The Ombudsman has given the Director-General of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), Silas Kinoti, a seven-day ultimatum to address the poor state of key roads in Nairobi County.

This move follows concern from the public on dilapidated roads in the city including the connection between Jogoo Road and Landhies Road near Muthurwa Market, Soweto-Masimba Road, as well as sections of Kilimani and Upper Hill.

“According to Section 10 (2) (a) of the Kenya Roads Act, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority is mandated to construct, upgrade, rehabilitate, and maintain all public roads in cities and municipalities across Kenya, except for national roads,” stated the commission.

“In light of these concerns, the Commission requests that the Director-General of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority provide a detailed response within seven days,” the statement added.

The Ombudsman expressed concern over the poor state of the roads, saying that the matter has been brought to their attention by viral videos posted on social media by Kenyans who were also lamenting about the same.

According to the Ombudsman, poor roads are one of the contributing factors to the recent surge of road accidents.

Additionally, the commission raised concern over widespread flooding in Nairobi attributed to blocked, poorly maintained, or inadequate drainage systems.

The condition of the roads has an overall impact on the country's gross domestic product (GDP) because increased road accidents cause fatalities, injuries, property damage, and traffic congestion. 

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