Ongoing mega infrastructure projects across the coastal region, including roads, dams, seaports, airports, and the blue economy are progressing steadily and are poised to significantly boost economic growth, enhance food security and road connectivity.
Speaking during the National Government Development – Coast Regional Implementation Coordination and Management Committee (NGD-RICMC) meeting, Coast Regional Commissioner (RC) Rhoda Onyancha lauded regional directors of Government Departments for effective coordination of the projects.
RC Onyancha reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure all projects that are behind schedule because of financial constraints will resume in the 2025/2026 financial year.
“All state projects will resume in the 2025/2026 Financial Year,” she affirmed, noting renewed investor interest in the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project in Kilifi and Tana River counties.
RC Onyancha also encouraged government departments to work closely with National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) to swiftly resolve any implementation challenges.
The regional directors were also encouraged to collaborate to ensure the timely completion of projects without any obstacles.
“No department should impede the function of another department,” said Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno, underscoring the importance of inter-agency cooperation.
One of the flagship initiatives is the Sh7.5 billion Bura Irrigation and Settlement Scheme Rehabilitation project. Phase One of the project is near completion, which will boost the country’s food security as 25,000 acres will be under a gravity system of irrigation.
The project will upgrade the irrigation scheme from a pump-fed irrigation system to a gravity-fed system and increase the amount of abstracted water from the current three cubic metres per second to 11 cubic metres per second.
The project will improve food and nutrition security and enhance beneficiary income and manufacturing through the irrigation of industrial crops such as cotton and sunflower.
Tana River County Commissioner David Koskei informed the committee that an investor intends to farm sugarcane on 10,000 acres. “The project is going to change the matrix of Tana River completely,” he stated, adding that the community has wholeheartedly embraced the food security project.
The Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) Regional Director, Eng. Timothy Kendagor, reported that 12 road projects are currently underway across the six coastal counties. Among them, the Sh257.7 million Mwachande Bridge and access roads in Kwale County are 59.38 per cent complete.
Once completed, the bridge will connect Mwangulu and Kikoneni to Msambweni sub-county, enhancing trade and access to services.
In Tana River, the Kipao Foot Bridge across River Tana in Garsen Constituency is nearing completion at 96.4 per cent. Though launched in December 2022 with an eight-month timeline, the project faced delays due to funding shortfalls.
To resolve the perennial flooding along the link road in Nyali, Mombasa, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has awarded a contract amounting to Sh64.4 million for the construction of culverts and vertical drains.
KURA Coast Region Deputy Director Eng. Endelinah Eustace confirmed that the contractor is on site, mobilising equipment. Once completed, the project will significantly ease traffic flow and pedestrian movement in the area.
By Sadik Hassan
