The Cabinet has approved additional financing for two sections of the Isiolo-Mandera road corridor in a move aimed at accelerating the completion of one of Kenya's biggest infrastructure projects in the north. The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto on Tuesday.
The funding will cover the 67-kilometre Modogashe-Samatar road section and the 76-kilometre Rhamu-Mandera section, both part of the 750-kilometre Isiolo-Mandera highway.
According to the government, the additional financing will fast-track construction, improve transport connectivity, support trade, expand access to essential services and strengthen regional integration across the Horn of Africa.
The Isiolo-Mandera corridor is expected to enhance connectivity between counties in Northern Kenya while boosting cross-border trade with neighbouring countries. The highway is seen as a strategic transport link that will connect communities that have long faced poor road infrastructure and limited access to economic opportunities.
The government said the new funding will enable work on the two road sections to resume after delays that had slowed implementation. Once completed, the road is expected to improve access to education, healthcare, markets and other public services for communities along the corridor.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi welcomed the Cabinet's decision and thanked President William Ruto for approving changes that allowed the project to proceed.
He said removing the two road sections from the annuity programme had eliminated a long-standing obstacle that had delayed implementation.
"For decades, Northern Kenya was overlooked by successive administrations, leaving our people disconnected from economic opportunities and essential services. This investment marks a turning point," Ahmed said.
The governor said the project would strengthen transport links, boost business activity and create new economic opportunities across the region. He added that residents of Wajir appreciated the government's commitment and hoped the remaining sections would be completed on schedule.
The highway has long been viewed as a transformative investment for Northern Kenya, where vast distances and poor road infrastructure have hindered trade, mobility and the delivery of government services. Once complete, it is expected to cut travel time between towns, lower transport costs and improve access to remote areas.
The Isiolo-Mandera corridor is also expected to strengthen economic ties between Kenya and countries in the Horn of Africa by improving access to border towns and facilitating regional trade. Government officials say the improved transport network will attract investment, ease the movement of agricultural and commercial goods, and drive economic growth in counties served by the highway.
The approval of the additional financing marks another milestone in the government's efforts to complete the 750-kilometre corridor, with residents and local leaders now expecting construction on the affected sections to proceed without further delays.
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