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KISUMU
URBAN SECTOR PROFILE
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
a separate report. This is the Kisumu report and it constitutes ity and incorporate slums into its development plans, while
a general background, a synthesis of the four themes, gov- supporting the informal sector and harnessing the potential
ernance, slums, gender and HIV/AIDS and environment, of broad-based partnerships to address slum upgrading.
and priority project proposals.
Kisumu is the third largest city in Kenya. It is a regional capital Gender disparities are common in Kisumu as women are of-
and an administrative, commercial and industrial centre for ten unaware of their rights and have less access than men to
the Lake Victoria basin. Situated on Lake Victoria, it developed land, housing and credit. These disparities combined with the
due to its strategic location as an internal port and a railway burdens of household work give women a low status. With
terminus. Its rich endowments, such as the lake itself and gender mainstreaming not on their agenda, the council has
fertile agricultural land, gave rise to a thriving economy that not responded to these gender disparities and the national
provided employment opportunities in the fishery industry gender policy has not been operationalised. Kisumu records
and from large-scale production of molasses, cotton, rice and exorbitantly high HIV/AIDS infection rates, but there are
sugar. Kisumu’s status as an opposition stronghold, and the weaknesses in the HIV/AIDS framework – treatment and
national economic decline of the 1980s and 1990s led to the medicines are not easily available, and no explicit role is al-
regression of the city’s economic potential, resulting in high located to local authorities in the fight against the disease.
rates of poverty. Despite its rich resource base, Kisumu is still The national HIV/AIDS policy has not been operationalised
one of the poorest cities in Kenya and food insecurity, growing locally; indeed, the council does not have any policy on
urban poverty and the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS are key HIV/AIDS, either internal or external, although it also loses
concerns. About 60% of Kisumu’s population live in slums 38-40 of its staff every year to the disease. There is a need to
and over 15% have HIV/AIDS. implement the national gender and HIV/AIDS policies at
the local level.
Governance
Environment
Governance in Kisumu is facing several challenges as the city
attempts to recover from years of neglect, address corruption With the expanding population in Kisumu, the demand
and political interference in the council’s affairs, and respond for services such as water, sanitation and waste collection
to reforms within the Kenyan local authority framework. The is increasing; 60% of Kisumu’s population have no access
Municipal Council of Kisumu (MCK) also has to address its to safe drinking water, a mere 20% of the waste produced
poor revenue collection, high rates of poverty within the city is collected and the sewerage coverage is only 10%. Slums
and the almost complete exclusion of slum communities in are the hardest hit since they have no access to safe drink-
urban decision making. The MCK is ill-equipped to respond ing water, sanitation or sewerage facilities. Kisumu’s location
to these challenges in a holistic manner as it lacks the finan- and topography present additional environmental problems
cial and human resource capacities. The various civil society as Lake Victoria is highly polluted, the wetlands along the
organisations that operate in Kisumu offer a good entry point shores are threatened by encroaching farms, and widespread
for improving governance, and they require the support and logging for firewood has caused soil erosion and increased
coordination of the council. There is a need to improve the surface run-off. These problems, together with poor human
communication channels between the MCK and the city’s and financial resources committed to environmental issues,
residents. pose a serious threat to Kisumu’s environment. There is a
need for increased environmental awareness among all the
urban stakeholders, improved regulation of industries, com-
prehensive environmental planning and management, and
creation of local partnerships for environmental projects.
4
INTRODUCTION
5
K I S U M U I N D ATA
Estimated Population: Approximately 345,312 (1999)
Annual urban population growth: Estimated 2.8%, Average density: 828 pp/km2
Informal settlements: 60% of the urban population
Kisumu is Kenya’s third largest city, and it is the headquarters of both Kisumu District and Nyanza Province. It is located
in the Western Highlands on Lake Victoria and is a rapidly growing administrative, commercial and industrial centre for
the Lake Victoria basin.
Source: MCK - Kisumu City Development Strategy, 2004
MANYATTA “A”
Density: 20,955 persons per km2
MANYATTA “B”
Density: 6,372 persons per km2
KALOLENI
Density: 6,436 persons per km2
NYALENDA “A”
Density: 8,475 persons per km2
6
K I S U M U - FA C T S A N D C H A L L E N G E S
The city developed from a railway terminus and internal port in 1901, bringing employment opportunities and wealth
with the commodity trade across the lake. This developed regional ties among Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, which still
have important road, rail and water linkages.
Further, the city has rich endowments such as Lake Victoria and a fertile agricultural hinterland, which gave rise to a thriving
economy that provided employment opportunities in the fishery industry and from large-scale production of molasses,
cotton, rice and sugar. Like many urban areas in Kenya, Kisumu’s economic potential diminished during the national
economic decline of the 1980s and 1990s. The economic recession led to the closure of some industries, the virtual collapse
of sugar production due to cheap import substitutes and the deterioration of the railways due to lack of investment.
AREA KALOLENI MANYATTA “A” MANYATTA “B” NYALENDA “A” NYALENDA “B” WEST KOLWA
Kisumu’s status as a stronghold of the opposition has negatively impacted its development, as the area was largely
neglected until the emergence of multi-party democracy in Kenya.
