Counties should craft strategies of turning around urban areas

By David Ohito

The Government launched the draft National Urban Development Policy that will create a legislative and policy framework to direct development and planning of urban centres in the 47 counties.

It was timely but it would be important to look at some stunning statistics. In the last four decades, Kenya has witnessed rapid urbanisation, estimated at five per cent.

At independence, there were only eight per cent Kenyans living in urban areas. Now, some 34 per cent of Kenyans live in urban areas and projections point at half of the country’s population who will be living in the urban areas by 2030.

A chat with Town Clerks Philip Kisia (Nairobi), and Tubmun Otieno (Mombasa) reveals how rapid urbanization piles pressure on urban dwellers, pushing them to squalid living conditions while at the same time, stretching the service providers beyond limits.

Recently, a number of town clerks were threatened by National Environment Management Authority (Nema) for failing to collect and dispose solid waste. Here, the clerks were paying the price of poor planning and lack of capacity and a comprehensive policy to address solid waste management.

There is no doubt there are major challenges facing urban centres and the new county managers waiting to be elected in 2012 must be prepared for the tough task ahead.

Challenges range from inadequate infrastructure and services manifested in poor road network, perennial shortage of water, the eyesores of open sewers.

Equally, depressing is the poor housing condition for millions of people with Nairobi estimated to be hosting more than two million in informal settlements, popularly called slums.

Coupled with environmental degradation, high rates of unemployment and poverty, life is unbearable for low-income earners.

Added to inflation, the country is courting a disaster or brewing social upheaval. But even with the huge challenges facing urban areas, they contribute about 70 per cent of the GDP and experts are questioning how much could these areas achieve if they were better managed.

The legislation on the classification and management of urban areas and cities has been passed by Parliament and those that will enforce devolution will follow suit.

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and PS Karega Mutahi, who are in charge of Local Government, have expressed optimism the policy will comprehensively address major challenges posed by urbanisation.

But all that cannot be attained unless Kenyans are marshalled to the cause of urban areas in their counties.

Residents in all counties must be alive to the opportunities and challenges and carefully craft solutions that will turn around the urban areas.

Murang’a and Garissa counties have led way by consulting and laying ground through comprehensive development plans. Siaya County is still in slumber but has organised an investment conference from December 1-3 in Siaya Town. A good beginning point but there are valuable lessons from Garissa and Murang’a other counties should borrow.

Incumbents and the ones eyeing county posts must commit themselves to making our urban areas suitable, sustainable and enjoyable places to live in.

The painful stories of buildings collapsing and the ugly ones like the Syokimau demolitions are a waste of resources. Such are tragedies our urban authorities can avoid.

The Ministry of Local Government and National Urban Policy Development coordinator Patrick Adolwa and colleagues should ensure this draft document is made accessible to Kenyans to interrogate and put in their views before it is approved by Parliament. The people’s voice will be crucial to its success.

—The author is regional editor at The Standard