The Kenya Wildlife Service has temporarily closed a gate at Tsavo East National Park due to the ongoing heavy rains that have rendered some roads impassable.
In a statement on Sunday, March 8, the service announced that tourists will be unable to access the parks through the Sala gate until further notice.
This follows a heavy downpour in the area, which has resulted in flash floods in the park, according to a public service advisory from KWS.
This particular gate has been suspended after videos circulated of 15 tourist vans being stranded within the lion-infested park due to the heavy rains. By Sunday, the vehicles had been safely extracted from the park, according to KWS.
“Additionally, Sala Gate has been notified to temporarily suspend further entry of tourists into the park through this gate until further notice,” KWS stated.
“Visitors and tour operators are kindly requested to take note of this update and liaise with the relevant umbrella travel agencies for further communication. We appreciate your cooperation,” it added.
Sala and Malindi gates were among the gates that were flagged as potentially dangerous and impassable due to heavy rains.
In an earlier notice on Thursday, February 27, the service encouraged visitors to use Bachuma and Voi gate as alternatives.
“Visitor safety remains our highest priority, and we sincerely appreciate your cooperation and understanding,” KWS stated in a notice on Thursday, February 27.
The advisory comes at a time when several parts of Kenya are grappling with flooding caused by the ongoing heavy rains, which have led to widespread destruction of property and loss of life.
In a statement on Saturday, March 7, the National Police Service confirmed that 23 people succumbed after the heavy downpour on Friday night.
The service further noted that the flooding, which is being attributed to the lack of a proper drainage system in the city, has also resulted in displacement, road closures, and destruction of property.
In a statement on Saturday, President William Ruto directed the immediate deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and a multiagency emergency response unit to accelerate rescue and relief operations following the devastating floods affecting parts of the country.
“I have directed the immediate deployment of a multi-agency emergency response team led by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, working closely with the Kenya Defence Forces and other emergency response agencies,” Ruto stated.
“This team will coordinate rescue efforts, support affected communities, and ensure that those in danger are moved to safer locations,” he added.