Despite its rich resource base, Kisumu is one of the poorest cities in Kenya and food insecurity, growing urban poverty
and the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS are key concerns.
8%
30%
39%
53%
29%
48%
7
A D M I N I S T R AT I O N rather than leasehold. The MCK has only recently established
a planning department with a system for data collection and
Kisumu has a large mandate but it lacks the capacity to meet analysis based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The
the demands of its residents and the private sector. This is due department has been computerised, but it lacks the financial
to highly centralised decision making, inefficiency in revenue and qualified human resources for participatory planning
collection and low human resource capacities. The Municipal procedures that cater for the entire city rather than just the
Council of Kisumu (MCK) has 11 departments with 1,400 wealthier neighbourhoods.
staff. The staffing is bottom-heavy, with numerous unskilled
staff in the lower tiers and weak capacity in middle manage- Source: MCK - Kisumu City Development Strategy, 2004,
ment, limiting the council’s ability to implement programmed UN-HABITAT and MCK - Cities Without Slums, 2005
activities. Capacity building and staff development have tra-
ditionally been given a low priority and there is no training
policy. Administrative performance is further compromised
because of low staff morale due to recurring salary arrears. At
times excessive interference from self-interested councillors
unduly affects the city administration, and town clerks in
particular have fallen victim to political interference, leading
to high turnover and slow implementation of programmed
activities. During the 2004-2005 financial year, the expen-
diture estimates were as follows: 57% wage bill, 30% opera-
tions and maintenance, 6% debt resolution and 6% Local
Authority Service Delivery Action Plan (LASDAP) projects.
The MCK could improve its administration by decentralising,
KISUMU URBAN PROFILE - BACKGROUND
URBAN PLANNING
8
T H E E C O N O M I C S I T U AT I O N URBAN POVERTY
The informal sector and urban agriculture are important play- Urban poverty is prevalent in Kisumu as 60% of residents
ers in Kisumu’s economic landscape, but economic develop- live in slums characterised by lack of planning, high densities
ment of the city is still controlled by the central government (150 housing units/hectare), poor infrastructure and a short-
and there are few trickle-down effects. Further, Kisumu has age of basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity.
not been spared from the effects of various national trends: a Many slum dwellers experience acute security and health
stagnating economy, soaring unemployment and increased problems and depend on the informal sector for survival.
poverty. The city’s industrial base is performing badly and They also lack access to health services, transport and com-
many industries have closed down, while the official unem- munication. Nearly half of Kisumu’s total population live
ployment rate is 30%. in absolute poverty, which is much higher than the national
average of 29%. The city also experiences exceptionally high
The MCK collects only about 50% of its revenue potential food poverty (53%) – one of the highest rates in the coun-
despite a wide tax base. The main sources of revenue are try despite urban agriculture being widespread. These are
property taxes, land rents, business licences and the Local perturbing developments, and equitable and efficient urban
Authorities Transfer Fund (LATF). Corruption and lack of governance, including pro-poor policies and broad-based
computerisation constrain revenue collection and must be partnerships, are needed to address Kisumu’s poverty.
addressed in a holistic way. There is also a need to improve
Source: MCK - Kisumu City Development Strategy, 2004
the image of the city in order to attract investment.
I N F O R M A L A N D P R I VAT E
SECTORS
9
URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND S A N I TAT I O N
BASIC SERVICES
Sanitation is not well organised in Kisumu – the refuse col-
There are great disparities in the distribution of urban infra- lection efficiency is a mere 20%. Wealthier neighbourhoods
structure and basic services between slums and higher income have their refuse collected whereas slums are largely neglected.
areas. While the latter are well served, most slums remain Kisumu also has only 10% sewerage coverage. The majority
largely unserviced. The poor are forced to rely on the private of slum dwellers are forced to rely on pit latrines that are over-
and informal sectors to provide them with housing, water used and not adequately maintained. The MCK struggles
and electricity. The road network is also extremely deficient, with a lack of refuse collection facilities and low operational
excluding many slums from easy access to the city centre and efficiency. Many dumpsites are next to residential houses,
other strategic areas. In addition, health care and education causing health problems and intolerable living conditions.
are becoming increasingly privatised, and hence unaffordable Plastic waste is a particular nuisance as it causes livestock
for the poor. Since the council is unable to meet the demands deaths and blocks storm water drains. Between 60-65% of
on its own, it needs to become a facilitator with an enabling the total amount of waste collected in Kisumu is organic,
role that harnesses the full potential of different stakeholders which presents enormous potential for recycling. Many posi-
by creating favourable structures for partnerships and par- tive small-scale reuse and recycling initiatives are taking place
ticipation. and these should be further encouraged. There is a need for an
environmental awareness campaign educating the residents
to take more responsibility for their own waste, as well as to
WAT E R develop broad-based partnerships for waste management.
