The World Bank, through the second phase of the Kenya Urban Support Program (KUSP II), has committed Ksh42 billion ($350 million) to the Government of Kenya to strengthen the capacities of 79 cities and municipalities across the country.
Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary (PS) Charles Hinga Mwaura announced that the program, which commenced in March 2024, aims to improve the delivery and development of resilient urban infrastructure, enhance private sector engagement in urban planning, and support the transition of refugee camps into integrated host communities.
Speaking in Kisumu during the official opening of the Baby Pendo Botanical Garden and the ground breaking ceremony for the Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Phase 3A project, PS Hinga revealed that Kisumu County has already received significant funding under the initiative.
Through Annual Performance Assessments (APAs), KUSP II has disbursed Sh58 million as Urban Institutional Grants (UIG) to the Kisumu County Government to support management, administrative activities, and the establishment of urban areas. Additionally, nearly Ksh390 million has been disbursed to Kisumu City and about Ksh22 million to the Ahero municipality as the first Urban Development Grants (UDGs) for infrastructure investments.
“Kisumu City has identified and will use part of the Urban Development Grant to construct Non-Motorized Transport facilities within the city for use by pedestrians and cyclists in order to reduce risks on the roads,” PS Hinga said.
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The PS highlighted the success of KUSP’s first phase, which disbursed a total of Ksh50 million in institutional grants to help set up the Kisumu City administrative structure, alongside Ksh1.8 billion in UDGs for flagship infrastructure projects. These past projects included the NMT Project Phase 1 at Ksh300 million, the Kisumu Fire Station Phase 1 at Ksh260 million, and the Nyamasaria Bus Park at Ksh100 million.
The newly launched NMT Phase 3A project is a Ksh306 million continuation of these safety efforts. It will feature the construction of 4.8 kilometers of block paved walkways, asphalt concrete cycle tracks, and landscaped green spaces. The project is anticipated to be completed within seven months, by February 2027.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o emphasized the historical and social significance of the new Sh30 million recreational park, which was built on a reclaimed dumpsite and named after Baby Pendo, a symbol of the casualties of past electoral violence. “Baby Pendo Botanical Park is therefore more than a park. It is evidence that decline need not be permanent. A society must remember its past if it wishes to move forward honestly,” Nyong’o said.
The Governor reiterated that infrastructure must serve the actual lifestyle of the residents, noting that the majority of urban dwellers walk, cycle, or trade along the streets. “Development must therefore reflect the lives people actually live. That is what this project seeks to do,” Nyong’o added, pointing to statistics showing that over 50 percent of Africa’s population will reside in urban areas by 2050. “Rather than wait to deal with informality in settlements then, we have chosen to act now for the sake of the generations coming.”
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Addressing the new Mowlem Nyamasaria Bus Stage, which the PS also inspected, Governor Nyong’o clarified that it is a subsidiary facility designed to complement, not replace, the existing Jomo Kenyatta Highway terminus, thereby improving overall traffic management. “Modern cities operate through integrated transport systems, not isolated facilities,” he said.
Ensuring the sustainability and safety of these new public spaces, Kisumu County Commissioner Mohammed Mwabudzo assured residents that security personnel remain on high alert to deal firmly with criminal gangs or individuals intending to disrupt peace in the area.
By Fredrick Odiero
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