Murkomen: Repair of roads, bridges damaged by floods to cost Sh30 billion

A police officer stands next to a fault line that cuts off a section of John Momanyi road in Nakuru town due to the ongoing heavy rains experienced in the Town. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

The government needs Sh30 billion to repair critical infrastructure including roads and bridges damaged by floods across the country.

Speaking in Lamu Wednesday, during an inspection of Gamba section of the Lamu-Witu-Garsen road that was damaged by floods, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said movement of goods and people had been disrupted.

"We are heavily impacted by the floods, we have lost infrastructure, especially the roads and bridges. From the assessment we have done, it is estimated that between Sh25 billion to Sh30 billion is needed to restore the damaged infrastructure," said Murkomen.

Murkomen said that the water volume and flow depth was still high and the road remained impassable for vehicles.

"The situation has been worsened by the spillover from the Seven Forks dam upstream, and experts expect this situation to remain so for some time," he said.

He said the situation has forced the travelers to use canoes to connect and complete their journeys from Mombasa to Lamu and back.

"We appreciate the private sector for providing the boats and for adhering to safety standards even as we look for a solution," said Murkomen.

Murkomen said that the disruption affected cargo movement from the Port of Lamu to neighbouring countries.

"The Ethiopian government imported 60,000 metric tons of fertiliser through the Lamu port but the moment it docked, we experienced floods. We are exploring alternative routes to address this problem as we prepare to begin the restoration of critical infrastructure across the country," he said.