Kisumu: It's time to shake the giant out of its long slumber

Kisumu city. It will be celebrating 118 years since it was founded. [File, Standard]

As Kisumu gears up to celebrate 118 years since it was founded, its new governor Anyang’ Nyong’o is basking in glory after his government was voted the best-run in the country in a recent opinion poll.

Kisumu City matters because it is the third largest city in the country with a population of nearly 1 million people; it is the second most important city after Kampala in the Lake Victoria basin. It matters more because it is a gateway to Uganda and Tanzania, Kenya’s largest trading partners.