KISUMU:THE MILLENNIUM CITY

1. KISUMU:THE MILLENNIUM CITY Presented by: Cllr. John Ong’ele (Cllr. Municipal Council of Kisumu) John Sande (Administrative Officer)

2. City Profile:

3. Kisumu City Profile cont’d • Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya • Headquarters of Kisumu East District, as well as Nyanza Province • Developed progressively from a railway terminus and internal port in 1901 • Presently one of the leading commercial/trading, industrial, communication and administrative centre in the Lake Victoria basin, • Kisumu serves as a major regional communication and trading hub for the Great Lakes region - Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi

4. City Profile: • Located in the western part of Kenya • Lies along the shores of Lake Victoria (one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world) • Covers an area of approximately 417 Km², of which 297 Km² is dry land and approximately 120 Km² under water • Kisumu has a population of about 500,000 people, day population varying to over 600,000

5. Economic activities • Commerce and trade • Agriculture • Transportation • Fishing/processing • Tourism • Agro-processing • Light industries

6. Brief History of Council • Kisumu gained municipal status in 1960 • Kisumu is on record in Kenya as having had the first African woman Mayor from 1965 – 1968 • Municipality boundaries extended in 1972 to include peri-urban areas • Kisumu was elevated to city status in 2001 during the 100 yrs celebration attended by the 3 East African Heads of states in Kisumu • Presently there are 22 electoral wards, represented by elected councillors and 8 nominated councillors representing specific interests • Council comprises of two wings – Civic (policy makers) and Executive (implementers)

7. Departments of the Council: • Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Public Health, Social Services & Housing, Housing Development, Education, Town Engineer, Town Planning, Environment , Children & Youth Affairs, Internal Audit, HIV/AIDS, Tourism & Heritage • All of them have Standing Committees for policy formulation

8. KISUMU: “ THE CITY IN THE SUN”

9. Challenges in discharging mandate • Council mandate is provision of services to the residents of the city of Kisumu • Execution of this mandate has been a major challenge as the population rapid escalated and expectation of the residents grew • The population outstripped the resources of the Council and there was increasing need for innovative strategies to ensure the Council remained true to its mandate • There was increased challenges in sustaining the seemingly ungrowing revenue base to finance service delivery programmes • Declining capacity of the council to respond to emerging challenges • This provided to impetus for reaching out to other development partners & stakeholders to assist in bridging the resource gap and enhance council’s capacity

10. Manifestation of the challenges • Mushrooming of slums • Solid waste management problems • Lack of effective development control • Congestion within the city • Declining urban aesthetics • Dilapidated infrastructure • Mushrooming of informal traders within the CBD The city generally required urgent interventions to reawaken it

11. CDS: The turning point for Kisumu • Intervention by the UN Habitat under the Urban Management Programme (UMP) in 2002 • Introduced a partnership between UN-Habitat and Local Authorities within the Lake Victoria Basin to promote sustainable development in the LVB • Introduced the Lake Victoria Region City Development Strategies whose aim was to mobilize local governments and stakeholders to develop a programme for laying out strategies for improved urban environment and poverty reduction. • Employed a series of participatory activities and consultations, • Yielded the City Development Strategies (CDS) • Pioneer implementers -Kisumu, Kampala and Musoma (Phase I) • Strategic Action Plans (SAPS) and Strategic Investment Plans (SIPS) were prepared addressing identified priority urban issues. • The issues include sanitation and drainage, waste management, income generation systems, shelter and infrastructure, revenue collection, HIV/AIDS pandemic, and promotion of inclusive processes and structures of local governance.

12. Key challenge? • A key challenge of the CDS was financing of investment plans produced in the process.

13. Action Plans being implemented in Kisumuattributed to the CDS: • 1. Initiatives towards combating urban poverty • Kisumu Slum Upgrading Project • Rehabilitation and construction of markets • Street Traders Relocation Programme • 2. Water and Sanitation Initiatives: • The newly formed Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO) is undertaking rehabilitation of water & sewerage infrastructure (detailed presentation on intervention later) • 3. Solid Waste Management • Litter bin installation programme in the CBD • Sensitization of the residents on environmental conservation • Kisumu Integrated solid waste management KISWAMP) Project supported by SIDA through UN Habitat.

14. 4. Urban Transport. • The council is implementing integrated urban transport system, makes provision for the non-motorised transport “BodaBoda” The council has reviewed its By-Laws to regulated and control the bodaboda, (which has become a major industry). (more on this toipic) • 5. City Planning Initiatives • Use of Geographic Information System (GIS) to make urban planning more effective and efficient • 6. Improving Governance Initiatives • Kisumu Action Team (KAT) was formed to assist the council in projects implementation. The council further facilitates formation of neighbourhood associations for effective and constructive involvement of the grassroots in planning, M&E and information sharing • 7. Health Improvement • The council has established Health Management Committees with membership also drawn from the stakeholders to assist in the management of the council health facilities and embarked on rehabilitation of the physical facilities therein

15. Jomo Kenyatta Grounds: Product of the CDS Process: land mark in Kisumu City

16. The Millennium City • Kisumu was designated the first United Nations Millennium City by the special advisor to the UN Secretary General, Jeffrey Sachs on 11th January 2006. • The meeting addressed by Professor Sachs coincided with a conference of experts organized by UN-HABITAT to discuss ways of financing action plans identified by local communities in the CDS • The pronouncement was supported by UN Habitat and other development partners who had been participating in several initiatives under the Cities Development Strategy (CDS) • This pronouncement bestowed great honour on Kisumu and with it, the challenge on Kisumu to focus on meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

