[PHOTOS] Traders salvage belongings after demolitions in Githurai

Wanyonyi to reignite rivalry with Arop, Sedjati in Oslo Athletics

KSSSA Nyanza region to roll out digital player verification to curb cheating Sports

Traders operating along the Thika Superhighway in Githurai were on Friday seen salvaging materials after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) moved in to demolish makeshift structures.

KeNHA said the structures had been erected on the road reserve, which is earmarked for a planned bus park and related infrastructure upgrades.

The demolitions, which affected kiosks and temporary stalls, saw traders move to salvage iron sheets, timber, and other items from the debris.

KeNHA said the exercise was aimed at reclaiming road reserves along the Thika Superhighway, noting that the affected sections were required for planned transport improvements, including the establishment of a bus park to ease congestion in the area.

Tensions had earlier flared as the demolitions got underway, with traders and residents staging protests that disrupted traffic flow.

The confrontation occurred near the Githurai overpass, where demonstrators blocked sections of the busy highway and set tyres ablaze in protest against the demolitions.

Police officers were deployed to the scene and moved to disperse the crowd.

On February 10, KeNHA issued a seven-day notice to roadside traders operating along sections of the Thika Superhighway at Roysambu (both directions) and Githurai (Nairobi-bound direction) to remove their wares from the road reserve.

“The Kenya National Highways Authority wishes to notify all roadside traders along the Thika Superhighway at the Roysambu (both directions) and Githurai (Nairobi direction) sections to clear their wares from the road reserve within seven (7) days of this notice,” the Authority said.

KeNHA noted that the planned bus bays will provide safe and orderly passenger pick-up and drop-off while improving traffic flow along the busy corridor.

“This is to pave the way for the construction of designated bus bays, aimed at ensuring safe and orderly passenger pick-up and drop-off, as well as reducing traffic congestion along the affected sections,” the notice read.

The Authority said the project forms part of broader road safety initiatives designed to reduce accidents and remove obstructions along major highways.