The dream of opening up Northern Kenya is turning into a mirage, according to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who claims the 750km Isiolo-Mandera highway construction has ground to a halt.

In a blistering statement, Gachagua alleged that contractors have downed tools for the last three months due to non-payment. "Workers have never been paid their money," he charged, painting a picture of abandoned machinery and frustrated locals. The project, a key artery of the Lapsset Corridor, was meant to be the economic lifeline for a region historically marginalized by successive governments.

The Blame Game

The government’s rebuttal was swift but nuanced. President Ruto had previously admitted that contracts for two sections (Modogashe-Samatar and Rhamu-Mandera) were terminated by "mutual agreement" to pave the way for World Bank funding. This bureaucratic pivot seems to be the cause of the delay.

"We want to oversee the longest road ever built by any administration," Ruto promised, targeting a 2027 completion. But for the people of Isiolo and Mandera, promises do not pave roads. The delay impacts everything from security response times to the price of milk.

• The Project: A 750km highway linking Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
• The Status: Stalled pending new World Bank-funded procurement.

Economic Sabotage?

Critics argue that the delay is symptomatic of a broader liquidity crisis in the Treasury. With debt repayments consuming tax revenues, infrastructure projects are the first to suffer. Gachagua’s public complaint hints at internal friction within the administration over resource allocation.

Until the excavators start moving again, the Isiolo-Mandera highway remains a potent symbol of Kenya’s development paradox: grand ambitions strangled by empty coffers.