By Maher Ahmed - Reporter
Somalia, 23 June 2026 – Somalia Public Works Ministry has signed a contract for studies and design of a strategic road linking Galkayo to Hobyo, officials said.
The contract covers feasibility studies, engineering design, environmental and social impact assessments, and the preparation of bidding documents for the Galkayo-Elgula section, a 100-km stretch of the wider Galkayo-Hobyo road..
The signing ceremony was held at the ministry’s headquarters in Mogadishu and was chaired by Public Works Minister Ayub Ismail Yusuf. It was attended by Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Galmudug Public Works Minister Ahmed Dhiblaawe Casir, IBS Bank Director General Abdirizak Ali Warsame, representatives of GOB Community Organisation and officials from KKATT Consult Limited.
The ministry said KKATT Consult Limited will carry out the technical studies and design work for the Galkayo-Elgula section.
The Galkayo-Hobyo road is described in African Development Bank project documents as a 241-km feeder road linking Galkayo to the port town of Hobyo.
The Galkayo-Elgula section covers 100 km and is planned for construction to compacted gravel standard.
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Officials say the road is a key infrastructure link in central Somalia because it connects inland communities with Indian Ocean coastal areas and potential port access.
The wider Road Infrastructure Programme also includes works on other priority routes, including sections of the Beletweyne-Galkayo road, the Galkayo-Garowe road and the Luuq-Ganane-Dolow road, according to AfDB and government project documents.
Officials said the Galkayo-Hobyo road could help boost trade, ease transport, improve security and strengthen economic integration between central regions and coastal markets.
Yusuf said the project was important for Somalia’s infrastructure development and praised the role of local communities, business groups and development partners in supporting the road initiative.
The project is part of the Road Infrastructure Programme Somalia, known as RIPSOM, funded by the African Development Bank and the European Union and implemented by the Ministry of Public Works.
The ministry did not provide a timetable for completing the studies or starting construction of the road.