Officials reopen Kitale-Lodwar road
Transport paralysed at Kainuk, Turkana County, on May 30, 2018 after the bridge was damaged. The road was reopened on Friday. PHOTO | PETER WARUTUMO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
A section of the Kitale-Lodwar highway that was closed on Thursday is now fully open to traffic.
The road was closed by Kenya National Highway Authority as they repaired Kainuk Bridge which had collapsed.
The Kainuk Bridge, which connects Turkana to other regions and links Kenya to South Sudan, was damaged due to heavy rains.
The authority Thursday went for a "plan B" after opting to erect a temporary bailey bridge, which is commonly used by the military, to ensure passage of Turkana oil on trucks, which will be flagged off Sunday by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Cabinet Secretary Petroleum and mining John Munyes yesterday expressed confidence the bridge will be ready for the oil exports. "I applaud the relentless works of the officers from the ministry of transport and ministry of defence.
"They work day and night to ensure the bridge is completed ahead of the presidential visit to flag off oil on 3rd June. I applaud the relentless work of the officers from the ministry of Transport and ministry of Defence. They work day and night to ensure the bridge is completed ahead of the presidential visit to flag off oil on June 3."
Transport over the bridge, which links Kenya to South Sudan, has been paralysed for weeks owing to its structural weakness following heavy rains, which displaced more than 10, 000 people and swept away cars and lorries.
The trucks transporting food items, relief food, petroleum products, general hardware products and construction items have made long queues from the banks of the river.
