Speed up Modogashe-Wajir road construction, Ruto urged
The 200km road is intended to link the Northeastern counties to the rest of Kenya
3mon agoSTEPHEN ASTARIKONorth-eastern
The ongoing construction of a multi-billion shillings road project traversing between Isiolo-Modogashe will open up the marginalised area and spur economic growth.
In 2020, Kenya secured Sh81 billion financing from the World Bank for roads and ICT projects in North Eastern region.
The project was approved on September 8, 2020. The World Bank approved the funds to be spent on upgrading a 365km section of the 740km Isiolo-Mandera road as well as 30km of spur roads.
The cash was also meant for laying a fibre optic cable along the corridor under the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project.
Already, the road project has started taking shape. Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, who termed the project a game changer, said once it’s complete, the project will open up the area.
“It is going to bring development and deal with the issues of insecurity that is affecting our areas. The feeder roads will help connect areas to the main highway and business centres to help people access medical facilities and the market,” Dullo said.
She said the project will spur economic growth in the arid counties of Isiolo, Wajir and Mandera.
The project will start with the construction of 365km of road from Isiolo-Kulamawe to Modogashe and Wajir. This is part of the 748km Isiolo-Wajir-Mandera road of the Horn of Africa Gateway road.
The Kenya National Highways Authority is overseeing the construction.
The project will be implemented in four phases with the first being the Isiolo–Kulamawe–Modogashe. This will involve groundbreaking for the construction of the first two segments of the road (Isiolo-Kula Mawe-Kula Mawe- Madogashe), a distance of about 200kms.
Then the second phase will be the Modogashe – Samatar – Wajir road project. The third phase will be the Wajir – Tarbaj – Kutulo – Elwak.
The final phase will be the Elwak– Rhamu–Mandera. Expected to be concluded June 30, 2028, the project development objectives are to improve the movement of people and goods and digital connectivity.
It also involves access to social services to communities at designated locations along the targeted sections of the Isiolo-Mandera regional road corridor.
The first section of the road starts from Isiolo town, at a T-junction with road to Moyale, about 1km from Isiolo town CBD and traverses for approximately three kilometres in easterly direction within Isiolo county.
The alignment then exits Isiolo county into Meru county, curving into a north-easterly direction and traverses about 63km to Kachuru trading centre in Meru county.
It then exits Meru back to Isiolo to terminate at Kulamawe trading centre. The second section starts from Kulamawe in Garbatulla subcounty, Isiolo county, it continues along B9 for about 80km before moving north easterly for about 4km till Eldere in Benane, Garissa county.
It then continues for 23.15km through Bullo, Barkuke and Janju settlements then proceeds for about 10km, before ending at Modogashe shopping centre in Lagdera constituency of Garissa county.
Ten kilometre of the alignment
lies within Isiolo county while the
rest of the alignment lies within
Meru county
