Lodwar – 6th May 2025 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
The County Government will soon takeover 25 newly constructed socio-economic infrastructure projects valued at over KSh 2 billion, from Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) under the World Bank-funded Eastern Africa Regional Transport, Trade and Development Facilitation Project (EARTTDFP).
The EARTTDFP project, was funded by the World Bank, included the construction of the Kainuk Bridge, Lokichar-Lodwar-Nadapal highway and, laying of fibre optic cables from Eldoret to Nadapal. The socio-economic infrastructure projects span education, health, water and sanitation, transport, ICT, security, and trade, delivering a broad development footprint along the corridor.
Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus, in a meeting between the county and a KeNHA team, described the milestone as a major leap in public service delivery and regional transformation.
“These projects are not just facilities—they are instruments of change,” he said. “We now have health facilities complete with maternity wings, laboratories, pharmacies, and mortuaries in line with approved standards. We’ve seen ECDE centres, a teacher training college, boreholes, an ICT hub, roads, and truck bays—all constructed to quality standards.”
He added that poor road infrastructure had long been a driver of insecurity in Turkana, cutting off communities from services and opportunity.
“This investment addresses that historical gap. It opens up the region, supports peace, and lays the foundation for trade and prosperity. Turkana is ready to absorb more development—this is the transformation we’ve always wanted,” he added.
The joint inspection team, led by Eng. Gilbert Arasa, Deputy Engineer for Roads at the State Department of Roads, included representatives from several national agencies.
The visit followed a similar handover in West Pokot and marked a formal inspection and verification process for the Turkana component of the project.
The projects are largely distributed along the strategic highway corridor, with others extending off-road to reach interior and underserved communities. Community engagement was central to the projects’ implementation, especially on land acquisition as it remains largely communally owned.
Dr Erus acknowledged the crucial legal oversight provided by the Office of the County Attorney which worked alongside county and national agencies to facilitate community consent.
“Land issues are complex in Turkana, but we overcame that through collaborative governance. However, the formal process of land titling has already begun across the county to ease future development.”
In anticipation of the official handover, both the County Government and national institutions scheduled to receive the projects have committed to ensuring the new facilities are staffed, connected to utility services, and protected through local security measures.
KeNHA has also committed to gradually building the capacity of local technical staff, particularly in electrical maintenance, to ensure sustainable upkeep.
Other county officials in the meeting included Ag Country Secretary Joseph Nyang’a, Deputy County Secretary Dr Albert Gamoe, County Attorney Ruth Emanikor, Chief Officer for Economic Planning Samwel Ekaale and Advisor to the Office of the Governor Ambassador Richard Ekai.
Later after the courtesy call, the team proceeded to Turkana South and East for inspection of several projects together with Chief Officer Livestock Development Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel accompanied by other senior county officers.
