Transport on Nairobi’s bustling Jogoo Road was severely disrupted on Tuesday morning as traders staged protests over the planned demolitions at Uhuru Market.
The protests began at the market, located just a few meters from Jogoo Road, before demonstrators marched onto the busy highway.
“Let’s block Jogoo Road so they can hear us,” shouted some of the traders as they led the crowd onto the road.
Images and videos shared showed large groups of agitated traders, along with other members of the public, pouring onto the highway.
In the midst of the demonstration, protesters set tyres and trash on fire, effectively paralyzing traffic and making the road impassable for matatus.
The bonfires were ignited near the junction of Likoni Road, just a short distance from St. Stephen’s Anglican Church of Kenya.
Motorists using the route were forced to reroute to Outering Road or take feeder roads through nearby estates to access Nairobi’s central business district, causing significant traffic jams on alternative routes.
At the time of publication, the National Police Service (NPS) had not issued a statement, and no officers had been deployed to manage the protests.
This marks the latest round of protests over the planned demolitions at Uhuru Market. In 2021, traders took the matter to court in a bid to halt the evictions.
They were granted a temporary reprieve by a Milimani court, which issued orders stopping a private developer from evicting them until the case was heard and determined.
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