The governor said the county has not signed any contractual agreement with the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport project, as should have been the case.
“Land is a devolved function and all departments that deal with land are under the county government. The Lapsset project should engage the county government through relevant departments on the land they intend to use for the project,” Korane said.
He said that as leaders and custodians of the land, they are worried and want the situation corrected before it is too late.
“We want to know who authorised Lapsset to survey land in Garissa county without the input of the county government. This is wrong and unacceptable. We are not opposed to the project, but we want the right procedures to be followed,” he said.
He said, however, the massive project would create jobs for youth and improve the regional economy.
In October, Korane met the director of the Kenya Ports Authority Col (Rtd) Conrad Thorpe and representatives from KPA, Lapsset, KRA and Critical Infrastructure Police Unit ( CIPU) where he reiterated the need for compensation of communally owned land before the project proceeds.
Col Thorpe described Garissa as "strategically placed" to facilitate trade not just from Northeastern Kenya but the whole of the Somali Republic.
The project will pass through Garissa and Isiolo all the way to Southern Sudan and Ethiopia; it will include a railway line, an oil pipeline and a tarmacked road.
(Edited by V. Graham)
