Tourists, students stranded for 6 hours after residents block Narok–Sekenani road
By William Muthama, July 30, 2026Tourists, students and motorists were left stranded for more than six hours after residents blocked the Narok–Sekenani road on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in protest over its deteriorating condition.
The demonstration caused a massive traffic snarl along the busy route leading to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, with tourist vans, public service vehicles and private cars unable to proceed in either direction.
The protesters accused authorities of neglecting the road despite its importance to tourism and the local economy, saying its poor condition has contributed to frequent accidents.
Resident Moses Jasaiyaalen said the community had been forced to take action after years of waiting for repairs.
“They blocked the road for more than six hours because its condition is poor and it is causing many accidents,” he said, adding that the route is heavily used by tourists travelling to Maasai Mara.
Another resident, Julius Ole Sayialies, said that the community was giving the Narok County Government a one-month ultimatum to address the state of the road and a nearby bridge at Ngoswani.
He blamed overloaded lorries for accelerating the road’s deterioration, claiming some trucks carry loads beyond the required limits.
Ole Sayialies also questioned why the road remained in poor condition despite President William Ruto previously announcing that funds had been allocated for its rehabilitation.
Tourism disrupted severely
The blockade also disrupted tourism activities, with several foreign visitors unable to continue with their travel plans.
Murky Discoveries owner Ken Saunders said his clients had been left with no alternative route to Naivasha after spending hours waiting for the road to reopen.
“At the moment we have no way of getting to Naivasha, and we have no other way around other than perhaps to go back where we came from. Hopefully this will be resolved fairly soon, and my clients will be able to get to Lake Naivasha and continue to explore this beautiful country and these beautiful people,” he said.
Tour guide James Sananga said the delays had also affected visitors travelling to Nairobi to catch scheduled flights.
“The tourists left at around 10 am, and they are still stuck here because of the bad road. Some have flights at around 1.00 pm, but they are still in Maasai Mara and have not reached Nairobi,” he said.
He appealed to the Narok County Government to intervene urgently and ensure the road is reopened to prevent further disruption to tourism and travel.