Xarfo to Galkayo road: foundation stone laid, paid from Puntland's own revenue

Garowe Online reported on 4 July 2025 that the President of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, laid the foundation stone for a new road linking Xarfo town with the city of Galkayo. The ceremony took place at Xarfo, in Puntland, and the report described the works as part of a wider effort to rehabilitate the Garowe to Galkayo highway.

What the source records

According to Garowe Online, the road is financed entirely through domestic revenue generated by the Puntland Government, with no international donor funding. The report says the project was first intended for African Development Bank funding, but the Federal Government of Somalia blocked Puntland's request for implementation autonomy, insisting that contracting and project management be centralised in Mogadishu. Garowe Online adds that Puntland continues repairs on the Garowe to Bosaso highway and construction on a 90km stretch connecting Ceel Daahir to Badhan.

What it means on site

A foundation stone ceremony launches reported construction works, so anyone quoting for related work should ask which package the launch covers: earthworks, culverts, sub-base, or sealing. The financing route matters to programme. When a road is paid from domestic revenue rather than a donor facility, payment milestones, retention and variation procedures sit with the state's own contracts, so read the contract before mobilising plant. The source does not give the road's length, width or pavement design, so treat those as unknown until drawings are issued.

What the source does not establish

Garowe Online is a news report and frames the funding dispute politically. The construction launch was reported on 4 July 2025, not evidence of completed earthworks or a sealed carriageway. The report gives no length, cost, design standard or completion date for the Xarfo to Galkayo road. The federal ministry's position appears as the source characterises it. Nothing here establishes present progress. An awarded contract, a bill of quantities, or a site instruction from the implementing agency would confirm the current state.

What to do next

Request the contract scope and drawings for the Xarfo to Galkayo road from the Puntland ministry responsible for public works, and ask which section is under construction. For supplier or subcontractor pricing, ask the implementing agency's engineer in writing which payment certificates have been issued to date.