By Anderson Ojwang
The new geospatial plan for Kisumu City is a milestone in redefining the planning and the growth of the city in Kenya and Africa.
The Kisumu physical and land use development plan is envisaged to be implemented in 15 years and has divided the city into zones to spur development.
“The new plan will give value to land and through it, we envisage the city take off in terms of industrialization, real estate and other infrastructural development,” said Mr. Abala Wanga, the City Manager.
He said through the support of the Former Prime Minister and with the negotiation of Governor Peter Anyang Nyong’o’s administration with the French Government, the project got its funding through the Urban Support program.
“Kisumu geospatial plan has gone through all the legal process from the assembly and was launched officially. It is a legal document for the county government of Kisumu,” he said.
The plan came up with four zones that will guide the development of Kisumu City for the next 15 years namely the urban core area, which includes the lakefront and Central business district (CBD), the Urban renewable and regeneration area which includes the informal settlement, and eastern and northern extensions.
“ The new growth zones have been increased to 10. The map shows the first growth zone to be Kiboswa, Mamboleo, Kondele, Nyamasaria, Kibos, Chiga, Otonglo and Riat
Riat and Milimani have been demarcated as elite estates. In Riat Hills land ownership of land has been restricted to half an acre,” he said.
Abala said currently 46 per cent of the land in Kisumu City was vacant either through traditional ownership or undeveloped.
“We have prime areas for instance Dunga area, where we have semi-houses which could be converted into hotels and modern facilities. We ask the traditional owners to either enter into partnership with investors to develop or sell them and relocate to new areas and allow investors to develop the areas,’’ he said.
Abala said in the current plan Kibos area has been earmarked as an industrial park and it is anticipated to lead the industrial revolution of the city and Western Kenya at large.
“We expect the industrial park in Kibos will open the city to both manufacturing activities and the revived sugar industries will be pivotal in the growth.
We expect to move traders in Kondele and other parts of the city to the park to create employment for the people and have a central used business point,” he said.
He said the plan also provides for the creation of prime estates to offer both affordable housing and tackle the housing crisis in the city.
“Let the traditional land owners offload the land to allow for the construction of prime estate. Kisumu must develop and we must take a painful sacrifice.
It is sad that some people still bury their relatives in land in these envisaged prime estates. We will hold public participation to educate them and why they need to reconsider and seize the emerging land opportunity for their gain,” he said.
He said the plan also gives the provision of the lakefront that provides for the development of the front as a recreational facility for both local and international tourists.
Recently, LV Marina, a lakefront facility was launched and the facility will offer luxurious residential homes, villas and apartments and state-of-the-art recreational facilities.
He said Kisumu is the cleanest city in Kenya and is ranked second in East Africa and position six in Africa and promised that within two years the city will compete for first position in East Africa and Africa.
