County Department of Lands, Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Areas Management has today received a delegation of the Border Management Secretariat, a multi-agency of different entities that paid a courtesy call to the County Executive Committee Member for a consultative meeting.
The Border Management Secretariat’s meeting was keen to request for land to establish a new Point of Entry and Exit (POE) at Todonyang, Turkana North.
County Executive Committee Member Peter Akono expressed support for working together with the multi-agency team to forge ahead a united front for development agenda of the County Government on matters land.
On Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA) request on land to establish a point of Entry and Exit, CEC Akono insisted that for an organisation to acquire land for any development, Law on Community Land Act is very clear and the laid down legal procedure has to be followed to the latter.
“The community must be engaged through public participation. The leadership must also be involved and consulted on matters land in the County”. Underscored CEC.
He also added that the County will need to enter into MOU with KRA to safeguard the interests of the local community in ensuring social inclusion of the locals in order to get maximum benefits from the development venture.
Border Management Secretariat Team Leader, Kennedy Nyaiyo, while briefing the CEC on the need to establish the new Point of Entry and Exit, informed that survey was conducted countrywide to identify potential border crossing points.
Nyaiyo said Todonyang was among the five identified new Points that were approved by the National Advisory Security Committee.
“The border control facilities main infrastructure will be an establishment of a customs border station at Todonyang. The Point of Entry and Exit will play a significant role in facilitating trade, security movement of cargo, people and also promote facilitation of transit trade”, stated Nyaiyo.
Additionally, he said in order to implement and accomplish the said mandate of trade facilitation, KRA will be involved in the construction of office block to accommodate all border and security agencies, a parking lot for trucks, warehouse, verification yards and also equip the station with necessary office and patrol equipments.
KRA will also partner, Team Leader said, with ancillary government agencies to deploy staff and operationalise the border station.
County Directors Joseph Egiron ( Surveys), Victor Lekaram(Urban Areas Management) and Davis Munialo (Physical Planning) were in attendance.
Kenya Revenue Authority officials were Henry Mbogo, Bramwel Malile, Samuel Kinyanjui, Charles Murithi. Andrew Nyatuka (Immigration Officer), Stephen Barasa (Revenue Officer) and Galgalo Bora of National Land Commission were present in the meeting.
