Kirinyaga: Floods paralyse transport as shop owners count losses

Hundreds of passengers and motorists that were travelling to and from Kagio town in Kirinyaga County were on Saturday night left stranded for hours after raging water flooded Kagio town along Kagio-Kutus-Sagana roads.

Traders, residents, and motorists expressed frustration with the government for what they described as a failure to find a lasting solution to flooding in the Calabash area.

“We are counting losses in our businesses after water flooded our stores and this is not the first incident. This week the county government of Kirinyaga came and said they have unblocked the drainage system but right now we are counting losses,” Peter Wanjohi said.

Locals in the Kagio market also accused the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) of allowing a new petrol station to be constructed near the road and small culverts erected along the busy road.

They expressed frustration over the destruction of electric poles by the floods as it has affected the electricity supply in the town.

“Life is unbearable without electricity in our houses and our business after three electricity fell on a parked sand lorry in this town,” Peter Muriithi, one of the residents, said.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru initiated emergency disaster response measures to deal with floods and other emergencies arising from heavy rains that have hit the county.

“We want her government to move faster as we have not seen them on the ground. We are still suffering. I'm counting the loss of over Ksh.500,000 after my rice was flooded in my store near the flooded road,” local trader Peter Maina said.