Commissioner Mwabudzo assures security for Lamu-Garissa road contractors

Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo meets officials in Lappset project. (Issa Hussein)

By Issa Hussein
Thursday, February 29, 2024

Works on the road, which is part of Lapsset Corridor, were halted following the El Nino rains that left a trail of destruction last year.

Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo on Thursday assured the contractors of the Lamu-Ijara-Garissa Lapsset Corridor Access Road of adequate security.

Works on the road, which is part of Lapsset Corridor, were halted following the El Nino rains that left a trail of destruction last year.

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The county commissioner said the government would prioritise the safety of the workers for the smooth implementation of the projects.

He addressed officials from Kenya Port Authority, Kenya National Highway Authority and LAPSSET, led by the Chief Executive Officer, of New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)/Africa Peer Review Mechanism(APRM) Samori Okwiya.

"The Lappset project is the most ambitious infrastructure project linking Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan and we are committed to ensuring successful completion. We are not taking any chances to address challenges towards its implementation," said Mohamed.

Mohamed said the El Nino rains halted the project but works will fully resume to achieve its targeted completion time frame.

The County commissioner said Balambala and Holugho sub-counties will fully benefit from the feeder roads that are part of the project.

Samori Okwiya, Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD/APRM Kenya Secretariat, said they had fruitful deliberation on the projects and his team was undertaking the impact of the project, progress made and challenges faced during construction.

The team also had a meeting with Garissa County Secretary Mohamud Hassan to share progress and necessary support from the county government.

The Lappset Corridor project is East Africa's largest infrastructure project linking Kenya, Ethiopia and Southern Sudan.

The project consists of seven key infrastructure projects starting with the new 32 Berth port at Lamu, and Interregional Highways from Lamu, Garissa, Isiolo, Moyale, Addis Ababa and Juba. An interregional Standard Gauge Railway, 3 international Airports and 3 Resort Cities are part of the project commissioned by the Late President Mwai Kibaki in 2011.

The ongoing Garissa road project faced challenges posed by the El Nino rains and the security threat of Al Shabaab, the worst incident being, the death of three KeNHA road engineers after their vehicle ran on an improvised explosive device while inspecting the road project.