Outering road: Tassia, Pipeline residents want demolished guardrails reinstalled

By Mike Olweya

Residents of Tassia, Pipeline and Kware estates in Nairobi's Embakasi area, want uprooted guardrails along the dangerous Outering road reinstalled.

According to the residents, the temporary 'crossing point' is exposing pedestrians and motorists to danger.

“There have been a few isolated cases of accidents on this spot involving motorists, bada boda and pedestrians. Many people have been left with injuries,” said Festus Mong’are, a resident of Tassia.

Mong’are said that the stretch running from Donholm Caltex area to old Taj Mall stage has three footbridges; at Pipeline stage, Fedha and Kware stage.

“Residents of Tassia and residents of the area who live on the lower side of Pipeline estate often cross the dangerous road at this undesignated spot because the three footbridges are far away,” says Mong’are.

Motorbike riders also cross the road at this undesignated point because it has no guardrails.

Loise Koech who lives in Pipeline area and attends church in Tassia claims that someone may have intentionally demolished the guardrails to create a ‘crossing point’.

“People don’t want to walk all the way to the footbridge because it’s far. This is why they demolished the guardrails,” says Koech.

According to a past National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) report, Outering road, Thika Superhighway and Waiyaki Way are among the deadliest roads in Nairobi.

Residents now want the guardrails erected, and where possible, a traffic marshal stationed at the 'crossing point' to help pedestrians, which often include children, to cross to either side of the dangerous highway.