Transport has been paralysed along Ngong Road near Talanta Stadium after angry boda boda riders blocked the highway to protest the death of their colleague.
The incident occurred on Monday, October 12, after a boda boda rider was reportedly struck and killed by a lorry in an alleged hit-and-run incident.
Following the death, hundreds of boda boda riders reportedly gathered at the scene, blocking motorists from accessing the affected section of Ngong Road.
The situation escalated as some riders allegedly began stoning vehicles attempting to pass through the road, forcing motorists to stop or seek alternative routes, as told by some motorists at the scene.
Screengrabs of the boda boda belonging to the deceased rider, with boda boda riders planting barricades on the roads, preventing any sort of movement along Ngong Road on October 12.
Photo
Emmanuel Ndungu
“Right now, our hands are tied. Anyone who attempts to pass risks their car being stoned and damaged,” a motorist stated.
Additionally, the bodaboda riders planted stones along the road, preventing motorists from using that lane, as seen in images obtained by Kenyans.co.ke.
By around 3pm, the affected section had reportedly become a no-go zone, with motorists experiencing disruptions as tensions mounted among the protesting riders.
Police officers arrived at the scene and reportedly lobbed tear gas to disperse the crowd, but the road remained tense as the protest unfolded.
Some motorists stated that even after more than one hour, there was no sign of traffic easing, as the boda boda riders kept putting up more and more barricades.
Motorists using Ngong Road have been advised to exercise caution, anticipate significant delays, and consider alternative routes as police respond to the incident.
Ngong Road has experienced a series of protests this year alone, including environmental demonstrations in October, when Greenpeace Africa and forest defenders delivered a petition bearing over 60,000 signatures over government-led projects in protected forests such as Ngong Forest.
In May, boda boda operators protested high fuel prices by blocking roads, while February and July anti-government saba saba demonstrations triggered barricades, police roadblocks, and fires.
A night image of Raila Odinga Stadium, alongside Ngong Road.
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Citizen Digital