Billions tied up as Isiolo’s key infrastructure remains incomplete

At the entrance of Isiolo town along the Marsabit–Isiolo highway, two large public projects meant to signal progress now sit frozen in time, standing across from each other as unfinished concrete shells that have outlived their promises.

What was expected to reshape the town’s economy has instead turned into a stretch of abandoned works, with overgrown structures, idle machinery, and no clear end in sight. Years after launch, the projects have become part of a wider pattern of stalled development across the county.

The Isiolo Stadium, started in May 2019 at a cost of Sh345.9 million, was expected to be ready by December 2020 but ground activity stopped in 2022 after investigations began.

By then, Sh231.6 million, equal to 66.9 per cent of the contract value, had already been paid. When inspectors visited the site on August 11, 2025, there was no contractor on site and no construction activity, despite earlier indications in 2024 that the national government would take over the works after a pledge by Sports CS Salim Mvurya.

Across the road, the Isiolo Modern Market, launched in June 2018 at Sh545.2 million, was designed to ease congestion and improve trading conditions for residents.

Audit records indicate Sh366.6 million had been paid, with reports suggesting the project had reached about 80 per cent completion. However, an August 2025 inspection found the site deserted, with no ongoing works and the contractor absent.

A short distance away, the Isiolo County Headquarters project, valued at Sh556.9 million, remains unfinished despite being one of the county’s flagship developments.

The project began in March 2019 and was later fully taken over by the county government in April 2024, following a national allocation of Sh2.5 billion meant to revive stalled headquarters in six counties. Even with those commitments, inspectors found no visible progress during their 2025 visit.

The County Assembly project, which includes a debating chamber and restaurant complex worth Sh314 million, has also stalled since 2022. Five ward offices valued at Sh24 million remain incomplete as well, with Ngaremara and Sericho offices still unfinished since 2018. By March 2025, Sh19.38 million had already been spent, leaving Sh5.6 million unpaid.

In 2024, county leadership announced a Sh1.14 billion plan to restart stalled developments across Isiolo. Despite that announcement, progress has remained limited, with only the Sh870 million abattoir showing movement after nearly 17 years of delay.

Once operational, the facility is expected to process more than 2,500 animals daily.

For residents, the unfinished projects have become part of daily life and a constant reminder of unmet expectations. “We were promised jobs and growth, but all we see are fences and dust,” said one trader near the market site.

County officials did not respond to requests for comment on the stalled projects or their completion timelines, leaving uncertainty over when or if the works will resume.