the right to protest.
