Mandera Governor’s Official mansion highlights questionable spending priorities

As Mandera Governor Ali Roba completes his second and final term in office, he finds himself in a difficult position – his administration is yet to finish development projects he initiated in the 2013/2014 financial year, Every financial year, the county pumps more cash into the same projects initiated at the onset of devolution…

One of the largest projects was and remains the building of the county headquarters office block, whose initial cost was Sh290 million. The others are the governor’s official residence (Sh107 million), the county assembly block (Sh184 million) and county hotel (Sh294 million).

Other projects initiated in 2013/2014 include Mandera International Airport, whose feasibility study cost Sh300 million, the building of the Mandera International Livestock Market for Sh170 million and the tarmacking of a 20km road in Mandera town for Sh2.4 billion.

Mr Roba has blamed slow development in Mandera on insecurity and lack of locally skilled labour, attributing increases in budgets for projects to variations in the cost of construction materials and labour.