Over 3,000 delegates listed for Africities summit—PS Korir

Over 3,000 delegates have registered for the Africities conference set for May this year, Devolution PS Julius Korir has said.

Korir said the upcoming event is attracting more as delegates continue to express interest.

The event will bring together over 10 heads of state and governments to deliberate on the role of intermediary cities in Africa's development.

Over 10,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference.

“The conference continues to generate a lot of interest locally and internationally with over 3,000 delegates already registered,” Korir said.

The PS said the government had put in place preparations to ensure the Africities conference is successful.

Apart from the rehabilitation, upgrading and expansion of the Kisumu International Airport, the PS added that there is the construction of the Africities Convention Center at Mamboleo and tarmacking of the Mamboleo-Uriri-Airport road to ease movement of passengers from the airport to the venue.

"All these projects are on course and shall all be completed and handed over ahead of the conference."

Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o said they are prepared and ready for the conference.

He said the conference will be a game changer to the region with various sectors set to benefit from the summit.

Already, the Africities secretariat has mapped out 9,800 rooms to accommodate guest during the summit.

The facilities spread across Kisumu and the neighbouring counties have been inspected and certified to host the guests according to Africities Secretariat member Aloice Ager.

Ager said the facilities among them hotels and Airbnb, will give visitors  a world class experience.

He spoke earlier during a tour of the Sh 1.2 billion Africities Convention Center which is under construction at the Mamboleo Showground. He was accompanied by Government spokesman Col(Rtd) Cyrus Oguna.

Last year,  the ninth edition of Africities summit was pushed by a month from April to May this year.

The conference was to be held between April 26 and 30 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium. It will now be held from May 17 to 21 at the same venue.

The Africities Kisumu secretariat said the event was postponed as the dates coincided with important international events hosted by the UN-Habitat board of directors and the United Nations High-Level Council on the Global Urban Agenda.

These activities will mobilise national governments, local authorities, international organisations, civil society and other key stakeholders that are targets for Africities.

"In addition, the UN-Habitat, the African Union Commission, and the Economic Commission for Africa are key partners of UCLG-A agenda and are expected to play an important role at the summit," the statement said.

The theme of the Kisumu forum is "The Role of Intermediary Cities of Africa in the Implementation of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and the African Union Agenda 2063".

The agenda calls for the development of resilient dwellings that will be home to the bulk of the African population.

-Edited by SKanyara