North-Eastern Parliamentary Group Stakeholders Unveils Forum Master Plan To Address Decades Of Marginalisation
Members of the North-Eastern group briefing journalists after the meeting
By MKT Correspondent
The North-Eastern Parliamentary Group concluded its three-day stakeholders’ engagement conference, which brought together senators, members of the National Assembly, and key professionals from the North Eastern region.
The forum aimed to forge a unified front among the region’s political leaders, professionals, and opinion leaders.
“Our shared objective is to chart a collective path towards addressing the pressing challenges facing the region. For over 60 years, our region has been consciously excluded from the broader national development agenda,” said the Secretary General of the Caucus, Yakub Salah who is also the MP for Fafi constituency.
Treasurer of the group and Mandera County Women Representative Ummulkheir Kassim expressed concerns about the systemic underdevelopment in the region.
She highlighted poor infrastructure, lack of basic services, and the fact that about 851,000 pupils are unable to attend school.
Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan commended the group and professionals for the extensive deliberations during the forum.
“What we want now is a master plan and action. No one will develop your area without you walking together,” he emphasized.
Vice Chairperson of the Group and Mandera East MP, Hussein Weytan, echoed the call for collective efforts.
He revealed that the forum resolved to develop a comprehensive master plan for the North-Eastern region that aligns with national development goals while addressing its unique challenges and opportunities.
The master plan will serve as a strategic blueprint for economic growth, infrastructure development, and social progress, ultimately culminating in a sessional paper to guide the national policy for North Eastern Kenya.
The Secretary General Yakub Salah further called for the expedited construction of key infrastructure, including the Modogashe-Samatar and Rhamu-Mandera roads, and filling in missing links such as Moyale-Wajir, Moyale-Mandera via Takaba, and the Garissa-Liboi security roads.
These routes, he argued, are crucial for regional connectivity and development.
Patron of the group Farah Maalim expressed gratitude for the successful engagement, reaffirming the caucus’s commitment to amplifying their collective voice. He stressed that the group would continue advocating for increased investments in critical sectors such as infrastructure, water, energy, security, education, healthcare, and climate resilience.
Chairperson of the group and Eldas MP Adan Keynan called for unity, emphasizing the homogeneity of the Somali community in the North East.
He stated that “the residents of the North East are a single ethnic community, the Somali,” and urged them to leverage this identity for regional development.
The conference also called for the enactment of the Livestock Bill 2024 to establish the Livestock and Livestock Products Marketing and Development Authority and the Kenya Livestock Research Organization. Additionally, the group advocated for an increased budget allocation to the livestock sector and improved access to markets.
A key proposal was the introduction of a government-financed medical insurance scheme to cover residents of the North East, aiming to relieve the rising healthcare costs and address emergent household needs.
The forum also called for the urgent completion of the Horn of Africa Gateway Project, particularly the Isiolo to Mandera Road, and the construction of key roads such as Moyale-Wajir and the Mandera-Lamu Circuit, which are vital for security and economic development.
Addressing the educational crisis, the group demanded that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) deploy all trained, unemployed teachers to the North Eastern region to address the significant shortage. They also called for the strengthening of adult education programs and the revival of low-cost boarding schools.
The forum marked the beginning of a renewed commitment to advocate for the region’s rightful place in Kenya’s development agenda.
Both Maalim and Keynan expressed their gratitude to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula, and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Samuel Njoroge, for their support in ensuring the success of the North Eastern Parliamentary Group Forum.
“I want to sincerely thank the Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly for providing the necessary support and staff to ensure that this engagement was fruitful,” said Keynan.
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