Source: MCK - Kisumu City Development Strategy, 2004
Kisumu is faced with acute water shortages and only 40% of
its population have access to piped water. Slum dwellers suffer
KISUMU URBAN PROFILE - BACKGROUND
10
SOURCES OF ENERGY E D U C AT I O N
The Kenya Power and Lighting Company provides electricity Kisumu has an adult literacy rate of 48%, which is low
throughout Kenya. Most slum dwellings are without electric- compared to the national average of 85%. Only 25% of the
ity and occupants use paraffin lamps, tin lamps, batteries and urban poor have attained secondary education. Kisumu has
candles for lighting, and kerosene or charcoal for cooking. 140 primary schools but only 23 secondary schools. In ad-
These fuels negatively impact the environment and human dition, there is one university, the distance-learning colleges
health, causing air pollution and respiratory diseases. There is of Kenyatta and Nairobi Universities, a labour college and
a need to look for alternative energy sources and ensure more several private colleges. The existing educational facilities
equitable energy provision. are inadequate for the increasing population, and there are
great inequalities in teaching standards and services between
government-run and private schools. The schools also suffer
from gender disparities since girls are less likely to complete
primary and secondary school. There is a need to upgrade
the existing educational facilities and improve accessibility
for the poor by establishing more government-run primary
and secondary schools. There is also a need to address the
gender disparities.
Source: MCK - Kisumu City Development Strategy, 2004
H E A LT H
The most common diseases in Kisumu are HIV/AIDS, ma-
laria, upper respiratory tract infections, water-borne illnesses
and diarrhoea. HIV/AIDS is the largest threat and is gener-
ally attributed to rising levels of poverty and lack of access to
health facilities. A comparatively high cost of medical care
and insufficient drugs exacerbate the existing health condi-
tions. The city has a provincial general hospital and branches
of leading private hospitals such as the Aga Khan. However,
while middle- and high-income groups rely on private clinics,
the poorer groups are forced to make do with substandard
health facilities. More health clinics, even mobile clinics, are
needed in order to ensure better access, to improve awareness
of common diseases (and how to prevent and treat them),
and especially to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Source: MCK - Kisumu City Development Strategy, 2004
11
GOVERNANCE T H E I N S T I T U T I O N A L S E T- U P
Governance in Kisumu is facing a number of challenges as • The Ministry of Local Government supervises, supports,
the city attempts to recover from years of neglect (due to and provides resources to the MCK, which limits the
its status as an opposition stronghold), address corruption council’s ability to make independent decisions with
and political interference, and respond to reforms within the regard to spending priorities and policies.
Kenyan local authority framework. The Municipal Council • Organisational structures and operational capacities of
of Kisumu (MCK) also has to address its poor revenue col- MCK departments, which are characterised by political
lection, high rates of poverty and the exclusion of slum com- interference, lack of funds and weak administrative ca-
munities in urban decision making. Additionally, it has to pacity, constrain service delivery and physical planning.
manage the newly emerging partnerships and the increasing • The potential for public-private partnerships in service
donor interest in an efficient and meaningful way. delivery has not been fully explored, though some good
examples exist.
The MCK is ill-equipped to respond to these challenges in a • Civil society organisations are numerous and involved
holistic manner as it lacks the financial and human resource in urban affairs to differing degrees, but there is no for-
capacities. The council has poor performance in revenue col- mal institutionalised involvement mechanism, such as
lection and its financial problems are compounded by highly an urban forum, to collectively engage all stakeholders
centralised decision making. The Ministry of Local Govern- in civic affairs.
ment supervises the MCK, influencing its spending priorities • There are some newly created institutional structures
and policies, and disregarding efforts towards decentralisation. promoting broad-based stakeholder participation, such
On the human resource side, the MCK has weak capacity as Local Authority Service Delivery Action Plan (LAS-
in middle management and lacks technically qualified staff. DAP) and the Kisumu Round Table.
There is no training policy for the council staff or systematic
measuring of performance. Further, political influences still R E G U L AT O R Y F R A M E W O R K
KISUMU URBAN PROFILE - GOVERNANCE
12
PERFORMANCE AND
A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y AGREED PRIORITIES
• Improve revenue collection efficiency.
• The mayor is chosen from the elected councillors and is
• Train council staff in participatory planning and budgeting, as
often not accountable to the citizens but to the council-
well as conflict management.
lors who elected him.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the council’s activities are • Improve community participation in urban decision making.
weak and there is no system for measuring performance • Improve accountability and transparency within the MCK.
against the existing service standards.
• Improve communication channels between the council and
• LASDAP is in place and offers a framework for partici-
the general public: draft a Citizens’ Charter, and implement an
patory planning and budgeting, but there is room for accountable complaints system.
improvements.
• There is no communication strategy between the MCK • Facilitate and coordinate the civil society organisations working
in the area and promote broad-based partnerships among all
and city residents, no Citizens’ Charter and no formal
the urban stakeholders.
complaints procedure. The mayor or town clerk ad-
dresses complaints on an ad hoc basis.
• There are no pro-poor policies regulating urban serv-
ices.
• Civil society organisations are active but they lack the
coordination to make concerted demands on the MCK.
R E S O U R C E M O B I L I S AT I O N
• The MCK is not efficient in revenue collection due to
corrupt practices, and lack of computerisation and reg-
istration of revenue sources.
• The MCK is not autonomous but depends on the cen-
tral government for budget generation and spending of
its revenues.
• Property rates are the primary source of revenue. Other
sources like business licences could be maximised if they
were properly registered within the revenue collection
system.
• The Road Maintenance Levy Fund is a central fund
allocation administered by the Town Engineering De-
partment. Some of this money is allocated to informal
settlements but there is insufficient technical expertise
in the department.
