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{
"id": 1552863,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1552863/?format=api",
"text_counter": 192,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Davis Chirchir",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport",
"speaker": null,
"content": "million. There is extra mechanical service construction of a pump house, an elevated water tank and a borehole, which also has been completed for Kshs55 million. There is relocation of a school, KK Nkengecia Phase One and there is also a Phase Two with both costing Kshs97 million, that is Kshs76.4 million and Kshs20.4 million, respectively. With the project total and both having been completed, with the project cost at Kshs2.974 billion, approximately 3 billion, you can see the significance of the big investment. We need to get down to answer the next question. Why is the airport not operational after that level of expenditure? One the question of the compensation to residents who are displaced as a result of the project and how we are planning to finalize the compensation, on 2nd November, 2004, the Isiolo County Government agreed to set aside a portion of trustland for the expansion and promised alternative land for those affected in nearby areas. A similar discussion took place in the defunct County Council of Meru North. The authority consulted with stakeholders, including district commissioners at that time, culminating in a supportive workshop that took place on 14th January, 2005. The benefits of the airport project were highlighted, leading to further collaborative planning between the councils. After completing a joint fiscal planning exercise, the park development plans were submitted and approved by the Ministry of Lands and Housing in April 2006. The authority received a letter of allotment for approximately 253 hectares on 23rd May, 2006. Meanwhile, in or around November 2004, the then Isiolo County Council conducted an identification exercise of persons affected by the expansion of the airstrip. A full council adoption of the same was obtained and the affected persons were to be relocated by the County Council of Isiolo. As of today, due to multiple conflicts and claims, the authority has not been able to compensate the project affected persons because the genuine affected persons by the airport expansion have not been identified. In the process of vetting genuine persons and determining just compensation for the land used for expansion of the airport solely lies with the National Land Commission (NLC). In addition, there are multiple court land matters about Isiolo International Airport, which we have annexed. Certainly, given the time frame and the historical time frame, we just need to complete that. Therefore, we need to get the NLC together with the county government and, of course, ourselves to close that issue, as the concern has been brought out by Sen. Dullo. As regarding plans to extend the runway at the airport, and if so, whether we can provide a timeline, we have listed our projects that have been planned to make Isiolo International Airport fully functional, to support both passenger and cargo traffic, and then support that investment that has been put on the ground. These projects are all dependent with the allocation of funding. Isiolo being where it is in the LAPSSET Corridor, we will work very closely with the National Treasury to ensure that with the projected budget estimate that I have enumerated of Kshs4.8 billion, that covers what we need to do. That include rehabilitation of the existing runway through the mid-term programme, an evaluation of the existing runway which was done. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}