by STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Friday July 21, 2023
Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein in Modogashe town on July 19, 2023. Image: STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein wants the contractor building the Isiolo-Wajir-Mandera road to hire locals for the project.
Hussein, who spoke in Modogashe town on Thursday, said hiring locals will serve as part of the contractor's cooperate social responsibility.
The Kenya National Highways Authority is the implementer of the Horn of Africa Gateway Road Project, also called the Isiolo-Wajir-Mandera highway.
Hussein also asked the project implementers to ensure that all those who will be affected are compensated.
The objective of the project is to improve connectivity between Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia by upgrading the existing road to bitumen standard.
The project is also expected to improve trade and development activities along the Isiolo-Wajir-Mandera part of the Mombasa-Garissa-Wajir-Mandera-Mogadishu corridor.
The project will be implemented in four phases.
Phase one will be Isiolo-Kulamawe-Modogashe, which will be divided into two segments of about 200km each-Isiolo-Kula Mawe and Kula Mawe-Modogashe.
Phase two will be Modogashe-Samatar-Wajir. Phase three will be Wajir-Tarbaj-Kutulo-Elwak and phase four will be Elwak-Rhamu-Mandera.
The Lapsset corridor programme is Eastern Africa’s largest and most ambitious infrastructure project bringing together Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
The project consists of seven key infrastructure projects starting with a new 32-berth port at Lamu (Kenya).
Hussein said the community was ready to closely work with the project implementer but they want to be part and parcel of it.
“We want to see our people also engaged in these jobs. We don’t want a situation where people from outside my constituency are given jobs that can be done by locals. The contracts and supply should be given to our people,” he said.
“Lagdera people must also benefit. We want water, health and school projects as part of CSR. That is the bare minimum for us. I don’t think that is asking for too much.”
The MP also called for peaceful co-existence between his constituents and those from the neighbouring Isiolo South.
Hussein urged the government to remain proactive in holding peace meetings with the communities as well as coming up with a lasting solution to the perennial conflicts.
“The government needs to be proactive and alert. We don’t want a situation where they only act when an incident has happened like we have witnessed before. It is regrettable that hundreds continue to be lost through these deadly border clashes,” he said.
The two communities have engaged in bloody border clashes since 2015 when hundreds were killed and thousands of families displaced.
Government efforts to restore peace have not been fully successful as killings and destruction of property continue to take place from time to time.