Monday morning traffic came to a standstill in Nairobi as matatu strike blocked major roads in the country in protest of their planned strike.
Outering Road was blocked at the Kariobangi Roundabout as matatus parked their vehicles across the road. No traffic was allowed on the road. Within minutes, traffic had built up in all directions.
Vehicles that were heading towards Kariobangi, Dandora, and Ruaraka were stuck in traffic. Others that were trying to get out of the area could not move. Some drivers even switched off their engines and waited.
On Thika Road, traffic had built up early in the morning. People who used the road said they had been stuck there for hours. The matatus, however, were not moving, and people were stuck by the road.
Waiyaki Way has also been affected by the strike. Matatus have blocked the road going into town. People traveling from Uthiru, Kabete, Kinoo, and even Nakuru have been delayed.
In the city center, there were reports that some buses had blocked some parts of Tom Mboya Street, particularly near the junction with Ronald Ngala Street, near KTDA. The area is used by drivers going to Umoja, Donholm, and Githurai.
In Eastlands, there were reports that matatus had dropped passengers along Jogoo Road. Some matatu touts had told them that SACCOs were not allowing any vehicles to enter the city center.
The strike had affected matatus, private cars, and even lorries. People were coming late to work. Students were also missing classes. Some businesses were also coming late to open up.
Motorists were asked to avoid Outering Road and the Kariobangi Roundabout and use alternative routes where possible.
The matatu operators had announced earlier that they would be going on a nation-wide strike from January 28. They were complaining about the alleged burning of some of their vehicles by bodaboda operators and the government’s failure to act.
On Sunday, the Federation of Public Transport Sector announced that they had suspended the strike to enable talks. However, some operators decided to go ahead and start the strike on Monday morning.
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