KeNHA meets Isiolo leaders to expedite Garissa-Isiolo Road construction

Leaders from Isiolo on Wednesday met officials of the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) in Nairobi to push for the speedy construction of the 305km Garissa-Isiolo Road.

The road is among the five Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor projects.

Other roads in the corridor are the Lamu Port access road (10km), Lamu-Witu Garsen road (113km), Isiolo-Moyale-Hawassa road (505km) and Isiolo- Lokichar – Nadapal – Torit – Juba Road (700km).

Isiolo Governor Abdi Hassan Guyo and County Women Representative Mumina Bonaya asked the road agency to prioritise the completion of the road as it is a key development enabler in the county and region.

"Roads play a crucial role in driving socio-economic development in various counties. I have met officials from KeNHA and the consultant to discuss the construction of the Garissa -Isiolo road," said Abdi.

Governor Abdi said the road construction will bring immense socio-economic benefits to Isiolo residents.

He wants KeNHA to prioritise the Isiolo youth when recruiting human resources, rather than seeking manpower from neighboring counties.

"The construction of this road is a vital infrastructure project that the people of Isiolo believe will transform lives in our county. However, I urge you to consider our people, especially the youth, when recruiting for manpower in the construction of this road because we also have the capacity," Governor Abdi said.

The KeNHA officers and the project's consultant briefed the county officials on various challenges they encountered during project implementation, including insecurity, funding, poor communication, and review of budgets. They urged the Governor to engage the Interior Ministry to address security issues and the National Treasury on financial matters.

According to the leaders, Garissa-Isiolo Road construction is expected to drive economic growth in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Counties of Garissa and Isiolo.

Also present in the meeting were Isiolo County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding, County Secretary Dade Boru, Majority leader Abdirashid Ali, Isiolo non-state organisations actors consortium representative Molu Koropu and contractors.

The LAPSSET Corridor Highways connect Lamu Port to landlocked Ethiopia and South Sudan, enabling the movement of people and cargo along the corridor, interconnecting the region, and spurring regional trade and economic development.

The current status of the Garissa-Isiolo section road is at 3 per cent. Some of the immediate cargo transported through the LAPSSET Corridor include assorted minerals and agricultural products from Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan, Industrial products from Kenya and Ethiopia, Livestock and Fish products from Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan, Imported vehicles to Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Should the road be completed, transshipment cargo will grow significantly considering that Lamu port will be the largest port of call in the East Coast of Africa. Much of this cargo will be transported inland via the railway line.

Some immediate benefits of the government building of LAPSSET roads include travel time between Moyale (Kenya/Ethiopia border town) and Nairobi reducing from about 3 days to 10 hours.

Previously, bus travellers made two-night stopovers during the journey from Moyale to Nairobi. The first at Marsabit and the second at Isiolo, arriving in Nairobi on the evening of the third day.

There has also been increased response by government institutions in the delivery of public services including security and stabilisation of security among communities residing along the road has significantly increased.