This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
As the country's debt service obligations continue to rise, President Uhuru Kenyatta's recent declaration that 'no new project should be launched without his express authority' has sparked hope that stalled projects will finally be completed. According to the International Monetary Fund, completing these projects would cost the public purse Sh1.1 trillion.
One of the projects that Kenyans will be watching closely is the completion of the key highway under the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (Lapsset) corridor. The highway, which links Lamu to Isiolo via Garsen and Garissa, was initially scheduled for completion in April 2020 but has been delayed twice due to inadequate funding and insecurity. It is now slated for completion by June next year.
However, the success of these projects depends on the readiness of county governments and the local people to take advantage of the economic opportunities they will bring. The President's directive that the 'completion rate of projects and programmes will be adopted as a key performance indicator for top State officials' suggests that he means business this time.
One way to make Lapsset pay for itself is to improve the yields from the vast holdings in livestock in the region. This could be achieved by establishing different sizes of feedlots across the region using harvested rainwater. The Ministry of Water and Sanitation would need to work with the counties to dig water basins and mini-dams, avoiding the construction of big dams that have proven to be conduits for siphoning off State cash.
By improving the yields from livestock, the State could then work with the counties to plant the right quality grass and food-crops. The Trade and Industrialisation ministry would also be required to guide the setting up of slaughter-houses, factories to treat hides and skins for producing leather to be sold in the local, regional, and foreign markets.
