Travellers stranded in Madogo as flash floods wreak havoc

Hundreds of passengers and motorists travelling to and from Garissa have been left stranded.

This is after raging flood waters destroyed sections of the crucial roadway.

A spot check by the Star showed that majority of those affected are residents of Garissa, Bangal Subcounty in Tana River.

Passengers travelling from Nairobi to Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera were also affected.

On Friday morning KeNHA issued a traffic advisory warning motorists about rising water levels at the Tana River bridge in Mororo due to ongoing heavy rains.

The authority cautioned about the risk of further flooding as the Seven Folks Dams is nearing full capacity.

KeNHA has since closed the Mororo-Kona Punda section declaring the road to be potentially unsafe.

“Overtopping waters have already compromised the integrity and hence safety of the road with hidden washouts/eroded sections under overflowing waters," KeNHA said in a statement.

The Authority said a contractor is on site ready to deal with the washout immediately the waters subside.

“We urge road users to be cautious and avoid riding in the floodwaters. KeNHA will continue to undertake measures to ensure motorability of the section is restored as soon as possible once waters subside,” it said.

Drivers expressed frustration with the government's failure to find a lasting solution and permanently repair the Kona Punda section.

The section was temporarily fixed after being destroyed by the River Tana floods during last year's El Nino rains.

They called for urgent intervention to restore the crucial road connection to the North Eastern region.

Yussuf Adan, a conductor with Ryan Bus, expressed frustration, stating that their journey to Wajir was halted by the floods, which swept part of the road that had recently been repaired.

"The water level is rising, and the situation is likely to worsen. As you can see we are here stranded with a bus full of passengers who were all traveling to Wajir. What are supposed to do in such a situation,” Adam lamented.

Aisha Mohamed a passenger who was travelling from Nairobi to Mandera expressed her regret at the turn of events calling on the government to move with speed and repair damaged sections.

“It is unfortunate that this has been the song for quite some time now. Surely for how long will we continue suffering?" she posed.

She continued: "Now look  I have two young children and in the middle of a journey. I thought as Kenyans we pay taxes which are supposed to be used to repair roads."

 Abdihakim Mohamed, a driver commuting between Bangal Subcounty and Garissa town, voiced his concerns about the transport crisis affecting suppliers and customers alike.

He hoped for the River Tana water level to subside soon.

"I am carrying over 500 litres of fresh camel milk to Garissa, the crisis will affect both the suppliers and the customers, I hope the River Water level will subside," Mohamed said.

Three weeks ago, KeNHA closed the Kona Punda section of the road after it was washed away by River Tana floodwaters, reopening it after two days once the water levels subsided.