• The national and county governments and UCLGA last month signed a contract granting Kisumu the hosting rights for the Summit.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Kisumu county has paid a first instalment of Sh50 million as it prepares to host the ninth Africities Summit.
The Summit organised under the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) is scheduled for November 16 to 20, 2021.
More than 8,500 delegates are expected at the forum to be held in Kenya for the second time.
Governor Anyang Nyong’o on Wednesday said Kisumu's accommodation and meeting facilities are almost sufficient.
There are 4,961 decent beds in the city and about 9,866 other in the region, Nyong'o said.
Nyong’o, who led a county delegation to the 20th Session of Executive Committee of ULGA in Cairo, Egypt, said the meeting facilities in Kisumu have the capacity to hold 5,241 delegates before construction of any temporary structures.
Last month, the national and county governments and UCLGA signed a contract granting Kisumu the hosting rights for the Summit.
Nyong’o noted that the preparatory organs namely the National Steering Committee and the County Organising Committee have been fully established.
The Steering Committee is chaired by Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa.
Members include CSs for Foreign Affairs (Monica Juma), Interior (Fred Matiang’i), Finance (Henry Rotich), Transport and Infrastructure (James Macharia) and Tourism and Urban Development (Najib Balala).
The steering committee is aligned to the key preparation areas including immigration, protocol and security, transport connectivity, conference funding as well as physical and social facilities.
“This reflects the political and financial undertakings of the national government to render full support to the summit,” Nyong’o said.
A technical committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Devolution, the Council of Governors and Kisumu government has also been established.
“The primary responsibility of this committee was to complete the bidding process and undertake all technical think-tank and drafting responsibilities for the Summit in consultation with UCLGA,” Nyong’o said.
The committee has started identifying partners for resource mobilisation and conference marketing for the Summit.
“We have commenced sensitisation of the community in Kisumu for their ownership, support, and participation, especially the business community that provides essential services to delegates,” Nyong’o said.
Currently, the national and county governments are working on the upgrading of physical facilities in Kisumu.
Nyong’o said expansion of physical infrastructure, especially at the airport and convention centres will start from July 1, 2019.
Negotiations are ongoing with airlines for increased frequency of flights to Kisumu during the Summit.
(Edited by O. Owino)