Chirchir under fire as MPs decry infrastructure budget bias against Northern Region

Members of Parliament have confronted the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, over what they called a blatant marginalisation of Northern Kenya in the ministry’s proposed infrastructure budget for the 2025/26 financial year.

The concern came during a sitting of the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, chaired by Ndia MP George Kariuki.

Committee members questioned why the Northern region was largely left out in the budget allocations, despite pressing development needs.

Wajir North MP Ibrahim Abdi Saney led the criticism, pointing out that his constituency had not been considered for any government-funded infrastructure.

“Are we not Kenyans? Do we belong to a different country? Am I not an elected Member like my colleagues? Why is it that when it comes to development, we are being sidelined?” he posed.

He said the only road project in his area was donor-funded and described the trend as a historical injustice that must be corrected.

Mandera East MP Abdirahman Weytan backed Saney’s remarks, adding, “Equity was not exercised while preparing these budget estimates.”

The legislators demanded that the Cabinet Secretary revise the budget and introduce affirmative measures to address what they termed as years of neglect in the Northern region.

Their frustration grew when it emerged that several new road projects had been included in the budget, even as many existing ones remain stalled due to pending bills.

The committee reminded the ministry of their earlier advice to complete current projects before launching new ones.

The discussion also brought focus to key government initiatives such as the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NAMATA) and Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET), with MPs expressing concern over their limited visibility and actual impact.

“Where is the development?” posed North Imenti MP Dawood Rahim, questioning the value of the investments already made.

Members also took issue with the budget cuts to the State Department for Shipping and Maritime, warning that the department’s vital services were on the verge of collapse due to repeated in-year funding reductions. They called on the National Treasury to intervene urgently.

In his response, Chirchir acknowledged the concerns. “The issues raised are valid. But we’re working within a tight fiscal space. Nevertheless, we’ll ensure equity and affirmative programmes are prioritised where they are most needed,” he said

The CS admitted that the allocation was not balanced but assured the Committee that the budget is still under review.

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Chirchir attributed the ministry’s struggles to funding delays and supplier payment issues, which he said have hurt performance.