Page 10 - MANDERA-COUNTY- THE 2019 MAGAZINE
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                    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
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