A delegation from the Departmental Committee on Transport Public Works and Housing led by Nakuru Town West MP, Hon. Samuel Arama yesterday wound up its four-day inspection visit of key Infrastructure projects in the Coastal region.
Yesterday, the Members inspected the progress of Garsen-Witu-Lamu road, Lamu Port and LAPSSET project in Lamu County. Receiving the delegation, Garsen Member of Parliament, Ali Wario Guyo noted that the tarmacking of the Garsen-Witu-Lamu Road which is also part of the Lamu Port and Lamu-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) project will open up those areas and spur economic growth of those two Counties.
However there were concerns by Mkunumbi residents who felt that their area had been left out of the development of the Garsen-Witu-Lamu road.
“We Mkunumbi residents feel discriminated from this mega development and request the tarmacking of the loop from Mkunumbi stage to the newly tarmacked highway. This will ensure that our people benefits economically”. decried area resident, Ustadh Ibrahim.
The Mkinumbi Centre is a historical town which existed pre-independence. The Garsen-Witu-Lamu road is being tarmacked for the first time in the history of Kenya The stretch of two kilometers left out has made the residents make cries of discriminatuon. They pleaded with the Committee to hear them and instruct the contractor to ensure that the tarmack follows the original road earmarked for tarmacking, hence stimulating the development of the area.
The Committee took the Mkunumbi residents issues with great concern especially noting that the same issues had been raised to the Committee by Lamu West MP. Hon. Stanley Muthama.
The Committee further noted Massive infrastructure projects taking shape in Lamu are set to change Lamu County. The Session Chair Hon. Arama said the ongoing LAPSSET projects will improve connectivity, scale-up Lamu port’s competitiveness and attract investments.
Speaking during the Inspection tour of Lamu Port and the LAPSSET, Hon. Arama said the area is opening up as ‘a hub for regional transshipment trade’ following the operationalization of berth No. 1 of Lamu port.
The multibillion Lamu port corridor named the Lamu South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor stands to transform Lamu County.
The Sub- Committee noted that the historic town of Lamu is set to experience a huge expansion of massive infrastructural developments thanks to the Jubilee Government.
LAPSSET is a crucial Kenya Vision 2030 flagship project that seeks to transform regional economies through increased trade, integration and inter-connectivity spanning Kenya, South Sudan and landlocked Ethiopia and beyond.
The Committee underscored that the government has elaborate plans to transform Lamu into a key transshipment hub for the region and is expected to compete for transshipment business with existing regional ports such as the Port of Durban in South Africa, the Port of Djibouti and the Port of Salalah in Oman.
When complete the port is expected to boost economic activities in Lamu and beyond, create jobs for the youth and eliminate congestion at the port of Mombasa.
Further the Committee sought to know from the contractors how many locals have benefitted fully from job opportunities especially from casual jobs,and the criteria used to hire workers in the project and whether priority had been given to the local youths.
The delegation comprised of Hon. Samuel Arama, Hon. Ahmed Abdisalan, Hon. Dominic Koskei , Hon. Ali Wario and Hon. Hassan Kullow.
