The Cabinet has approved additional financing for the construction of the Modogashe-Samatar and Rhamu-Mandera road sections in a move aimed at accelerating completion of the strategic Isiolo-Mandera corridor.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, where the government cleared funding for the 67-kilometre Modogashe-Samatar road and the 76-kilometre Rhamu-Mandera stretch.

The two sections form part of the larger 750-kilometre Isiolo-Mandera highway project, one of Kenya’s flagship infrastructure programmes designed to open up Northern Kenya through improved transport and regional connectivity.

According to the cabinet dispatch, the additional financing is expected to speed up construction works, enhance mobility, support trade and improve access to essential services across counties in the northern corridor.

📌 What You Need to Know

The latest approval comes months after the National Land Commission (NLC) published a gazette notice paving the way for land acquisition along sections of the Isiolo-Mandera corridor.

In the notice issued on May 29 on behalf of the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the commission announced a series of deletions, corrections and additions to parcels of land earmarked for compulsory acquisition for the project.

The notice specifically focused on the 77-kilometre Isiolo-Kulamawe section of the highway traversing Isiolo and Meru counties. According to the NLC, the acquisition is intended to facilitate the construction of the road as well as the installation of fibre optic cable infrastructure along the corridor.

Once complete, the Isiolo-Mandera corridor is expected to significantly reduce travel time between towns in Northern Kenya, making the movement of people and goods faster and more efficient across the region. The highway is also expected to improve access to essential services, including healthcare, education and markets, especially in areas that have historically faced transport challenges.

The project is further expected to strengthen security operations and stimulate economic activity in underserved regions by opening up trade routes and improving regional connectivity.

President William Ruto has in the recent past emphasised that the corridor could play a key role in transforming Northern Kenya’s economy and supporting cross-border trade within the Horn of Africa.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke