Boats business owners in Garissa and Madogo are now making hundreds of thousands in profit to transport stranded passengers travelling to or from Garissa.
The boats, which are normally used for rescue missions in River Tana are charging at least Sh1500 for the four-kilometre road stretch between Madogo and Garissa which has been destroyed by floods.
Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) from Nairobi to Garissa and Wajir are dropping their passengers at Madogo who are then forced to board boats to Garissa and connect with other buses to Wajir on that side.
Those travelling from Garissa to Nairobi have to board motor boats to Madogo so that they can get buses to continue with their journey.
At the same time supply lorries to Wajir and Mandera counties have resorted to go back through Embu to use the Meru – Isiolo – Modogashe road to connect to Wajir.
Residents we spoke to expressed their dissatisfaction with the way the repairs of the road section has dragged since December last year and want the government to move with speed to repair the road sections.
“We are hustlers and all the people here who work in Garissa Town cannot afford to pay Sh1500 to go to work for Sh500 a day. This is not ideal for us and we want the government to move with speed and repair this road so that we can put this mess to and end when the rains come,” said one Madogo resident.
“We only spend Sh30 using matatus and Sh50 on boda bodas on normal days on this road. Today we are being charged Sh1500. This is not right,” added another.
By Erick Kyalo