• There is potential for broad-based stakeholder partner-
ships but this is not adequately exploited. URBAN Project proposal page 20
SECTOR* Urban Support Unit and Local Urban
N°1 Observatory
About 60% of Kisumu’s population live in slums, which are • The ministry responsible for slums, land policy and
a result of rapid urbanisation, the high cost of living, the allocation is the Ministry of Lands, while at the local
stagnating economy and the Municipal Council of Kisumu´s level the responsibility falls on the MCK. Since the
(MCK) slow reaction to slum formation (it has instead fo- MCK reports to the Ministry of Local Government it
cused on the city’s planned areas). The slums in Kisumu are feels less responsible to take action on slums. There is a
located on the urban fringes of the city in rural-like settings disconnection between these institutions that results in
and largely function as a pool of cheap labour for the rest lack of cooperation; it is further compounded by lack of
of the city. They are characterised by lack of planning, high financial resources.
densities, poor infrastructure and shortage of basic services • The Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP)
such as water, sanitation and electricity. Many slum dwell- is the leading institution for slum upgrading at the
ers live in self-built structures, although quality can vary national level, and its sub-programme, Cities Without
greatly even within the same slum. A large proportion of Slums (CWS), is being implemented in Kisumu. Slum-
slum dwellers lack formal education and rely on the informal upgrading activities are uncoordinated and the MCK
sector and urban agriculture for survival. Many experience does not have the capacity to coordinate and evaluate
acute security and health problems. The city has one of the the activities.
highest incidences of food poverty in Kenya as 53% of the • There is no platform for urban development and stake-
total city population experience it (the Nairobi figure is 8%). holder coordination.
This means the prevalence in slums is even higher. Kisumu’s • Decision making and planning are highly centralised
slums differ drastically from other slums in Kenya because a and slum dwellers are largely uninvolved in urban deci-
large number of the slum dwellers actually own the land on sion-making processes. There is relatively poor commu-
which they live. This is due to the communal land owner- nication between the council and its citizens although
ship structure of the Luo ethnic group, which dominates the there are efforts to improve this.
Kisumu area. A large percentage of the land in the slums • MCK’s inability to plan and cater for the slum areas has
is registered as individual interests on freehold tenure. This resulted in NGOs and community-based organisations
poses a different kind of challenge for slum upgrading, since getting involved in great numbers, but they lack needed
it is expensive for the municipal authority or the central gov- coordination.
ernment to acquire this land.
R E G U L AT O R Y F R A M E W O R K
The MCK lacks the financial and human resource capacity
KISUMU URBAN PROFILE - SLUMS
14
R E S O U R C E M O B I L I S AT I O N
AGREED PRIORITIES
• MCK lacks the financial capacity to allocate a budget • Enhance security of tenure by addressing issues of subdivision
for slum development and it relies mostly on donors through: planning by-laws, setting minimum plot sizes, providing
to finance slum upgrading. A sustainable partnership titles where necessary and developing sustainable land-use
system for financing slum upgrading is needed. activities in the wetlands.
• The revenue collection system is performing poorly • Harmonise slum-upgrading strategies.
since only 50% of the available revenue is collected.
• Develop pro-poor action plans for access to urban services and
• There are several internationally funded initiatives
resources, such as shelter, water and sanitation.
aimed at slum upgrading.
• Budget allocation for physical planning is too small. • Support CWS and KENSUP to enhance community involvement
• There is limited capacity for building partnerships for in slum upgrading.
service delivery in slums. • Develop a locally driven physical development plan.
• Financial assistance to slum dwellers is not sufficiently
• Develop land information systems, such as base maps for
developed; they have limited access to credit and other land management and property registration, as a basis for
financial assistance. implementing slum-upgrading strategies.
• No specific policy is in place to address economic
development in slum areas and informal sector • Develop planning standards and licensing procedures that create
an enabling environment for the informal sector. Provide human
enterprises.
and financial resources for local authorities to perform planning
functions.
TENURE • Obtain more financial support from the government and NGOs
for the urban poor, and negotiate their better access to credit.
• There are over 30 Statutory Acts addressing land • Train local leadership and councillors in urban upgrading, which
issues, making procedures to acquire secure rights to has to be ongoing.
land unnecessarily complex. The processes also lack • Prepare and implement a policy to support local economic
transparency. development.
• As the land is held in freehold tenure, opportunities
for slum upgrading are constrained by the high cost
of compensating those who must surrender their
land to accommodate access roads and other urban
development.
• A lack of adequate land records and information
constrains taxation and revenue raising in informal
areas, where the majority of the population resides.
• Information on land allocation does not reach the
poor communities on time; the majority are unaware
of the legislation concerning their land rights and have
difficulty accessing legal advice.
