Welcome to the City of Kisumu
Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya, is one of the fastest growing cities in Kenya. Surrounded by an agriculturally rich hinterland mainly supporting large-scale sugar industry and rice irrigation, Kisumu's contribution to the National economy is significant. It is anticipated that with the revival of the cotton and rice industry, and the molasses plant, coupled with strengthened support to the fishing industry, this contribution would increase significantly.
Mission Statement
A glorious green Lakeside city
A major challenge to the city within the national context is that of reducing the currently high poverty levels (48%) to compare favourably with the national average (29%). This translates to defining strategies that would efficiently and sustainably exploit the natural resource base inherent in the area to derive optimal benefits for the local community. Two important National frameworks that provide a reference basis for localised action are the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation respectively. The recently developed National Vision and Strategy for Management and Development of Lake Victoria Basin provided further national reference.
The newly rehabilitated Jomo Kenyatta Grounds, Kisumu
Jomo Kenyatta Grounds rehabilitated 2001- 2003 presents a symbol of the product of democratic and just involvement of multi-stakeholders in the development and management of a public facility. The Grounds is currently under the management of Lake Victoria Trust Fund for JKG, a Trust agency formed by the Council, Sida and local stakeholders to uphold the interest of the entire citizenry through proper management of the facility.
Kisumu has a very well developed road transport connection with adjacent towns such as Kericho, Kakamega, Homa-Bay, Kisii, Siaya, Busia, and the sugar belt satellite townships of Muhoroni, Awasi, Chemelil, Miwani and Nandi Hills. Being on the convergence point of the Trans African Highway, Kisumu is well connected with Uganda and Tanzania and by extension Rwanda, Burundi and Congo DRC in the west, Zambia to the south and Sudan to the north. It's geographic position and its cosmopolitan profile, places the city strategically as a competitive growth centre in the emergent age of technological and economic development.
The City Vision
The CDS Vision for Kisumu as generated by the urban community is stated thus;
" A leading transportation, communication and commercial hub in the Great Lakes Region offering great tourism and agro-investment opportunities"The vision blends historical functionalisms with the desired socio-economic growth that would improve on the current undesirable trends of urban poverty against a backdrop of rich natural resource endowment.
The City Mission
The mission developed to achieve the city Vision is;
" To mainstream good governance and democratic principles in urban management aimed at empowering the citizenry to singularly and collectively participate in their livelihood and environmental improvement actions for sustained growth and development"The mission statement took cognisance of various aspects associated with the identity, attributes and aspirations of Kisumu as elicited by the sections of community consulted during the CDS process.
Development Challenges
Rapid urbanization trends in Kisumu, particularly in the last decade coupled with low investment in infrastructure and basic service expansion has resulted into enormous pressure on the urban environment. With an annual growth rate estimated at 2.8% and densities of 828 persons per sq. Km, Kisumu records one of the highest urban population densities in the country, bringing with it the associated complexities in urban planning. The result has been an increase in urbanization of poverty, the rapid expansion of informal settlements and informal trading, and marked increase in disease infection rates largely associated with limited access to health facilities as well as foul environmental conditions. Almost 80% of Kisumu's land area is rural in nature having been included within the city boundary during the 1971 extension, introducing a large rural influence in urban planning with significant challenges at the prei-urban interphase. The mounting pressure on the inadequate waste management systems has resulted into increased pollution trends with the lake acting as the final recipient of liquid and uncollected solid wastes. Effective exploitation of the natural resource base for livelihood improvement continues to be hampered by unsustainable exploitative trends, decreased productivity associated with prevalence of HIV/Aids, and unsupportive legislative provisions that give little attention to the dynamic nature of urban development trends.
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