Nairobi-Mombasa highway not spared agony of snarl-ups

Story by MAZERA NDURYA
Publication Date: 2007/05/12
From a high point on a hill, an assortment of vehicles can be seen snaking their way towards Mazeras about 10 kilometres from the China Roads and Bridges construction company’s camp in Miritini.

Undulating valleys on either side of the road add to the beauty of the landscape but motorists show little interest in them as they wait impatiently for the vehicles ahead to move on.

Winnie, a passenger heading to Nairobi in one of the buses, has been stuck in traffic for about six hours and there is little hope of the situation changing any time soon.

She had left Mombasa at 10pm on Wednesday evening hoping to be in Nairobi by dawn. But by 6am on Thursday, the bus had only covered 20 of the 500 kilometres.

Stuck in mud

This is a sight that has characterised the Mombasa–Nairobi highway on the small section of the road, a distance of about 10 kilometres that is currently being rebuilt.

For several days last week, the situation was made worse by the rains that have been pounding the area.

Vehicles travelling from either way get stuck in the muddy stretch of the diversions that has been created to enable the contractor go on with the work. Essential commodities like vegetables, meat and newspapers have been getting to the town later than usual. According to the Coast provincial works officer, Mr Samuel Ogege, the rains have made it difficult for lorries to drive through the diversion because it is slippery. “Work is on schedule and we expect the contractor to hand over a new road to the Government by August this year,” he said of the Maji ya Chumvi–Miritini road that is being rebuilt at a cost of Sh2.3 billion.

According to him, the inconvenience is a small price to pay for the project that will eventually bring to an end the misery motorists have been suffering on the potholed road.

The management of Mash Bus Company — which operates bus services on the Mombasa–Nairobi and Kisumu route — says the traffic jams have adversely affected the firm’s operations.

“On Wednesday, our five vehicles were held up for about 10 hours on the road delaying our passengers,” said the company’s general manager, Mr Abeid Said.

He blames the snarl-up on the conduct of drivers who seem to be rushing to outdo one another on the bad section of the road.

Mr Abeid said that the traffic police were doing a good job but sometimes it becomes difficult for them to control the vehicles when the trucks stall or get stuck.

Mombasa district traffic commander Martin Kinoti blamed the situation on the trucks, some of which are heavily loaded, and easily get stuck.