EDITORIAL: Clear the air on border wall

After suffering a series of terror attacks, blamed on Somalia-based Al-Shabaab, Kenya undertook to build a wall on its border with the war-ravaged eastern neighbour.

On the recommendation of the National Security Advisory Council, the government initially allocated Sh887.4 million to put up the wall to stop terrorism, trafficking and illegal immigration.

The gargantuan task, to be undertaken in three parts – Mandera- Elwak (160km), Elwak to Libat (445km) and Libat-Kiunga (105km) – started in 2014.

The immediate reason behind it was the massacre of students at Garissa University by the terrorists.

In 2015/16, a further Sh306.1 million went into the project, followed by Sh578.2 provided in 2016/17.

GRAFT
However, recent revelations by MPs that the more than Sh3 billion pumped into the project had constructed only 19km of wall, against a target of 700km, is quite alarming.

It is turning out to be another major scandal. Was the project necessary in the first place, or was it yet another gravy train for the now famous state tenderpreneurs?

The Jubilee administration’s tale is replete with major infrastructure projects that have flopped but only benefited the tenderpreneurs more than the general populace.

Opposed by Somalia, other critics also charged that building a wall was a futile measure against terrorism in an era when investing in intelligence offered a better antidote.

In any case, the masterminds of most of the previous terror attacks in Kenya were from within.

We thus ask the government to clarify the status of the project, and demonstrate its viability as a counter-terrorism measure.

Anyone found to have embezzled the project funds must be made to pay back and do their time in jail.