Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says the government has prioritised faster development in the northern and northeastern regions through targeted projects worth billions of shillings being implemented together with partners.

The projects, under the North and North Eastern Development Initiative (NEDI) and worth Sh300 billion, are meant to catalyse the socio-economic transformation of the vast region, he said.

The government is working with the World Bank and other development partners to actualise the projects, which are in different levels of implementation.

“The opening up of northern and northeastern Kenya is a priority for our administration because the area admittedly has lagged behind for a long time,” said Gachagua (pictured).

“We thank our partners, specifically the World Bank, for the capital injection to open up this part of Kenya with huge potential.”

’Fertile region’

Counties that have benefited from the NEDI programme are West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Tana River, Lamu, Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera.

“The high-impact projects in the transport, agriculture, water, health, education and energy sectors, social protection and others are geared at igniting, stimulating and sustaining the socio-economic transformation in the counties,” the DP said.

Some of the NEDI projects are the Horn of Africa Gateway Project (a 740km road from Isiolo through Wajir to Mandera), the Isiolo Export Abattoir, rehabilitation of the Wajir Livestock Training Institute, and the Horn of Africa Ground Water for Resilience Project targeting construction of 400 boreholes to benefit residents.

The region, the DP said, is fertile and could bolster the nation’s food security if its potential is properly tapped.

“Countries in the Middle East with the same climatic environment have been transformed into bastions of food production,” he observed.

“We look ahead to a day where the food security of this country will be supported by the vast lands in northern and northeastern Kenya. Opening up that area in terms of road infrastructure, water, energy, education is a step in the right direction.”

With the region at risk of the dire effects of climate change, Gachagua said the NEDI programme includes measures against the phenomenon.

“As we battle the impact of climate change, resilient measures are necessary, so we are not dealing with emerging issues year after year,” he said.