Ruto Promises December Deadline for Kenyatta Avenue Viaduct as Construction Chokes Nairobi Junction

Construction of the Kenyatta Avenue-Upper Hill Viaduct at All Saints Cathedral is creating severe gridlock along one of Nairobi's busiest corridors, even as President William Ruto has put a December completion date on the KSh 3 billion (approximately USD 23 million) project.

Thousands of commuters and motorists are enduring daily snarl-ups along the Valley Road-Milimani Law Courts junction, where partial lane closures tied to the construction footprint have pushed traffic from multiple converging roads into a single congested point.

The situation worsens significantly during morning and evening peak hours, with vehicles crawling or coming to a near standstill for extended periods across the Milimani area.

Closure of sections near Milimani Law Courts and along Valley Road has created a bottleneck where traffic from State House Road, Milimani and Valley Road merges simultaneously. There is currently no effective alternative routing in place.

Public transport operators say they are among the hardest hit. Drivers report reduced earnings, delayed trips and rising fuel costs as vehicles spend hours in traffic rather than completing their routes.

"We spend more than an hour here. The cars are bumper to bumper; nothing is moving. Vehicles from State House, Milimani and Valley Road all merge here, and it becomes a nightmare," said one driver caught in the gridlock.

Boda boda and delivery riders say attempts to use alternative routes have exposed them to enforcement penalties. One rider described being fined KSh 10,000 for trying to bypass the congestion, a cost that wipes out daily earnings.

Public service vehicle operators have called on authorities to leave at least one lane open, warning that the current traffic management approach is pushing congestion onto adjacent routes including Ngong Road.

Ruto, speaking during a site inspection on 29 June 2026, said the viaduct was progressing as planned and would be completed before December. He described the project as a key component of the government's broader effort to decongest the Central Business District (CBD)-Upper Hill corridor.

"The Kenyatta Avenue-Ngong Road Viaduct at All Saints Cathedral will be complete before December," the President said, adding that Nairobi would look significantly different by the end of the year.

The viaduct carries Kenyatta Avenue on an elevated structure above Valley Road, running from Integrity Centre to the Serena Hotel, with the elevated alignment eliminating the direct conflict between through and local traffic at the All Saints Cathedral interchange.

The project is approximately 60 percent complete. Construction originally began in September 2020 but stalled for years due to payment disputes before resuming in July 2025. Works are now expected to run until February 2027.

"We are not against development, but this development is hurting us. The government should find a better way so that the project is completed quickly," said one driver caught in the daily gridlock.