• Bungoma Municipality will receive expert advice in urban planning, training on urban management, investment promotions as well as cashing the Sh1 billion seed capital to fund infrastructure development and value chain projects.
• Part of the grant will go towards decongesting Bungoma town and easing movement within the Central Business District.
Bungoma municipality has bagged Sh1 billion grant over a three-year period from the UK under a programme dubbed Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED).
The grant follows a winning proposal where Bungoma county demonstrated a desire to improve its urban infrastructure as part of its plans to attract critical investments, opening up farms to markets and kick-starting high potential value chain projects.
Managed through the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), SUED is a Sh7.7 billion (£60 million) five-year programme that will support up to 12 fast-growing municipalities in Kenya to plan their urbanisation better, improve links with larger markets that were previously inaccessible and prepare for climate-resilient and sustainable growth.
As a beneficiary, Bungoma Municipality will receive expert advice in urban planning, training on urban management, investment promotions as well as cashing the Sh1 billion seed capital to fund infrastructure development and value chain projects.
Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati told the Star on the phone that from the proposal, part of the grant will go towards decongesting Bungoma town and easing movement within the Central Business District.
“With the funding, we will build a state-of-the-art market-cum-Bus Park in Bungoma,” he said. Wangamati also said he was very happy that Bungoma Municipality was among the top 12 winning municipalities in the country.
Wangamati thanked the UK, saying the seed grant comes in handy to boost infrastructure and train personnel on the best practices of urban management as Bungoma thinks up ways of applying for city status.
The Ford Kenya party governor reiterated his plan to expand the boundaries of Bungoma and Kimilili municipalities to cover more wards.
In a letter to the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development, Wangamati had earlier requested for the delineation of boundaries of four urban centres in the county including expanding Bungoma Municipality to cover Musikoma, Kabula, Tuuti Marakaru, Bukembe West, Sang'alo West, South Bukusu and West Bukusu. Currently, Bungoma Municipality only covers Township and Khalaba Wards.
“With our municipalities covering more wards, we shall be in a position to allocate part of these grants to improve infrastructure in satellite wards and help open farms directly to markets,” he said.
Wangamati committed to ensuring continuous engagement with donors and other entities keen to fund urban infrastructure and livelihoods in the county.