28 October 2009
Nairobi — Three districts were yesterday morning cut off from Mombasa after El-Nino rains washed away a section of the Mombasa-Lamu highway.
The damaged Kinagoni bridge puts the lives of more than 200,000 people in Lamu, Tana Delta and Tana River at risk of not getting food and other supplies from Mombasa and Malindi.
Over 2,000 people were rendered homeless when more than 500 homesteads were submerged by water between Malindi and Garsen.
A 500 metre stretch of the road was extensively damaged and will require total reconstruction, Magarini DC Peter Karanja said at the scene of the damaged bridge.
A man who tried to cross the seasonal river shortly after the bridge was damaged was swept away by the floods and was believed to have drowned, although rescuers had not yet recovered his body, Mr Karanja said.
Travelers from both sides of the road were stranded as buses turned back when they reached the section of the road.
"The rains pounded the whole night and at about 1 am torrents of water started gushing into our houses, taking away utensils, chickens and goats," said Mzee Kazungu Karisa at Nzai Katembo village where more than 200 people were displaced.
A Nation correspondent Anthony Kitimo who had to cover a story at Faza Island was stranded on the other side of the road from Lamu. "I might have to go back to Lamu and take a flight to Mombasa," said Mr Kitimo.
There are fears that the 2,000 people might suffer from communicable diseases such as cholera since toilets were also washed away.
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The destruction of roads after a short period of rains tells us something about how we were prepared for El Nino rains as they had been predicted. It also tells us something about the way our roads are being constructed. The Mombasa-Lamu highway is not an old road! But even before the rains, one could notice sections that were already submerging: depressions, pot holes, and wearing out of some sections.That road was cheaply done. Now we have to pay expensively. Already as we speak, petrol in areas of Mpeketoni is going at Kshs. 100/= up from kshs.85/=. Kerosene is also out of stock, the few who have are selling dearly,and people have to line up for this commodity. At one station, I saw people lining up for kerosene, and the owner just left them in the rain and walked away for some other busines. I know food prices will be up too, health facilities will raise the costs. And once all these are up, life will become a nightmare. If the world is hearing, let us standby, to save the people who in a very short time, may start shouting for help. Kenya should put up proper systems for road construction, and proper emergency response systems.