Page 10 - MANDERA-COUNTY- THE 2019 MAGAZINE

10

Projects changing people’s lives

North and North Eastern
Kenya Development
Initiative (NEDI) programme
leader Helene Carrisson
Rex (right), CS Devolution
Eugene Wamalwa (left) and
Mandera Governor Ali Roba
at the launch of the initiative
funded by the World Bank.

he North and North Eastern aims at alleviating some of these gions are characterized by pro- can become a breadbasket that
Development Initiative (NEDI) challenges. The Government of found infrastructure deficits, in- can feed the growing market for
Tfunded by the World Bank Kenya, with the support of the cluding lack of access to roads, agricultural produce and livestock
is set to increase investments in World Bank, launched the $1 bil- electricity, water, and to social products in the Horn of Africa. The
transformative and integrated in- lion NEDI to increase investments services. Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture
frastructure and sustainable liveli- in transformative and integrated “Think about it; if there is no elec- Project intends to increase produc-
hoods in the arid and semi-arid infrastructure and sustainable live- tricity, communities will live in the tivity of livestock systems, promote
lands (ASALs). lihoods to the region. dark with limited ability to seize integrated soil fertility and market
economic and social opportuni- access.
The marginalized area occupying NEDI will be spearheaded by both ties,” said Helene Carlsson Rex,
nearly 70% of the country’s land the national and county govern- World Bank programme leader for “This way, the communities in the
mass is dogged by high levels of ments. Its success will depend sustainable development. “Without northern arid lands will be empow-
poverty and also suffer poor ac- largely on strong collaboration roads, people have difficulties ac- ered to effectively exploit the live-
cess to basic services compared between the stakeholders: the two cessing jobs, markets and social stock and crop farming potential,”
to the rest of Kenya. levels of government, the private services.” said Gandham NV Ramana, World
Socio-economic indicators are sector, civil society organizations Bank programme leader for human
below the national average and and development partners. Through the North-Eastern Trans- development. “Value chains will be
female literacy rate stands at 41 “The people living in the region are port Improvement Project, roads improved through strengthening of
percent below the national aver- among the poorest in the country,” will be improved, travel time re- partnerships with the private sec-
age of 81%. said Diarietou Gaye, World Bank duced and, providing access to tor.”
country director for Kenya. “This jobs and markets to the people
The climate equally visits harsh calls for more investments in the living along the corridor. The Wa-
conditions on the people and the region, much more than we have ter and Sanitation Development
environment. Frequent droughts done in the past.” Project will connect households to Through the North-Eastern
pose a serious threat to pastoral- piped water, provide community
ism which supports the majority of NEDI will benefit 10 counties - water points, and improve sanita- Transport Improvement
households. Garissa, Isiolo, Lamu, Mandera, tion services in Wajir town and for Project, roads will be
Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Dadaab host communities in Ga-
And when rains begin, most ar- Turkana, Wajir and West Pokot. rissa County. improved, travel time
eas are affected by floods that It has six new projects in energy, Pastoralism and agriculture are the reduced and, providing
displace people and wash away road transport, water and sanita- foundations of the region’s econo- access to jobs and markets
crops, homes and render roads tion, agriculture, social protection, my, but their huge potential remain
impassable. and a programme to support com- unexploited. Harnessing this po- to the people living along
munities hosting refugees. tential would improve livelihoods the corridor.
The initiative targeting the ASALs The north and north-eastern re- of the local people and, the region