Monday March 10, 2025
Jigjiga city, the capital of Somali Regional State
JIGJIGA, Ethiopia (HOL) — The Somali Regional State Communication Affairs Bureau has strongly rejected corruption allegations, calling them "false" and part of a "coordinated defamation campaign." The allegations, raised by the Somali Federalist Party, claim large sums of money allocated for development projects were misused and that critical infrastructure projects were delayed or abandoned.
Among the claims, the Somali Federalist Party pointed to the Kebri Dehar Clean Drinking Water Project, which they argue remains "unimplemented" despite a 520-million-birr budget. They also accused officials of mismanaging funds for the Jigjiga city administration building. They claimed that the second phase of Jigjiga's water supply project, valued at 1.36 billion birr, had not been completed, leaving residents reliant on expensive private water vendors. The party also claimed that roads in the Shinile, Korahe, and Jarar zones were left incomplete despite full payments to contractors.
In its response, the Bureau clarified that the Kebri Dehar water project is "52% complete" and noted that the contract was awarded through a transparent bidding process. It emphasized that the project had been documented in the Addis Zemen newspaper. The Bureau also refuted claims about the Qubi Bridge Project, stressing that it is a federal initiative overseen by the regional government and that necessary preparations for construction were finished.
Furthermore, the Bureau dismissed allegations that contractors received full payment for unfinished road projects, asserting that "no contractor has been paid in full for unimplemented projects." It added that no road construction has occurred in the Shinile district by the regional government, and the 7 km asphalt road from Dire Dawa to Shinile, a federal project, is "95% complete" and slated for completion soon.
The Bureau underscored its commitment to transparency, pointing to the competitive tendering process through official channels such as government portals and Addis Zemen newspaper.
The Bureau added that these allegations are part of an effort to undermine public trust in the government's ongoing development initiatives. Despite these claims, the Bureau reiterated that the government remains committed to advancing the region's economic, social, and political well-being.