KeNHA closes Kaplong-Kisii road over heavy rainfall

This comes after the Kipsonoi River Bridge, which connects Sotik and Chebilat, experienced severe flooding due to intense rainfall.

KeNHA said in a statement on X that the water levels had risen above the bridge, making travel dangerous.

According to KeNHA, "this comes after significant rainfall in the catchment basins, which caused a spike in runoff, particularly this evening."

“The Authority staff have been on the ground monitoring the water levels the whole day and were earlier guiding motorists on the safe crossing sections,”

The Authority advised motorists planning to use the road to seek alternative routes; with those headed to headed to Chebilat and Keroka advised to use the Kaplong - Sotik - Roret - Ikonge - Chebilat - Keroka route while those headed to Kisii have been advised to use the Kaplong - Sotik - Roret - Ikonge - Kisii route. 

The flooding on the section of the road comes just days after the weatherman warned of a weekend of heavy rainfall and storms  in most parts of the country. 

According to the Weatherman, isolated storms and heavy rainfal will be felt in parts of highlands East of Rift Valley including Nairobi.

Regions South of the Rift Valley, parts of the  Coastal strip and South-Eastern lowlands will also experience precipitation.

The Met Department added that Isiolo and Samburu Counties may experience rainfall from Friday to Monday.

Last week, the Nairobi County Government was forced to deploy emergency response teams to Githogoro and Mukuru areas to mitigate the damage caused by the heavy rains recorded in different parts of the country.

In a statement on X, the county administration revealed that the Nairobi County Rapid Response team was presently assessing the scope of the damage caused by the rains.

“Nairobi County Rapid Response team led by Chief Officer Bramwel Simiyu is currently carrying out a joint County-wide assessment exercise with Red Cross/DMOs to establish the extent of the impact of last evening’s heavy rains,” the statement reads in part.  

The intense rains disrupted normalcy, engulfing streets, with some businesses forced to shut down temporarily.

Motorists and commuters similarly found themselves stranded due to impassable roads which halted transportation in different parts of the city.