Page 23 - MANDERA-COUNTY- REVIEW-3RD-EDITION

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frastructures in the country. Investment in pub- county services with maximum effectiveness Some of the roads constructed during this pe-
lic infrastructure was almost nonexistent and at and efficiency riod include:
best scanty and minimal. • Develop employees to become leaders who • Mandera-Arabia
promote ethics, innovation, service, account- • Arabia - Fino
According to the Commission on Revenue Allo- ability and peak performance • Finoz-Lafey
cation (CRA) and data released in March 2013, • Fino-Waranqara
there was nothing notable about Mandera’s Vision • Rhamu-Olla
road network: To provide quality road and transportation in- • Olla-Guba
• Bitumen road - not available frastructure, in order to spur socio-economic • Guba-Banisa
• Gravel road - 100km growth in Mandera County and the region at • Banisa-Eymole
• Earth road -2,083km large. • Banisa-Kiliwehiri
• Banisa-Takaba
County Government Core values • Banisa-Domal
In the last five years, the government of H.E. • Transparency and accountability • Takaba-Qofole
Governor Capt. Ali Ibrahim Roba has made • Professionalism and integrity • Takaba-Shimbir Fatuma
substantial public investment in the public in- • Excellence in service delivery • Takba-Wargadud
frastructure sector, in fact the largest ever in- • Participatory leadership • Elwak-Kutulo
vestment in one sector in the county. • Collaboration and teamwork • Kutulo-Elham
Currently the investment in the sector stands at • Elwak-Shimbir Fatuma
slightly over Sh6 billion. Achievements
The ministry has made tremendous gains in the The road network in Mandera has been greatly
The first strategic plan (2013-2017) of the Min- public infrastructure sector. Some of the mile- improved at the inter-ward and inter-sub-coun-
istry of Roads, Public Works and Transport saw stones covered are: ty levels. Even roads that were initially ren-
the county embarking on an elaborate plan to • Mandera Town roads (24km) is being con- dered impassable during heavy rains are now
address all the challenges associated with structed to bitumen standard and is currently motorable and safe to drive through.
public infrastructure. This was done by setting at 80% complete.
up the following objectives: • All the main inter-constituency roads have Overall, the improved road network has cut
been upgraded to all-weather murram stan- travel times by more than 300 per cent! For
Main objective dard (577km) instance, a trip between Banisa and Mandera
To facilitate the construction, upgrading, reha- • All the main inter-ward roads have been con- that used to take a whole day is now covered
bilitation, and maintenance of the road infra- structed to all-weather murram roads (431km) in just two and a half hours. Similarly, a journey
structure in Mandera County, so as to enhance • Mandera South sub-county airstrip was de- from Takaba to Elwak used to last four hours,
regional connectivity for sustainable socio- signed and built to gravel standards and now but that distance is now comfortably covered in
economic development in line with Kenya Vi- fully operational. just one hour and fifteen minutes. Meanwhile,
sion 2030. • Over 300km of new unclassified roads have whereas one had to set aside two and a half
been successfully bush-cleared and opened hours to travel to Banisa from Takaba before
Key strategies: • Construction of six flagship projects – includ- devolution, that distance is now covered in just
• Build capacity of infrastructure, personnel ing the county headquarters, the Governor’s 40 minutes.
and equipment residence, County Assembly and a five-star
• Facilitate public private partnerships to drive hotel - are all ongoing The department has also constructed more
the development agenda than 60 drifts for storm water drainage.
• Citizen participation in the planning and ex- The roads that have been constructed in the
ecution of projects and programmes in civic last five years across all the sub-counties add In order to realise the aspirations of H.E. Capt
education up to approximately 1,008km of murram roads Ali Roba and to fulfill the pledges made in his
• Attract, hire, develop and retain an effective, and 20km of tarmac roads in Mandera Town. manifesto, the Mandera County Government
diverse, professional, dedicated and respon- An additional 100km of low-volume seal road will continue to invest heavily in the road sec-
sive team of employees from Rhamu to Elwak has ben constructed by tor.
• Empower employees at every level to provide the national government.

A newly-constructed road in Mandera town with solar street lighting.