In brief
- Somaliland Sun reported on 2020-09-30 that the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Mr. Abdirashid Dua'le Qambi, kicked off a town planning master plan in Erigavo.
- The report describes structures on road reserves being brought down and foundations destroyed by the ministry's mowers, with the exercise starting on the south side of the town.
- The report does not establish the plan's scope, cost, funding, contracts or timeline, and no post-2020 outcome is recorded.
On 30 September 2020, Somaliland Sun reported that the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Mr. Abdirashid Dua'le Qambi, kicked off a town planning master plan in the town of Erigavo. According to the same report, the minister was accompanied by a team of engineers and town planners, and structures built on road reserves were brought down during the visit. The exercise started on the south side of the town, Somaliland Sun reported, and many building foundations were destroyed by the ministry's mowers.
The same report states that the Ministry of Public Works and Housing has started a campaign to reinvent Somaliland towns which have poor town planning records. That characterisation comes from Somaliland Sun, 2020-09-30, and not from a ministry document or official policy record.
The minister, Mr. Abdirashid Dua'le Qambi, said, per Somaliland Sun, 2020-09-30: "I thank the people of Erigavo for their support to initiate the important project." He also said, per the same report: "I would like to ask those people who have built structures on road reserves to demolish them." And: "I also order the removal of stones and other barricades put on roads." On policy, the minister said, per the report, that the new policy of the ministry of Public Works and Housing is to see through that all Somaliland cities and town are well planned.
What the 2020-09-30 report does not establish is substantial. No document, plan, map or official gazette setting out the master plan, its scope, legal basis, cost or status is cited. No project value, budget, currency, funding source, contract, contractor, consultant, timeline or completion date is stated. There is no count, register or location list for the demolished structures and foundations, and no authorising record. The report does not say what equipment the 'mowers' were, and the text does not clarify the term. No independent confirmation from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing or an Erigavo local authority appears in the claims; the only identified authority is the minister at the event.
For developers, planners and construction firms working in Erigavo, the report is a record of an announced kick-off and enforcement action on road reserves, not of an adopted plan with a programme. Readers should treat the scope, funding and permit implications as unstated in the evidence available.
Frequently asked questions
What are the key components of the Erigavo master plan?
The 2020-09-30 report does not set out the plan's components. It describes the kick-off, the start of the exercise on the south side of the town, and demolition of structures on road reserves. No plan document, map or scope is cited.
Who funded the development of the plan?
No funding source, budget, currency or project value is stated in the report. None is established.
How will the plan affect existing and future building permits?
The report does not address permits. The minister said, per Somaliland Sun, 2020-09-30, that the new policy of the ministry is to see through that all Somaliland cities and town are well planned, and he asked people who built structures on road reserves to demolish them. No permit rules, timelines or fees are stated.