NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 11 — Motorists’ lobby has dismissed the government’s decision to dual the 23.5-kilometre Muthaiga–Kiambu–Ndumberi (Kiambu) Road as a “pre-election spectacle,” warning that the project will destroy businesses along the busy corridor.
The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK), in a statement on Tuesday night, asserted that while the government presented the project as a congestion-easing intervention, it risks turning into a politically timed showpiece with little long-term transport value and serious economic implications for residents and traders along the route.
“What the Cabinet has announced sounds shiny on paper, but there are several sober, evidence-based reasons why this policy shouldn’t [be] rushed just to tick a political box before elections,” the association stated hours after a Cabinet resolution on the matter.
“Election seasons usually come with cosmetic promises, fresh paint on neglected roads, and quick wins for political optics. But Kiambu Road is not a playground for political grandstanding.”
Slow traffic for business
MAK argued that the proposed dual carriageway would fundamentally alter the character of the corridor, turning it into a high-speed thoroughfare and cutting off access to hundreds of businesses that rely on slow, local traffic.
The association said dualling typically requires large-scale land acquisition, redesign of service roads, and removal of roadside establishments — actions that would cripple small enterprises and transform a vibrant commercial strip into a commuter highway.
The motorists’ body further warned that the introduction of high-speed traffic will undermine pedestrian and local mobility, leaving residents, cyclists, and boda boda operators stranded on either side of the divided highway and creating a safety crisis instead of improving mobility.
The Cabinet approved the dualling of the Muthaiga–Kiambu–Ndumberi Road on Tuesday, citing the need to ease traffic congestion and enhance connectivity between Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
A Cabinet dispatch indicated the project will include bypasses, loop roads, service lanes, and facilities for non-motorised transport and commuters.
It forms part of the government’s broader plan to modernise transport infrastructure within the Nairobi Metropolitan area.
