• Uhuru noted it was time to make the intermediary cities and municipalities sustainable and fit for all residents.
• He said cities and the local authorities around the world played a key role in the response to the pandemic.
Image: STATE HOUSE
President Kenyatta has asked the 9th Africities summit in Kisumu to find practical and sustainable solutions to challenges facing Africa’s urban areas.
Uhuru said it was time to make intermediary cities and municipalities sustainable and fit for all residents.
He said this year’s summit came at a critical time when the continent is facing rapid urbanisation with future cities increasingly coming into sharp focus, especially after the shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said cities and the local authorities around the world played key roles in response to the pandemic.
Locals authorities proved to be an indispensable ring in the governance chain and an instrumental part of pandemic prevention and response action, Uhuru said.
"Consequently, time is ripe for scaling up the role of intermediary cities as the next frontiers of African urbanisation and development," he said.
“I say this because in Africa, unprecedented rate of urbanisation has propped intermediary cities to stand at approximately 1,086. These intermediary cities like Kisumu are home to approximately 174 million people representing about 36 per cent of our continent's total urban population and contributing about 40 per cent of our continent's GDP.”
The President said Africa was increasingly becoming urbanised and urged the delegates to deliberate on how to establish a shift towards the new urban paradigm and unleash the potential of intermediary cities.
“On behalf Kenya, I'm grateful for the people of United Cities and ULCG for choosing Kisumu city as the first intermediary city for hosting such a conference,” he said.
He said Kisumu has been a melting port of different cultures and a hub for trade and a gateway to the Eastern and Central Africa regions.
“In this context, I do invite you all to join in this continental moment of taking stock and reflecting, learning and planning under this on the role of intermediary cities of Africa in the implementation of our Agenda 2020 of the United Nations and our own African Union Agenda 2063”.
Uhuru said the traditional rural focus within developmental plans risk marginalising a growing section of the population, which will soon be the majority.
“This is not to say that our rural areas should take a back seat but rather recognise that our development plans must be in tandem with the realities of rural-urban migration and concentration of large populations in small and often unplanned settlements in metropolitan areas,” he said.
Uhuru appealed for proper planning and creation of smart cities that meet future urbanisation challenges and emerging needs relating to food security, health, shelter, environmental conservation as well as infrastructure.
“I do believe that this summit re-affirms our resilience and our shared common goals as brothers and sisters within the African continent of making our cities and metropolitan areas better,” he said.
The summit is being attended by over 10,000 delegates from 110 countries from May 17 to 21.