KeNHA Demolishes Githurai Stalls Along Thika Superhighway Amid Protests

The Thika Superhighway turned into a smoke-filled battlefield on the afternoon of February 18, 2026, as hundreds of traders in Githurai 45 and Roysambu faced the business end of KeNHA’s bulldozers. Protesters lit bonfires and blocked the busy corridor, bringing traffic to a dead stop for commuters heading into Nairobi. The chaos followed a high-stakes standoff between the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and an estimated 1,600 traders who rely on the high foot traffic of the road reserves to survive.

KeNHA’s mission is clear: reclaim the road reserves to build designated bus bays. The authority argues that these sections have become the “wild west” of Nairobi transport, where matatus and roadside stalls create dangerous bottlenecks and frequent accidents. According to Acting Director General Eng. Luka Kimeli, the new infrastructure is essential for safe passenger pick-up and to restore the “Super” in the Superhighway by removing obstructions that slow traffic to a crawl.

For the traders, the move feels like a betrayal. While a seven-day notice was issued on February 9, many—like Grace Wanjiru—claim the eviction was abrupt and lacked a humane relocation plan.

“This is where we earn our daily bread,” Wanjiru lamented. “You cannot wake up and destroy businesses that have supported families for over a decade without showing us where to go.”

Tensions are high because, while a billion-shilling modern market exists nearby, many traders avoid it due to design flaws, high costs, and what they call “cartel management,” preferring the visibility of the highway.

As police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, a legal storm was brewing behind the scenes. Lawyer and political aspirant Phyllis Wangui has filed a court challenge, arguing that the traders are licensed and that their eviction without due process is unconstitutional. Meanwhile, the NTSA has added fuel to the fire by warning that hawkers on footbridges and walkways are forcing pedestrians into traffic, leading to tragic, preventable deaths.

With both sides digging in, the “truth” of Githurai’s future is currently obscured by the smoke of burning tires.