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Transport along the Mai Mahiu-Narok highway was paralysed for over 20 hours after sections of it were washed away by floods and covered by mud.
During the incident that started on Monday evening, tens of motorists were left stranded on sections of the road while others were forced to use the longer Nakuru-Kericho road.
The sections between Kigeche, Suswa and Duka moja were blocked by sand washed away from neighbouring hills with many motorists forced to return back to Narok.
Heavy rains pounding the area made it impossible for relevant government agencies to conduct emergency repairs while police had a difficult time controlling traffic during the lockdown.
According to Naivasha OCPD Samuel Waweru, the floods had affected critical sections of the highway and called on motorists using the road to seek alternative routes to their destination.
Waweru said soil in the area was loose adding that it was being washed away to the road every time it rained and called on those using it to exercise caution.
“The highway is no longer safe for motorists especially this time around when we have heavy rains and the best thing is for those using it to seek alternative routes,” he said.
A local leader Peter Ole Marinkat from Suswa blamed the continued sand harvesting to the siltation currently being witnessed.
Marinkat said sand harvesters were taking advantage of scooping the commodity next to the highway endangering motorists and other road users.
“They do not want to get to the areas they normally collect sand and are doing it next to the highway and this is making the ground loose,” he said.
He called on the government to put on hold the exercise until after the rains as one of way of protecting the environment from such calamities.
In a statement, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) said they were monitoring the situation in order to advice motorists using the highway accordingly.
The Authority identified three sections Namely Satellite center and two Suswa Ndogo centers that are currently facing the siltation problem.
“Satellite station 12Kms, Suswa Ndogo center-17Kms and Suswa Ndogo center 23Kms all from Mai Mahiu are experiencing heavy siltation and debris from surrounding hills specifically Suswa and Mt. Longonot,” the Authority said in statement signed by head of communication Charles Njogu.
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