World Bank extends Sh10 billion refugee hosts project

The World Bank has extended the Sh10 billion refugee hosts project for one year to allow completion of work interrupted by Covid-19.

The Kenya Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project is anchored on changing the lives and livelihoods of communities by providing entrepreneurship money, improving health, education and drilling boreholes.

It covers Garissa, Wajir and Turkana. 

Garissa got the lion's share of Sh4.2 billion while Turkana and Wajir counties got Sh3.3 billion and Sh2 billion respectively.

Team leader Matt Stevens said the project is supposed to end in April next year but plans are underway to extend it to April 2023 in response to the Kenyan government request.

Stevens spoke on Saturday after touring several development projects under KDRDIP in Lagdera and Dadaab subcounties.

He said the World Bank is doing a midterm review to see whether the project money has been used for the right purpose and meets the needs of the communities

“We want to see if the communities have the knowledge, skills, capacity to decide, manage and implement the project because it is community-based,” he said.

KDRDIP national coordinator Ann Kinyua said it had taken them a lot of time to mobilise and train the communities to help them understand how the project works and set their priorities right.

She said her team would be able to finish the programme within the extended one year.

“This project is impactful and beneficial to the communities, it is them asking for an extension,” Kinyua said

“We have constructed hospitals, schools, drilled boreholes, supplied water to communities and enabled them to start a business that will improve their lives and livelihoods in the long run.” 

Speaking at Hagar borehole in Lagdera subcounty, community elder Idris Sahal said that KDRDIP had helped the community in solarising the borehole. 

He said substituting the diesel was important because the people could no longer afford to pay for water due to the current drought.

Sahal said everyone can now access free water for human consumption, livestock and wildlife animals.

Idris said with permanent water points, there is hope for a permanent settlement for the communities which will create stable health and education facilities.

“We are asking for more opportunities and funds so that we can develop our communities further,” Daudi Dubo, community chairman for the audit committee in Dertu said.

“We need more water points, more hospitals and schools to avoid working for kilometres to seek medical services.”

Edited by Kiilu Damaris