Better infrastructure to spur growth, says Kibaki

The Government is paying special attention on implementation and completion of projects that create direct positive impact to wananchi, President Mwai Kibaki has asserted.

The President also assured Kenyans that his Government will not waiver in its commitment to open up interior parts of the country for development.

Addressing wananchi at Marsabit stadium after commissioning the Marsabit-Turbi constructions works, President Kibaki noted that the upgrading and tarmacking of the road would spur development in the region through increased trade and business activities thus improving the economic status of the area residents.

“My Government identified this road from Isiolo to Moyale as a strategic link for promoting commerce and industry not only in this area, but also in the wider Eastern Africa region,” the President said.

The President said upon completion of the road construction, the volume of goods transiting from the port of Mombasa to and from Ethiopia would grow substantially while at the same time reducing transport costs and durations of transit.

The completion of the road construction would particularly boost marketing of livestock produce, President Kibaki observed.

“In this respect, the upgrading of this road to bitumen standard is expected to contribute to the development of this region through increased trade and other business activities, including marketing of livestock produce,” he said.

He urged area residents and other stakeholders to cooperate with the contractor to ensure that the project is completed as scheduled and within budget.

During the occasion the President Kibaki tasked the contractor to undertake quality workmanship in order to ensure the road serves its intended purpose as well as having a lengthy life span.

President Kibaki was pleased by the road’s design, which incorporated vital components like inclusion of two road stations for parking long distance vehicles, facilities for security personnel among other social amenities.

“This is in addition to the construction of a One-Stop-Border-Post at Moyale to facilitate seamless movement of goods and person across the border between Kenya and Ethiopia,” he said.

Other benefits that accrue to area residents include equipping of security outposts and drilling of community water wells and water harvesting schemes.

He commended the Kenya National Highways Authority for drilling 9 boreholes, which will be handed over to the community upon completion of the project.

Thanking the African Development Bank for its continued support to the country’s infrastructure development, President Kibaki assured the Bank and other development partners that resources availed for implementation of such projects will be fully utilised of the planned purposes.

In this regard, President Kibaki noted that the first phase of the road construction comprising of 136 Km Isiolo-merille River roads was in advanced stages of completion.

He expressed confidence that the region shall have a continuous tarmac road from Isiolo to Turbi and extend to the Moyale border.

He noted that the construction of the Marsabit-Turbi road was the second out of four planned road projects under the Multinational Transport Corridor linking Mombasa in Kenya to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

“I expect that construction of Merille River-Marsabit section will also come on stream soon so that when this section is completed, we shall have one continuous tarmac road from Isiolo to Turbi and on to the border at Moyale,” he said.

“I am glad to note that the first phase of this project was the construction of the 136 kilometer Isiolo-Merille River road that is now substantially complete,” he added.