The Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) has issued travel advisories for residents and individuals intending to visit national parks during the heavy rain season.
First, drivers and residents are advised to avoid driving through, or walking in moving water or open fields and not to shelter under trees and near grilled windows to minimise exposure to lightning strikes.
However, the federation has also issued advisories for specific parks that tourists frequent.
In Amboseli, KTF advised that despite heavy rainfall in the park, not much destruction was witnessed in the area and access roads to the park were motorable.
Additionally, for the Maasai Mara National Park, KTF termed the rainfall situation as relatively heavy with no excessive impact, hence it is also accessible.
They also clarified that the Suswa section on the Mai Mahiu-Narok road is passable hence okaying travels to the Mara.
For Isiolo and Samburu, the government stated that the Shaba area was under observation in case the Ewaso Nyiro River overflows.
The coastal areas were okayed for travel as hotels had taken safety and precautionary measures despite the heavy rainfall.
KTF noted that drivers and guides should exercise extra caution when ferrying visitors within Mount Kenya, Laikipia and Aberdares as heavy rainfall had caused water levels to rise rapidly.
Despite KTF greenlighting the parks for movement, they issued a cautionary advisory for all drivers and residents to follow stipulated instructions in the event of encountering a flood warning.
They also advised that individuals should avoid walking over or driving through moving water seeing that gushing water that is two feet can wash away most vehicles including SUVs and pickups.
The travel advisory follows heavy flooding incidents that have marred the country in the past few days with more than 100 Kenyans having lost their lives as a result of the floods.
