Motorists and drivers will face attempted suicide charges and also have their licences cancelled if they drive through flooded roads, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen has said.
The warning is part of the government's efforts to reduce deaths as a result of the El Nino rains that have caused flooding, landslides and deaths and displacements of people.
The government on Tuesday put the death toll at 120 with about 90,000 households already displaced from their homes.
Many bridges have been washed away while flashfloods have also killed scores who have dared to cross flooded streams and roads.
Speaking during an assessment tour of Mbogolo bridge in Kilifi county which was last week washed away by floods, Murkomen said daredevil motorists who risk driving through flooded roads do not only put their lives in danger, but also the lives of those aboard the vehicles.
“I want to put all our drivers on notice that should we find you crossing or having crossed a dangerously flooded road, we will cancel your licence and even prefer charges of attempted suicide against you,” the minister said.
Attempted suicide is a misdemeanour under Section 226 of the Penal Code and is punishable by two years' imprisonment or a fine or both.
Murkomen said more than half of the deaths that have so far been recorded since October, would have been avoided had motorists avoided the risk of crossing flooded roads.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday, 120 people have lost their lives and 89,000 households displaced since the floods started in October.
To address this, Murkomen said, it is incumbent upon drivers to observe caution when on the road, and avoid crossing washed-away and flooded roads.
“Do not be the reason someone dies just because you want to rush to your next destination even when the roads are flooded. There is no hurry, you better be late for a week or even a month but save lives,” the CS said.
He said the government had embarked on restoring and upgrading destroyed roads to ensure they are passable and transportation of people and goods returns to normal in the shortest time.
“As a ministry, we have activated our road agencies and contractors to begin the restoration of roads that have been washed away by floods.
He said new information from the Metrological Department shows the rains may subside in the next week before resuming in December.
"We will be taking advantage of the one-week window of little to no rains to carry out a full assessment of the damages caused and work on quick restoration of destroyed roads and bridges, to enable the resumption of transportation in affected areas.”
On parts of the Nairobi-Garissa road which remain impassable, Murkomen said the government is working round the clock to resolve the matter.
“The challenge we are facing with parts of the Nairobi-Garissa road are due to the width and depth of the water that is flowing downstream due to the heavy rains. We fear the situation in the region may get worse if Masinga Dam, which has been filling at 0.7 metres per day with about seven metres remaining, is filled in the coming 10 days due to continued rainfall."
He urged those living downstream to relocate to higher grounds as the spill-over effect would be dire.
“We have, however, had successes in other areas. We have, for instance, restored the Garissa airstrip thus enabling the resumption of flights which will now help in emergency response and the delivery of supplies to affected families. We have also reopened the road from Kutulo to Mandera and are working on restoring transportation along the Garissa-Wajir road,” he said.