El Nino havoc: Number of damaged roads restored

The government has restored several roads that had been damaged by heavy rains in Garissa, Wajir, Tana River and Mandera counties to passable status.

In an update on Tuesday, the Government Delivery Services said the State has allocated Sh3 billion to rehabilitate damaged road infrastructure.

Among them are Nuno-Modogashe-Wajir-Mandera Road at Maalmim section some 102 Km from Modika.

Approximately 900 meters of the road had been washed out by flood waters at Maalim.

"The section is now passable. The contractor to continue with maintenance," GDS said in a statement on X.

It said the installation of drainage structures and backfilling of the road with gravel is also ongoing on the section of the Nuno-Modogashe-Wajir-Mandera Road at Togbub where 600m of the road had been washed away.

Backfilling of the bed with gravel has also been done at Jilango along the same road where 500m had been washed away.

Similar action has been taken at Ohio, Maandathe and Kutulo.

"Action was taken: Grading, gravelling and filling with hard material. Status: Restoration is complete. Passable."

GDS said damage at Scansca near Habaswein which lies some 100km from Wajir will be assessed when waters subside at the 1km stretch flooded section.

"Road will need regravelling," the service said.

Meanwhile, traffic flow had been restored at Tula Bridge on Thika- Mwingi- Garissa road after approximately 1.2 km of the road was cut off by rains on November 24.

Culverts have been reinstated and the road backfilled with hardcore and gravel.

"Safety measures have been put in place. The road section is passable. Construction of a temporary diversion is complete and traffic flow at the section is restored. The contractor is mobilized for continuous maintenance of the road."

Meanwhile, assessment of water levels is ongoing as equipment and materials are being mobilised for temporary diversion once floods subside on the Hola - Wayu – Waldena Road.

Works are also ongoing on Madogo-Modika – Daadab-Liboi Road although the road is not passable at Lago where water is still flowing.

"Works are ongoing and the road is passable on the rest of the sections. Temporary diversion will be done once security officers have been deployed," GDS said.

However, travel is still troubled on the Madogo Junction – Bura-Hola-Garsen-Malindi-Mombasa Road where over 2km of the road link is submerged.

"Assessment is ongoing. After water subsides, creation of diversions on the road alignment by reprocessing the undermined sections of road and gravelling the affected sections."

Meanwhile, Wajir-Griftu-Eldas-Buna-Dabel-Moyale Road is passable at Dela, Buna and Korondile Town where the contractor is on-site assisting vehicles stuck in the mud and filling cut-off section.