Kenya faces hefty repair costs, humanitarian crisis following severe flooding

This comes as hundreds of thousands of people try to recover from the losses incurred when their property and farmlands were swept away by the raging waters. 

Residents of Garissa are urging the government to keep its promise to repair flood-damaged infrastructure so that their lives can return to normal. 

Despite the fact that the rains have stopped for three weeks, residents of Madogo in Garissa County continue to deal with the aftermath of the flooding. 

Khadija Abdalla, a Madogo resident, explained, "We are pleading through our elders. They say there used to be a bridge here. If they can rebuild the bridge, the water will pass underneath."

Several videos show a pregnant woman being transferred from an ambulance to a waiting boat while seeking medical attention at the Garissa Referral Hospital. 

Hundreds of other travellers are stranded along the road, while others risk wading through the waters to reach the other side. 

"I have driven from Nairobi to here, and there are so many people who are stranded. Communication is everything, yet we cannot transport goods and people are having shortages of food, medicine, and other basic needs,"Former Ambassador Mohammed Shidiye said. 

According to the Kenya Red Cross, 274,410 people are still displaced, with 38 others unaccounted for. 

With sporadic mudslides across the country, the number of those injured stands at 188, with fatalities from the floods now at 314 people.

Businesses from various places have also taken a hit, with traders in Garissa counting losses running into millions of shillings due to a blackout that has persisted for three weeks now. 

"Three poles have fallen, causing Kenya Power to cut off electricity. Kenya Power needs to come with their crane and fix it,” Juma Dido, Madogo MCA, explained. “We've tried to contact the Regional Manager of Kenya Power here, Eunice, but we've received no response."

According to Joseph Kipkorir, the Deputy County commisioner,  Bangale, fallen trees that are submerged in water have made it impossible to continue any repair works. 

“It has been difficult because the fallen trees are submerged in water, and the area must dry out before they can be removed,” He said.

“We had planned to clear the remaining parts, but construction on the road has made it impossible." 

Last week, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen said it would cost taxpayers 30 billion shillings to repair transport infrastructure destroyed by floods across the country. 

The government has also kept quiet about the fate of families who are still living in displacement camps and those who have been forcibly removed from riparian settlements.