15
GENDER AND HIV/AIDS I N S T I T U T I O N A L S E T- U P
Gender disparities are common in Kisumu: women are un- • The Women’s Bureau in the Ministry of Gender, Sports
der-represented in the council, less aware of their rights, and and Culture steers national gender policy development,
have less access to education, credit and land. Combined collects and assesses data, and guides legislative proc-
with the burden of household work (further intensified in the esses. There is no formal legislation to address gender
slums), this gives women a low status. The council does not issues, although a gender policy exists. There is a lack of
have a gender mainstreaming policy or a gender office. In the direction for local authorities.
absence of policies and actions to promote gender awareness, • The MCK does not have a gender mainstreaming or
this situation is likely to continue. HIV/AIDS policy and no attempts have been made to
implement the national policies at the local level. There
Kisumu’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rates are amongst the high- is no specific office for gender or HIV/AIDS issues and
est in Kenya (15%), making HIV/AIDS the biggest health there are no qualified personnel to deal with these is-
threat in the city. The reasons for Kisumu’s high infection sues.
rates include high levels of poverty, and traditional beliefs • Community development assistants, as part of the
KISUMU URBAN PROFILE - GENDER AND HIV/AIDS
and practices. The mortality rates among those infected are Department of Housing and Social Services, deal with
high and there are a large number of orphans and widows women and children’s issues, as these groups are per-
undermining the extended family systems. HIV/AIDS is ceived to be vulnerable.
exacerbated by poverty and lack of access to health care, in- • The National AIDS Control Council (NACC) is the
cluding antiretroviral treatment, counselling and nutrition key HIV/AIDS coordinating body in Kenya. There is a
care. HIV-positive individuals still suffer from stigma and are gap in the HIV/AIDS framework as no role is allocated
often ostracised by their families and communities. There is a to local authorities in the fight against the disease.
need to effectively develop the understanding of citizens and • There are a wide variety of civil society organisations
leaders alike to orient them towards policies that address the working with HIV/AIDS issues, and some with gender
HIV/AIDS pandemic. There are several local, national and issues, but they are poorly equipped and lack coordina-
international civil society organisations working with HIV/ tion.
AIDS-related issues but their efforts are hampered by lack
of coordination. The Municipal Council of Kisumu (MCK)
does not have an HIV/AIDS policy or a budget. Further, it
does not have an HIV/AIDS work-based policy, although it ONGOING PROJECTS
loses on average 38-40 staff members yearly to the disease.
The MCK urgently needs to mainstream and operationalise The Rite of Being Project
the national gender and HIV/AIDS policies, and respond to THE RITE OF BEING PROJECT, a project initiated by the Kenya Female Advisory
the challenges in a holistic way. Organisation (KEFEADO), involves a series of workshops and interactive
performances that creatively address the role of rites of passage (such as
Female Genital Mutilation) in the gender socialisation of girls and women
Source: MCK - Kisumu City Development Strategy, 2004, in Kenya and South Africa. The project seeks to highlight the relationship
UN-HABITAT - Rapid Assessment of HIV/AIDS Impacts, 2005 between knowledge and power by providing individuals and communities
the opportunity to discover information that could lead to making informed
choices around rites of passage. The project has a commitment to empower
women and girls regardless of cultural or geographical boundaries. The aim
of this project is thus to establish alternative rites of passage that are culturally
friendly, according to the identified communities.
16
R E S O U R C E M O B I L I S AT I O N
AGREED PRIORITIES
• The Ministry of Local Government has a gender officer • Incorporate gender and HIV/AIDS mainstreaming into all council
but no funds for activities, which reflects negatively on activities; operationalise the national gender and HIV/AIDS
the MCK. policies at the local level.
• No financial resources are allocated for gender main- • Train council staff in gender and HIV/AIDS mainstreaming,
streaming or combating HIV/AIDS. and employ a gender specialist and a health professional(s)
• The NACC makes available grants for HIV/AIDS activi- specialising in HIV/AIDS.
ties at the district level but they are poorly monitored.
• Coordinate the activities of gender and HIV/AIDS civil society
• Mainstreaming gender and HIV/AIDS issues requires organisations and ensure better effectiveness of the available
mobilisation of resources across all sectors. HIV/AIDS funds.
• Some funds are available from international donors for
HIV/AIDS issues. • Set up more VCT centres and improve the existing VCT facilities
and resources.
• Conduct HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in schools, work places
EMPOWERMENT AND and places of worship.
A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y
• Prepare and implement a policy to support local economic
development.
• Women’s representation in decision making is low and
only five out of 23 councillors are women. Leadership
in the MCK is male-dominated, although the mayor is
a woman.
• Issues such as gender-based violence and child abuse are
handled without a formal policy and only on a reactive
basis.
• Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres are
available but they lack confidentiality, access to antiret-
roviral medicines and adequate staffing.
• There is a lack of awareness of gender and HIV/AIDS
issues in public and private institutions, as well as in
civil society.
• There is no gender or HIV/AIDS sensitisation training
for council staff.
• HIV/AIDS stigma results in negative attitudes towards
HIV-positive individuals and their families.
• Civil society organisations working with gender and
HIV/AIDS issues lack coordination.
17
THE ENVIRONMENT ronmental strategies. It focuses on street cleaning, waste
collection, and disposal and conservation issues, but it
With the expanding population in Kisumu, the demand also develops environmental plans and deals with envi-
for services such as water, sanitation and waste collection, ronmental impact assessments and environment audits.
is increasing. Already 60% of Kisumu’s population have • The Environment Regulation division is yet to be fully
no access to safe drinking water, a mere 20% of the waste operationalised and lacks the necessary equipment to
produced is collected and the sewerage coverage is only effectively monitor environmental quality.
