After decades of unfulfilled promises, a paved road connecting Kenya to Ethiopia is finally becoming a reality for a remote desert region. Chinese road engineers are currently working on laying the first kilometers of tarmac to replace a challenging rock track that spans 530 kilometers and connects Kenya's farms and port to Ethiopia. This road, from Isiolo to Moyale on the border, is one of the final unpaved sections of the Great North Road, a colonial vision to link Cape Town to Cairo. Despite past failures by Britain and Kenyan governments, China is now taking the lead in constructing a vital trade route that will open up the long-isolated northern region of Kenya. This collaboration between China and Kenya is driven by a shared goal of economic development and resource extraction. The construction of the road is expected to bring about economic benefits such as increased tourism and trade in a previously underdeveloped area. Wu Yi Bao, project manager for China Wu Yi (Kenya) Co., stated that the completion of the road will lead to more trade and tourism in the region. The road is being built with funding from the African Development Bank and the Kenyan government. Estimates show that paving the road between Isiolo and Moyale could increase trade between Kenya and Ethiopia to $175 million annually, up from $35 million. Trade between China and Kenya has also been on the rise, reaching $959 million last year. The tarmac of the Cape-to-Cairo road ends abruptly at the edge of Isiolo, marking the border between the two Kenyas as residents of this frontier town feel disconnected from the rest of the country. Hussein Sasura, assistant minister for Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands, notes that people in the north often feel like they are not part of Kenya. The community hopes that the improved road will attract more tourists and bring increased revenue to the area. However, there are individuals who are skeptical of China's intentions, reflecting the mixed feelings many Africans have towards the Asian country's investment efforts. Some people in African countries such as Zambia feel that China is engaging in a form of neocolonialism by focusing on exploiting Africa's resources and flooding the market with its low-cost products. China refutes these claims, citing a long history of 50 years of trade and collaboration with Kenya. In particular, the Chinese are eager to reconstruct the initial portion of the Isiolo-Moyale road to facilitate the transportation of heavy machinery to Merti, located approximately 80 km (50 miles) east of the 136 km (84.5 miles) they have committed to develop. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Sweden's Lundin Petroleum AB are conducting seismic tests in Merti in anticipation of oil drilling activities scheduled for the following year. Residents in Isiolo have been wary of oil exploration ever since a failed venture in the 1980s, and there are other indications of growing resentment. In a recent incident, a Chinese engineer was fatally shot near the Merille River by bandits on April 21. Tribal leaders believe he was targeted due to a perceived lack of employment opportunities for locals in the project. According to Wu, the majority of workers on the project were Kenyan, with all day laborers being from the area. Following the shooting incident, the Kenyan government deployed its elite paramilitary General Service Unit to the Merille River area in order to disarm young individuals and establish a security presence. It is widely believed that the construction of the road will greatly benefit northern Kenya and could potentially mark an end to years of neglect. Isiolo, which was once a remote outpost under colonial rule, was situated on the outskirts of the closed Northern Frontier District, stretching across the top half of Kenya from Uganda and Sudan to Ethiopia and Somalia. According to George Cardovillis, a Kenyan with Greek ancestry, during colonial times, Europeans were not permitted to reside in Isiolo due to its dangerous conditions and harsh climate, requiring individuals to obtain a permit in order to stay there. The government instructed them to continue traveling southward for over 600 km to Maralal. The landscape remains largely unchanged from generations past, with desolate stretches of black volcanic stones and reddish sands. The sun still shines brightly, casting shimmering heat waves, while mountains loom in the distance. Water is hard to come by in this harsh environment. Electricity, telephone lines, and most other services are nearly non-existent in this area. Despite the lack of infrastructure, some of Kenya's most untouched national parks can be found here, often overlooked due to their remote location. Just 50 km (31 miles) past Isiolo are three game reserves that are comparable to the popular Maasai Mara in terms of the diversity and abundance of wildlife. It was in this area that Joy Adamson, author of "Born Free" and naturalist, chose to settle and raise leopards until her tragic death. Jayne Nguatah, manager of the Sarova Shaba lodge in Shaba park, anticipates a significant increase in visitors once the road is completed. "It will serve as a Christmas present for us." The Sarova Shaba is situated along the Ewaso Nyiro river, where crocodiles thrive and Samburu and Borana herdsmen bring their animals to drink. Baboons and monkeys freely wander around the main lodge, resembling a treehouse that spans over a natural spring. However, the challenges of developing a sustainable tourism industry in northern Kenya extend beyond just infrastructure. Banditry and tribal conflicts are prevalent in this area, fueled by the influx of weapons from past and ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. Security forces are thinly spread due to the presence of nomadic herders who are in search of pasture and water for their livestock. These herders have been following this practice for centuries, with some now armed with modern weapons such as AK-47 assault rifles and others using older rifles like the Sterling-Enfield from colonial times. Despite the Chinese engineers working on a road near Isiolo, doubts remain among some people in Moyale about whether the road will ever reach them. Plans to extend the road beyond the current construction by the Chinese are still in the planning stages. Trader Gumucha Gisiko expressed skepticism about the road that has been promised for 45 years, stating that he will only believe it when he sees it.