29 January 2014
Yesterday, the governor of Kisumu, Mr Jack Ranguma, presented the Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plan, funded by the French Agency for Development (AFD) as component of a larger project called "Kisumu Urban Plan" or KUP. In attendance were Mr Emmmanuel Renoult, first councillor and Mr Yves Terracol, AFD regional director.
Background on KUP:
The population of Kisumu City (3rd largest town in Kenya), which is located in Kisumu County is estimated at 600,000. Urban poverty levels are high with approximately 48% of the population living below the poverty line. Unemployment is estimated at 30% with majority of economic activity taking place in the informal sector. At present, the town does not generate adequate revenues to provide required urban services for its growing population (estimated at 3% per annum).
The town is faced by challenges of urban sprawl, slum expansion, inadequate service delivery and high unemployment levels.
The Kisumu Urban Project (KUP) financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) therefore aims at finding a sustainable solution to these challenges by supporting the improvement of the governance structure of the City of Kisumu (CoK) and improving service delivery. The project’s overarching goal is to improve living conditions for the residents of Kisumu.
AFD Financing : The AFD Board approved funding amounting to 40 million € (concessional loan to GoK, reassigned to the City of Kisumu as a grant) for implementing the project in December 2009.
The Financing Agreement was signed between the Government of Kenya and AFD on 5th July 2010.
Objectives of the project : Contribute to integrated and inclusive urban development through: Objective 1: Improving capacity for financial management of the CoK; Objective 2: Strengthening capacity for strategic and participatory planning of the CoK; Objective 3: Improving living conditions of residents of Kisumu through multi-sectoral investments, including in informal settlements.
Project Description : The project has 5 components:
- Strengthening capacity for planning and financial management (developing an Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plan (ISUD); enhancing revenue collection…);
- Solid Waste Management ;
- Improving living conditions in informal settlements (water & sanitation, drainage, public lighting rehabilitation of housing);
- Rehabilitation of markets (water and sanitation, electricity, fencing, shelters, security) ;
- Rehabilitation and construction of public facilities and infrastructure (roads, cycle paths, health centres).
Five cross-cutting issues are integrated in each component :
- Good fiscal management ;
- Protection of the environment ;
- Community participation (youth / women);
- Employment creation ;
- HIV/AIDS sensitisation.
ALSO SEE-
Key Components of the KUP:
Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plan (ISUD) for the City of Kisumu
The Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plan comprises of a land use, economic and environmental framework plan for all land within the jurisdiction of the CoK.
The ISUD will allow the City of Kisumu (CoK) to have a simplified master plan (the ISUD Plan) indicating the city’s major urban development options over a period of 10 to 20 years.
Specifically, the ISUD has:
- Established an urban reference plan (inventory of all existing assets of the CoK - infrastructure, health, education, social..);
- Established a strategic zoning plan (identified areas needing protection and identified strategic urbanisation areas);
- Conducted a commercial infrastructure study (dealing with markets and traders - both formal and informal);
- Prepared / finalised a Capital Investment Strategy (CIS) for the KUP.
The consultant (Nodalis, France) preparing the ISUD Plan has been working on the ISUD through 2013 through a consultative process and will be in Kisumu week of 27th January 2014 to present the final ISUD Plan, Capital Investment Strategy and also discuss with the CoK the strategy for implementing the initial investments under KUP.
The ISUD Plan will be a legal document guiding the future development and growth of the City of Kisumu.
Technical Assistance Team (TAT)
There is a TAT (SOFRECO, France) in place comprising 3 core experts, based in Kisumu full time for a period of 3 years (since early 2012). The core team comprises an urban management, municipal finance and urban engineer expert. There is also a team of short-term back-stopping experts including a procurement expert, monitoring & evaluation, environmental, public health, architect and quantity surveyor, gender and community sensitisation and institutional development experts, supporting the project on a needs basis.
The TAT is supporting the City of Kisumu in all aspects of KUP project implementation and also plays a key role in strengthening the capacity of the CoK through organising targeted training and on-the-job training (based on a needs assessment). The main focus of the capacity building services will be to strengthen financial management, strategic planning and contract management of the CoK.
Solid Waste Management
As with most towns in Kenya, solid waste management remains a challenge for the City of Kisumu. At present, waste is dumped on a site in the centre of town, in an uncontrolled manner posing both public health and environmental risks. This component of the project will therefore start with a review of the City’s solid waste management strategy in order to identify the best options (technical and financial) for managing solid waste in Kisumu.
The challenge for solid waste management is to identify suitable land for final waste disposal. In response to this challenge, the project has financed a consultancy to carry out a siting study to identify suitable land for a sanitary landfill site.
KUP Status :
A number of “quick-win” projects have been identified for implementation under the Short Term Action Plan (STAP). Consultancies (detailed designs and supervision) for STAP projects are underway. Projects in the STAP include:
- Rehabilitation of primary schools
- Roads and drainage
- Bridges
- Flood lights
- Rehabilitation of Health Centres
- Rehabilitation of Social Centres
- Siting study for identifying a sanitary land fill site
Some of the first works under the STAP are expected to commence during 2014.
Once the ISUD and Capital Investment Strategy are completed, the major investments will be identified and implemented under the Medium Term Action Plan (MTAP) of the KUP.
The project completion date is September 2016.
-The French Agency for Development (AFD)
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