Homa Bay eyes more World Bank cash for towns’ upgrade
A hawker walks past a hotel in Homa Bay town. Homa Bay County is eyeing to get a bigger chunk of the World Bank infrastructure fund for upgrading five major towns and creating new municipalities.
Homa Bay County is eyeing to get a bigger chunk of the World Bank infrastructure fund following proposals to delineate five major towns and create new municipalities in the region.
The drive, which is being spearheaded by a special committee formed by the county government, is relying on the upgrade to turn around the economic fortunes of the earmarked urban centres.
According to the head of the secretariat for the boundaries delineation Robert Sangori, the team is expected to come up with boundary maps following conclusion of public participation exercise last month.
The expansion of the municipalities is expected to transform remote villages around Homa Bay, Kendu Bay, Oyugis, Rangwe and Mbita and ensure immense benefit from improved infrastructure among others.
“We have received positive feedback from the people who expect to get the advantage of enhanced service delivery and hence spurring of economic development,” said Mr Sangori.
Reduce poverty
He noted that urbanisation will reduce urban and rural poverty by enhancing business prospects for small and medium enterprises.
“Other than creating thousands of jobs and improving the livelihoods of the residents, the initiative will reduce urban and rural poverty and promote social inclusion,” he said.
The government, with the support from the World Bank, has scaled up investments in municipalities across the country by providing modern markets, organised parking, street lighting and drainage infrastructure.
Mr Sangori stated that the proposed delineation, anchored on the national urban development policy, will have long-term effects on future generations.
The demarcation of all boundaries of urban areas and cities in 45 counties in Kenya is done as per the Urban Areas and Cities (Amendment) No. 3 Of 2019 Act (excluding Nairobi and Mombasa) by the World Bank through the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP).
KUSP is a Sh32.5 trillion project whose objective is to establish and strengthen urban institutions to deliver improved infrastructure and services in participating counties.
