Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein calls for extension of KDRDIP program

Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein has called on the World Bank to extend the Kenya Development Response Displacement Impacts project[KDRDIP] project to phase 2  saying that it has greatly benefited residents.

KDRDIP is a National Government initiative, implemented with financial support from the World Bank and DANIDA.

It was designed to reduce the impacts caused by the longstanding presence of refugees among host communities. It is implemented through the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach.

The Project was approved by the World Bank on April 26, 2017, and became effective on June 28, 2017.

It is in its sixth year of implementation with the closing date being December 31, 2023.

Over the last 30 years, the communities have hosted the refugees by providing a haven. 

However, this has left devastating effects on the environment, economy and social well-being of the hosts.

To control the situation, the government with funding from the World Bank in 2017, came up with the KDRDIP aimed at helping the host communities compensate for what they had to share with the refugees.

The project is implemented in five sub-counties namely Daadab, Fafi and Lagdera in Garissa County, Wajir South in Wajir County and Turkana West in Turkana County.

Speaking on Friday in Modogashe town, the MP accompanied ASAL and Regional Development Principal Secretary Idris Dokota in touring several projects under the KDRDIP.

Some of the projects that have been done by KDRDIP are in the health sectors, water and education.

They have helped in constructing market stalls in rural areas as well as giving grants to community groups.

“I can say without any fear of contradiction that this project greatly empowered our respective communities at the grassroots level. The benefits of these projects to the community are well documented. In each and every ward the KDRDIP has its footprint as far as projects are concerned,” he said.

He added:

“As you know when our respective constituencies have hosted refugees. Yes, they are our brothers and sisters and we have graciously accepted to live with them for decades. However, this has left devastating effects on both the environment, economy and social well-being of the hosts,” he said.

The MP used the opportunity to call on the government, NGOs and other development partners to work towards coming up with more resilient-building strategies to address the effects of climate change.

The MP said that his constituency has for far too long suffered from the issue of water shortage calling on the government to hasten the building of mega dams that he said will come in handy to the residents whom he said are forced to walk for long distances in search of the commodity.

The PS on his part said that the government is committed to ensuring that the livelihood of the people in communities hosting refugees is not negatively affected by the influx of refugees which causes competition for resources.

He commended the KDRDIP  noting that it has greatly contributed to the country’s key development priorities of reducing poverty and inequality.

“KDRDIP resonates with the Government Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda of our Kenya kwanza Government which prioritizes development programs whose aim is to bring down the cost of living, eradicating hunger and creating jobs, especially among the marginalized groups,” he said

On the issue of the perennial drought, the PS said that the government was well prepared to respond to drought and other emergencies.

He said the ministry has initiated some drought mitigation intervention measures saying that plans for both short and long-term measures, key among them the building of mega dams across the ASAL region were right on track.

During the three-day visit, the PS will Commission the Alango Arba Water Project, Commission Haji Aden Water Project, Commission Afweine Primary Project, Lay the foundation for the construction of the Afweine Secondary School, laboratory and dining hall and  Commission the Barsaben Water Project.