Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, on Tuesday, directed the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to take the lead in conducting emergency responses in the North Eastern Counties affected by floods.
In the directive, KeNHA was tasked with enabling seamless movement of people and goods, and conducting an assessment of damaged roads in the Northern Counties and embarking on a restoration exercise once the rains subside.
"To mitigate the situation, I have instructed KeNHA to take the lead in conducting emergency responses in the affected Counties," read part of Murkomen's statement
The CS issued the directive after a meeting with a number of leaders from Mandera County, with the meeting aimed at addressing the infrastructure issues affecting the region.
“As Government, we are working closely with leaders in the Northern part of Kenya to open up the region in order to promote trade and investment, facilitate inter and intra-county transportation and improve the living standards of the residents in line with the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda," Murkomen noted in a statement.
Among the counties in the North set for road restoration under KeNHA include Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Tana River and Garissa.
"Further, I took note of the flood situation in the Northern Kenya that has resulted in deaths, destruction of property, and rendered major roads impassable."
Among the leaders who attended the meeting included Principal Secretary for Roads Joseph Mbugua, Mandera County Woman Representative Sheikh Kassim, Mandera East MP Abdirahman Mohamed, Mandera West MP Yusuf Haji, Mandera South MP Haro Ebrahim and Lacey MP Abdirahman Abdi.
Other top officials in the meeting were KeNHA Director General Kung'u Ndung'u and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) Director General Philemon Kandie.
Murkomen's meeting comes against the backdrop of floods destroying of a section of the Garissa-Modogashe Road that was destroyed by floods.
The road, which had recently been carpeted, was rendered impassable, with images showing parts of the remaining tarmac sinking into rainwater.
Garissa-Modogashe Road links Garissa, Isiolo, Wajir, and Mandera towns along the border points between Kenya and Ethiopia.
