NAIROBI, Kenya- The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has demolished several roadside structures erected along the Thika Superhighway at Roysambu in Nairobi, leaving dozens of traders counting heavy losses.
The demolition exercise was conducted overnight on Wednesday, March 4, targeting kiosks, stalls and makeshift shops that had encroached on the road reserve along the busy highway corridor.
Bulldozers and excavators moved in under heavy police security to flatten the structures as officers secured the area during the operation.
According to KeNHA, the operation followed the expiry of an earlier notice issued to traders instructing them to vacate the road reserve voluntarily.
The authority had directed vendors operating in the Roysambu section of Thika Road to remove their goods and structures within seven days.
KeNHA demolishes roadside structures along Thika Road at Roysambu
The agency explained that the clearance was necessary to reclaim public land and improve safety along the highway.
Officials noted that the presence of roadside stalls had created safety concerns for motorists and pedestrians using the busy transport corridor.
KeNHA further indicated that the demolitions form part of a broader plan to reorganise public transport operations along Thika Road, including the construction of designated bus bays aimed at reducing congestion and improving passenger pick-up and drop-off points.
However, the exercise left many traders devastated as their businesses were reduced to rubble. Some residents and business owners said they relied on the roadside kiosks for their livelihoods, with families watching helplessly as the bulldozers moved in.
The Roysambu operation comes barely weeks after a similar demolition carried out by KeNHA in the nearby Githurai 45 area, where hundreds of traders were also displaced following the removal of structures built on the highway reserve.
Authorities maintain that the ongoing enforcement is part of efforts to restore order along the Thika Superhighway and enhance road safety on one of Kenya’s busiest transport corridors.
