Police Warn Motorists After Mombasa Road Is Flooded

The floods have resulted in heavy traffic along the busy highway with officers deployed to control the situation.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Apr 22, 2023 - 13:33 Updated: Apr 22, 2023 - 13:52
0
Police Warn Motorists After Mombasa Road Is Flooded
Floods along Mombasa Road along Sultan Hamud Township on April 22, 2023. /NPS

The National Police Service (NPS) has advised motorists using Mombasa Road to approach it with caution after a section of it was flooded.

In a statement on Saturday, April 22, NPS noted that part of Mombasa Road had flooded along Sultan Hamud Township amidst heavy rainfall being experienced across the country.

The floods have resulted in heavy traffic along the busy highway with officers deployed to control the situation.

Floods along Mombasa Road along Sultan Hamud Township on April 22, 2023. /NPS

"Please note that due to the heavy rains being experienced in various parts of the Country, a section of Mombasa Road near Sultan Hamud Township has been flooded. This has resulted into a snarl up of traffic along that section of the busy highway.

"While Police Officers are on the ground controlling the traffic and monitoring the situation, we wish to appeal to all motorists approaching Sultan Hamud to drive carefully, be patient and avoid overlapping," stated NPS.

The floods at Sultan Hamud town, which is in Makueni County, disrupted businesses, especially, transportation which is the main economic activity in the area.

Sultan Hamud lies on the main railway line of Kenya Railways between the coast at Mombasa and the national capital of Nairobi.

It is also a junction for a short branch line and acts as a resting place for many long-distance drivers transiting between Nairobi and Mombasa as well as to other countries in the East African Community.

The town got its name from Sultan Ali Hamud who ruled Zanzibar from 1902 to 1911 and made good relations with the British, who were in charge of the railway construction.

As the leader of Zanzibar, Sultan Hamud saw the construction of the railway line as an opportunity for his government to transact business across the two countries.

When construction reached present-day Sultan Hamud, the Zanzibar ruler visited to see progress and camped there for some days, a visit which gave the town its name. A mosque was built to enable him to worship, attracting more Arabs, hence the growth of Islam in the area.

Sultan Hamud died in December 1918, leaving his name as a mark in Ukambani. The town grew slowly, with no significant change until the new Nairobi-Mombasa road was opened, and is now located 109km from Nairobi and 373km from Mombasa.

The Kenya Red Cross on Thursday, April 13 warned Kenyans against expected heavy rainfall likely leading to floods over several parts of the country, adding that poor drainage areas would likely lead to flooding as a result of the ongoing rainy season.

In addition, motorists were advised to drive carefully and avoid using bridges, as pedestrians were warned against walking in moving water.

Both scenarios have the potential of cars and pedestrians being swept away by rushing water and have devastating consequences, including road accidents with the risk of fatalities.

Flooded section along Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way on November 27, 2021. /THE STAR

Tags: