Kenya closes Hell’s Gate Gorge over flood risk
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kenyans.co.ke
The Kenya Wildlife Service is closing Hell’s Gate Gorge in Naivasha throughout the El Niño rainy season because of the risk of deadly flash floods. The closure, announced on 9 November, will remain in force until the end of the rainy season, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenyan meteorological authority.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the body responsible for managing Kenya’s national parks, announced on Monday 9 November the closure of Hell’s Gate Gorge in Naivasha throughout the El Niño-related rainy season. Access for tourists and other visitors has been suspended because of the risk of potentially fatal flash floods, Kenyans.co.ke reports.
Rainfall forecast by the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority is expected to continue until early 2027. Floods can occur even when it is not raining in Hell’s Gate National Park, as rainfall in nearby mountainous areas, particularly around Mount Longonot, Mai Mahiu, Nairobi, Kedong and Suswa, can cause water levels in Ol Njorowa Gorge to rise rapidly.
Seven people died in the gorge in September 2019 after a flash flood swept away a group of 13 visitors. Another accident killed seven people in 2012 during an excursion. The KWS said the closure is intended to prevent further deaths during the rainy season, Kenyans.co.ke reports.
The closure comes after several warnings about the risks of heavy rain and flooding in Kenya. On 7 November, rainfall was expected in 29 Kenyan counties over five days, according to the forecast for 29 Kenyan counties.
