- Lusaka expressed confidence that the project will significantly enhance the well-being of residents.
- KIPIS is a collaborative effort between the Kenyan government, World Bank, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), and Agence Francaise Development (AFD).
Image: HANDOUT
Informal settlements in Bungoma County are set to undergo a transformation in a Sh466 million project funded by the World Bank.
The Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project (Kisip) aims to enhance living conditions in the informal sectors by upgrading roads, repairing sewer lines, installing security lights, and ensuring access to clean water.
Key areas earmarked for development under the project include Landi Matope in Chwele and Mjini informal settlement in Bungoma town.
Governor Kenneth Lusaka, speaking at the opening of a three-day training session organised by Kisip in a hotel in Eldoret reiterated the county government's commitment to uplift residents' livelihoods.
“I am happy that two informal settlements of Landi Matope and Mjini in Chwele and Bungoma towns respectively, are set to improve courtesy of these interventions,” said the governor.
The training, spearheaded by the Department of Lands and Physical Planning in collaboration with the County Assembly Executive Committee, underscores the county's dedication to efficient project management.
Lusaka highlighted the synergy between KIPIS and the county's housing projects, emphasising the construction of low-cost, quality homes in Musikoma.
“Progress is already underway, with Sh70 million allocated for street lighting and a further Sh380 million awarded to a contractor for drainage and road repairs in the targeted settlement areas,” he said.
Lusaka expressed confidence that these initiatives will significantly enhance the well-being of residents, aligning perfectly with Kisip's core objective of improving livelihoods.
Kisip is a collaborative effort between the Kenyan government, the World Bank, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), and Agence Francaise Development (AFD).
Acknowledging the need to directly tackle the problem of poor living conditions in slums, the government started working on a national slum-upgrading programme in 2005 - the Kenya National Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP).
This included participatory planning and development, strengthening of tenure security for residents, and provision of housing and infrastructure services.
In 2011, the Government of Kenya in cooperation with the World Bank, the Agence Française de Dèveloppment and the Swedish International Cooperation Agency, further rolled out the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project (Kisip) alongside the Kenya Municipal Programme (KMP), approved in May 2010 and Nairobi Metropolitan Services Project (NAMSIP), approved 2012 to complement KENSUP.
The key focus for Kisip is to improve the living conditions for residents of selected informal settlements.