Heavy rains flood roads, buildings in Mombasa

Many buildings were partly submerged in water after a day-long downpour in Mombasa.

Supermarkets, shops, churches and schools were flooded, leaving traders at Bamburi with no option but to close their businesses.

The new Naivas Supermarket at Darajani and the Kenya Assemblies of God Church were some of the affected buildings.

Pupils from Green Palm Academy, which had been swamped by the deluge, were unable to walk home and their parents had to collect them.

“Pupils suffer most when it rains like this because all the roads are flooded. How do you expect a seven-year-old to walk through this?” a local resident, Mr John Owino, asked.

A hardware shop owner, Mr Fred Kioko, said he had to close after his premises were flooded.

He said his customers’ goods had been drenched.

“My customers’ beds, dining tables and desks have been ruined,” he said.

IMPASSABLE ROADS

Roads in the area were impassable, with motorists using Karisa Maitha Road being the worst affected.

Boda Boda riders said there was no business as roads were flooded.

Mr Joshua Eden, who was cleaning his motorcycle after riding through the flooded road to the Bamburi-Kiembeni junction, said he had not made any money.

“Normally, I would have Sh800 in my pocket at this time but today I do not even have a penny, and I have been roaming around since morning. The government should do something about this road,” he said.

Another resident, Mr Hussein Abdallah, blamed the county government for the poor drainage system.

“I have lived here for more than five years and we experience floods whenever it rains,” he said.

Early this month, 18,000 youths were hired to unclog the drains in Mombasa.