A town that was once so vibrant and full of life is now a shell of its former self.

The trail of destruction is written all over the grim and sad faces of many of its inhabitants. Some cannot yet comprehend the devastation left by Mother Nature's cruel act.

But as the saying goes, life must go on, and those with businesses around the Ngeya centre are trying to rebuild their lives one day at a time.

We spoke to Harun Mbogo, a flower seller. According to him, the Maai Mahiu centre was not only vibrant but also an economic hub, thanks to its proximity to the highway.

The destruction left behind by the floods in Maai Mahiu.

Photo credit: Bret Sanya/Mtaa Wangu

"Many of the shops along this stretch are wholesalers and general stores where you can get most of your household items. It served a lot of people living in the area very well," says Mr Mbogo.

However, the current state of affairs has left many without a way forward, most of whom, like him, are counting their losses.

"The youth in this area took advantage of the fact that this area has a lot of traffic and as a way of earning a living, most of them got into the car wash business," he said.

A group of youth washing a trailer.

Photo credit: Bret Sanya/Mtaa Wangu

The centre used to have more than four car-washes, which have now been reduced to nothing.

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Seeing that most of the cars along this stretch of road are trucks, we were able to establish that it costs Sh800 to wash one truck, so those in the business would make good profits as one person would wash two to four trucks.

Eric Karanja, another businessman in Ngeya Centre, sees the glass as half full.

The wreckage and debris left behind by the flood in Maai Mahiu.

Photo credit: Bret Sanya/Mtaa Wangu

"The heavy police presence has given us a sense of security and we can run our businesses without fear of being robbed and as a shopkeeper, with the high number of people in the area at the moment, we are making more sales than usual," said Mr Karanja.

Despite his new-found fortune amidst the chaos, he admits that other businesses have indeed been affected.

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"All we can hope for at the moment is that things will slowly get back to normal and we will be able to rebuild," he said.

But for the people of Maai Mahiu, only time will heal the traumatic scars left by Sunday night's tragedy.

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Bret Sanya