National drama festival brings heavy road traffic to cosy Nakuru city

This week, Nakuru has observed a significant increase in the number of school buses traveling across the city centre.

For those who are not yet aware, the National Drama Festivals are being hosted in Nakuru, bringing people from all parts of the country to this vibrant city.

The honour and pride that comes with hosting a national event are unparalleled. However, as the saying goes, every rose has its thorn.

For this reason, many residents have become accustomed to the traffic snarl ups at locations such as the Pinkam Roundabout, the road near Taidy’s Hotel, and, of course, the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway.

People heading to areas like White House, Mawanga, and Bismark are often the hardest hit by the heavy traffic, as they face a shortage of matatus due to most vehicles being stuck in congestion on their way into the city centre.

On Tuesday, similar scenes unfolded at the Ngata Stage—an occurrence that is quite rare. Upon inquiring with some of the drivers and conductors, they explained that the traffic on major roads was causing the shortage of vehicles.

Mtaa Wangu did a spot check along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway. It was evident that a high number of school buses were caught in the traffic from as early as 7pm.

These are the proverbial thorns that come with the roses of hosting such a large event.

According to a traffic officer who cannot be mentioned as he is not authorised to speak to the media, the traffic department had deployed officers specifically for this assignment due to the surge in vehicles within the city.

“We have mapped out the areas that are most likely to experience heavy traffic. These are the areas around Nakuru Boys High School, Nakuru Girls High School, Menengai High School, and Lions Primary School,” he says.

“The Oginga Odinga Road and the Section 58 roundabout, among others, are areas of particular focus. However, we have officers stationed to ensure that traffic flows smoothly,” he adds.

The officer also noted that participating schools typically leave the venue as soon as their performances end, rather than all leaving at the same time, which helps prevent a bottleneck on the roads.

“Some schools depart as early as 3 p.m., and since they do not all leave at once, this helps reduce congestion on the roads at any given time. Additionally, some buses take the road near Kenyatta Primary School, which further alleviates congestion at specific points,” he explains.

In a phone interview, Regional Traffic Enforcement Officer Sarah Chumo, noted that the police are prepared for the increased traffic.

“We have deployed sufficient officers and are ensuring that traffic is carefully managed at all times, especially as school buses from various institutions travel throughout the city. Our officers are working to prevent significant traffic snarls on the main roads,” she says.