Hello and welcome to the Friday edition of the Evening Brief Newsletter where the country is still coming to terms with the ravaging rains.
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Expressway Flooding & Traffic
While the country came to terms with the nationwide blackout on Thursday evening, motorists using the Nairobi Expressway were treated to a traffic snarl-up that led to the delays of flights at JKIA.
According to the management of the 27-kilometre road, the snarl-up was caused by the flooding on a section of the Expressway.
Moja Expressway detailed that the flooding was witnessed after a heavy downpour along Mombasa Road which saw some of the water spill over to parts of the road which is lower.
Additionally, given that the area is full of tarmac and concrete, excess water could not infiltrate the soil.
"Please be advised that due to heavy rain experienced in Nairobi, motorists using the Nairobi Expressway between JKIA Entrance Toll Station and the Eastern Bypass Entrance A Toll Station are cautioned to slow down due to flooding.
"The section of the road has experienced significant flooding due to surface runoff and rainwater from the adjacent Mombasa road affecting movement on 2 lanes," Moja Expressway's statement read in part.
Consequently, owing to the traffic, many airlines were forced to reschedule their flights as most of their clients were stuck in traffic.
Some of the travellers noted that their flights were also delayed for additional hours owing to the poor weather.
FYI [NEW FEATURE]
On Friday, President William Ruto postponed the reopening of schools owing to the ongoing floods that have marooned parts of the country.
Schools will, therefore, remain closed until further notice.
However, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu is set to give clear guidelines after one week. This is to allow the government to monitor the ongoing situation before directives are issued on the resumption of learning.
Guess Who?
Can you guess who said these words?
"We did not want to postpone the opening of the 2nd term because it has a very serious effect on the school calendar but it was found to be necessary."
To find the correct answer, simply scroll down as you read this newsletter.
Murkomen on SGR Extension
On the other hand, the government has commenced ambitious plans to extend the Standard Guage Railway (SGR) to four countries.
In the new agreement signed by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya's SGR will be linked to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and DRC.
As detailed by Murkomen, the government is seeking to use the SGR extension to boost its trade with the neighbouring countries. The line will mostly be used for the transportation of goods from the port of Mombasa.
"As a country, we seek to leverage private sector partnerships in the extension of our SGR line in an effort to, not only ensure seamless cross-border movement of goods and people but also create special economic zones along the corridor that will transform areas with stop stations into economic hubs.
"This historic move seeks to enable joint resource mobilisation, expedite the completion of the construction of the remaining SGR sections from Naivasha in Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and DRC, and develop a roadmap that will fast-track its implementation," he stated.
Consequently, Murkomen revealed that the government would begin with plans to extend SGR from Naivasha to Kisumu.
Later on, the line will be linked to the Uganda section.
Weekly Kenyans.co.ke Quiz
Do you think you are a news guru? Every week, the newsletter team brings you a 10-question quiz testing your knowledge of the top news topics for the week.
Take our quiz and test how well you understood the week's most important stories.
Here are the top five stories for the day;
- Kenyans warned of Cyclone Hidaya. Here are the areas that will be affected and when it will hit.
- National Museums clarifies on floods sweeping snakes out of cages.
- Shilling gains stability after days of weakening. Timothy Cerullo explains why.
- Kenyans asked to give government advice on how to increase the tax base for the next budget.
- Official DP residence set for revamp as government allocates Ksh4.8 billion to Gachagua’s office.
Guess Who Answer
This newsletter was written by Washington Mito and edited by Brian Muuo.
Derrick Kubasu contributed to the content.
Graphics prepared by Adongo Kyalo and Ronnie Mbugua.
