GITHURAI: Traders Paralyze Transport Along Thika Road After Night Demolitions
Clashes between disgruntled traders and police officers continued into the second day on Thursday, February 19, when a part of Thika Road was declared impassable.
Tensions were high in the Githurai 45 neighborhood after different stores and stalls were demolished overnight, leaving dozens of shopkeepers with significant losses.
By Thursday morning, there was a large police presence in Githurai as authorities attempted to calm irate traders who threatened to disrupt transportation in the area.
Images circulating on social media showed scores of stalls entirely crushed on Thursday, with traders flocking to the streets to vent their dismay.
Locals burned bonfires along the Githurai 45 exit in an attempt to halt traffic, although the major Thika Superhighway bridge remained operational for the time being.
Githurai traders block Thika Superhighway over planned demolition pic.twitter.com/tSYg6eWGow
— K24TV (@K24Tv) February 19, 2026
"Walijenga stalls na wakapea their friends," Githurai traders are up in arms after the government destroyed their business area. pic.twitter.com/mcO0WAmrjO
— The Kenyan Vigilante (@KenyanSays) February 19, 2026
Aside from the protests, the wreckage from the demolitions contributed to the delayed traffic at the entry and departure points going to Githurai.
Following the night operations, residents accused the administration of impunity, claiming that the demolitions occurred on little notice.
Some of the demolished businesses and stalls still had merchandise, including perishable goods, when bulldozers arrived to remove them on Wednesday evening.
KeNHA had previously sent a warning to shopkeepers urging that they remove, including those in the Roysambu neighborhood, which they ignored.
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The defiance was primarily attributed to a lack of public participation and the absence of a clear relocation plan.
If you have ever spent an hour between kahawa wendeni and githurai service lane you won't been pulling emotional and political stans on Kenya National Highways Authority demolishing those vibanda.
— Ⓝⓖ'ⓞⓡⓞⓡⓘⓔⓣ🐐🇰🇪 (@baroswahjr) February 19, 2026
Those traders have occupied a full lane yet few meters away lies empty githurai… pic.twitter.com/6ASvI2WU3P
However, the notice was met by resistance from traders in the area, who claimed the demolitions came too soon for them to regroup.
The demolitions have since split stakeholders in the middle, with sections arguing that the construction of bus bays in the area where the stalls previously sat was crucial in decongesting traffic along Thika Road.
On the other hand, critics have called out the government for what they described as malicious demolitions, particularly since they took place at night under heavy police presence.
GITHURAI: Traders Paralyze Transport Along Thika Road After Night Demolitions
