The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has demolished structures erected along the road reserve in Roysambu along the Thika Superhighway.

The demolitions took place on the night of Wednesday, March 4, targeting stalls that had encroached on the road reserve. This follows the expiry of a notice issued by KeNHA directing traders to vacate the area.

In a notice dated Monday, January 9, the authority instructed all roadside traders operating at Roysambu in both directions to remove their wares within seven days.

“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 statement read.

KeNHA explained that the clearance aims to create space for the construction of bus bays, which will improve public transport and ease congestion. Similar demolitions were carried out on February 18 at Githurai 45, leaving several traders counting losses.

Police officers were deployed to provide security and oversee the operation. KeNHA noted that the encroaching structures had created serious safety concerns in the busy market area, contributing to accidents over time.

“The structures had encroached onto the road reserve, posing significant safety risks to thousands of motorists and pedestrians within the busy market area. Over time, this section has recorded numerous road safety incidents a trend the Authority is firmly committed to reversing,” KeNHA said in a statement.

Political Criticism

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua criticized the demolitions, calling them “senseless and inhuman.”

Gachagua accused KeNHA of violating human dignity and said the actions reflected a government that has lost all compassion.

“It is both senseless and inhuman for this regime to orchestrate extreme brutality and cowardice by deploying hundreds of police officers in the dead of night to destroy the property of traders in Githurai and to terrorize innocent citizens. Such actions are a grave affront to human dignity and reflect a regime that has lost all sense of compassion and justice,” he said.

The demolitions highlight ongoing tensions between the government and traders along Nairobi’s major road corridors as authorities push for infrastructure development and traffic decongestion projects.