Maai Mahiu is a town in Kenya's Nakuru County. The name means "hot water" in native Kikuyu, but another derivative could be "me'imayu", meaning impassable in Maasai.

Maai Mahiu
Maai Mahiu is located in Kenya
Maai Mahiu
Maai Mahiu
Location of Maai Mahiu
Coordinates: 0°58′51″S 36°35′15″E / 0.98078°S 36.58742°E / -0.98078; 36.58742,
CountryKenya
CountyNakuru County
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)

Maai Mahiu has a train station as well as an inland container depot on the Nairobi–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway, which was inaugurated in October 2019.[1][2]

The Kenya government has established a 50-acre Special Economic Zone in Maai Mahiu,[3] to facilitate investment in the region, in financial, hospitality, retail, and recreational facilities.

View of Mai Mahiu in 2013

In April 2024, a flash flood nearby killed at least 50 people in the village of Kamuchiri.[4][5][6] The flood resulted from a blockage in a culvert beneath a railway embankment which led to a catastrophic failure and inundation; initially, it was reported as arising from a dam burst. [7]

References

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  1. ^ Gitonga, Antony (October 17, 2019). "Fanfare as new route is launched". The Standard. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  2. ^ "President Uhuru launches Nairobi-Suswa SGR". Standard Digital. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Investors eye 50-acre Special Economic Zone in Mai-Mahiu". The Star. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  4. ^ "Kenya dam bursts: More than 40 killed in Kamuchiri village". 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  5. ^ "40 people die in western Kenya after a dam collapses". The Associated Press/ ABC News. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Dozens dead after dam bursts amid torrential rain in Kenya". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Kenya flooding: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town". www.bbc.com. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.