Three MPs from Garissa whose constituencies host Somali refugees expressed optimism that the Kenya development response displacement impacts project[KDRDIP] will change the lives of their electorates for the better.
The shs.10 billion project is being implemented in three counties of Garissa (shs 4.2 billion), Wajir (shs 2 billion) and Turkana (shs.3.1 billion). In Garissa the sub-counties of Fafi, Dadaab and Lagdera will each receive (shs.1.5b), (shs.1.6b) and (shs.1.1b) respectively and will be implemented over the next 5 years.
MPs Mohamed Dahiye[Dadaab], Mohamed Hire[Lagdera] and Abdikarim Osman said that all they want to see is their people benefiting from the projects.
Dahiye whose constituency currently host 273,000 refugees said that the projects will improve access to basic social services, expand economic opportunities, and enhance environmental management for communities hosting refugees in the targeted areas.
“We are happy that the government of Kenya together with the world bank has considered to support these refugee-hosting communities with some financial support for development” said Dahiye.
On his part, Hire said that contrary to what was being said that they were out to interfere with the project said that as MPs all they want was to see the people they represent benefit from the projects.
“This project is of immense benefit to our communities because it will empower the communities at the grass root level as you know when our respective constituencies hosted refugees there were serious impacts in terms of environment, economic, social and communal aspect,” said Hire.
He added “As representatives of the people who know how our people have been negatively affected by the presence of the3 refugee, we cant wait to the lives of our electorates change for the better.
Osman on his part expressed optimism that with proper planning, coordination and implementation of KDRDIP, the host communities will benefit immensely through access to basic services, expansion of economic opportunities and enhancement of environmental management in the affected counties.
“By the end of the project period, we hope that it will improve self-reliance among refugee-hosting communities, social cohesion between refugees and host communities, increase the voices and roles of citizens in decision making regarding development,” said Osman.
The three were speaking after attending a steering committee meeting which was chaired by area county commissioner Meru Mwangi and which was meant to approve the annual work plan and budgets of 2021-22.
Over the last 30 years, communities around Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps within the Counties of Garissa, Wajir and Turkana have hosted the bulk of the refugees by providing a safe haven.
Speaking in Garissa in 2018 during the project launch ,devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa said the community should the ones to prioritize their projects.
Wamalwa said that the project is an integral part of the broader North and North Eastern intuitive that will focus on community level approaches to address the impact of the protracted presence of refugees in the affected areas.
There is a total of sh 762 million which will be disbursed to the three sub-counties. the money will go to 408 groups that will benefit from the disbursement with each group getting sh 500,000.
The presence of refugees in the three project counties has impacted negatively to the host communities and deepened poverty levels. This has led to increased demand for natural resource, water, pasture and fuel that has caused degradation of the environment.