The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has come in to demolish illegal billboards and other structures that have taken up sections of the Eastern Bypass.
The majority of the signboards, the agency added, were put up without authorisation and are currently hazards to road users and pedestrians. KURA also noted that the wide spread of the installations has distorted the face of the corridor.
“The Eastern Bypass has been widely encroached with billboards, the majority of which are dangerous to users of the road and desecrate the urban beauty of the area. The majority of such installations have been erected illegally on public property,” the authority said.
The clean-up will attempt to remove all the unauthorized and dangerous installations, such as billboards, in an attempt to regain appropriate use of road reserves.
As part of preparations for the operation, KURA has invited a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, September 18, at 10am. Nairobi and Kiambu counties’ representatives, deputy county commissioners, chiefs, traders, and businessmen along the bypass have been invited to participate.
Eastern Bypass, which links Nairobi and Kiambu, was expanded to a dual carriageway in 2021 to minimize congestion. While the upgrade improved traffic flow, it also welcomed aggressive commercialization.
In recent years, billboards, kiosks, and makeshift stalls have sprung up along the road, with some spilling onto public space.
Despite the expansion, the 28-kilometre stretch remains one of Nairobi’s high-risk roads, similar to Thika Superhighway, Waiyaki Way, Outering Road, and the Northern Bypass.
