- Kenha appealed to motorists to continue halting their travel until water levels subside.
- It said the Kenya Coast Guard has provided a boat to assist pedestrians to cross.
Image: HANDOUT
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has maintained that the Garsen-Witu -Lamu (A7) Road remains closed due to flooding.
In a message on X, KeNHA noted that to assist pedestrians in crossing, the Kenya Coast Guard has provided a boat.
“Pedestrians are now between the two points, Gamba and Lango la Simba,” the roads agency said on Sunday.
KeNHA said the road closure followed heavy rainfall which led River Tana to burst its banks resulting in flooding.
“The road is still completely submerged in the affected section,” the authority announced.
KeNHA appealed to motorists to continue halting their travel until water levels subside and an assessment is done to ascertain if the road is passable.
“We will keep you updated as our team is on the ground monitoring the situation,” it said.
On Friday, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura announced that the Kianthenge-Thingirani-Kamarind Road in Mbeere North had been severed causing disruptions in transport and connectivity.
“Immediate efforts by the Kenya Rural Authority are underway to restore access along this route. Motorists are advised to avoid driving on the road,” Mwaura said.
He announced that the Mwingi-Madogo-Garissa Road has been restored and is now operational.
He added that the Ministry of Roads and Transport will continue to repair damaged infrastructure in areas where flooding has subsided.
Mwaura further announced that raging floods had killed six more people, raising the death toll across the country to 142.
The six, three of them children, died in Tana River, Taita Taveta, Machakos and Kisumu.
He said rainfall is expected to continue over the southern parts of the country with a reduction in intensity in the northern parts of the country.
He added that isolated storms and heavy rains are likely to occur over a few areas in the highlands east and west of the Rift Valley, South Rift Valley, the South Eastern lowlands, part of the coast (Kwale and Lamu) and northeastern Kenya (Garissa).
“In response to the escalating crisis, substantial initiatives have been mobilised. Twenty-four trucks from the Kenya Defence Forces and National Youth Service have been dispatched to facilitate distribution of essential supplies in affected areas,” he said.
He further said military planes and parachutes have been deployed to assist in airlifting and airdropping food and non-food items.