CHRISTMAS RUSH: Heavy Traffic Paralyzes Nairobi-Nakuru Highway
On Sunday, December 21, motorists traveling from Nairobi to Nakuru, Eldoret, Western Kenya, and the Nyanza regions were stuck in crawling traffic for hours as heavy congestion reduced stretches of the Nairobi-Nakuru route to a virtual stop.
The most affected areas were between Limuru, Kimende, and Naivasha.
People posted videos on social media sites depicting a huge traffic gridlock that spanned kilometers.
The State of Traffic Along the Nakuru–Nairobi Highway Since Thursday! pic.twitter.com/0nmmzjjl91
— The Kenyan Vigilante (@KenyanSays) December 21, 2025
The fundamental causes were linked to traffic congestion, which was claimed to be caused by the holiday season rush, with numerous private cars, buses, and cargo trucks on the road.
This was exacerbated by the problem of lane discipline, in which vehicles overlapped in order to avoid the traffic jam by entering the other lane, paralysing traffic movement.
A sinkhole at the Ever Ready roundabout in Nakuru caused the road’s Nakuru-bound section to be closed due to traffic flow restrictions in the region.
Furthermore, road construction activities on the Salgaa-Mau Summit route and in Mai Mahiu congested large sections of the road.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) had directed cars to stay in their designated lanes, avoid merging, and obey traffic rules.
The @KeNHAKenya wishes to notify motorists travelling between Nairobi and Nakuru that there has been a significant increase in traffic volumes, leading to congestion at various sections of the road. The congestion is largely due to lane indiscipline and overlapping. pic.twitter.com/6JQTZqBsBF
— Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) (@KeNHAKenya) December 20, 2025
According to KeNHA, drivers who participate in careless driving simply cause additional delays.
In a bid to address this problem, KeNHA also had instructed vehicle operators to use alternative routes.
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For passengers destined for Nakuru, there was a directive to use the route through Naivasha-Njabini-Olkalou-Ol Joro Orok-Lanet, whereas others going to the Western and Nyanza regions could use the route through Nairobi-Suswa-Narok.
Vehicles destined for Central Kenya were to take the diversion route of Nairobi-Nyeri-Nyahururu.
There have also been increases in enforcement, where traffic police officers, NTSA officers, and mobile courts have been deployed to address issues related to traffic, such as overlap driving and driving under the influence.
KeNHA urged motorists to check its official means of communication for updates while exercising patience to resume regular traffic flow.
CHRISTMAS RUSH: Heavy Traffic Paralyzes Nairobi-Nakuru Highway
