Flash Floods Cut Off Key Road Again In Southwest Kenya

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published March 19, 2018 | 04:52 PM

A key road in southwest Kenya had for the second time in a week been cut off by flash floods, rendering the section impassable, paralyzing transport in the area.

NAROK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Mar, 2018 ) :A key road in southwest Kenya had for the second time in a week been cut off by flash floods, rendering the section impassable, paralyzing transport in the area.

Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) said on Monday the Narok-Mai Mahiu road has again dipped in, noting that heavy commercial vehicles could not pass through the Mai road section. "The Mai Mahiu-Suswa road section that had on Tuesday last week been affected by a volcanic fault line has dipped in again, thus cutting off the road for a second time.

Heavy commercial vehicles are currently not able to cross the section," KeNHA said in a statement. The section of the road that connects Nairobi and the world famous Maasai Mara national park was swept off on March 13 leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

KeNHA however, assured that an immediate emergency exercise had been kicked off to repair the section using rockfill. KeNHA said the repair exercise is expected to take up to four hours.

"Motorists are requested to bear with the situation, which is expected to necessitate traffic interruption which may last up to four hours as the Authority undertakes this exercise within the shortest time possible," said KeNHA.

"In the meantime the Authority is exploring the area to create a traffic diversion should the problem persist," it added. Last week, Chinese engineers repaired the same road which was completely cut off at Mai Mahiu, southwest Kenya, disrupting traffic flow in the busy road.

Engineers from Chinese Communications Construction Company (CCCC) who were working on the nearby Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project moved in to resolve the problem before transport resumed on March 14. Flash floods have caused widespread destruction of property and infrastructure, as well as disruption of key activities such as farming and education in various areas of Kenya.