Early road closures for Harambee Stars match ignite public anger

Nairobi's Thika Road is synonymous with long traffic jams. [File, Standard]

Commuters plying the Thika Superhighway on Friday faced it rough, after police blocked several sections of the road.

The Police Service had yesterday evening announced traffic disruptions along Thika Road to ease access to Kasarani Stadium during the Harambee Stars' CHAN 2024 quarter-final against Madagascar.

But the directive drew sharp criticism online, with motorists complaining of chaos and economic disruption.

A spot check by The Standard on Friday morning found hundreds of vehicles stranded along the Northern Bypass following the closure.

In its notice, police directed motorists heading from the city centre toward Thika Road to use Kiambu Road at Exit 4.

Those traveling from Thika, Juja, and Ruiru to Nairobi were advised to use the Northern Bypass or Kiambu Road. Vehicles without access passes to Kasarani will be diverted to service lanes at Exit 7 and Exit 8.

Police said the measures were necessary to ensure smooth operations during the match and warned that motorists who ignored diversion orders would face stern action.

However, many Kenyans faulted the plan for lacking timelines and unnecessarily inconveniencing commuters.

"You haven't given timelines. Why close a national highway for a 90-minute event happening inside a stadium with fence and gates?" wondered Asman Kitagre.

"Why block a major highway just because of football? The inconvenience and economic impact don't make sense unless it's a major security issue," another user, Age of robots, wrote.

Others questioned why the closure began so early. "What I don't expect is closing the roads at 6am like you did last time. No one will be going to the stadium at 7am. Allow people to go to work peacefully. You can close your roads at 10am," Data speaks said.

"How can a civilized country close a major highway from morning on a workday for a match scheduled at 5 pm?" asked Ephantus Kariuki.

The closure has caused chaotic scenes in Githurai as commuters struggled to reach Nairobi's central business district.