Turkana: A joint inspection team has declared 25 Community Social Impact projects in Turkana as ready for use after concluding a final technical assessment.
According to Kenya News Agency, the inspection team included officials from the Turkana County Government, the State Departments of Roads and Transport, Basic Education, the Government Delivery Unit, and the Office of the County Commissioner. The projects, implemented by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), are part of the Kenya-South Sudan Link Road programme aimed at integrating infrastructure with community development.
Though the team noted minor issues requiring follow-up, there was a unanimous agreement that the facilities were fit for immediate handover and use. The 25 CSI projects included a fully equipped livestock market and the very first health centre in Nadapal at the Kenya-South Sudan border, Songot Girls Secondary School in Teremkus, and a truck park outside Lokichoggio town. Other projects spanning education, healthcare, water, ICT, and security infrastructure are distributed across all constituencies.
Turkana County Commissioner Julius Kavita described the projects as part of the country's critical installations and assured that the government would provide security to safeguard them. While directing the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) to enforce the ban on unauthorized livestock sales, the county commissioner urged the traders operating in the Lokichoggio and Nanam areas to utilize the Nadapal livestock market built under the CSI initiative.
Acting County Secretary Joseph Nyang'a praised the quality of the infrastructure delivered and announced that the County Government would adopt some of KeNHA's architectural models for its own future projects. The County Secretary also committed to deploying more teachers to newly built schools to ensure learning begins in earnest. Speaking at Naduat, where the community benefitted from a modern school including an ECDE centre, Nyang'a added that the county would work hand in hand with the local authorities to ensure that children eligible for admission were not engaged in mining and gold trade but take up education.
Chief Officer for Livestock Development Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel added that the county would support livestock traders at Nadapal by facilitating access to animal treatment and vaccination services. He affirmed the County Government's intention to provide continuous support to ensure the facilities were fully functional and beneficial to pastoralist communities.
Following the inspection, the joint team is expected to meet stakeholders to address the few outstanding challenges. Residents have been urged to form local leadership committees to oversee the coordinated use of the facilities, with full operationalization projected by September this year. The CSI projects are expected to significantly uplift the living standards in Turkana by improving access to essential services such as education, healthcare, trade, and clean water.
The CECM for Trade, Roseline Aite; County Attorney Ruth Emanikor; Legal Advisor to the Governor Ekiru Ntulele; Chief Officer for Economic Planning Samwel Ekale; and directors from various departments formed part of the joint inspection team.