The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has declared the closure of a segment of United Nations Avenue road in Runda due to flooding.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Authority cited rising water levels on the road caused by heavy rainfall experienced last night as the reason for the closure.
The affected sections span from the Ruaka Road roundabout to Magnolia Close, encompassing the area near The Lord Erroll Restaurant.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and will update on the progress. We urge Motorists to use alternative routes and exercise caution,” said Kura.
The repercussions of the heavy rainfall persist, disrupting lives nationwide. With ongoing downpours, roads have been rendered impassable, homes have been submerged, and numerous casualties have been reported.
Consequently, road closures have been implemented as part of the government's measures to safeguard the well-being of Kenyan citizens.
Because of the tremendous rains, rivers and sewers are overflowing, destroying homes and turning roadways into waterways.
Flooding had claimed the lives of over 228 people by Sunday, in addition to thousands of injuries and home displacements.
This occurs as the government steps up humanitarian efforts to reduce the number of fatalities, and the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) issued a warning about heavy rainfall in various areas of the nation in the upcoming days.
Since the beginning of the El Nino-linked severe rains in March, over 227,238 individuals nationwide have been impacted by floods, according to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki.
Furthermore, he stated, 42,526 families have been relocated, affecting approximately 212,630 individuals, and 72 persons are still unaccounted for from various occurrences across the country.
In his State of the Nation speech on Friday, President William Ruto issued a warning and said that the reopening of the schools would be delayed until further notice.
After being rescheduled from their original date of April 29, the schools were set to return on Monday, May 6.
Severe effects were noted by the Interior Ministry in the following counties: Nairobi, Wajir, Mandera, Bomet, Kajiado, Embu, Nyeri, Marsabit, Tharaka Nithi, Baringo, Kisumu, Nakuru, Machakos, Uasin Gishu, Busia, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Trans Nzoia, and Nyeri.
In order to avert catastrophe, the authorities emphasized on Sunday how urgent it is for everybody living near water courses and riparian areas to leave right away. There will be logistical support to make it easier for residents to evacuate from towns in 33 high-risk counties with 178 dams and water reservoirs that are at risk.
“A nationwide assessment identified 192 high-risk dams, with Central (60), Eastern (39), Rift Valley (29), Coast (22), Western (21), Nairobi (12), North Eastern (5), and Nyanza (4),” the ministry said.
