Isiolo leaders petition KeNHA for key road
By Barrack Oduor, February 29, 2024
Leaders from Isiolo yesterday 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 LAPSSET Corridor roads. LAPSSET stands for Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport Corridor.
Other roads in the corridor are Lamu Port Access Road (10km), Lamu-Witu Garsen Road (113km),Isiolo-Moyale-Hawassa Road (505km), Isiolo-Lokichar-Nadapal-Torit-Juba Road (700km).
Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and County Women Representative Mumina Bonaya asked the road agency to prioritise 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 305km Garissa-Isiolo road,” said Abdi.
Abdi said the road construction will bring immense socio-economic benefits to the residents of Isiolo. He wants Kenha to prioritise the local youth from Isiolo 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 capacity,” Governor Guyo asserted.
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.