KeNHA Issues Seven-Day Notice to Roadside Traders Along Thika Superhighway

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has issued a public notice directing all roadside traders operating along sections of the Thika Superhighway to remove their structures and wares from the road reserve within seven days.

In the notice dated February 23, 2026, KeNHA specifically named traders operating at Kihunguro (both bounds), Allsops (both bounds) and Delview sections, warning that failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe would attract enforcement action in accordance with laws governing road reserves.

According to the Authority, the clearance is intended to pave the way for the construction of designated roadside stations aimed at enhancing corridor functionality, improving safety standards, and easing traffic congestion along the busy highway.

“The project is part of the Authority’s ongoing road safety improvement initiatives that seek to reduce accidents, enhance order within the road reserve, and ensure the unobstructed flow of traffic along the highway,” the notice states.

KeNHA urged all affected traders to comply voluntarily to avoid forced evictions.

This latest directive comes barely a week after demolition exercises were carried out along the Thika Superhighway at Githurai 45, where several structures erected on the road reserve were brought down following a similar notice issued earlier by the Authority. The demolitions sparked mixed reactions from traders, some of whom claimed they had not been given adequate alternative spaces, while officials maintained that the action was necessary to restore order and improve safety along the corridor.

The Thika Superhighway, one of the country’s busiest transport arteries linking Nairobi to central Kenya, has in recent years experienced increasing encroachment by informal traders, prompting repeated enforcement operations by road authorities.

KeNHA’s Director General, Eng. Luka Kimeli, signed off the latest notice, reaffirming the Authority’s commitment to road safety and orderly development along national highways.

Traders operating within the affected sections now have until the expiry of the seven-day period to clear the road reserve before enforcement measures are undertaken.