Several travellers returning to Nairobi on Monday morning found themselves stranded after police blocked major roads entering the city ahead of the Saba Saba protests.
Buses coming from Western Kenya were stopped around Uthiru and Kangemi, forcing passengers to walk the rest of the way into the city or to their destination.
Some had children, others were elderly, all caught off guard by the sudden road closures.
“I was coming from Bungoma and we were stopped just before Kangemi. The driver said police told him no vehicles were going past that point. We had no choice but to walk,” said one traveller.There was no warning as many passengers learned of the shutdown after arriving near Nairobi.
At the coast, passengers who had booked the Madaraka Express from Mombasa to Nairobi found the SGR service suspended without explanation. Some said they only found out after arriving at the station.
Domestic flights into Nairobi also faced disruptions; there were several delays and cancellations reported early in the morning.
Travellers at Wilson and JKIA airports said they were left waiting without clear updates.
Police said the restrictions were due to “security concerns” and strictly insisted that only essential vehicles would be allowed into the city.
For long-distance travellers, many of whom had no connection to the protests, the day’s events felt punishing.