10%. Slums are the hardest hit as they have no access to safe • There are some environmental community-based or-
drinking water, sanitation or sewerage facilities, and waste ganisations, NGOs and international organisations
collection is almost non-existent. The Municipal Council of operating in the area that have the potential to make a
Kisumu (MCK) does not have a central waste-dumping site lasting impact on Kisumu’s environment.
as it was recently sold. Many slums are built on hazardous
terrain like hilly slopes, exposing them, for instance, to R E G U L AT O R Y F R A M E W O R K
excessive flooding.
• The Environmental Management and Coordination Act
Kisumu’s location and topography present additional and of 1999 provides the legal and institutional framework
unique environmental problems; Lake Victoria is highly for environmental management, but is poorly under-
polluted due to unregulated activities along its beaches; stood and implemented.
the wetlands along the shores are threatened by the • Many environmental regulations (such as banning
encroachment of farming; and heavy reliance on firewood livestock keeping in peri-urban areas) are outdated and
results in widespread logging, leading to soil erosion. These unenforceable due to their prohibitive nature, and re-
combined environmental pressures, together with unqualified quire revision. The Department of Environment is in
council staff that lack the financial and technical capacity to the process of translating the national law into appli-
KISUMU URBAN PROFILE - ENVIRONMENT
conduct environmental planning, pose a serious threat to cable by-laws tailored to respond to the challenges in
Kisumu’s environment. There is a need to implement existing Kisumu.
environmental regulations, policies and by-laws. Training • There is no active policy for public involvement in pro-
and capacity building are also urgently needed for the council moting good environmental governance.
staff and elected leaders, as well as awareness building for all • There are no environmental laws or regulations tackling
the urban stakeholders. The opportunities for broad-based pollution although NEMA should handle this matter.
partnerships and income-generating activities should also be • The council has not published any documents that give
explored. a statement of citizens’ rights in regard to access to serv-
ices such as sanitation facilities.
Source: MCK - Kisumu City Development Strategy, 2004,
ONGOING PROJECT
UN-HABITAT - Rapid Assessment of HIV/AIDS Impacts, 2005
T H E I N S T I T U T I O N A L S E T- U P
18
R E S O U R C E M O B I L I S AT I O N
AGREED PRIORITIES
• The Ministry of Local Government makes important • Conduct an assessment of the main environmental needs and
decisions about resource allocation for environmental gaps, and formulate an environmental action plan.
projects, which limits the MCK’s ability to decide on its • Operationalise and institutionalise the existing environmental
environmental priorities. policies, regulations and by-laws, and revise the existing ones to
• The environmental budget of the council is mainly ensure they reflect the realities in Kisumu.
spent on street cleaning, waste collection and conser-
• Train and build capacity in environmental planning and
vation issues. The budget is not adequate to meet the management
environmental needs of the area.
• There is generally poor local revenue collection for • Conduct public education and awareness campaigns on
environmental activities. The main sources of revenue environmental issues.
are conservancy fees, private waste disposal fees, land- • Increase budgetary spending on environmental projects and
scaping fees, and machinery and equipment hire levies, establish sustainable financial planning for them.
which combined secure 30% of the budget. • Explore broad-based partnerships in addressing environmental
• The Department of Environment has recently been problems.
granted approval to establish an Environment Develop-
• Establish a forum to upgrade and protect Lake Victoria, and
ment Fund, which will look at an expanded resource
develop a good water resource management system that includes
base that includes inspection levies, private operator alternative water sources.
levies, grants, donations and donor support (including
corporate support). • Expand existing sewerage treatment facilities and solid waste
• The recently renovated Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground, management.
which charges user fees, is a good example of a broad- • Exploit the tourism potential of the city.
based partnership for environmental management that • Strengthen council leadership and coordination to work more
should be further encouraged. effectively with institutions such as NEMA and NEC, to mainstream
environmental decision making.
AWA R E N E S S , E M P O W E R M E N T
A N D A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y
19
URBAN Project proposal area, catering for present and future realities. The project in-
SECTOR Urban Support Unit and Local Urban tends to operationalise and institutionalise existing national
N°1 Observatory planning policies and regulations in a coherent manner. The
processes should promote broad-based stakeholder participa-
tion. An additional aim is to assess the existing legislation
LOCATION: Kisumu Municipality and seek ways to improve it. Further, the project will build
the capacities of the council staff to respond to planning chal-
DURATION: 12 months. lenges by, for instance, providing them with further training
in GIS methods.
BENEFICIARIES: The public, private and community sec-
tors in Mavoko. Another objective is to create a LUO, which is to monitor
urban development trends related to the Habitat Agenda
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Municipal Council of and the Millennium Development Goals (especially Target
Kisumu, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Hous- 11 regarding cities without slums), keep indicators and assist
ing, Ministry of Planning and National Development, civil in planning the future course of action for the municipality.
society organisations and UN-HABITAT. The aim is also to build the capacity of the local authority and
civil society organisations to collect, manage and use urban
ESTIMATED COST: US$ 300,000 indicators for policy formulation and monitoring – for ex-
ample, by utilising GIS methods.
