County to revamp lake’s waterfront

By EVELYN KWAMBOKA

Kisumu,Kenya:Plans are underway by the Kisumu County government to have buildings near Lake Victoria reconstructed to face the waterfront.

The plan being worked on in partnership with the French Development Agency and the Israel Government under a Sh4 billion funding is to be ready by November.

The new plan will also see the relocation of cemeteries used by religious groups such as the Hindu and Muslim, to a new site to be acquired using part of the funding.

Kisumu Governor Jacktone Ranguma said this is part of the 20-year comprehensive development plan for the county.

Executive member for Physical Planning, Roads and Public Works, Mr Vincent K’Odera said the first phase of the project would cover the cemetery area to Tilapia Bay and the second one all the way to Homa Bay County, a county they are yet to partner with in the development venture.

“Incentives would be offered to the business community along Obote Road in Kisumu to reconstruct their buildings to face Lake Victoria,” he told The Standard in an exclusive interview.

septic tanks

The incentives to be offered include reducing rates for property owners who will agree to re-construct their buildings.

Yesterday, K’Odera said Kisumu was the only lakeside city that has no buildings facing the water, adding that the famous Lwangni beach is part of the area’s urban project. The structures acting as restaurants for fish delicacies are to be replaced with permanent buildings.

Kisumu Urban Project (KUP) catering for the proposed upgrading of some of the infrastructure such as roads and sewerage system has started its operations in the area.

K’Odera said construction of a sewerage system has already started in parts of Milimani and Nyalenda estates. “Kisumu has no proper sewerage system. In Milimani, they use septic tanks,” he said.

A spot check by The Standard found workers busy digging manholes.