The government on Tuesday warned that it will prohibit vehicles from using roads and bridges deemed unsafe as rainfall continues to pound various parts of the country.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior released on Tuesday, December 3, Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo threatened the action as part of measures to curb deaths stemming from overflowing rivers and bridges.
Speaking at Lunyofu Primary School, which has been converted into a temporary shelter for 500 displaced households, PS Omollo warned that the government will prohibit vehicles from using roads and bridges deemed unsafe.
The directive stems from past experiences that threatened lives. In April, a bus with 51 passengers was swept off a bridge in Tana River County. The videos went viral, and thankfully all passengers survived after clinging to the roof or escaping before the vehicle was submerged.
The government reacted by closing the road.
The directive comes as various parts of the country begin flooding. According to the Ministry of Interior, Busia and Kisumu counties are among the hardest hit.
The Ministry says heavy rainfall over the weekend and the past week has displaced 3,970 households in these two areas.
Last Friday, pedestrians and motorists in Nairobi alike found it nearly impossible to navigate through the central business district as heavy rains caused severe flooding, turning major roads into rivers of dirty water.
The flooding affected various major roads, including Thika Road, Parklands, and Ngara on the outskirts of the capital, while Moi Avenue and Tom Mboya Street were among the worst affected within the city centre.
On Saturday, November 30, the ministry issued flood alerts to five regions, warning of temporary evacuations in some areas as heavy rainfall continues to pound the country over the weekend.
The Ministry issued flood alerts for North Eastern, which includes the counties of Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, and Isiolo, as well as South Eastern, which comprises Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, and Taita-Taveta counties.
The others are parts of Tana River County and the Coast region, which has the counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu, and Kwale, as well as Central, which includes Nairobi, Kiambu, and Murang’a.
Areas within the South Rift Valley that have Nakuru, Kajiado, Bomet, and Kericho are also listed in the advisory.
Already overflowing of the rivers Nzoia, Nyando, Yala, Miriu, and Awach has caused havoc in the western region. In his statement, PS Omollo reiterated the government's long-term strategy to evacuate at-risk communities to better housing and redesign the 30-meter riparian corridors along our rivers and other large water bodies.
