The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has warned motorists against using the Thika–Garissa (A3) road, which has been affected by severe flooding.
In a statement on the evening of Wednesday, October 29, the authority cautioned that flooding had disrupted traffic flow along several sections between Bangali and Madogo following the onset of the short rains across the country.
KeNHA revealed the affected stretch lies between the 31km and 37 km marks from Bangali Centre, which has experienced heavy rainfall since Monday.
From the consistent rains, floods have been experienced at Tulam, rendering some parts of the roads impassable.
“The road sections which have been flooded may experience increased water levels if the rain continues,” KeNHA said.
“All road users and motorists are, therefore, advised to exercise patience and caution so as to allow water levels to subside before proceeding with their journey.”
Engineers and emergency response teams have since been deployed on site to monitor the situation and help restore traffic once it is safe to do so.
Driving on flooded highways comes with its fair share of dangers, with one of the biggest risks being the possibility of the vehicle losing control.
Besides the risk of encountering unseen road damage like potholes and sinkholes, driving on flooded waters also heightens the chances of a motorist getting stuck inside the car if water levels start to rise.
In July, the same Thika-Garissa highway was closed for three months to facilitate maintenance works on the Kavenge (Mbakini) Bridge, near Mbakini Centre.
KeNHA's warning came as several parts of the country continued to receive above-average rainfall in what is the beginning of the short rain season, which typically runs from October to December.
A weekly forecast from the Kenya Meteorological department, which covers Tuesday, October 28 to Saturday, November 1, further noted that counties in the coastal region, the Northwestern parts of the country, such as Turkana, and the North Eastern part, such as Garissa, will also experience strong southerly to southeasterly winds of above 25 knots.
As per the forecast, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia, and West Pokot counties are expected to experience day-long rains and showers accompanied by thunderstorms in this period. These conditions will also prevail at night.
