Unsafe stops: The hidden danger of roadside truck parking along the Nairobi- Nakuru -Eldoret route

As you make your way to the Kikopey TRADINGtrading centre in Gilgil Sub County, a long line of trailers parked by the side of the road welcomes you.

Apart from that, the long and endless traffic jam that is along that road is also a sight that welcomes any and all who use this road, which is part of the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

On January 3, an accident involving a trailer and a matatu was witnessed on this section of the road. Unfortunately, six people lost their lives, while eight others are nursing serious injuries at St. Joseph Hospital in Gilgil.

Winston Mwakio, the Gilgil Sub-County Police Commander, confirmed that the trailer which hit the matatu had lost its brakes, therefore ramming into the matatu which in turn rammed onto another truck that was parked besides the road.

Mtaa Wangu visited the scene, and upon interrogating locals, established a much bigger problem that has made that section of the road dangerous for both motorists and pedestrians who use the road alike.

John Nduta, a boda boda rider based in Kikopey, says that the recent accident that brought to the fore the bigger risk that the heavy trucks pose to the motorists when they park by the roadside and road shoulders.

“If you look at this section of the road, we have trucks parked right on the side of the road. During the night especially, they are usually lined up. Couple this with the fact that we have a very narrow road; this is often a recipe for disaster,” he says.

He continues to say, “If there was a way we could move these trucks from this side of the road and have them park off the road, then we could at least help save the situation. There are even times when these trucks dangerously enter into the road without looking whether there is oncoming traffic, and that is very hazardous.”

Sara Chebet a Kikopey resident says that the solution to this is the expansion of this section of the road.

“We know there is the expansion of the Rironi–Mau Summit section. We would like to urge the government to hasten the expansion of this road, as that is the only way to help curb road accidents. Maybe if the road was wider, the trailer driver would have swerved and avoided colliding with the matatu,” she says.

She says maybe, as a temporary solution, the trailers parking by the side of the road should be offered an alternative parking area.

Kikopey is however, not the only point where the trucks park, we have other points along the Northern Corridor including the Salgaa and Maai Mahiu trading centres.

The construction of the Rironi–Mau Summit Road expansion was commissioned by President William Ruto on November 28, 2025, with the main focus being to help reduce congestion along the Nairobi–Western Kenya trade route.