The Ministry of Roads and Transport has estimated that up to Kes.30 billion is required to rehabilitate critical infrastructure, including roads and bridges, devastated by widespread floods across the country.
Speaking in Lamu during the assessment of the Gamba section of the Lamu-Witu-Garsen road, which was destroyed by floods on Wednesday, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen stated that his ministry had completed the assessment and formulated the estimates.
Murkomen announced that discussions with Parliament to allocate the necessary funds would commence soon.
Acknowledging the significant economic loss caused by the floods, the CS highlighted the disruption of both people and goods movement within the country, as well as the loss of life and damage to roads.
The damage in Lamu has particularly hindered the transportation of goods from Lamu Port in Kililana, just as the port was gearing up to receive goods destined for Ethiopia.
Floods have also damaged key infrastructure in other regions, including the Tana River, as well as parts of Central, Rift Valley, Nyanza, and Western regions.
Mr. Murkomen emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Today, we’re in Lamu. We’ve assessed the state of the Gamba section. The volume of the water and the depth of the flow are still high, making it impossible for vehicles to pass. We’re in talks with Parliament to have all critical infrastructure destroyed by floods repaired. We need between Sh25 billion to Sh30 billion to undertake full reconstruction and repair of the damaged infrastructure across the country.”
