Mandera Rebuilding its Roads Network

Two years of intensive work on roads is paying dividend with benefits accruing especially for the transport sector in Mandera. Journey time for people and goods has been cut by up to 75 per cent in some instances. Ease of transport impacts all sectors in the County. More importantly, it elevates the quality of life, says Governor Roba.

“With motorable roads, the sick can get health care in a relatively timely manner while the farmers can get their produce to market faster. Services can get to the people faster just as security management would stand a better chance to being more responsive,” said Mr Roba. The County Government has moved to upgrade all the inter-constituency roads to all weather murram roads. Already, a total of 577 kilometres of dirt roads have been completely upgraded to all-weather murram roads. In Mandera town, a 24.5 kilometre stretch of road is currently being tarmacked, the first ever in the County. A total of 12 inter constituency roads are now all weather and gravelling in 152 kilometres of inter-ward roads is now complete.

The County Executive Committee member for Roads, Public Works and Transport Ethila Mohamud Issak explains that her department has established a Transport Management System TMS to improve movement of people and goods. Her ministry has completed the design of a 55-kilometre section on the B9 road (Kutulo - Elwak) and signed an MOU with KeNHA.

The ministry has also secured of all road camps in the County through construction of permanent fences and acquiring of all properties related to the Ministry. On air transport, the ESIA, feasibility studies and designing of the Mandera International Airport (MIA) has been completed. In addition, the assessment of all aerodromes in the County for safety and other related factors has been completed. The closure and planned relocation of Elwak Airtrip, Banisa and Rhamu are at an advanced stage.

Meanwhile, Mandera Town is registering unprecedented reconstruction as the city centre relocates. The new town centre is away from the current location, which is close to the borders with Somali and Ethiopia and has little space for expansion. New roads are being built as old ones are graded. A Five Star hotel is under construction as well as the Governor’s official residence and a stadium.

A section of an all weather road connecting Lafey to Elwak

Governor Captain Ali Roba says the county inherited virtually nothing from the National Government when they came into office, and it was challenging to get office space for himself, the County Executive members and the staff. “Mandera was a victim of systematic marginalisation for over five decades by successive regimes and devolution has just opened fresh doors for us. We are struggling to be at par with other counties, which did not face similar challenges,” Roba says. Governor Roba holds that Mandera is a County of unlimited opportunities and endless possibilities, and believes in investing right to unleash this potential by providing a dependable and sustainable infrastructural base.

“Our mission is to improve lives. We will make it easier to reach hospitals and easier to reach international markets. Getting this infrastructure right will spur all other sectors into excellence,” he says. What previously passed for a shanty township with ‘manyattas’ as dwelling places for a largely pastoralist population is now revelling in some of the best-designed buildings. “We want to have modern buildings too so that we can attract the best workforce from locals as well as people from other counties. We can only do that when we make them comfortable,” says County Executive for Roads, Public Works and transport Ms. Ethila Mohamud Isaak. “We want to have modern buildings too so that we can attract the best workforce from locals as well as people from other counties.

We can only do that when we make them comfortable,” she adds. The minister says Mandera is starting from a very low infrastructural base, and most resources need to go to development including facilities like offices, which were literally absent.