Screams and smoke filled the air along Outering Road Thursday morning as rival youth gangs turned a routine commute into a nightmare. Motorists ran for safety, abandoned cars smouldered, and police battled to restore order.
The chaos began after a suspected thief was lynched in Kiamaiko. Outraged members of a local community took to the streets, blocking roads and lighting fires along the busy Kariobangi–Kiamaiko–Allsops stretch. Footage showed young men erecting barricades, pelting vehicles, and attacking pedestrians in what quickly turned into full-blown urban unrest.
Just as the first wave of protests escalated, a rival group stormed the scene, triggering violent confrontations. Their identity remains unknown, but their arrival intensified tensions. Eyewitnesses reported scenes of open street combat as bystanders fled in terror.
Traffic ground to a halt across Kariobangi and Allsops as police units moved in. Officers fired tear gas and made limited arrests, but were overwhelmed by the scale and spread of the unrest. Fires continued to burn for hours as efforts to reopen roads met fierce resistance.
By early afternoon, warnings flooded social media. “Avoid Outering Road, Kiamaiko, Kariobangi, and Allsops,” one viral post urged. “Rival youth are in battle and motorists are getting robbed.” Many drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles and flee on foot.
The area, notorious for past protests and road accidents, has seen similar violence before. In June, a shoe shop near the same spot was looted and burned during political demonstrations. Locals say Thursday’s chaos fits a growing pattern of insecurity.
As darkness fell, police patrols were still combing the area. Calm remained elusive. With no clear organisers or accountability, Nairobi residents are left asking—who’s really pulling the strings behind these sudden waves of violence?
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