Ali Sheikh
Garissa.
Flash floods have severed the vital road linking Garissa town and the Dadaab refugee complex, leaving cargo worth hundreds of millions of shillings stranded and disrupting essential aid and trade routes across northeastern Kenya.
Eyewitnesses and social media reports early Sunday described scenes of desperation along the 100-kilometer stretch, with dozens of heavy trucks carrying foodstuffs, medical supplies, and construction materials trapped in thick mud and rising water. The route is the region’s main economic and humanitarian lifeline, connecting Garissa to Dadaab’s camps—home to more than 200,000 refugees.
Photos circulating online show one truck tilted precariously in floodwater, its container half-submerged, as drivers and locals in reflective vests shovel mud in vain attempts to free it.
“This is a nightmare for everyone here,” said Ali Hassan, a Garissa-based truck driver, speaking by phone from the scene.
“We have been stuck for over 24 hours. My load is perishable—fruits, vegetables, and milk headed to the camps. The water keeps rising, and there’s no sign of help yet,” he added.
Torrential rains wash out vital Garissa-Dadaab link, threatening livelihoods and relief efforts.
The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) had earlier warned of above-normal rainfall across the northeast in November, cautioning that flooding was likely. The short rains, now peaking, have already displaced thousands in Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera counties.
Aid agencies warn that the Dadaab blockade could worsen humanitarian conditions, with delays threatening shortages of fuel, water purification tablets, and dry foods, potentially affecting tens of thousands of residents and refugees who depend on regular deliveries.
While no casualties have been reported on this particular route, traders in Garissa’s bustling markets fear the economic ripple effects.
“Hundreds of millions in goods are at risk—from livestock feed to construction materials. Prices will soar, and families already struggling with inflation will feel the pain first,” said Fatuma Omar, a local merchant.
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) estimates daily trade losses in the tens of millions as the supply chain disruption continues.
The KMD continues to urge residents to avoid flood-prone areas and follow weather advisories, warning that rains are expected to persist through midweek.
The incident once again exposes the fragility of road infrastructure in Kenya’s semi-arid north, where roads often buckle under erratic weather patterns intensified by climate change. With the October–December short rains only beginning, experts warn this may be the first of several major disruptions before year’s end.
For now, stranded truckers remain camped out under tarps and trailers—watching the floodwaters rise, waiting for the skies to clear, and hoping their lifeline road will soon reopen.