Turkana County residents will, in the next one month start to fully enjoy mega social economic projects initiated and completed by the national government through various state agencies.
They include Sh4 billion projects which are at advanced stages of completion and include social amenities like health facilities, dormitories, dining halls, water projects, and markets constructed by KENHA.
Other projects include three rapid-results-units and Kenya Revenue Authority offices situated at Kainuk, Lokichar, and Kakuma.
The three KRA offices will cost Sh700 million to be completed, according to Moses Muya, KRA Deputy Commissioner and North Rift Coordinator.
Other projects are power installations to institutions by Kenya Power Company, internet connectivity by the ICT Authority, truck parks and food security projects at Napuu, and community boreholes drilled by the Kerio Valley Development Authority.
Most of the projects are above 75 percent completion status.
Already, the community has reaped from employment opportunities and businesses created during the construction of the projects.
Speaking during a monitoring and inspection tour of the projects, Presidential Delivery Unit regional coordinator Olando Sitati said about 30 projects will be completed and handed over to the community by November.
The projects are in addition to the road linking Kitale, Lodwar, and neighbouring South Sudan.
Sitati, who was accompanied by Turkana County Commissioner (CC) Julius Kavita and a host of regional and county coordinators and directors from national government entities, added that the government was committed to issuing title deeds to schools within two weeks.
“We have identified challenges such as lack of title deeds and have resolved that the county commissioner, in conjunction with the county surveyor, will sit down and address these issues within two weeks,” he said.
The team also said that the national government, through KeNHA, will also ensure that contractors working on projects on Lot 1 and Lot 2 are paid the pending bills.
One of the exceptional facilities constructed by KeNHAunder the social amenities projects is Songok Girls Secondary School, which is expected to admit 400 students from the local community and neighbouring countries upon completion.
The state-of-the-art school infrastructure includes a modern dining hall and dormitories that will not only boost transition to high school but also help address the illiteracy challenge, according to CC Kavita.
“The school project will benefit the community in the county and neighbouring counties; it will create jobs, address the challenge of illiteracy, and boost our efforts to make peace in this region,” Sitati added.
CC Kavita said many locals, including women, have benefitted by supplying wares along the trunk road and health facilities constructed along the area.
“We will move with speed to ensure that the schools have title deeds because these are government institutions,” Kavita said with regard to the title seed challenge.
KenHA Deputy Director Engineer Eric Wambua said the organisation had undertaken the construction of Lokichar-Nadapal road and fibre optic over 600 km from Eldoret to Nadapal with ICTA.
He said KenHA is currently implementing social economic infrastructure projects where LOT 1 covers Kainuk to Lodwar and Lot 2 covers Lodwar to Nadapal.
Songok stated that the school project is about 85 per cent complete and expressed optimism that the project will be handed over to the community before the end of the year.
The team also took the opportunity to give a motivational talk to students at Napelilim Secondary School in Loima Sub County.
The students were challenged to work hard and take advantage of the new improved facilities, like modern dormitories, to better their academic performance.
KVDA, through the Director of Planning, also pledged to donate 1,000 mango seedlings to the school.
By Peter Gitonga
