The controversy is brewing in an Sh10 billion World Bank-funded project that aims at providing priority support to the communities that have hosted refugees for the last 26 years over its implementation.
This is after a section of Garissa raised a red flag over what they have termed as irregularities and poor coordination in the implementation of the project known as the Kenya Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (KDRDIP) project in the county.
Under the umbrella of the Garissa Residents Association (GRA), they allege the implementation of the project has been hijacked by elites instead of being implemented through the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach.null
In a petition addressed to Lisa Schmidt, KDRDIP Project officer, World Bank Kenya, the residents argue that whereas the project has good intentions of enhancing the livelihoods of the host communities through access to basic services, expansion of economic opportunities, and enhancement of environment management, the process had been hijacked by local MPs.
They pointed an accusing finger at MPs Abdikhaim Osman (Fafi), Mohamed Hire (Lagdera), and Mohamed Dahir (Dadaab).
“Our findings reveal that these good intentions are a risk of being down watered down in the sub-counties of Fafi, Lagdera, and Daadab by local elites who have hijacked the whole implementation process to further their interests at the expense of the community,” the petition dated February 25 and received by World Bank reads in part.
They claim there is graft brewing in the deal.
To add more concerns, the county government withdrew its staff citing undue dominance of the facilitating partners.
The project is supposed to benefit host communities in Daadab, Fafi, and Lagdera Sub-Counties.
In the execution of the project, the county government is now lamenting that the national government has sidestepped the local administration and instead preferred to work with local Members of Parliament (MPs) disregarding the county government’s sphere of policy implementation input.
KDRDIP is integrated area-based support for refugee-hosting locations in these three sub-counties by reconstructing and rehabilitating critical socioeconomic infrastructure and more importantly by endeavoring to contain regional spillovers of conflicts.
It is a five-year project that aims at providing priority support to the communities that have hosted refugees for the last 26 years.
The host communities are in Daadab, Fafi, and Lagdera Sub-Counties in Garissa County, Wajir South in Wajir County, and Turkana West in Turkana County.
In a letter addressed to ASAl PS Micah Bowen, Garissa County Secretary Abdi Ali cites poor coordination in implementing KDRDIP projects and undermining the county administration role.null
“You are aware are contesting the approval of Annual Work Plan and Budget for 2020/2021 which was done irregularly and without consultation of the county administration for ownership and sustainability,” Ali says in the letter dated February 15, 2021.
“90 percent of the proposed sub-projects are not aligned to the CIDP and ADP. Half of the community groups selected for funding are also not in the CDPs for the three sub-counties.”
Ali said it calls for revalidation and approval of all the activities by county technical staff and structures.
The county further adds that the Annual Work Plan and Budget for 2020/2021 was done devoid of their involvement and passed through the right procedures from village level validation, ward level consolidation, and aggregation at sub-county levels.
“In view of the above development, all chief officers who have projects and sub-counties under this KDRDIP programme are hereby required to stop further engagements until when advised otherwise by the undersigned.”
“The same strict directives should be cascaded down to the technical directors and project implementation support team at the sub-county levels,” he added.
Ali said the county government will be engaging all the stakeholders in ensuring that participation agreement /MOU is implemented accordingly.
Powon said meetings had been held and issues raised by the county government addressed.
“It was agreed that all issues are finalized and addressed satisfactory and that the County Government would retract the letters previous withdrawing county participation in KDRDIP implementation process,” he said.
The developments are likely to derail the project’s implementation and officials are demanding urgent meetings to address the raised concerns.
“We urge the Cabinet Secretary to take this matter seriously because it will affect the implementation at large. We suspect some people have bad motives at large,” said an official aware of the developments.
The official added national government officials in Garissa have been holding meetings to implement the project without involving the county officials which is also part of the problem.
He added one constituency is getting Sh290 million and another one Sh148million using registered Non-Governmental Organizations.
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