A City Shuttle driver who previously spoke out about passengers cheating bus crews through M-Pesa payments has raised another major concern facing Nairobi public transport — the poor state of Kangundo Road and the lack of proper bus stages.
Joseph, a Nairobi bus driver, says the stretch of Kangundo Road from Caltex near the Donholm interchange all the way towards Ruai has inadequate space for buses to safely pick up and drop off passengers.
ALSO READ View all Nairobi Matatu Routes and Numbers
According to him, the situation is contributing to the heavy traffic experienced along the busy road, especially during morning and evening rush hours.
“Kangundo Road Hakuna Stage”
Joseph says one of the biggest problems is the lack of proper bus stages designed for the larger buses now operating along the corridor.
“Kangundo Road hakuna stage. Kutoka Caltex kuenda Ruai hakuna stage,” Joseph said.
Translated, he says there are no proper bus stages from the Caltex area towards Ruai.
According to Joseph, some of the small stopping areas along the road were designed at a time when 14-seater matatus were common.
Today, larger 33-seater buses operate along the corridor, but the available stopping areas have not kept up with the changing public transport system.
This means that when buses stop to pick up or drop off passengers, they can end up occupying part of the road and interfering with the movement of other vehicles.
Joseph Defends Traffic Police Over Kangundo Road Gridlock
While traffic police are often blamed when traffic jams build up along Kangundo Road, Joseph believes the officers are sometimes dealing with a problem they did not create.
He singled out the Kayole Junction area and other sections of Kangundo Road where officers have to manage large numbers of buses, matatus, private vehicles, motorcycles and other road users during rush hour.
According to him, poor road infrastructure and inadequate bus stopping areas make their work even more difficult.
Kangundo Road regularly experiences heavy traffic as vehicles move between Nairobi’s eastern estates and other parts of the metropolitan area.
Joseph argues that without proper stages, buses stopping for passengers inevitably affect the flow of traffic.
Potholes Another Problem for Kangundo Road Users
Joseph also raised concerns about the condition of the road itself.
“The road is bad with so many potholes,” he said.
He argues that Kangundo Road deserves greater attention because it is an important transport artery serving a large population in Nairobi’s eastern areas.
The corridor connects numerous residential estates and feeder roads while providing links towards other major parts of Nairobi’s road network.
For thousands of commuters, buses and matatus using the road every day, its condition directly affects journey times and the reliability of public transport.
Driver Calls for Kangundo Road Dualling
Joseph believes the long-term solution should go beyond repairing individual potholes.
He wants Kangundo Road upgraded and expanded to handle the amount of traffic it now carries.
“It is supposed to be constructed and dualised like the Expressway standard or even Thika Superhighway because of the volume of traffic it has,” he said.
His argument is that the road is carrying traffic volumes that its current design struggles to accommodate.
An upgrade, he says, should also include proper public transport infrastructure rather than concentrating only on additional vehicle lanes.
Bus Stages Need to Accommodate 33-Seater Buses
Joseph particularly wants authorities to rethink the design of bus stages along the corridor.
According to him, some existing stopping areas were designed around smaller 14-seater matatus and cannot comfortably accommodate the larger 33-seater buses operating today.
He wants proper bays where buses can leave the main carriageway, pick up and drop off passengers, and then safely rejoin traffic.
Such infrastructure could reduce the number of buses stopping directly on the road and potentially improve traffic flow.
Joseph Questions Road Agency Billboards
The driver also criticised what he sees as an irony between the visibility of road agencies and the condition of some roads.
He questioned why motorists encounter billboards highlighting the presence and work of road authorities while sections of important roads remain in poor condition.
For Joseph, money and attention should be directed towards fixing roads, improving bus stages and addressing the daily problems experienced by commuters and public transport operators.
Earlier Raised Alarm Over M-Pesa Fare Tricks
This is not the first time Joseph has spoken to Metros Kenya about challenges facing public transport crews.
In an earlier interview, he highlighted cases where some passengers allegedly pay their fare through M-Pesa and later attempt to reverse the transaction.
M-Pesa’s reversal service is designed to help customers recover money sent to the wrong recipient. Safaricom has safeguards around reversal requests, including verification procedures.
Joseph, however, said some dishonest passengers have attempted to exploit digital payments when paying fares.
He also described another alleged trick where a passenger sends a much smaller amount and then alters the payment message shown to the conductor to make it appear as though the full fare was paid.
For example, a passenger who is expected to pay Sh100 could allegedly send a smaller amount and manipulate the message shown to the crew.
The issue highlights a growing challenge for public transport operators as cashless payments become increasingly common.
Kangundo Road Problem Goes Beyond Drivers
Joseph’s latest concerns raise a wider question about Nairobi’s transport infrastructure.
As larger buses increasingly operate on routes that were historically dominated by smaller matatus, roads and passenger facilities also need to accommodate that change.
A bus stage designed for a 14-seater matatu may not adequately serve several 33-seater buses arriving at the same time.
On a heavily congested road such as Kangundo Road, that difference can affect not only public transport operators but every road user behind them.
Nairobi County Yet to Respond
Metros Kenya contacted the office responsible for roads at Nairobi City County seeking clarification on the concerns raised about Kangundo Road and its bus stages.
Our messages had not received a response by the time of publication.
Joseph is now appealing to the relevant authorities to rehabilitate Kangundo Road, address potholes and provide proper stages capable of accommodating the larger buses currently serving the corridor.
Until those infrastructure problems are addressed, commuters and public transport operators along Kangundo Road continue to face the same daily combination of inadequate stopping space, poor road conditions and heavy rush-hour traffic.
