By Anne Manza
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a.k.a. Pope Francis, is in town and his 3-day tour is expected to cause major traffic disruptions and congestion with hundreds of thousands of people expected to travel to Nairobi to meet him at different locations.
Here are details of roads that will be affected during his visit:
Thursday, November 26, 2015
- There will be a historic mass at University of Nairobi where close to a million visitors are expected to arrive from different parts of the country. Nairobi Head of police Japheth Koome said all inbound vehicles coming from Mombasa Road will terminate at Bunyala Roundabout.
- Motorists coming from Upperhill direction including Ngong Road and Kawangware will not go beyond the Kenya National Library Service building.
- Inbound vehicles using Valley Road either from Mbagathi or Ngong Road will not be able to pass after Silver Springs Roundabout since Kenyatta Avenue will be reserved for the occasion of the day. Any other road in between Silver Springs, Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway will be blocked including 5th Ngong Avenue. Vehicles intending to use Dennis Pritt Road will also be blocked just near the State House Gate D.
- Part of Lenana Road down to Milimani will also be blocked so that people do not access Valley Road at State House Avenue/Kenyatta Avenue intersections. Vehicles that intend to use Arboretum road will not be allowed past Kileleshwa Petrol station on Ring Road-Kileleshwa road.
- Inbound vehicles using Waiyaki Way will be blocked just after Villa Rosa Kempinski hotel and will not access the overpass or underpass at Ojijo towards Riverside which will be blocked.
- Those from Thika Road will be blocked at Forest Road while those intending to use Murang’a Road will end their journey at University Way near Lillian Towers.
- Uhuru Highway is also expected to be blocked along Kenyatta Avenue near GPO. Posta Road will also be blocked and also the slip road towards City Hall Way. Parliament roundabout will not be accessible from Uhuru Highway since it will be blocked just after the Intercontinental Hotel. Haile Selassie Avenue will not be accessible from Upper Hill area near NHIF past the roundabout towards Moi -Haile Selassie Roundabout.
- Those from Jogoo Road will be able to access the CBD.
- Later in the evening when the Pope will be going to the UNEP headquarters in Gigiri, Limuru Road will be affected.
Certain areas have been designated as parking bays:
- Motorists from Mombasa Road have been advised to park their cars in Syokimau and Imara Daima Railway Station, Police Pavilion (South C), Capital Centre, Highway Secondary and Nyayo Stadium and either take a train or walk to town.
- Those from Thika, Jogoo & Parklands Roads will park St Peter Claver’s Primary School, Highridge College, Aga Khan School, Jamia Mosque Parking area near Globe Interchange, Premier Academy, Nairobi University School of Law at Parklands.
- Those from Ngong Road and Upper Hill directions are encouraged to park at Don Bosco Church, Upper Hill Secondary School, St Georges Secondary School and near NHIF.
- Vehicles from Waiyaki Way can park at St. Austin, Lavington Primary School, Nairobi School, Strathmore and Consolata Shrine (for the priests).
Friday, November 27th, 2015:
- Waiyaki Way & sections of James Gichuru will be affected in the morning as the Pope heads to Kangemi for mass & later on to Kasarani Stadium where he will be addressing the youth. The stretch from Waiyaki Way through Forest Road and Thika Road will be affected.
This will mark the end of the Pope’s visit to Kenya. Plan accordingly to avoid major inconveniences.
Peace be with you all!
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