White elephants: Fate of several county projects in doubt

A looming funding crisis could render dozens of multibillion-shilling projects in several counties obsolete should the national government fail to step in to plug the financial gap left by development partners who are pulling out their finances.

The projects risk turning into white elephants should financiers such as the World Bank turn off the taps and counties and the central government fail to make the difference in funding to facilitate their completion.

They include the World Bank-funded Sh1.1 billion 64 Stadium in Uasin Gishu County and the Kenya Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (KDRDIP) targeting locals who have given up their lands to host refugee campss in Turkana, Garissa, and Wajir Counties.

The fate of the KDRDIP hangs in balance as the five-year schemes come to an end next month.

Turkana West Sub-county, which hosts the Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement, would by December have used Sh3.2 billion of the Sh10 billion World Bank loan and Sh1.18 billion grant from the Danish government.

The projects are aimed at improving access to social services, expanding economic opportunities, and enhancing environmental management for host and displaced households.

Modern health facility

One such project is the Sh40 million modern health facility that is coming up at Nakururum village in Lokichoggio Ward, which will include doctors' houses, a maternity wing, male and female wards, and an outpatient department. 

During the final evaluation by the World Bank team, KDRDIP officials, and representatives from the Danish Embassy, it was established that, for effective and efficient utilisation of the projects, the county government and local leaders must chip in and allocate resources to equip the health centre and employ staff.

World Bank Project Team Leader Annette Omolo pointed out that, though most project were completed, there existed critical gaps in designs with contractors forgetting a critical element of water harvesting systems.

“In future, the water projects should include desalination plants alongside other water treatment options for safe clean drinking water,” County Water Executive Faith Aletea told the team.

There was also a need, she added, to invest heavily in geophysical investigation and water mapping research to boost the borehole yields with desirable water quality and quantity.

Ms Nancy Njenga, the Danish Embassy portfolio manager for the KDRDIP project, said she was generally satisfied that their resources went into the right infrastructure like health facilities, water projects, and markets.

Infrastructural projects

Dr Wilfred Omari, the KDRDIP project manager, said that, since 2017, more than 1,600 infrastructural projects in Daadab, Fafi, and Lagdera in Garissa County, Wajir South in Wajir County and Turkana West in Turkana County have been completed.

"We are intervening by providing access to water with 70 boreholes and 10 water pans. We have also constructed 200 classrooms," Dr Omari said.

The Uasin Gishu County Government has pumped in additional funds for the completion of the Sh1.1 billion 64 Stadium after the World Bank slashed its funding. The devolved unit was to receive over Sh600 million to construct the modern stadium that is meant to accommodate over 12,000 people under a five-year deal.

“The construction of the project that was launched in June 2021 was to take 15 months but a funding cutback by the World Bank and impact of Covid-19 has delayed the completion of the project,” said Eldoret Municipality Manager Tito Koiyet.

He disclosed that the county allocated Sh160 million in the 2022/2023 financial year and an additional Sh130 million in 2023/2024, with the project set to be finished in March next year, in time to co-host the African Cup of Nations in 2027.

He said the municipality was working with the Sports Stadia Management Board to ensure that the facility meets international standards.

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