Goons block, Police clear Southern Bypass ahead of Gachagua's Kikuyu rally

Police have reopened the Southern Bypass after unidentified groups blocked sections of the road in Kikuyu Constituency, Kiambu County, on Saturday morning, hours before a scheduled political rally by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The blockage was concentrated at Thogoto and Gitaru, where groups lit bonfires using tyres and positioned two large trailers across the carriageway.

Access to Kikuyu Town was cut at the railway bridge.

The Dagoretti-Kikuyu road also closed.

Thick smoke from burning tyres reduced visibility along the highway, which carries heavy daily traffic for commuters, traders and long-distance vehicles heading out of Nairobi.

Feeder roads also recorded backups.

Police moved in and cleared the barricades and bonfires.

An officer at the scene confirmed the road had been reopened.

"We have managed to clear them now. The traffic is flowing even as we monitor the situation," the officer said.

Security agencies remain deployed in the area. No injuries were reported.

The disruption came hours before a Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) rally scheduled for 1pm in Kikuyu township.

Gachagua confirmed the event on April 7, after meeting DCP leaders in the constituency.

He said principals of the United Alternative Government coalition, an opposition outfit backed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, had been invited to attend.

The morning events followed a warning Gachagua issued the previous day.

In a letter dated April 10 to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, the DCP leader alleged a coordinated plan to disrupt the meeting.

He claimed organised groups, alongside sections of the police, were preparing to block roads using heavy vehicles staged as mechanical breakdowns, vandalise businesses and create chaos that would draw a security crackdown on rally attendees.

Gachagua cited remarks made by Kikuyu MP and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah at Alliance High School grounds on March 25, and further statements the MP made in Parliament on April 9, as evidence of prior knowledge of the alleged plans.

He also pointed to a meeting held on April 9 at Kentmere Club along Limuru Road, attended by senior county security officials, as part of what he described as coordinated disruption efforts.

"Any violence in Kikuyu Town on Saturday the 11th April 2026, the IG, Kimani Ichung'wa and the Police Commanders in Kiambu County and Kikuyu Sub-County will be held liable and responsible," Gachagua wrote.

Ichung'wah responded by writing to the Inspector General, accusing Gachagua of incitement and promoting ethnic tension.

The Kikuyu MP cited earlier incidents in the constituency, among them the burning of Kikuyu NG-CDF offices on June 25, 2024, and attacks in June 2025, which he linked to Gachagua's political activities.

Saturday's rally is the latest in a series of public meetings Gachagua has held across the country since his impeachment as Deputy President in October 2024.

He has held similar gatherings in Gatundu North, Juja, Kabete and Githunguri constituencies in recent weeks.

Police say they will maintain a presence in Kikuyu for the duration of the afternoon rally.