Garissa County—my beloved home—is growing. More cars, more boda bodas, more tuk-tuks, more people.
Growth is inevitable, even welcome. But with that growth comes responsibility—responsibility to plan, to design, and to build infrastructure that serves all road users, not just motorists.
Unfortunately, what we witness daily on our roads is not just poor planning—it is a mockery of urban development.
Take the roundabouts, for instance. What should be small painted circles, like the efficient mini-roundabouts in places such as West London, have become massive concrete spaces in Garissa.
So massive, in fact, that you could literally park cars inside them. A roundabout is supposed to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents.
Instead, ours act more like unregulated open spaces that confuse drivers and endanger pedestrians. They are a far cry from the design principles that guide urban traffic management.
Let’s talk about the so-called “dual carriageway” in town. What was meant to be an organized two-lane road system in each direction has turned into a battlefield.
It is a 24/7 duel between cars, pedestrians, boda bodas, tuk-tuks, and traders from the nearby souk.
Everyone is competing for space in a chaotic, often dangerous environment.
The road has lost its function as a safe and efficient transport corridor and now resembles a congested market alley with no rules.
Perhaps the most worrying part of it all is the complete absence of pedestrian infrastructure.
From Mororo Junction to Modika, there isn’t a single marked pedestrian crossing. This is a stretch that passes some of the busiest institutions in Garissa: Garissa Secondary School, the Level 5 Hospital, and several government offices and shops.
Every day, schoolchildren, hospital patients, and elderly citizens are forced to dash across busy roads, risking their lives just to get to the other side.
The message from our planners seems to be that only the young and fast deserve to cross safely.
We cannot keep pretending this is normal. We cannot keep calling this “development” when mothers with babies are dodging speeding matatus, and students are risking their lives just to attend class.
Roads must be built for everyone—the driver, the pedestrian, the vendor, the cyclist, and even the disabled.
Unusually high road humps can pose safety hazards, especially for certain vehicles and drivers.
While designed to slow traffic, they can cause damage to vehicles, particularly those with low ground clearance.
Speed humps that are too tall or have sharp angles can cause vehicles to bottom out, potentially damaging suspension components, undercarriage, and even tires, especially for vehicles with low ground clearance.
This impunity by those erecting these speed breakers on public roads as well as community footpaths in Garissa is causing grave economic, and social costs to the public.
Garissa’s traffic chaos is not just a technical failure. It is a symptom of deep neglect and a lack of accountability. Where are our urban planners?
Where is the County Department of Roads and Transport? Where is the urgency to address these issues?
The people of Garissa deserve better—not just bigger roads or more signage. We need serious investment in traffic management, enforcement, and people-centered design.
It starts with simple steps. Introduce zebra crossings in key areas such as near schools and hospitals.
Redesign the oversized roundabouts so they actually regulate traffic, not serve as idle parking lots.
Enforce by laws to stop markets from spilling into roadways.
Create separate lanes for boda bodas and tuk-tuks to prevent unnecessary conflict and confusion on the road.
Garissa is not too poor to plan—it is simply too poorly managed to prioritize the basics. If our leaders cannot provide something as fundamental as safe, functional roads, then what are they really doing?
Let’s not wait for a tragedy to act. Let’s fix this now—because our people’s lives are worth more than the daily gamble they take just to move around their own town.
Mr. Abdullahi Aden is a Kenyan author and social commentator known for his bold insights on urban development, governance, and community welfare.
