A landslide has blocked a new road in Meru County.
The landslide blocked the newly built Kangeta-Laare road near Laare town.
The road has previously been hit by minor landslides since the rains intensified last month.
However, the Thursday night landslide saw a huge chunk of earth cover the road in Mwero Laare village in a 10 pm incident that has left locals in fear.
Laare Chief Murungi Matundu said the road has been rendered impassable and there has been no intervention to clear the soil.
Mr Murithi Baituti, a resident, said villagers fear more landslides will hit the hilly area.
“We fear that someone might have been covered by the soil when the landslide happened. The water pipeline feeding Mutuati town may also be affected,” Mr Baituti said.
He said this is the first major landslide to hit the area and blamed the problem on removal of gabions by the contractor who was tarmacking the road.
“We call on the government to move with speed to open up the road and assess the safety of the locality,” he said.
This comes as the Kenya Red Cross reported that about 240 families have been affected by floods and landslides in Meru County. The floods have also claimed four lives in the last one month.
Kenya Red Cross Central region coordinator Gitonga Mugambi said the most hit areas are Naathu, Laare and Amwathi in Igembe North, Katheri in Buuri West, Mikinduri in Tigania Central and Maua town.
“Families have been displaced by floods with the highest number in Mikinduri. Many roads have also been cut off. Red Cross has provided non-food items to all affected families while the county government supplied food,” Mr Mugambi said.
In Katheri, 27 families were displaced after a dam overflowed.
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