Residents of Ijara constituency have appealed to major banks in the country to open branches in Masalani town, the sub-county headquarters.
Led by the former Ijara County Council chairman Mohamed Gure, they appealed to financial institutions to invest in the town, from where they will also be able to cater for customers from the nearby Hulugho and Bothai sub-counties.
The same sentiments were shared by the chairman of the Masalani watchdog group, Abdullahi Abdi, businesswoman Ubah Yasin, and a section of local elderly people who normally receive the Sh2000 monthly stipend from the government.
The leaders decried that caregivers of the stipend’s beneficiaries have to travel 48 kilometres to Hola town, Tana River County, where the nearest Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) is located, to access the stipend, ending up spending much of it on transport, hence the money ends up not being used for the intended purposes.
Worse still, those from Hulugho and Bothai sub-counties are compelled to cover about 150km to access similar services in the neighbouring Tana River County, beating all logic of assistance.
The residents are now making a special appeal to Premier Bank CEO, Osman Dualle, who hails from the area, to consider their plight, even as they continue to woo other financial institutions.
Meanwhile, Ijara sub-county has 7 secondary schools and 49 primary schools, whose finances are channelled through Garissa town banks (158 km away) or Hola Town (48 km away).
The situation is worse during rainy seasons, as residents experience even more difficult times travelling due to the poor road network between Masalani Bridge and Hola town.
By Mohamed Dahir
