KeNHA launches a crackdown to reclaim footbridges from misuse

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has launched a nationwide operation to clear footbridges and underpasses of hawkers, bodaboda riders and street families, in a bid to restore their safety and usability.

In a statement, the authority said the exercise, currently underway along the Ruiru–Thika stretch of the Thika Superhighway, is being conducted in partnership with the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), County Governments, the National Police Service, the Axle Load Enforcement Unit (ALEHU) and the KeNHA Corridor C team.

“Footbridges are meant to save lives, not endanger them. Encroachment by traders and misuse by riders has forced pedestrians to abandon them, risking their lives on the highways. We are committed to restoring order, safety and dignity to all road users,” KeNHA noted.

The authority noted that most footbridges along the highways are now unfeasible to use due to encroachment by hawkers and street families. This, the statement read, compeled pedestrians to cross in undesignated areas which has often resulted in tragic accidents. 

The operation comes amid growing concerns that most footbridges have become unsafe and impractical to use. Pedestrians complain of hawkers occupying nearly every space, forcing them to squeeze past each other. When accidents happen, such as stepping on a hawker’s goods, victims are often harassed by these hawkers and extorted.

Adding to the frustration are bodaboda riders who speed across the footbridges, hooting to push pedestrians aside as though they own the right of way.

At night, many of these footbridges turn into hunting grounds for criminals due to poor lighting, leaving commuters vulnerable to muggings.

“Sometimes it feels safer to dash across the busy highway than to use the footbridge. At least on the road you are afraid of cars, not thieves or harassment,” said Peter Mwaniki, a resident of Thika Ngoingwa area.

The misuse has forced many to risk crossing dangerous highways, often with tragic consequences. KeNHA hopes the current crackdown will reverse this trend, but pedestrians are watching closely to see whether the enforcement will last or whether the chaos will return once the sweep is over.