Thousands of motorists were left stranded along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway following a 3-hour traffic jam that extended from City Cabanas to Athi River on Friday.

Share news tips with us here at Hivisasa

The snarl-up was caused by a crackdown on stationary trucks by Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) officials at Mlolongo town in Machakos County.

The officers removed number plates of several trucks found parked along the highway within the town.

They said the move is meant to clear the way and bring law and order along the highway thereby enabling free flow of traffic.

However, some motorists protested after the officials accompanied by heavily armed police officers removed number plates from their trucks.

Some claimed they had just made a stop in the town for tea when the plates were removed.

"This is unfair. I have driven this truck all the way from Kampala to Mlolongo only for its number plate to be removed by this officers after I parked along the highway for five minutes. I had gone to take tea in a nearby hotel. They are demanding Sh30,000 to return the number plate," said a driver who introduced himself to the press as a Mr. Macharia.

Macharia said he was headed to Mombasa.

Another, Johnston Waweru said the truck that he drives broke down in Mlolongo town two days ago and was under repair when KeNHA officers removed its number plates.

He was also fined Sh30,000 for the plate to be returned.

The motorists called for the government's intervention to have number plates of their vehicles returned.

However, the Athi River deputy county commissioner David Juma confirmed the operations were conducted by KeNHA officials.

Juma said the authority was effecting the executions following the 30 days notice issued on the same in June by the then Machakos county commissioner Matilda Sakwa that had long elapsed.

Juma said area security team was working with the authority to enforce the order.

"The entire operations are being conducted by KeNHA, we have just offered them police officers for security," Juma said.

#hivisasaoriginal