Heavy Rains Resulted In KSh 80b Road Damages, Says Isaac Mwaura

• Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said 58,009 households from Nairobi county were displaced by floods
• He noted that the heavy rains experienced in the country in the past weeks wreaked more havoc in most sectors, particularly roads
• According to him, one person died on Monday, May 13, pushing the death toll to 277, with several others missing

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

The widespread heavy rains across the nation have unleashed further havoc upon the country.

As Kenyans struggle to cope with the dire consequences of flooding, such as extensive property damage and loss of lives, the government has revealed that the repercussions on roads alone could amount to a staggering KSh 80 billion.

Addressing the press on Monday, May 13, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura cautioned that the overall damage could escalate significantly once other sectors are taken into account.

"The damage from the floods is huge because it is coming to exacerbate an already worse situation when you consider the effects of the el-Nino rains. The damages these rains have caused is up to KSh 80 billion, and this is mostly on roads alone," Mwaura said.

How many people were displaced by floods?

As stated by Mwaura during the press briefing, the floods had already displaced more than 113,000 households nationwide.

Nairobi bore the brunt of the displacement, with 58,009 households affected, while the rest of the country counted 55,575 displaced households.

Concurrently, the death toll from the floods has climbed to 277, with an additional fatality recorded within the last 24 hours.

Lists of roads blocked due to flooding

During the rainy season, the transportation sector suffered losses as the number of commuters decreased.

Additionally, the Kenya National Highways Authority also blocked several roads due to flooding and fear of losing lives during their transportation.

Some of the roads that were rendered impassable included the Nairobi Expressway, Narok Mai Mahiu Road, Kenol-Sagana, Thika Superhighway, Nairobi-Nakuru, Kamulu-Kangundo, and Ahero-Kisumu Road among others.

What else you need to know about flooding in Kenya

• Martha Karua urged the government to give the completed affordable houses to displaced flood victims
• Kamukunji residents who were displaced became emotional when a businessman gifted them food items
• Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja's aide paid two months' rent for eight flood victims whose houses were demolished

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.