Residents of Gitaru in Kabete Constituency are facing grave danger due to the incomplete interchange that connects the Northern Bypass, Southern Bypass, and Limuru-Naivasha roads. The slip road that heavy trucks must use to join the Southern Bypass from the Limuru and Naivasha roads passes through a densely populated area, making it unsafe for residents.
The approximately 600-meter-long stretch is on a steep slope, and heavy trucks and trailers regularly experience brake failure, leading to accidents and fatalities. Unfortunately, the area has become a black spot due to the increasing number of accidents, and residents are losing their lives, with many others getting injured along the said blackspot.
On April 18, the latest victim of the dangerous situation in this area was Veronica Njeri Kaniaru, who tragically lost her life. Her death sparked anger among the youth in the area, who decided to barricade the road on April 26 to express their displeasure at the slow pace of the interchange construction. The angry youth had just finished digging the grave of the 62-year-old woman, who was to be laid to rest on Thursday in Mutego village.
The actions of the angry youth caused a major traffic snarl-up stretching beyond the Sigona Golf Club on the Nairobi-Limuru Road. Police from the Kikuyu Police Station had to intervene to disperse the youth, clear the road, and restore smooth flow of traffic.
Civil society activist Kirika Thuita, who hails from the area, says that the genesis of the accidents can be traced back to when traffic began being redirected to the stretch during the construction of the Limuru-Naivasha road about five years ago. He adds that the heavy trucks must stop using this stretch if residents’ lives are to be saved.
“We cannot continue burying our people while those in authority do nothing,” he said.
Residents of the area are calling on the Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) to finish the interchange and avert further accidents. Enough is enough, and something must be done to avoid any more senseless deaths in the future.