Lawmakers decry neglect of northern Kenya
Politics
By
Edwin Nyarangi
| Apr 10, 2024
Northern Kenya lawmakers have claimed that there is nothing to show in the region since independence despite the counties having been allocated of billions of shillings since the advent of devolution.
Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo and Marsabit counties have received funds which if they could have been put to good use would have turned around the lives of residents.
Northern Kenya Members of Parliament who addressed Journalists at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, yesterday, expressed concern over the dilapidated road network saying the few good roads having been damaged by floods.
Wajir South MP Mohammed Adow claimed that the national and county government have failed to prioritise development in the region.
READ MORE
World Boxing and IBA fete Kenyan referees as Mwaura promoted
India-Africa ties must move towards investment-driven growth, capacity building
Fresh protests erupt in Moyale, Sololo and Marsabit as border dispute tensions escalate
Two men, same name, same land: 30yr court battle heads for supreme court
Gachagua has disregarded useful lessons we have learnt over the years
From aid to enterprise: Refugee businesses expand East Africa's economy
Why Kenya's 2013 Sports Act must die and be reborn
Why UN chief Antonio Guterres is in Nairobi
Th3 Swish edge out Eldonets as heavy rains disrupt basketball action
Suluhu's threat of violence to the youth takes East Africa backward
"The Northern region has been forgotten since independence since the national and county Governments have not prioritized development projects that will have a positive impact on the local residents who have continued to face challenges over the years," said Adow.
The legislator said construction of Isiolo-Mandera Road which had been allocated Sh260 billion by the World Bank is yet to kick off five years later despite having the potential to open up the region to development.
Tarbaj MP Hussein Bare regretted that residents struggle to access basic services like good medical care, sufficient food supply and efficient communication systems.
Bare said the residents are tired of empty development promises and now demand attention from the national and county governments.
"The people of Northern Kenya deserve good services just like their counterparts in other parts of the country, we should not be speaking of basic things like roads, health centres and sufficient food for our people 60 years after independence, that shows negligence by our government," he said.
Wajir West MP Mohammed Daud said that most parts of the region have been cut off from the rest of the country due to the ongoing heavy rains and the government needs to utilise disaster funds to ensure residents get assistance.
Daud called on the government and other stakeholders to initiate investments in the region to empower residents.