The Kenya National Highway Authority (KEnHA) has closed the Garissa - Bura highway following extensive damages on the sections of the road that has rendered it completely impassable.
This comes barely four days after a woman died while trying to cross a flooded section of the road near Bilbil that had been washed away
Addressing the press on Friday during an inspection tour to assess the damages at Bilbil area Eng. Njuguna Katitu director in charge of maintenance with KEnHA said the road will remain closed until the rains subside.
“We would like to inform members of the public and the road users in general that they should not try to cross such type of water because it’s dangerous. This is water that can wash away even a bus,” Katitu said.
“For those wishing to go to Bura from Garissa will have to use the Nairobi - Mombasa route. Similarly, if you are coming from Bura you have to go through Hola - Malindi - Mombasa route,” he added.
Katitu who was unable to reach Bilbil with his team because more sections of the road have been flooded overnight following the continuing heavy rains pounding several parts of the country said KEnHA will repair the major road that links North Eastern and the coast region.
When the press toured the road, hundreds of stranded passengers tried desperately to wade through the flooded waters but in vain.
Among the hard are miraa traders who could not get their perishable commodities to Bura and Hola and had to return them back.