Isiolo residents to benefit from Sh770 million community projects
Officials called on the county to support efforts to ensure those displaced or impacted are adequately compensated.
Residents of Isiolo County are set to benefit from 21 community social responsibility projects worth Sh770 million under the ongoing Horn of Africa Gateway Development Road Project.
The projects, linked to the multi-billion road construction from Isiolo town to Mandera through Modogashe, are funded by the World Bank and the Government of Kenya.
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During a meeting in Isiolo, a team led by Simba Guleid updated county officials on the progress of the road construction, reporting that 40 per cent of work on Lots 1 and 2 is already complete.
One of the key concerns raised in the meeting by Isiolo Governor Abdi Hassan Guyo was the issue of compensation for families affected by the road project.
Officials called on the county to support efforts to ensure those displaced or impacted are adequately compensated.
Some of the 21 social projects include the construction and equipping of a cancer centre (Oncology wing) and a rehabilitation centre at the Isiolo Referral Hospital, as well as a stormwater drainage system in Isiolo town.
The meeting brought together representatives from the World Bank, Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA), the Northeastern Development Initiative (NEDI), and the county government.
The projects also aim to support education for children with special needs through the upgrading of the Isiolo School for the Deaf into a special needs school.
Students in Waso, Bula Mpya, and Mwangaza secondary schools will benefit from new computer labs, while Wabera Primary School will get a paragymnasium to support physical education.
Health and water access remain key concerns in many rural areas, and the new plans include a dispensary at Gambella, a borehole at Chechelesi, and a multi-purpose integrated community and cultural centre in Isiolo town.
For communities outside Isiolo town, the list of projects includes the Modogashe mega water project, which will serve both Isiolo and Garissa counties, and the upgrading of Garbatula Hospital with a new maternity wing.
Several schools; Kulamawe Secondary, Yaqbarsadi Primary, Garbatula Day Secondary, Sericho Day Secondary, and Boji Primary will be expanded to meet growing demand for education.
In addition, Modogashe Dispensary will be upgraded to a health centre, while boreholes will be drilled in Kambi Samaki and Yaqbarsadi villages.
At least 15 boreholes will be completed along the road corridor to ensure local communities have access to clean water.
The social projects were identified through a wide public participation exercise that gathered views from all affected wards.
A consultant responsible for designing the projects is expected to begin work on the ground soon.
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