There is an air of excitement and hope among Nyanza residents as they prepare to welcome President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday during his first visit to Kisumu since his March 9 handshake with Raila Odinga.
During the highly anticipated tour, Uhuru is expected to launch development projects and also make a commitment about increasing development funding to the region.
Among the key projects the president will launch is the Sh37 Billion Soin–Koru Dam and water pipeline which covers Kericho and Kisumu counties.
The project is intended to supply water to Kericho, Kisumu and Homa Bay Counties and also be used to control flooding in the Nyando area.
It would also be used for hydro-electric power generation. There is also an irrigation component of the project and the dam is expected to provide water for irrigation of the surrounding communities.
Out of the 93 million cubic metres of water to be held by the dam, 53,000 would be treated and supplied to reservoirs in Koru, Muhoroni, Awasi, Chemelil, Ahero, Miwani, Rabuor, Mamboleo and Riat for domestic use.
The dam construction component of the project has been awarded to Frabo Kenya Limited while the pipeline component was awarded to China Jianxi.
Other issues the residents expect the president to address are the revival of the region’s struggling sugar factories and clearing water hyacinth from Lake Victoria.
A fresh invasion of hyacinth has covered most parts of the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria, thereby hampering water transport and hurting the fishing industry.
The tour is the culmination of the thawing of tensions and emergence of cordial relations between Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga who draws his core political support from the region.
Following the handshake between the two leaders, there is a high expectation that the political dalliance should directly translate to tangible benefits to residents.
While the political friendship between the two leaders was well received, residents, opinion leaders and elected officials all agree economic development must be given the attention it deserves.
Another pertinent issue likely to come up during the visit is the compensation of the victims of the 2017 post-election violence which rocked many parts of the country, especially the Nyanza region.
At the height of political violence in Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori counties, businesses were destroyed and several people were shot and killed by police officers who were accused of using excessive force on demonstrators.
Among the casualties was six-month-old baby Samantha Pendo who died in hospital after being clubbed by anti-riot police officers
Political and religious leaders have called for compensations to the families whose loved ones were either maimed or killed by the police in the political riots as part of the handshake and reconciliation deal.