Motorists navigating the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) and its surrounding arteries face a prolonged period of traffic disruptions following an announcement by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) regarding major structural upgrades.
In a public advisory issued on Monday, June 8, 2026, the statutory road authority detailed an extensive schedule of partial road closures affecting key commuter corridors—including Kenyatta Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, and Ngong Road—to allow for civil engineering works, bridge installations, and drainage construction.
Kenyatta Avenue, Valley Road, and Jakaya Kikwete Road (8-Month Closure)
The most significant disruption will impact the critical traffic flow joining the CBD to the Upper Hill and Kilimani financial districts.
KURA announced the partial closure of Kenyatta Avenue, Valley Road, and Jakaya Kikwete Road starting June 12, 2026, until February 12, 2027. The eight-month partial shutdown is required to allow the contractor to safely execute complex bridge construction along the junction corridors while managing active traffic lanes.
Haile Selassie Avenue (4-Month Closure)
Simultaneously, another heavily congested transit artery will experience a reduction in available lanes. Haile Selassie Avenue will undergo a partial closure for four months, spanning June 12, 2026, to October 12, 2026.
The civil works will be concentrated on the section between the State Department for Housing and Urban Development (SHA) building and the Madison Insurance Building. According to KURA, this phase involves critical bridge works designed to enhance urban mobility and long-term traffic flow along the busy railway station corridor.
Ngong Road (1-Week Emergency Drainage Fix)
For commuters using the outer rings of the city, Ngong Road will experience an immediate partial closure lasting one week, from June 11 to June 18, 2026.
The targeted section sits between Windy Ridge and Westwood Park Road. The temporary closure is required to facilitate the installation of high-capacity twin cross culverts to mitigate drainage challenges ahead of future weather cycles.
“Ngong Road will be partially closed for one week to allow the contractor to install twin cross culverts at the section between Windy Ridge and Westwood Park Road,” KURA confirmed in its statutory notice.
Traffic Management and Alternative Routes
KURA emphasized that the overlapping schedules represent the final finishing and structural phases of ongoing urban road improvement projects funded by the government to ease gridlock in the capital.
To prevent complete paralysis of the city’s transport network, the authority has coordinated with Nairobi Traffic Police to deploy specialized traffic marshals and law enforcement officers across the construction zones.
“We urge motorists to use alternative routes and follow the guidance by traffic police and marshals,” the authority stated.
Drivers are strongly advised to utilize alternative linkages such as Mbagathi Way (Raila Odinga Way), the Nairobi Expressway, and community bypasses, as well as to factor in significant delays during peak commuting hours.
