The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, and Urban Areas Management, Peter Akono met a team from KRA and members of the Nakwei Community, to openly deliberate on the acquisition of land for the installation of cargo inspection facility at Nakwei, Kanamkemer Ward, Turkana Central Sub-county.

CECM Akono said that the meeting was an opportunity for the Nakwei Community to air out their concerns and later reach an agreement with the KRA team. Nakwei Community did not agree previously with KRA on modalities, through which the Authority would acquire the land for the cargo inspection facility.

He recognized the involvement of members of the public as they participate in matters affecting them directly.

The County Executive went on to say, “It is a legal requirement to involve the public in such matters and that the County Government would support such engagements in a bid to ensure communities who give up land for Government utility and other installations also benefit from the resulting programs.”

The Team Leader for KRA delegation Gechege Macheria, who is a Deputy Commissioner at the Authority acknowledged the need to involve the local communities as presented by the CECM.

He promised to create job opportunities and provide educational assistance to them.

Commissioner Macheria said that the World Bank-funded cargo inspection facility would serve the A1 road passing through the County, courtesy of the LAPSSET Project for all cargo from Kenya to South Sudan and vice versa.

The Team Lead also promised that KRA will work with the community to institute a mechanism through which complaints will be resolved and keep the community updated on a regular basis.

The joint meeting was attended by Joseph Egiron (Director of Physical planning), Dorcas Lolem (Sub County Lands Officer), Thomas Siele (KRA) and Nakwei community representatives.