Residents of Garissa County living along the Isiolo-Mandera Road corridor are set to benefit from a series of socio-economic infrastructure projects under the World Bank-funded Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project (HoAGDP), with investments targeting water supply, healthcare, education and water storage infrastructure.
The projects form part of 103 socio-economic infrastructure sub-projects that have been approved and validated under the HoAGDP, paving the way for implementation in the coming months.
Among the projects earmarked for Garissa are the Modogashe Water Supply Project, Skanska Water Supply Project, Jilango Dam, Eldere Dam, Kupbader Dispensary, Kambi Samaki Dispensary, laboratory facilities at Janju and Barquqe dispensaries, and support for the Health Sciences programme at Garissa University.
The investments are expected to improve access to clean and reliable water, strengthen primary healthcare services, enhance medical training, increase water storage capacity and expand access to quality public services for communities living along the project’s zone of influence.
The initiatives are also designed to complement the ongoing upgrading of the Isiolo-Mandera Road, ensuring that communities directly benefit from the economic opportunities created by the strategic transport corridor.
The projects were discussed during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Engineering and Development Initiative (NEDI) to the County Government of Garissa. The delegation was led by NEDI Coordinator Mohamed Guled.
The team was received by Garissa County Executive Committee Member for Roads, Transport and Public Works Nassir Mohamed and County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Investment and Enterprise Development Mohamed Suleiman.
During the meeting, county officials welcomed the planned investments, noting that they align with the county’s development priorities of expanding access to water, healthcare and education while promoting economic growth and improving the quality of life for residents.
The Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project is financed through a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank. Besides upgrading the Isiolo-Mandera transport corridor, the programme includes a social investment component aimed at delivering long-term socio-economic benefits to communities along the route.
The courtesy visit formed part of stakeholder consultations ahead of the commencement of the projects, with both the County Government of Garissa and the NEDI team reaffirming their commitment to working together to ensure the timely implementation of the approved investments.
