AfDB funds Turbi-Moyale road

Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki officially opening the Turbi-Moyale road. SOURCE: INTERNET 

The board of directors of African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $120m funding of the Turbi-Moyale road which will go a long way to finance 94% of civil work.

The construction of the road is part of the third and last phase of the Mombasa–Nairobi–Addis Ababa Road Corridor Development project which was launched in Moyale town last Wednesday by President Mwai Kibaki.

“AfDB’s support to Kenya in the three phases of the development of the Mombasa–Nairobi–Addis Ababa road alone amounts to $429 million, this development of the corridor will have significant impact in regional integration and trade for the benefit of Kenya and Ethiopia, whose combined population stands at 125 million,” the bank said in an online statement.

During the launch Gabriel Negatu, Director of the Bank’s East Africa Regional Resource Centre (EARC) said the Turbi–Moyale section is the last section in Kenya to complete the Trans-African Highway from Cairo to Cape Town.

During the ceremony, Kibaki expressed his Government’s appreciation of the Bank for playing a leading role in road infrastructure development, and its continued support as a development partner in Kenya.

The funding comes after the official opening of the 50km Thika Super Highway which the bank funded by half of the cost to a tune of US $180m while the government and Exim Bank of China financed US $80m and US $100m respectively.

In the statement AfDB says the super highway will carry up to 60,000 vehicles daily and help about 100,000 residents of Kasarani, Kiambu and Thika work in the formal sector, while another 125,000 are in the informal sector – a majority of whom have to commute to Nairobi.

“Additionally 12,000 high school students will benefit from the road and 12,000 KU and JKUAT students attending part time classes in the evening,” it said.

During the launch AfDB President Donald Kaberuka said their partnership with Kenya started in 1967 with investment of US $3 billion. Of this 60% went to physical infrastructure especially in transport and energy sector.

AfDB is Kenya’s leading development partner in the road sector with operations totalling more than US $1 billion.

“We reaffirmed the AfDB’s strong commitment to infrastructure development in the country and on the continent since infrastructure promotes trade and creates a conducive environment for business,” he added.

On his part Kibaki said the Nairobi–Thika superhighway is source of a national pride adding it’s “It is the first modern highway infrastructure in Kenya’s history, contributing to achieve the country’s goal of reaching middle-income status by 2030.”

President Kibaki commended the AfDB for its unwavering support in the project, providing a paradigm shift to the country’s road infrastructure network.

 

The 2009 Kenyan Census Results; the High number of Illegal Somali Immigrants in the Country Serious

The 2009 population and house census released at the end of August last year by hon. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya showed the extent to which Kenya is at risk from over decade unrest in Somalia.

During the official release of the results the Ministry for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 nullified about 2.4 million results of Kenyan of Somali descend due to massive inconsistency.

The 2,385, 572 figure of Kenyan Somalis which placed them as the sixth largest tribe in the country against the country’s 38,610,097 is nullified and awaits a further update after a recount.

“the ratio of increase in eight most affected districts was higher that the population dynamics like birth and death rates, age and sex too deviated from the norm while the household size was without significance to the number of household” the official release explained.

The affected districts included Lagdera, Wajir East, Mandera Central, Mandera East, Mandera West, Turkana Central, Turkana North and Turkana South.

The most affected are Lagdera and Wajir East with a total of 469,541.

This shows only a tip of the iceberg since the effect was not reflected in illegal immigrants inland.

The recount after the 24-25^th August 2009 census on the affected areas is expected to take longer. According to the official release, complexity of logistics like transport, insecurity concern and competition of other national interests like drought were the major challenges and will surely affect the count.

Additionally, the Ksh 8.4 billion budget allocation to the exercise has been allocated and new money will require a budgetary allocation before bureaucracy bottle neck starts.

The inconsistency is mostly caused by influx of Somali immigrants escaping the war in their country have had its effect not only in region, but all the way to Nairobi and Kampala.  

According to unpublished UN reports and leaked diplomatic cables in Wiki leaks, Kenyan government is heavily involved in the Somali crisis by pitting the weak transitional government against rebels Al-shabaab.

“Kenyan government have aided in training of police, armed forces and Kenyan Somali youths illegally for the Somali government” Michael Rennebeger is quoted in the latest Wiki leaks cables.

The leak goes further into blaming two Kenyan youths for carrying out suicide bombing in Mogadishu claiming 21 lives: 17 soldiers, 11 of which were Burundian, 4 civilians and injuring over 15 people.

The precursor to the effect portrayed by the census was the Somalia and Ethiopian forces fighting the Al-shabaab spilling over into Kenya at Mandera town, which was affected by the inconsistency, in the border region few weeks ago.

Kenyan government in Nairobi was caught flat footed as over 20 people were killed and other injured. It took a serious of denial before TV footage forced Kenya to act during the heavy shelling and gun fight.

Although Kenyan forces helped subdue the uprising and increased border patrol and crack down of Somali immigrants traveling inland, the mood with Al-shabaab is frosty.

The terrorist has vowed a suicide attack in Kenya akin to the one they carried out during the final of world cup in Kampala Uganda which claimed more than 70 lives and injured over 100.

Sadly, the attack was planned by Kenyan Somalis and planned in Kenya showing how vulnerable the country is.

Prof. George Saitoti Kenyan security minister is adamant that Kenya is not involved in Somalia crisis and wont sent its troop in volatile country although Kenyan security is suffering from the war.

“Kenya will sent security forces along its border with Somalia to beef up the security” the minster is quoted telling the parliament and Kenyans.

This has interception of illegal immigrants from North Eastern and Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate with high number of immigrants.

These antics may go down the drain with corruption in immigration ministry, sense of victimization of Somalis and Muslims curtailing the processes.

Police commissioner Mathews Iteere reacting to Al-shabaab threat in Kenya recently released 9 suspects wanted for aiding Al-shabaab in planning an attack. The police too aided in fouling a Kampala bomber in Nairobi trying to reach Uganda by bus.

A recount of the census in the affected regions should be speeded up and the reasons of inconsistency brought out and immigrants in the region known and registered as refugees.

Why is the recount important?

“Collecting demographic and socio-economic data is essential for decision making process in government and stake holders in policy formulation” Edward Sambili, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 is quoted talking to journalist in a workshop.

On the other hand, the citizens of these districts and other stakeholders like trader and NGOs have the right to the results as all other Kenyans.

The 2009 population and housing census have shown Kenya’s soft under belly, the sustainable recount should show the way forward.