The Coptic roundabout in Kisumu. /FILEThe Kenya National Highways Authority has announced plans to permanently remove Kisumu’s controversial Coptic roundabout, following a surge in fatal accidents.
This comes a month after unknown individuals dug up the roundabout along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway in protest over a recent grisly road accident at the spot, which claimed 26 lives.
KeNHA Nyanza Regional Director Eng Julius Mak’Odero said the permanent removal of the roundabout was in response to the growing public concern over the intersection, which has been flagged as one of the deadliest black spots in the country.
“Unknown people dug the roundabout at night without our express authority. What they did basically transferred the hazard from one part of the road to another.
However, within a few hours, we were able to carry out mitigation measures that ensured no motorist or any other road user was put in danger,” Eng Mak’Odero said.
The redesigned plan for the affected section, which has already been approved, he said, will see the roundabout completely removed and replaced with a median separating the two carriageways.
According to Mak’Odero, the new layout will eliminate cross-intersections, ensuring vehicles either head directly into town or outwards without switching between carriageways.
“That will mean members of the public who relied on the roundabout may have to cover a longer distance. But this is purely for the safety of motorists and other road users,” he explained.
The permanent works, expected to commence within weeks, he said, will include installation of barriers, fresh road markings, and signage to guide drivers.
Eng Mak’Odero cautioned motorists and pedestrians against attempting to bypass safety barriers at the site, saying the move posed a danger to other road users.
“We urge members of the public to cooperate with us. We have had instances where people try to get over the barriers. We are asking them to use the necessary infrastructure and signage for their own safety,” he said and called on transport operators to desist from reckless manoeuvres that could make the situation worse.
The Coptic roundabout, which links Kisumu’s CBD to Kondele and the Airport Road, has long been criticised by residents, civil society, and transporters as poorly designed.
Its removal marks one of the boldest safety interventions in the area in recent years.
