NAIROBI, Kenya — Motorists travelling along the busy Nairobi–Nakuru highway have been warned of worsening traffic congestion, with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) citing lane indiscipline and reckless overtaking as key drivers of prolonged delays during the festive travel period.
In a statement, KeNHA said traffic volumes had risen sharply along several sections of the highway, slowing movement and triggering gridlock.
The authority singled out overlapping and failure by drivers to adhere to lane discipline as major contributors to congestion.
“KeNHA wishes to notify motorists travelling between Nairobi and Nakuru that there has been a significant increase in traffic volumes, leading to congestion at various sections of the road. The congestion is largely due to lane indiscipline and overlapping,” the authority said.
KeNHA urged road users to cooperate with traffic police officers and marshals deployed along the corridor and to strictly follow traffic rules to ease the situation.
Drivers were specifically warned against encroaching onto opposing lanes of the dual carriageway, even when climbing lanes are slow-moving, noting that the practice poses serious safety risks.
“Road users are urged to exercise patience, avoid overlapping, and strictly follow directions issued by traffic police officers and marshals to prevent prolonged delays,” the authority added.
The warning follows severe congestion experienced on Friday, December 19, when motorists endured hours-long delays, with some forced to spend the night on the highway.
Reports indicated that gridlock stretched for several kilometres, particularly along the Mai Mahiu stretch in Naivasha and the Salgaa–Mau Summit section. Both lanes were affected, leaving public service vehicles (PSVs), trailers, and private cars stranded for more than seven hours.
Footage shared by media outlets showed long lines of buses, heavy commercial trucks, and private vehicles inching forward at a crawl, while some passengers and drivers were seen resting overnight in their vehicles as clearance remained slow.
KeNHA acknowledged that ongoing roadworks along parts of the corridor contributed to slower traffic flow, but maintained that reckless overtaking by some motorists significantly worsened the situation. The authority later confirmed that traffic had since been restored along the Salgaa–Kibunja section, which had earlier experienced major disruptions.
However, the Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) sharply criticised KeNHA, accusing the authority of poor planning and shifting blame to road users. MAK alleged that congestion along the Salgaa–Mau Summit corridor was “artificial” and deliberately engineered to justify future tolling of public highways.
“Scheduling and timing road works when thousands of Kenyans are travelling for the holidays is callous, insensitive, and directly contradicts KeNHA’s stated mandate of providing seamless connectivity,” the association said in a statement.
MAK argued that undertaking major roadworks during peak festive travel disrupted thousands of motorists and exposed them to unnecessary risks, calling for greater accountability and transparency in highway management.
The association urged KeNHA to prioritise safety, mobility, and the dignity of motorists when planning infrastructure interventions.
The traffic snarl-up has also drawn attention to broader road safety concerns during the holiday season.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has separately urged motorists to prioritise safe driving practices, including observing speed limits, maintaining safe following distances, wearing seat belts, and conducting regular vehicle checks.
Road safety advocates note that the Nairobi–Nakuru highway, a key economic artery linking the capital to the Rift Valley and western Kenya, remains particularly vulnerable to congestion during peak travel periods due to high traffic volumes, ongoing upgrades, and driver behaviour.
As holiday travel intensifies in the coming days, authorities say easing congestion will require a combination of strict enforcement, disciplined driving, and better coordination of roadworks.
Whether that balance can be achieved amid competing accusations is likely to be tested as more motorists take to the highway.
