Over 20 Nairobi roads set for temporary closure

By Peter Ochieng

Over 20 roads in Nairobi will be temporarily closed in Nairobi on Sunday, to pave way for the first edition of World Aids Day Half Marathon.

According to the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the closure will take four hours, from 6am to 10am.

“This is to notify motorists and general public that sections of Nairobi Roads will be closed on Sunday 1st December, 2024 from 6.00am to 10.00am for the 2024 World AIDS Day Half Marathon which is intended to promote the health and wellbeing of men and boys,” the authority sad in a statement, signed by Director Silas Kinoti.

The marathon will start at Nyayo National Stadium to Museum Hill via Uhuru Highway, Kenyatta Avenue, Koinange Street, Muindi Mbigu Street, Wabera Street, Taifa Road and Harambee Avenue.

Marathoners will then take Parliament Road, Haile Selassie Avenue, Lower and Upper Hill Roads, Marathon Road, Ragati Road, Hospital Road, Elgon Road, Matumbato Road, Masaba Road, Wakihuri Road, Bunyala Road, Commercial Street, Enterprise Road, Dar es Salam Road, Dunga Road, Lusaka Road and Aerodrome Road. KURA requested members of the public to utilise alternative routes as guided by traffic and marshals and to plan for this disruption.

“We regret the inconvenience this event will cause on your normal routine.”

Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health launched the 2024 World Aids Day Half Marathon on October 30 to raise awareness for the disease, emphasizing men and boys.

“This year’s World Aids Day commemoration is a rallying call for a focus on one thing: ending AIDS and confronting its associated risks, including new infections, unintended pregnancies, and gender-based violence,” said the CS.

She was accompanied by National Syndemic Diseases Control Council CEO Dr Ruth Masha and Board Chairperson Geoffrey Gitu. Dr Masha acknowledged the disproportionate number of AIDS-related deaths among men, citing a lack of education and early diagnoses as a key factor.

“While we’re making progress among women, we see that we are leaving men and children behind,” she noted.