Joy in Mandera as trucks break through El Nino impassable roads

Celebration erupted in Mandera town as a convoy of more than 20 trucks, previously bogged down by El Nino rains in Kutulo, successfully entered the town. Residents expressed relief as the delivery of goods and fuel came as a reprieve from the food and fuel shortages caused by impassable roads due to flash floods.

Aisha Osman, a retail trader, joyfully remarked that while the delivered goods and fuel were a drop in the ocean, the arrival of the trucks brought hope for more supplies to the county, which had been isolated from other parts of the country. She urged the county government to facilitate the transportation of KEMSA drugs that were stranded in Wajir due to road closures.

Kulow Hassan, another resident, shared his elation upon seeing the approaching convoy's high and low-beam flashlights. He described it as a moment of hope and joy, contrasting the previous despair caused by rains that paralyzed transportation between Nairobi and Mandera. Hassan expressed concern about the persistent El Nino rains potentially leading to starvation and emphasized the ongoing crisis of food, fuel, and drug shortages.

While the Ministry of Interior and National Administration announced the reopening of the Kutulo-Elwak road, allowing the movement of 36 previously stuck trucks, challenges persist at the Maroro-Garissa section. This road, connecting Nairobi to Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera, suffered damage from River Tana floods. Although the Kenya Roads Highway Authority reopened a section of the road near Arer, 41 km from Bangal town, pedestrians continue to struggle with murky waters at the still-affected section, halting motorist operations for a week.

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