Poor planning has ensured urban areas have remained tuned into intensive care unit for decades as residents grapple with deplorable social amenities, writes HAROLD AYODO
Nearly all the 175 municipalities countrywide suffer the nightmare of spontaneous growth, awful infrastructure, unco-ordinated initiatives, and weak laws.
There are now fears that the lack of urban planning tumour may transform into full blown cancer and be replicated into 47 counties capitals next year.
There are over 70 Acts of Parliament that govern urban development, which create conflicts, overlapping roles and poor co-ordination.
However, urban planning experts insist planned urban centres could rejuvenate the Kenyan economy as Nairobi alone accounts for 70 per cent of the national GDP, according to Government reports.
A recent comparative assessment by the World Bank found that infrastructure of urban areas in the country lags behind many countries in Africa.
?For instance, a paltry 45 per cent of urban inhabitants have access to safe public water supply.
Execrable planning
?Neglect in planning and investment has led 55 per cent of the urban population to live in informal settlements with poor access to public services.
?According to urban planners, lack of a policy in urban planning is attributed to the current state that is choking towns.
According to Civil Society Urban Development Programme (CSUDP) chief executive officer Prof Edward Kairu, there is a huge task to ensure proper planning of counties.
?“There is a lot we can learn from Nairobi when planning new counties countrywide before it is too late,” Prof Kairu says.
?More experts in the academia support this opinion.
The Kenya Polytechnic University College School of the Built Environment dean Prof Alfred Omenya, says the country rates poorly in urban planning.
?“We could be victims of an urban past of desperation and hopelessness as Nairobi alone has over 200 informal settlements,” Prof Omenya says.
?He says that the urban poor constitute 51.5 per cent of the total poor population countrywide — an indication that poverty is to some significant degree an urban issue.
?Prof Omenya further quotes a World Bank study that says 73 per cent of slum dwellers in the country live below the international poverty line.
?Consequently, urban planning experts have raised a red flag that the situation must be salvaged before counties take shape after the General Elections next year.
?According to Prof Omenya, planned urbanisation remains the easiest route to economic development.
“The US is a super power that relies on urbanisation (not agriculture) for economic development…its agriculture is subsidised by the Government,” Prof Omenya says.
?Prof Omenya argues that Nairobi alone employs 25 per cent of the population who produce over 70 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Urban governance
?However, all is not lost as the Constitution devolution laws provide possibilities to make urban governance and management; democratic, efficient and equitable.
?For instance, the recently enacted Urban Areas and Cities Act (2011) would revolutionise the real estate sub sector.
?It provides for the classification, governance and management of urban areas and cities in line with Article 184 of the Constitution.
It also outlines the criteria of establishing urban areas, principle of governance and participation of residents towards development.
?Moreover, the supreme law gives unprecedented bundle of socio-economic rights to housing, health, education, clean environment, water and sanitation.
?The Intergovernmental Relations Act (2011) also provides for possibilities of management of pervasive urban phenomena like metropolitan regions.
Since the Constitution provides for public participation in governance, civil society organisations are championing the course for better urban areas.
Whose town?
For instance, the CSUDP on July 30 launched the ‘Local Urban Torch Campaign’ that is lobbying for public participation on the renewed urban development agenda.
According to CSUDP coordinator George Wasonga, the campaign whose slogan is ‘Whose Town is it anyway?’ seeks to cultivate a sense of urban ownership.
CSUDP initiated the move through establishment of local urban forums (LUFs) currently in 14 major urban centres countrywide.
“The urban campaign culminates tomorrow into a public event at the Masinde Muliro Gardens in Kakamega to champion a course for the renewed agenda,” Wasonga says.
?The national campaign on urban development comes as the country prepares to participate in the sixth World Urban Forum in Naples, Italy from September 1 to 7.
?Prof Kairu says that the national campaign seeks to promote awareness on the local urban campaign and enlist popular support for the renewed urban development agenda.
?“Transition into the devolved governments requires establishment of local urban platforms that advance awareness to residents,” Prof Kairu says.
?Fortunately, the co-operation for new urban governance includes the Association of Local Government Authorities of Kenya and the Ministry of Local Government.
?Ministry of Local Government deputy director in charge of urban development department Patrick Adolwa says a major urban planning exercise countrywide is ongoing.
Controlled development
?“We are working towards professional and modern controlled development of 47 counties countrywide…the aim is to urbanise the grassroots,” Adolwa says.
?Adolwa, who is also the National Urban Development Policy Process coordinator says improved infrastructure and planned counties is the major objective.
?“We have programmes like the Kenya Municipal Programme that is currently on going to plan major towns countrywide,” Adolwa says.
?He says that there is also the Nairobi Integrated Planning Master Plan among others that specifically target counties.
?The experts are, however, calling for political goodwill and support arguing renewed urban development is not a walk in the park.
?“Proper planning of counties will eventually decongest Nairobi to its required population of one million people,” Adolwa says.
Prof Kairu says the Urban Areas and Cities Act of 2011 details types and levels of infrastructural and social services and amenities that urban areas must have.
According to John Nderitu, a programme coordinator at the Swedish embassy that supports urban development programmes, there is hope for change.
?“Urban areas in the country have been on auto-pilot mode until recently when the reality of poor planning hit,” Nderitu says.
?According to Nderitu, Sweden, which sponsors initiatives by CSUDP, works with other players championing urban development.
?“We also worked with the Ministry of Local Government to come up with the national urban development policy,” Nderitu says.
?Adolwa says the country had for decades found itself on the negative side of urbanisation, which explains the current state of towns.
Future forecast
“Half of the population in the country will be living in urban areas in the next 18 years,” Adolwa says.
?According to Adolwa, rain started pounding urban areas after the Government was pre-occupied by agriculture.
?“We have had several policies on agriculture and none on urban development over the past decades,” Adolwa says.
But now, Adolwa says the ministry came up with a National Urban Development Policy that is yet to be implemented.
?“We need to all work together — both technocrats and political leaders — as urbanisation is the engine that drives the country,” Adolwa says.
Prof Omenya, Prof Kairu and Wasonga concur that it is time to explore opportunities in the 47 counties for orderly, efficient and productive urbanisation.
?“The new Constitution and Acts (laws) provides for social and economic rights, which do not know politics or political boundaries,” concludes Prof Omenya.
