• Hinga said KUSP II will build on the foundation laid during the first phase of the project.
• Governor Anyang' Nyong'o said the World Bank-funded programme is behind the transformative urban development being experienced in Kisumu.
Image: KNA
Kisumu city is set for a facelift following the release of Sh300 million urban development grant by the World Bank to improve infrastructure and strengthen service delivery.
In the grant, through the Kenya Urban Support Project II (KUSP II), Ahero municipality will receive Sh16.8 million to roll out similar projects.
This follows the successful implementation of KUSP I in which the city received Sh1.7 billion that was used to construct a modern fire station, Rotary Youth Innovation Centre, non-motorised transport facility and for the upgrade of the Jomo Kenyatta Sports Grounds.
The funds were also used to upgrade Jamhuri Gardens and botanical garden, and to construct Nyamasaria bus park, Kibuye market and Kaloleni Community Centre.
Housing and Urban Development PS Charles Hinga said the programme has greatly transformed Kisumu by putting in place infrastructure and structures that have created a modern and resilient city.
His speech was read by the Administration Secretary in the department Hiram Kahiro during the launch of the Kisumu local physical and land use development plan and sustainable mobility plan.
Hinga said KUSP II will build on the foundation laid during the first phase of the project.
“The second phase of KUSP is now on course following its execution on the March 14, 2024, and Kisumu county stands poised to reap further benefits,” he said.
The PS asked the implementing agencies in the county to build on the successes achieved while proactively addressing any shortcomings highlighted during the first phase.
Governor Anyang' Nyong'o said the World Bank-funded programme is behind the transformative urban development being experienced in Kisumu.
In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Governor Mathews Owili, Nyong'o said the plan to restore the lakeside city was marked with ups and downs.
“When I came into office in 2017, part of my work was to restore order in Kisumu. I found a city in a mess, with traders and hawkers selling their wares all over the streets. The pedestrians had nowhere to walk. Even the traders themselves worked in distress,” he said.
“Today the traders are happy in the new markets we built. Now they have shelter over their heads and a cleaner work environment.”
The county government, he said, was in the final stages of implementing the Geospatial Information System (GIS) to aid in planning the city.
The Kisumu local physical and land use development plan and sustainable mobility plan is a four-zoned strategy to guide the growth of the city between 2020 and 2040.
Nyong'o said it is a comprehensive document that would assist in the mitigation of disasters such as floods, reduce pollution, promote safe routes for transportation and promote ecologically balanced environment.
It will also help minimise hazards, preserve open spaces and maintain physical health of the community.
The plan, he said, covers the entire city comprising the urban core including the lakefront, urban renewal and regeneration areas, which include the slum belt, Eastern extension and the Northern extension.
Nyong'o said the plan further provides a roadmap for long-term infrastructural development and comes with zoning regulations, development control mechanisms and a clear environmental management plan.
This, he said, will transform Kisumu city into a vibrant, resilient and smart lake metropolis through polycentric spatial development.
The sustainable mobility plan, the governor said, seeks to recalibrate transport investments in the area to benefit all road users.
“This will avert mobility challenges characterised by increasing vehicular traffic, inefficient public transport, inadequate walking and cycling facilities and poor parking management,” he said.
Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda, who represented the National Assembly Committee on Housing, Lands and Urban Development, lauded the move by Kisumu, saying the two plans were set to spur urban renewal and development in the city.
“It may sound ambitious but this is the way to go. The western countries took the same route and are ahead of us. It must be done,” Ochanda said.