As the festive season approaches, a massive traffic gridlock has brought misery to travellers and motorists on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, leaving many stranded for hours through the cold night.
What was supposed to be a smooth night journey for hundreds of travellers turned into an ordeal of frustration, exhaustion, and helplessness.
The usually busy highway became a parking lot stretching for several kilometres as vehicles remained motionless for hours between Nakuru and Sobea trading centre.
Ben, a Nairobi-based resident who left the city at 10pm on Friday, narrated his painful experience after being trapped at Sobea for more than seven hours.
"We're heading to Kakamega to attend a colleague's funeral and hoped to arrive by early Saturday morning. But we've been stuck here the whole night," he lamented.
"The government should urgently open the Rironi-Mau Summit highway project to end this stressful journey."
For many like Ben, the night began calmly.
"The drive from Nairobi through Nakuru city was smooth until we reached Sobea," he said.
"Now I'm worried I'll miss the funeral completely -- it won't make sense to arrive when it's already over."
Mary Ann, another frustrated traveller from Timboroa, was heading to Nairobi for a critical doctor's appointment.
"My doctor is very busy, and I only get to see him once a month. I pay Sh5,000 consultation in advance to secure my slot," she explained.
"If I miss this appointment, I'll have to wait another month. It's very frustrating."
According to a senior police officer based in Rongai, the chaos was not caused by an accident but by reckless motorists overlapping near Kibunja in Molo.
"There was no major accident. The jam resulted from drivers ignoring traffic regulations," said the officer.
"Our officers spent the entire night on the road, working tirelessly to restore order. By 8am, movement had resumed -- though at a snail's pace."
He noted that the jam caused untold suffering to travellers, including families forced to sleep in their vehicles in the biting cold.
"It was sad to see a family spend the night in the cold because of the carelessness of some drivers," the officer said, urging motorists to exercise patience and caution during the festive rush.
The Nakuru-Eldoret highway remains one of Kenya's busiest routes, serving travellers to the Western region and beyond. As the festive season is expected to increase movement, fears are growing that such gridlocks could worsen unless urgent traffic management and infrastructure measures are put in place.
For now, many road users can only hope for relief -- and that future journeys won't turn into sleepless nights on the tarmac.