MPs reject new roads as North Kenya faces cuts

Lawmakers from Northern Kenya have raised strong objections to the Roads Ministry’s budget for 2025/26, which proposes new infrastructure projects while many existing ones in their region remain incomplete due to unpaid bills.

During a meeting of the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure on Wednesday, MPs criticized the ministry for sidelining Northern Kenya in the government-funded projects, pointing out that their constituencies had been left out in the budget allocations.

Wajir North MP Ibrahim Abdi Saney questioned the fairness of the budget, saying, "Are we not Kenyans? Do we belong to a different country? Am I not an elected Member like my colleagues? Why is it that when it comes to development, we are being sidelined?"

He added that the only road project in his area was donor-funded, calling this a longstanding injustice that must be addressed.

Mandera East MP Abdirahman Weytan also criticized the budget, saying, "Equity was not exercised while preparing these budget estimates."

The committee expressed concern that while new road projects have been added for the coming year, many ongoing projects, especially in Northern Kenya, remain stalled with unpaid bills delaying completion.

MPs urged the ministry to halt new projects until existing ones are finished, emphasizing the need to clear pending debts first to restore trust with contractors.

Concerns were also raised over large programs like NAMATA and LAPSSET, with lawmakers questioning their impact given the limited development seen so far.

"Where is the development?" asked North Imenti MP Dawood Rahim.

Members further warned that the State Department for Shipping and Maritime was suffering from budget cuts that have crippled its operations, calling for urgent intervention by the National Treasury.

In response, Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir admitted the concerns were valid, explaining that the ministry is working within tight financial limits.

"The issues raised are valid. But we’re working within a tight fiscal space. Nevertheless, we’ll ensure equity and affirmative programs are prioritized where they are most needed," he said.

He acknowledged the uneven allocations and funding delays that have hampered performance but assured MPs the budget is still under review to address these challenges.