The Kenya National High Way Authority (KeNHA) has started repairing the damaged section of the Garissa – Madogo road that was washed away by the recent floods.
A spot check by KNA at the Mororo section showed that the excavators were busy levelling the ground as trucks were unloading marram.
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo said that officials from KeNHA were already on site and had started working on repair works.
Mwabudzo, who spoke to the press at the site after alighting from the boat, called on both motorists and pedestrians to exercise patience and give the engineers working on the road time to do their work.
“As you can see, repair work has already started in earnest. In three to four days, we should be able to see great progress,” Mwabudzo said.
“I want to really commend the security officers who worked closely with the members of the public during the difficult time and ensured that such a tragedy like the one that occurred does not happen again,” he added.
The County Commissioner further commended both the security apparatus and members of the public for their conduct during the entire exercise of transporting both passengers and goods across the flooded section using boats.
The boats have been busy ferrying passengers to and from Garissa, charging Sh200 per head.
On Thursday afternoon, some residents who could not afford the amount charged by the boats could be seen wading through the flooded waters that were at shoulder-high.
The administrator said the same spirit should continue to be applied until the exercise is over.
Patracia Ithanzu, a trader at a Garissa market, called on the government to fast-track the construction of the road, noting that it had led to a lot of pain and suffering for the residents.
Patricia called on the KeNHA and the contractors doing the road works to ensure that the quality is not compromised, reiterating the importance of the road that is the gateway to the North Eastern region.
“Speaking as a trader, I can tell you that the last three weeks have been hell on earth for us. Using a lot of money to have our goods delivered at the market, like paying for the boats, Unfortunately, we also had to hike the prices so as to ensure that we don’t make losses,” she said.
On his part, Ken Waweru, a boat rider, admitted that he made good returns as a result of ferrying people and goods in the two weeks.
He, however, regretted the loss of lives at the Kona Punda section, calling on the government to find a permanent solution to the perennial floods.
During his recent Garissa visit, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said the government is looking into long-term solutions to the flooding crisis affecting Garissa and Tana River counties.
The DP revealed plans to invest Shs1.2 billion to construct a new bridge along the Garissa-Nairobi highway.
On education, the county commissioner said that all IDPs that were being hosted in schools have since been relocated to other sites, noting that the government, with the help of NGOs, continues to offer relief assistance to flood victims.
Mwamudzo disclosed that the majority have started going back to their homes after the flood waters subsided.
By Jacob Songok
