Poor roads Mandera’s biggest curse

Security officers at the scene of the Al-Shabaab terror attack in Mandera where 28 people were gunned down by Al-Shabaab militants in the attack. PHOTO | MANASE OTSIALO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Mandera Governor Ali Roba said the poor state of Mandera-Wajir-Garissa road had forced motorists to opt for the Arabiya Road near the Somalia border where most of them have been attacked.
• During his visit on Tuesday, Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, who had gone to plead with non-local workers not to vacate the county, promised that the national government will improve the Mandera-Wajir-Garissa road so that motorists can stop using Arabiya Road.
• The county government hopes to extend the tarmac to major towns of Elwak, Takaba and Rhamu within the county, but the main Mandera-Wajir-Garrisa remains the responsibility of the national government under Kenha.

By LUCAS BARASA
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By MANASE OTSIALO
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The poor road network in border county of Mandera has greatly contributed to frequent Al-Shabaab attacks.

The militia group has turned the county into its playground where it has been launching attacks at will, killing, maiming and destroying property.

In the past three months alone, there have been more than 15 attacks where the militia has been using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) or shooting innocent Kenyans.

The latest attack was last week when the terror group’ members hijacked a bus travelling to Nairobi and massacred 28 non-Muslims in a style reminiscent of Boko Haram in Nigeria or Isis in Iraq.

Mandera Governor Ali Roba said the poor state of Mandera-Wajir-Garissa road had forced motorists to opt for the Arabiya Road near the Somalia border where most of them have been attacked.

KILLED

Before last week’s killing of mostly teachers and health workers, 12 policemen had been butchered and their bodies set on fire by the militia on the dangerous Arabiya road at the notorious Omar Jillo hills.

“I led a team from Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) on a tour of Mandera-Wajir-Garissa road, which falls under their jurisdiction and they acknowledged that it required to be fixed quickly,” Mr Roba told the Nation.

During his visit on Tuesday, Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, who had gone to plead with non-local workers not to vacate the county, promised that the national government will improve the Mandera-Wajir-Garissa road so that motorists can stop using Arabiya Road. Mr Kinyua also promised police escorts for travellers.

There has been an outcry that the Jubilee administration had backtracked on its promise to tarmac roads in northern Kenya. Mandera is the only county without a single inch of tarmac.

STOPPED CONSTRUCTION

With the onset of devolution, Mandera initiated the construction of its first tarmac road, a 24 kilometre stretch in the town. The construction was, however, slowed when two IEDs exploded as a caterpillar scooped soil, injuring a worker and a passer-by.

Although Mr Roba termed the incident a terrorist act, police played it down, saying it was as a result of business rivalry.

The county government hopes to extend the tarmac to major towns of Elwak, Takaba and Rhamu within the county, but the main Mandera-Wajir-Garrisa remains the responsibility of the national government under Kenha.

The stretch between Mandera town through Rhamu to Elwak, then connecting back to Mandera-Wajir highway is long and bumpy, which makes motorists opt for the Mandera-Arabia-Lafey-Elwak stretch which is less than six kilometres from the Kenya/Somalia border, where many have been attacked.

 “If the roads were good, the driver could have escaped the attack but he got stuck in the mud as he tried to speed off,” said Mandera County Police Commander Noah Mwivanda. 

 In the Saturday attack , the bus destined for Nairobi was attacked only after covering 30 kilometres on the Mandera-Arabia-Lafey-Elwak stretch