MARSABIT, Kenya, May 15 – Government spent a billion-plus on socio-economic projects to accelerate growth in Marsabit.
Through the Equalization Fund that was earmarked for marginalized areas in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 financial years to over 100 projects in the county.
They are spread across four constituencies of Saku, Moyale, North Horr and Laisamis with over Sh1.1 billion pumped into health, energy, roads, water and sanitation sectors.
In the last national population and housing census, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) identified 102 areas in the devolved unit as marginalized, which a team from the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) ascertained to be correct.
The team headed by the Commission CEO James Katule conducted a one-week verification exercise by visiting project sites and holding focused group discussions with local residents to verify if the areas were indeed sidelined and whether the projects were done or not.
During the visit, the team established that many of the projects were initiated and financed to completion particularly in Laisamis constituency, which forms the bulk of marginalized sub-locations, with 35, where the beneficiaries actively took part in public participation and acknowledged the existence of projects in the water and roads sectors.
Residents said they are able to draw water at the newly developed dams at Sarai and Irir constructed at a cost of Sh21 million and Sh27 million respectively while construction of Bagasi dam in Kargi location implemented at a cost of Sh30.1 million is ongoing.
