There
are two main projects that have unmatched potential of unlocking of the economic
potentials of several counties in Kenya. These two projects are;
- LAPSSET
Project.
- The
standard gauge railway.
The drafters of vision 2030 pointed out these two projects, and other projects, as
being macro enablers of the vision 2030.
Today
we want to look at the status of the implementation of the LAPSSET project and
with specific reference to Isiolo County.
Frequent
local travellers will tell you that Isiolo is located at the centre of Kenya.
It is almost equidistant from all border points of Kenya.
The
strategic location of Isiolo County and the implementation of the LAPSSET
project is a very rare combination of factors that will bolster economic
activities in the county.
It
is now 3 years since the LAPSSET project was launched. Many of the projects
components are behind schedule. However, the construction of highways and link
roads is ongoing. It is now a matter of time before Isiolo County emerges as a
financial giant in Kenya.
The
time that it will take for the highways and the link roads to be fully
constructed greatly determines the time when Isiolo will benefit from its
potential.
Given
the fact that in several areas the link roads never existed, the full construction
of the link roads may not be realized earlier than 2018.
Before
the year 2018, the business minded people are best advised to take up their
rightful steps. It is now the right time to establish enterprises in Isiolo
County.
Just
to paint a rough picture of the future of Isiolo, try to estimate the number of
passengers who will use Isiolo as a transit point. Passengers travelling to
Turkana from Nairobi will prefer to use Isiolo because the route is shorter
than the Nakuru – Eldoret route. Passengers heading to Ethiopia from many parts
of Kenya will also use Isiolo as a transit point.
Given
the high number of passengers that will transit through Isiolo, the following
are the areas that investors can look into;
- Accommodation
(After a long journey, drivers and passengers will have to rest for a night
before proceeding with the journey).
- Fast
food restaurants.
- Petrol
stations.