How the state has misused 3.3B in attempts to scare away Al Shabaab

The state has been struggling to find a perfect solution to keep away Al Shabaab from entering the country.

To make it a reality Security Committee advised the state to build Kenya-Somali border wall.

The border fence was birthed on January 30, 2015, following the approval by the National Security Advisory Committee. Later, the Executive visited the US-Mexico; Israel- Syria; India- Pakistan borders for lessons.

The Kenya-Somalia border extends from Mandera to Lamu with official crossing points at Mandera, Elwak, Liboi and Ishakani.

MPs yesterday raised fears that the taxpayers may have lost money in the construction of the Kenya-Somalia border wall to ward off al Shabaab attacks.

Their fears followed disclosure that Sh3.3 billion has been spent on the building of only 10 kilometres. The border is 700 kilometres long.

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The lawmakers have invited the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to probe the matter.

Leader of Majority Aden Duale said that “state offices cannot use insecurity or the threat by al Shabaab to steal and plunder monies allocated to the project.”

The Garissa Township MP said the wall should have by now passed Liboi, Fafi, Ijara and  extended to Boni forest.

“The whole concept of the project was to eat money. People running it know that just because of insecurity EACC cannot go there,” he said.

He further questioned why the office of the Auditor General has not filed any report on the wall three financial years down the line.

“The committee chair must recommend that there is no value for money. The EACC, DPP, DCI must move with speed and bring the culprits who built the wire mesh,” Duale said.

Fafi MP Mohamed Ousman said since not much is happening on the ground, the project risks being a white elephant – a case of another mega corruption.

“We cannot use government money to enrich very few people in this country,” he said.

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