Christmas festivities season is here with most Kenyans travelling upcountry to spend the holidays with their families. However, the urban to rural migration has caused huge traffic on major highways in the country.
Most roads across the country are packed with traffic jams as Kenyans rush upcountry for Christmas and New Year celebrations with their loved ones.
Likewise, the huge traffic experienced on Kenya’s major road has in some highways been caused by accidents, according to Kenya National Highways Authority – KeNHA.
Also, bad driving manners among Kenyans such as overlapping contributed to the traffic snarl ups on major routes countrywide.
Christmas Festivities Traffic Snarl Up
Notably. Kenyans are spending long hours on the Nairobi – Nakuru Highway with heavy traffic witnessed from December 21.
However, KeNHA warned motorists using the Nakuru- Nairobi highway to expect heavy traffic due to the increased festive travel this Christmas season.
Also Read: KeNHA Issues Advisory to Motorists on Heavy Traffic
The authority in a statement, while notifying Kenyans using the major Nairobi-Nakuru highway on the traffic snarl up also noted that traffic police were actively managing the situation.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) alerts motorists plying or planning to use Nairobi – Nakuru Highway of a traffic snarl up from Rironi occasioned by increased travel for festivities, Traffic police are actively managing the situation.,” said KeNHA
Nairobi Mombasa Highway
The Nairobi Mombasa highway has also seen motorists and passengers spend their nights on the busy road following a heavy traffic snarl-up as from Tuesday, December 19.
Images shared across social media platforms captured passengers sitting by the roads.
Mai Mahiu Highway
Travellers using the Mai Mahiu route experienced heavy traffic despite being a crucial gate way to more than six counties in South Nyanza and South Rift.
Notably, the escarpment route which is usually narrow and thus limited space for expansion saw a number of travelers spend long hours on the road.
Also Read: 62-Seater Bus Involved in Accident in Londiani
Again, motorists spent a better part of their Thursday December 21 stuck on Mai Mahiu Highway, most of whom were traveling upcountry.
What’s more, the traffic jam consisted of heavy commercial vehicles, PSVs and personal cars.
IG Koome on Christmas Travel
On Wednesday December 20, Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome Koome cautioned Kenyans of expected high traffic on the roads during the Christmas season, calling on all road users to exercise caution.
While addressing a press conference in Nairobi, Koome noted that road safety was a collective responsibility.
At the time, the police boss noted that increased cases of road crashes were being caused by preventable human factors including noncompliance with traffic regulations and rules such as operating unroadworthy vehicles.
In addition, Koome noted that failure to use safety belts by commuters, speeding drivers, fatigue, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and dangerous overtaking were hugely contributing to the reported accidents.
“We expect high vehicular traffic on our roads due to increased movements of Kenyans across the country.
Already we have had two major fatal road traffic accidents in which we have lost a total of 16 people in Machakos and Nakuru since last week.
It is quite regrettable that most road traffic accidents and crashes in the country are due to preventable human factors,” said Koome.
However, motorists across the country are advised to maintain lane discipline and refrain from overlapping. Heavy traffic is also expected along the
Thika Superhighway as Kenyans from Central Kenya head home for the Christmas season.
