Thousands of motorists and travellers are set to be stranded on both sides of the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway at Mto wa Mawe in Machakos after River Athi broke its banks and flooded the key thoroughfare. The road has been closed by Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua and the local police until tomorrow.
According to Mutua, the river flooded the area at Green Park Estate area and emergency assessment is that the highway will be cut off until tomorrow.
Here is Mutua’s statement posted on Twitter:
” The Athi river at Mto ya Mawe in Machakos County (Green Park area) has broken its banks and flooded over Mombasa Highway. Our emergency assessment is that the highway wil be cut off until tomorrow. The road is now CLOSED.
Machakos County Emergency Services have rescued over 50 people (mostly the elderly, house helps and children) from some of the submerged houses of Green Park Estate. Our teams will be on ground overnight and are responding county wide to flooding. Let me repeat, Mombasa Highway is CLOSED.
Related: Moving floods photos that show Nairobi is a ticking time bomb
We urge those traveling towards Machakos and Mombasa to either postpone their trips or to use Kangundo road- Koma rd to Machakos – then Konza road to Malili or Machakos road to Kyumvi.
We expect more rivers to break their banks and I urge all Wananchi to be careful and not to risk crossing areas where water is above a bridge or road. I also ask all those that are near river banks to evacuate and move to higher grounds as we ascertain the situation so that they are not victims of floods in the middle of the night.
The expected wajuaji drivers who will try to cross closed roads will be arrested and locked up for their own good and that of their passengers.”
Here are more photos from the scene:
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