Passengers miss flights due to traffic jam on Mombasa-Nairobi highway
Traffic builds along Kibarani-Changamwe-Airport road in Mombasa. At least 15 passengers missed their flights from Mombasa's Moi International Airport after they were delayed in a traffic jam. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Henry Ngunjiri, who was traveling to Nairobi, said he was forced to use a motorcycle to reach the airport on time.
- Trucks going towards the Mombasa port had blocked the roads towards the Airport causing a vehicle pile-up.
- Protesting commuters blocked several roads protesting a fare hike by matatus.
- Police had to be called in to contain the situation and clear the road which had been blocked using stones.
More than 15 passengers were stranded at the Moi International Airport, Mombasa on Monday night after they missed their flights to Nairobi due to a massive traffic jam along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.
Trucks going towards the Mombasa port had blocked the roads towards the Airport causing a vehicle pile-up.
The same scenario was witnessed on the Makupa, Kibarani and Port Reitz corner but there were no traffic officers to control the jam.
Henry Ngunjiri, who was traveling to Nairobi, said he was forced to use a motorcycle to reach the airport on time.
He said the flight he boarded left with a quarter of the expected passengers after the rest were delayed in the jam.
“The massive jam at Makupa, Kibarani and Changamwe roundabout was just messy. We were two passengers on a motorcycle, we maneuvered and luckily arrived at the airport a few minutes before the flight left; we were the last passengers to board,” said the businessman.
BARRICADED ROADS WITH STONES
On the same night, hundreds of passengers using the Mombasa-Mikindani route barricaded the Jomo Kenyatta Avenue throwing stones at matatus in protest over a fare hike.
The matatu operators increased fares by more than three times what they normally charge.
Vehicles entering Mombasa central business district through the Jomo Kenyatta Avenue had to use other roads to avoid the angry commuters.
Trouble started on the normally quiet matatu terminus at about 9pm, when the conductors announced that the fares had gone up to Sh150 due to the traffic jam.
This was up from the Sh50 that they normally pay.
Matatus avoided the area following the chaos, causing a gridlock that made several people heading to the airport miss their flights.
Police had to be called in to contain the situation and clear the road which had been blocked using stones.