17. Why Kisumu? • Kisumu was undergoing very rapid urbanization • The city was experiencing myriad of development challenges, e.g. rapid population growth, rising poverty levels, HIV/AIDS Pandemic, dilapidated infrastructure, high unemployment, mushrooming of slums, poor & inefficient services among others • The proximity of the city to the a Millennium Villages project at Bar Sauri, in Siaya District supported by the Millennium Initiative • Need to upscale the best practices of the MVP at city level • Need to focus the many on-going initiatives on the MDGs

18. What Millennium City Status entailed: • Mobilizing resources for investments to achieve the MDGs • There has been increased deliberate initiatives by the Council to mobilize participation both from local citizens and development partners • Developed a 5-yr strategic Plan (2007 – 2012) putting into focus the MDGs • MCI was established to provide technical support to the Municipal council with respect to achievement of the MDGs • It is a project of the earth Institute of Columbia University headed by Prof. Sacchs

19. Pictorals -

20. The Millennium Cities Initiative • Anchored at the Earth institute of Columbia University in partnership with Municipal Council of Kisumu • It is a sister project to the Millennium Villages project • Support 11 mid-sized sub Saharan cities to be viable MDG units • Its main objective is to advise on localization of the MDGs • Took sometime to take off Earth Institute posted a staff from the US – coordinated initial activities at inception • MCK has seconded an officer to serve in the MCI secretariat in Kisumu • 2 experts – social sector and public health specialists

21. The MCI approach • Two pronged approach • Investment related work in partnership with Kenya Investment Authority, KPMG and UNIDO • Create opportunities for income generation • Social sector work • To address the infrastructural management constraints

22. Attracting investment into Kisumu • With the help of MCI Council has made significant steps with respect to packaging the city for investment • Launched a Kisumu Kenya Investment Authority Office • Studies/publications on the investment climate in Kisumu • Kisumu Investment guide • Investment opportunities in Kisumu • Investment hand book • Capacity building on investment • Investment linkages • FDI conferences (Nairobi, Kisumu, London) • DDI conference (Kisumu)

23. Social sector • Needs assessment along the MDGs • Education is complete • Assessment on Health, Water and sanitation and Environment are on-going to establish status and monitor progress • These will help in review of the city development strategy in line with the MDGs • Through MCI there has been establishment of other global partnership – health especially has benefitted immensely

24. Total MCI support to Health sector in Kisumu in Partnership with Americares

25. UK Diaspora program • Partnership with Africa Community Development Forum – Africans in the diaspora sponsored by DFID to volunteer their expertise to support Kisumu in various areas – planning, health, management, engineering.

26. Dutch support to Kisumu • Hosting the Urban Matters facilitated by CORDAID supported with SANA and CSONetwork • Partnership between Dutch organizations and Kisumu based Organisations – aim is to link partners with resources who would be interested in investing in social infrastructure in Kisumu • Exchange visit in October 2009 to Holland to share experiences with other cities in the programme

27. MCK Capacity Building • Capacity building of the Municipal Council of Kisumu and community groups • Partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs (MASHAV) • Capacity building for MCK officials in Israel • Initiating a Municipal Strategic Planning Unit • Initiating a disaster preparedness and management (training) • Developing a modern emergency response unit room at the Kisumu District Hospital

28. Community level • Strengthening ownership capacity of the local community and council on the MDGs – trainings have been done at the grassroots level to sensitize local communities on MDGs and their relevance at their level • Manyatta Community health worker programme • Income generation and enterprenueral skills programme for the youth (linking them to institutions for capacity building and access to credit for business) • Linking the community with

29. Other on-going initiatives in Kisumu • KUP (AFD) – complete urban transformation project targeting 5 components : • Capacity building on planning and financial management • Solid waste management • Commercial infrastructure, including key roads • Rehabilitation of public facilities • Cross-cutting issues – HIV/AIDS and other social aspects • Improvement of poor urban schools (KFW) • Expansion of the Kisumu Airport to International standrdards • Rehabilitation and expansion of water & sewerage infrastructure • Rehabilitation of markets • Integrated sanitation project • KISWAMP • HIV/AIDS (DED)

30. Twinning Programme - Kisumu • Goal number 8 of the MDGs - developing global partnerships • Has been a very effective tool for Kisumu for Benchmarking • Dates back to the 90s , when Kisumu had active cooperation with the city of Cheltenham • Partnership has grown and was given impetus by the current council who have been very proactive • New partners include: • Nacka (Sweden) • Hyvinkaa (Finland) • Boulder & Roanoke (US) • Porsgrunn (Norway) – Newest partnership

31. Importance of Twinning: • Sharing best practices • Encourage structured engagement between our partner cities – both at institutional and individual levels making useful development contacts • linking the residents and the various interest groups with our partners in the North (Jan Christiansen of the Jans Academy in Kisumu is a clear example – introduced Porsgrunn to the Council I 2008) • Develop rich cultural diversity and open up the city as a cosmopolitan urban space for interaction • Strategy for mobilizing resources for implementation of projects

32. Conclusion: • Kisumu has come along way and has a great potential of developing into an international city • The growth and development envisioned for the city will no doubt make it an investment destination of choice, both regionally and internationally • This will only become possible if we embrace partnerships and cooperation, which the twinning programme presents an invaluable opportunity