Hundreds of travelers from Garissa and Nairobi have been stranded along the Garissa – Mwingi road following heavy downpour which flooded road sections that had been previously cut off by the December El nino rains.
The most affected road sections currently are at Tula and Arer areas, a few kilometers to Bangale town. The other section is between Garissa and Madogo where, although the motorists are braving to cross, the waters are still rising.
The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) temporarily repaired the roads after the El Nino rains stopped and had not started permanent repairs, making it easier for flood waters to further sweep out the areas that made the road completely impassable.
Earlier this morning, a Wajir bound bus from Nairobi plunged into flood waters at Arer area after the driver unsuccessfully tried to cross the section. Although there were no casualties in the early morning incident, rescue operation is still ongoing to save all the 51 passengers who were on board.
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo has advised motorists, boda bodas and pedestrians against crossing any of the affected road sections warning that it could lead to loss of life. Mwabudzo further called on all residents living along River Tana to move to higher grounds to avoid being caught up by flooding.
“We are working with the chiefs to mobilize and move the people in riskier areas to higher grounds until the waters subside,” Mwabudzo said. “We urge road users to be cautious and avoid driving in the floodwater for their safety,” he added.
So far, there has been no loss of life, and the most affected areas are farms along River Tana, parts of Iftin, Ziwani in Garissa town and other parts of Sankuri.
Already, KeNHA has announced closure of Nairobi – Garissa (A3) Road due to flooding at Arer Area, between Bangaley and Madogo.
“The flooding at Arer has compromised the road and the diversion that was previously in use. This poses a high safety risk to the road users. This road, therefore, shall remain closed until the flood waters subside and the damaged section is reinstated,” KeNHA said in a statement on social media sites.
