Narok County Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu has taken charge of search operations for two individuals reportedly carried away by floods after their vehicle fell into the Mara River on Sunday, February 22.
The two men, comprising a driver and a passenger, remain unaccounted for after the Land Cruiser they were traveling in was washed away at the Mararianta bridge amid heavy rainfall in the region.
I am now at Mararianta directing search and rescue efforts for the two young men whose vehicle was taken by the Mara River floods during Sunday night, Ntuntu announced on his social media platforms on Thursday, accompanied by photographs of him at the location.
Rescue teams have been operating at the site since the incident to recover the bodies and extract the vehicle from the river, but the operation has yet to produce any results.
However, the governor’s arrival faced opposition from local residents who accused him of ignoring their complaints despite their repeated concerns.
Community members state that the bridge is in a deteriorating condition and blame the governor for what they consider insufficient efforts to repair it. They additionally assert that the structure was last built during colonial times and has since undergone minimal to no significant improvements.
As the people of . It was constructed by the colonialists. We need solutions, one resident expressed.
They allege that the county government has consistently allocated funds for bridge development projects, yet no tangible work has been completed.
The Mararianta bridge links the Transmara and Narok towns, with locals urging for its enhancement, noting that the river has previously claimed local lives before this recent incident.
This incident follows a similar case in Narok County, where a bridge connecting Trans Mara South and North was destroyed by floods after extensive rainfall throughout the nation.
The floodwaters damaged a substantial portion of the bridge, making the road impassable and hindering travel between Kilgoris and Logorian in Narok County.
After this occurrence, the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) revealed that it had dispatched contractors to perform temporary repairs on the bridge, enabling vehicles to resume using the route.
Intense rainfall has impacted numerous regions across the country, and the Kenya Meteorological Department has issued warnings about continued heavy rainfall in the upcoming months.