Hundreds stranded after heavy rainfall makes roads impassable

Hundreds of passengers were stranded in Merti and Garba-Tula following two days of heavy rains that rendered roads impassable.

Transport to and from the two districts to the county headquarters in Isiolo town was disrupted since Monday.

Three buses were stuck at Biliko trading centre along the Isiolo-Merti route. The buses left Isiolo town on Monday evening.

An earthmover comes to the aid of a lorry carrying relief food that got stuck in Merti District, Isiolo County, recently. Heavy rains have rendered roads in Isiolo impassable. (PHOTO: ALI ABDI/ STANDARD)

‘‘The buses are still stuck in mud near Biliko. Some passengers opted to trek to the nearby villages to seek help,’’ said the driver of one of the buses, who opted to travel back to Isiolo town yesterday.

Bus stuck

The story was the same in Garba-Tula, where two buses carrying more than 100 passengers were stuck for more than three days. ‘‘Our bus got stuck 5km from Sericho. The passengers opted to walk back home but the bus, the driver and the turn-boy are still there,’’ said Ibrahim Hassan, an official of Southern Coach.

Even four-wheel-drive vehicles could not plough through the sticky mud.

A commissioner with Teachers Service Commission, Mr Tache Bonsa, who was riding in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, took more than 24 hours to move between Merti and Isiolo town, a distance of 200km.

‘‘We left Merti on Monday at around 6am and arrived in Isiolo town yesterday (Tuesday) at around 6pm. The road is in a very bad condition,’’ said Mr Bonsa.

Officials of Merti Integrated Development Programme also took over 24 hours to travel between Merti and Isiolo town.

‘‘Our vehicle is a Toyata Land Cruiser but it was tough. We managed to reach Isiolo town after 26 hours,’’ said the organisation’s coordinator Abdullahi Shande.

Goat storage

There was a big shortage of goats, sheep and cattle at the Isiolo town livestock market as farmers could not bring their animals from the two affected districts.

Diba Mohammed, a livestock broker, said five trucks ferrying the animals are stuck near Awarsitu, 10km from Merti trading centre.

‘‘There are no animals received in Isiolo town since the last market day (last Friday). I have lost income as the trucks bringing the animals are all stuck in the mud,’’ said Mr Mohammed.

Locals called on the county government to fix sections of the road that are badly dilapidated.

‘‘Our roads are in very bad condition. We appeal to the county government and MPs to use the funds in their possession to rehabilitate the bad sections,’’ said Mohammed.