Bonfire lit by protesters causes snarl-up on section of Nakuru-Nairobi Highway
By Steve Ireri, July 7, 2025The Nakuru-Nairobi Highway was thrown into disarray on Monday, July 7, 2025, after scores of angry youths staged a fiery protest at the Free Area section of Nakuru, lighting a bonfire that brought traffic to a grinding halt.
Dramatic scenes unfolded as protesters used burning tyres and debris to barricade the busy road, paralysing movement in both directions and leaving motorists stranded for hours.
Footage shared by a local TV station on social media showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the bonfire as a large crowd of demonstrators filled the highway, chanting anti-government slogans.
Many of them held placards and raised fists, accusing the government of ignoring the plight of young people and mishandling the growing crisis of police brutality and joblessness.
Motorists were forced to turn around or park by the roadside, while some attempted to manoeuvre through alternative routes to escape the blockade.
At the time of this reporting, police officers were yet to arrive at the scene, and the youth who had barricaded the road could be seen taking full control as they streamed onto the expansive highway, which was already strewn with stones and debris.
They appeared to number in their hundreds, and none could be seen making any effort to extinguish the blaze, which had first been ignited using a large tyre and several dry tree twigs.
Some residents could be seen watching from nearby buildings, with others capturing the unfolding events on their phones. Meanwhile, tension remained high as both demonstrators and security forces stood their ground in what has now become a recurring face-off in many towns across the country since the protests began.
Police presence
In a separate video, a group of approximately ten officers was seen arriving at the scene, although not directly at the spot where the bonfire had been ignited, and they were swiftly outnumbered by the demonstrators.
The protesters could be seen escorting the officers down the road while chanting anti-government slogans, with no visible attempt from the police to disperse or confront them.
The demonstrations are part of a wave of mass protests mobilised predominantly through social media by the youth, marking the anniversary of the historic Saba Saba uprising.
Nairobi’s Central Business District, which has long served as the epicentre of such protests, has remained relatively calm—largely due to police checkpoints and roadblocks mounted across key entry routes leading into the city centre.