Garissa Governor Ali Korane wants the money given by the World Bank used to transform lives.
He said on Tuesday the cash will be channelled to development projects. Korane spoke during the launch of one of such projects. The Kenya Development Response to Displacement Impact Project is funded by the World Bank.
The project is meant to benefit the refugee-hosting constituencies of Fafi, Lagdera and Daadab and is one of the five components of the World Bank-funded North and Northeastern Development Initiative (Nedi). During the event, facilitating partners were introduced to key stakeholders and a rollout plan provided.
Garissa will get Sh4.2 billion. Of this, Fafi will get Sh1.5 billion, Dadaab (Sh1.6 billion) and Lagdera (Sh1.1 billion) to be spent over the next two years. The county governments are the executing agencies of the KDRDIP. Other counties to benefit are Wajir (Sh2 billion) and Turkana (Sh3.1 billion).
Governor Korane sought to assure the facilitating partners and implementing agencies of his administration's support and appealed to Fafi, Lagdera and Daadab residents to present their priority needs through village committees.
He said the county government has met the prerequisite operational requirements, including nominating the county focal person, forming the county steering committee chaired by county secretary Abdi Ali, signed the intergovernmental participation agreement and constituted the technical committees.
Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa attended the event. Also present were MPs Abdikarim Osman (Fafi), Mohamed Dahiye (Dadaab) and Mohamed Hire (Lagdera), KDRDIP National Steering Committee chairperson Anne Kinyua and Nedi advisor in the Presidency Ibrahim Rashid.
Wamalwa castigated government officials for forcing questionable projects on the people. He said residents must be left to prioritise the projects that suit them.
The CS cautioned government officials against arm-twisting the community into accepting nonpriority projects for their own selfish gain. He said the committees formed by the community will be tasked to identify the projects. They mainly revolve around health, schools and food security.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
