Kisumu to face Lake Victoria in new plan
An aerial view of Kisumu Town. Hoteliers and businesses in Kisumu are hoping to make a tidy profit during the second devolution conference from April 21. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Assembly members on Sunday criticised the executive for Roads and Physical Planning, Mr Vincent Kodera, over the delay in tabling the document, which was expected for debate in April.
- The ISUD plan seeks to re-orient the town to face the lake like New York, London and Toronto.
Experts are putting the last touches on a plan that seeks to remodel Kisumu Town to face Lake Victoria.
The Kisumu Integrated Strategic Urban Development (Isud) plan will soon be taken to the county assembly for debate.
Assembly members on Sunday criticised the executive for Roads and Physical Planning, Mr Vincent Kodera, over the delay in tabling the document, which was expected for debate in April.
The members, who included acting Speaker Gabriel Ochieng and Majority Leader Samwel Ong’ow, said the county government was denying the town’s residents a chance to begin experiencing the changes, which will be implemented over a 30-year-period.
Mr Kodera on Sunday said the blueprint had been delayed because it had to be taken for adjustments to accommodate the input of investors and the county’s Executive.
“The company we had contracted had to go back and work on some few bits the county leadership and the investors thought should be relooked at.”
FACING LAKE VICTORIA
He was optimistic that the plan will be tabled in the assembly in a couple of weeks.
“We do not want to delay any further, and once the bit still in the hands of the contracted company has reached us, we will give the plan to the assembly immediately.
“We hope to table the plan before the House goes on recess.”
The ISUD plan seeks to re-orient the town to face the lake like New York, London and Toronto.
It also seeks to improve lighting, roads and social amenities in the lake side town.
Its implementation will cost billions, funded by the French and Kisumu County governments.
LONG OVERDUE
On Sunday, the county assembly members said its adoption was long overdue.
Mr Ochieng said he wished to have it tabled during his tenure as the acting Speaker.
“This is a plan whose importance no leader can deny. The Executive should table it while am still in office.”
Mr Ong’ow said he had not received a word from the Physical Planning executive on when the new design would be tabled.
“As soon as the plan is delivered to the House, debate and deliberations by members will start in earnest,” he said.
