What ought to be done to end costly gridlock on Nairobi roads

Yesterday’s shutdown of Nairobi, East Africa’s biggest metropolis, was yet another ill-thought out proposal to decongest the city.

Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero tried the same trick, but failed. His ingenuity, which he christened signalised intersections - of barricading five roundabouts on Uhuru Highway and other major road intersections using old drums - caused a gridlock as that witnessed yesterday. The plan had to be called off.