BACKGROUND: Kisumu is faced with a multitude of eco-
nomic, social and political challenges. The city is trying to ACTIVITIES: (1) Mobilise stakeholders to participate in
improve its economic performance and address urban pov- the establishment of an Urban Support Unit and a LUO.
erty since 60% of the population live in largely unplanned (2) Develop support strategies to assist in the implementa-
areas and are excluded from urban decision making. This is tion of the CDS. (3) Assess current bottlenecks in the in-
compounded by weak information flow between the council formation domain in Kisumu. (4) Assess levels of awareness
PROJECT PROPOSALS - URBAN SECTOR
and city residents. Further, Kisumu lacks statistics and indica- among councillors, council staff and residents with regard to
tors of its key urban development trends, which are needed their rights and duties. (5) Identify and catalogue different
to monitor progress and for future policy development. With civil society organisations operating in Kisumu, assess their
leadership from civil society, Kisumu has developed a City levels of collaboration and cooperation, and prepare a civil
Development Strategy (CDS), which outlines strategies for society organisation map. (6) Develop strategies to improve
addressing these challenges. These strategies aim to increase the communication between the municipal council and the
productivity, equity and access, and promote good govern- residents. (7) Create a Local Urban Observatory. (8) Build
ance and sustainability. An urban support unit, with a Local capacities of the local authority and civil society to collect,
Urban Observatory (LUO), could greatly assist the munici- manage and use urban indicators. (9) Ensure the processes
pal council and civil society in achieving the goals set in the are institutionalised through all of the above stages.
CDS.
OUTPUTS: Urban Support Unit and Local Urban Observa-
OBJECTIVES: There is a need for an Urban Support Unit tory firmly established in Kisumu. Strategies and action plans
(including a LUO) that takes on multiple functions, with a agreed in the CDS implemented. Communication between
focus on building the capacity of the municipal council to ad- the municipal council and the city residents improved.
dress gaps in urban development. The unit aims to promote
good urban governance by supporting the development and STAFF REQUIRED: Coordinator/facilitator and a research
implementation of broad-based participatory action plans, team with expertise in urban development trends, economics,
focusing on context-specific aspects of municipal planning institutions, public sector reform and urban management.
and management. The role of the unit is to support the
implementation of the CDS goals, in the spirit of inclusive
participation, partnerships and sustainability. Additionally, it URBAN Project proposal
will support the establishment of thematic groups that are to SECTOR
decide on future projects. The Urban Support Unit would Local Economic Development
also be responsible for information dissemination concerning
N°2
meetings and decisions taken at the council. In addition, it
would maintain community notice boards, publish a newslet- LOCATION: Kisumu Municipality
ter and ensure that the local authority publicises development
plans and budgets. The office is as well expected to run aware- DURATION: Initial phase of three years.
ness campaigns, coordinate training within the council, and
educate municipal staff and residents about their rights and BENEFICIARIES: Urban communities, the informal sec-
duties. tor, the business community and the Municipal Council of
Kisumu.
The municipality lacks physical planning capacity and al-
though it has recently established a planning department, it IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Municipal Council of
has limited financial and human resources to effectively carry Kisumu, private sector and UN-HABITAT.
out its functions. The aim is to improve the planning capacity
of the council to develop physical planning for the municipal ESTIMATED COST: US$ 1,000,000
20
BACKGROUND: Kisumu experiences the highest urban BACKGROUND: Kisumu has great untapped tourism po-
poverty levels in Kenya, aggravated by the closure or down- tential, and developing it was identified as one of the priorities
sizing of many industries in the area. The informal sector in the City Development Strategy (CDS). Lake Victoria, vast
and urban agriculture are important players in the economic forest reserves, rock formations, bird sanctuaries and a hippo
landscape of Kisumu. The city has the potential to improve point all offer opportunities for the municipal council and
its economic performance since it has widely untapped re- the local communities living close to these sites. Because the
source potential, but the MCK does not conduct economic majority of Kisumu’s tourist sites are located on government
planning. There is an urgent need to reverse this trend so that land, the MCK can be a key actor in promoting sustainable
the city can utilise its full economic potential. UN-HABI- community-based tourism in the area. It must be recognised
TAT has already initiated preparatory activities for a Local that in the tourism business local communities often do not
Economic Development (LED) methodology. It has devel- benefit, as they lack decision-making power concerning the
oped a LED strategy, an implementation framework and tourist sites near them.
action plans, but there is a need to implement and test the
developed strategies. OBJECTIVES: To improve the tourism potential of Kisumu
and to improve the livelihoods of communities living close
OBJECTIVE: To build the capacity of town stakeholders to the potential tourist sites (the communities should man-
to promote local economic development and thus enhance age the sites). Additionally, the aim is to support local entre-
the attractiveness of the city as a business location, benefiting preneurs to sell their products to tourists in the future. All
both the informal and formal sectors. interventions must be guided by the principles of sustainable
resource management and participatory development.
