Dilapidated Kisumu buildings to be demolished

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma

By HEZRON OCHIEL

KISUMU COUNTY: Owners of dilapidated structures in Kisumu County have been given ultimatum to develop or risk losing them.

The County Executive Member for Physical Planning Vincent Kodera asked property owners to construct human-friendly modern structures to beautify the city within the next four years.

“If you can’t develop your property, you risk losing it to the county government who will develop it to meet city standards,” he said.

Kodera said the government would be forced to evict them and construct modern houses. The county government under a slum upgrading project will pull down deplorable structures and replace them with modern ones, he said.

The Sh4.2 billion project, Kodera said, would see the county government, under a public-private partnership, construct affordable housing in slum areas to attract more revenue and boost the standards of living.

Areas targeted under the project include Manyatta, Nyalenda, Obunga, Nyawita and Nyamasaria informal settlements.

COMPENSATION

But he said the government would compensate evicted land owners.

The project is supported by the French Agency for Development to the tune of 40 million Euros.

Speaking yesterday, property owners faulted the move, saying they would lose property in the process and called on Governor Jack Ranguma to develop unused land first.