Hundreds of Kenyans Spend Night in Traffic Jam Trying to Beat Lockdown
Many motorists spent their night sitting in long queues of grinding traffic along the Nairobi – Nyeri highway on Friday as many attempted to beat the travel ban in the nation’s capital.
Gathogo Wanjiru 
A big traffic jam was experienced between the Makuyu and Kenol sections which saw motorists a majority of whom were leaving Nairobi to upcountry spending hours on the journey.
According to Njeri, one of the passengers who spent five hours in the jam, she said, "The lucky ones used the Muranga route to reach their destinations."
James Mwangi a matatu driver said, the gridlock was caused by the rush to beat President Uhuru Kenyatta’s order on the cessation of movement into and out of Nairobi, Kajiando, Nakuru, Kiambu, and Machakos.
Mwangi said the fare from Nairobi to Karatina hiked from Sh.400 to Sh.1500. "The demand was too high and passengers were willing to pay," he said.
However, the section which experienced the gridlock is under construction to make it a dual carriage. This is according to Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia who said the 84km road from Kenol to Marwa will be constructed by June next year.
