The Ghost Town

Lokichoggio also known as Loki, is one of the seven wards in Turkana west constituency. It is located 93.3km from Kakuma which is the constituency headquarter. Lokichoggio borders South sudan by approximately 30km connected by the A1 super highway road.

The place earned popularity as a result of hosting over 45 NGOs, United Nations offices and the International Airport that assisted to supply medicines, foods, other humanitarian aids to the neighboring war torn countries like Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia and passengers airline services to other countries. It also acted as a hub for frontiers services to the affected countries.

Existence of the NGOs and the UN affiliated agencies provided a greater source of employment in the region and attracted a lot of job seekers within and outside other counties including foreign and local investors. There was a mass employment and business opportunities which resulted to high cash circulation that led to inflation in the area. It was the place that was at the verge of becoming the epitome of the county’s economic basket. White tablecloth restaurants like Kate camp hotel, 748 hotel, Proland Inn, Trackmark hotel among others and joints nourished as people rode in taxis and enjoyed the good life the town could offer.

It developed to a metropolitan where the locals nicknamed “Loki Laga” which meant that “the place with entry without exit” in short, a place where if a visitor entered the town, he/she would not exit. The town that was at its peak.

However, every great story has a sad ending. That was the case to the famous town, the damn mistake was that the golden opportunity that had presented itself was never seized by the locals. The county or rather the constituency was to take advantage of the NGOs and the associates to push for development projects that would create confident reliance and sustainability then and years to come. They had never thought outside the box as they were blinded by the then glory which never lasted. None had imagined that the NGOs and the agencies would pull out one day.

Her fateful moment came to the hailed town when Sudan signed the Comprehensive Peace Acord that led to the pull out of the major partners i.e UN and the ICRC. Thousands of people were left unemployed and hundreds of businesses slammed their doors shut. People from other counties that were left jobless relocated to their home counties in search for greener pastures.

Investors from other counties decided to sale their houses and business premises as others abandoned them to overgrown green bushes concealing its once glory. High end restaurants that were frequently visited by high profile visitors and international travelers are now striving to survive every single day as others opted to quit.

The town that was buzzing day and night, the town that was at its potential and the shopping basket for thousands of people is now marooned to its dusts. It is no more except for the echoes of her greatness. Her downfall was never seen coming. The giant structures abandoned stand erect as a monument for her grave and the reminder that she was failed by her dwellers.

Finally, Every beginning has an end it doesn’t matter how and there is a second chance, for every rise comes a fall and for a fall there is liberty to choose either to remain fallen or to rise again to the greater heights. Currently the A1 road construction is paving its way to South Sudan heading to its capital Juba which is a great deal. As soon as it will be done the “ghost town” will have the chance to make it right and redeem itself once more. It will be the business hub connecting Kenya to Sudan which will attract investors from both countries.