• Upon completion of bus parks in Otonglo, Mamboleo and Nyamasaria, public service vehicles will not be allowed access to the CBD.
• Only town service vehicles will be allowed to drop off and pick passengers.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Governor Anyang Nyong'o's administration is seeking to transform Kisumu from a motorised to a walking and cycling city to promote a healthy lifestyle.
The plan, Nyong'o said on Tuesday, will also help decongest the city. Plans to construct new bus parks outside the CBD are underway.
Upon completion of bus parks in Otonglo, Mamboleo and Nyamasaria, public service vehicles will not be allowed access to the CBD. The building of the Sh99.8 million satellite bus park at Nyamasaria is ongoing.
Only town service vehicles will be allowed to drop off and pick passengers.
Already, 20 electric motorbikes have been brought to Kisumu by the UN-Habitat to promote the non-motorised transport systems.
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy board member Meshack Kidenda said they have partnered with Kisumu to promote high-quality urban transport systems and policy solutions that make cities more liveable, equitable, and sustainable.
"As the third-largest city in Kenya and a key economic hub for western Kenya, Kisumu requires a high-quality mobility system to drive development and prosperity," he said.
Kidenda said ITDP has been working on sustainable transport initiatives in Kenya for several years.
Current activities, he said, include developing a design manual for urban streets in partnership with the Transport Ministry and the development of a Transport Policy for Mombasa county.
He said over two-thirds of Kisumu residents get around by walking, cycling, and public transport, yet most streets in the city have been designed for motorised vehicles, with little investment in footpaths and cycle tracks.
"Vulnerable groups, including women, persons with disabilities, and schoolchildren, experience a high risk of crashes due to inadequate pedestrian crossings," Kidenda said.
He said the city’s public transport system still relies on the target system, where operators race from one stage to the next to guarantee their daily earnings.
The state of the transport system is resulting in growing congestion, an unacceptable rate of fatal road crashes and increasing pollution.
To address these challenges, ITDP and UN-Habitat have partnered with the City of Kisumu and the county government in the development of the Kisumu Sustainable Mobility Plan (KSMP). They are also being supported by the Ford Foundation and International Climate Initiative.
The KSMP is a 10-year roadmap for improving mobility in Kisumu city so that all residents have access to economic, educational, and social opportunities, Kidenda said.
Acting Kisumu city manager Abala Wanga said the KSMP is in line with the Sh241 million non-motorised project aimed at restoring order in the city.
UN-Habitat representative Rahab Mundara said there is a need to transform the city in line with the development of new technologies.
She said they will support cities that have shown interest in transformation.