ACTIVITIES: (1) Implementing the LED strategy and
action plans. UN-HABITAT will submit the consultation ACTIVITIES: (1) Identify potential tourist sites in and
report to stakeholders to secure their approval of and insti- around the city. (2) The MCK to develop legislation (such
tutional commitment to the LED process, strategy, imple- as by-laws) that allows the management of the sites by lo-
mentation framework and action plans. This will be a critical cal communities and/or community-based organisations
stage in institutionalising the LED process. UN-HABITAT (CBOs). (3) Identify potential communities and/or CBOs
will provide technical assistance in the implementation of interested in managing tourist sites located close to them,
selected action plans, with a focus on building the capacity of as well as local entrepreneurs who could market their prod-
MCK to provide leadership in the LED process. (2) Evaluate ucts to potential tourists. (4) Undertake a needs assessment
the LED process. Under this activity, UN-HABITAT will among the identified communities and/or CBOs so that they
conduct a forward-looking evaluation with a focus on how to are fully able to realise their potential in relation to the tour-
improve the LED process, enhance the availability and use of ist sites. (5) Develop a training programme for communities
information on LED opportunities, and develop guidelines and/or CBOs that responds to the identified gaps. (6) Carry
for replication in other Kenyan towns. out the training programme. (7) Undertake an assessment
of the tourism sector (addressing issues like advertising) and
OUTPUTS: A LED strategy, an implementation framework assess if there is a need to bring the private sector on board
and action plans put into practice, implementation com- as a partner. (8) Assess if there are any improvements the mu-
pleted and processes evaluated. Local stakeholders with the nicipal council can undertake regarding the tourist sites, such
capacity to promote LED. as site cleaning or infrastructure improvements. (9) Open up
new tourist sites.
STAFF REQUIRED: Experts in economics and institutions.
OUTPUTS: Local communities to participate in commu-
nity-based tourism are identified and trained in tourist site
URBAN Project proposal management or artisan skills. The municipal council has
SECTOR developed new by-laws allowing for the management of local
Develop Kisumu´s tourism potential -
tourist sites by local communities, and has made the neces-
N°3 community-based tourism sary improvements (such as infrastructure upgrading) around
the tourist sites for them to realise their full potential. The
LOCATION: Kisumu Municipality tourism potential of Kisumu is significantly improved with
the opening of new tourist sites, and local communities are
DURATION: 12 months. actively participating in the processes and benefiting finan-
cially.
BENEFICIARIES: Local community-based organisations,
the informal sector, the business community and the Munici- STAFF REQUIRED: Experts in community-based tourism
pal Council of Kisumu. and public relations.
21
Strengths We ak ne s s e s Opportunities Threats Priorities
I N F O R M AT I O N , C O M M U N I C AT I O N A N D T R A N S PA R E N C Y
• Strong civil society • Inadequate commu- • Comprehensive train- • Lack of financial and • Train councillors and MCK
organisation pres- nication between the ing for councillors human resources. staff.
ence. council and residents. and MCK staff would • LASDAP processes are • Improve communication
• Some measures to • Lack of training for improve governance. not fully understood channels between the
involve civil society councillors and the • LASDAP offers a by the MCK and the council and the residents;
organisations in ur- MCK staff. framework for partici- communities. draft a Citizens’ Charter
ban decision mak- • Weak capacity of the patory planning and • Poor planning capac- and implement an ac-
ing, such as LASDAP MCK to monitor and budgeting. ity. countable complaints sys-
and the Kisumu evaluate progress. • Communication strat- tem.
Round Table. egy would improve • Facilitate and coordi-
• Civil society organi-
• Regional Coopera- sations are not or- governance. nate stakeholders, for ex-
tion experiences as ganised enough to • Fighting corruption ample by establishing a
the Lake Victoria Re- make effective de- would improve ac- stakeholders’ forum and
gion Local Authori- mands on the MCK. countability and promoting broad-based
ties Cooperation. transparency. partnerships.
• Corruption and
patronage relation- • There is substantial • Improve community par-
ships. potential for broad- ticipation in urban de-
based partnerships. cision making, such as
LASDAP.
• Address corruption.
F I N A N C I A L C A PA C I T Y
• Qualified manpower • Poor revenue collec- • Revenue collection • Lack of training, re- • Improve the revenue col-
at higher tiers of the tion influenced by could be substantial- sources and political lection system by imple-
MCK. corruption and lack of ly improved through will to strengthen rev- menting an effective IT
computerisation. computerisation and enue collection. system and building ca-
• The council is not au- registration of reve- • Corruption. pacities of the council
PROJECT PROPOSALS - GOVERNANCE
22
PROJECT PROPOSALS - GOVERNANCE
GOVER- Project proposal GOVER- Project proposal
NANCE- NANCE- Municipal Council capacity building and
Development of a revenue collection strategy
N°1 N°2 training
BENEFICIARIES: Municipal Council of Kisumu, residents, BENEFICIARIES: Municipal Council of Kisumu staff,
the business sector, the manufacturing sector, ratepayers and councillors and Kisumu residents.
the informal sector.
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Municipal Council of
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Municipal Council of Kisumu, a training organisation and UN-HABITAT.
Kisumu, Ministry of Local Government, the business sector
and Kenya Revenue Authority. ESTIMATED COST: US$ 250,000
ESTIMATED COST: US$ 120,000 BACKGROUND: The ability of the city council to deliver
services and respond to other needs of its residents and pri-
BACKGROUND: One of the most urgent needs of the MCK vate sector entities depends on its ability to facilitate and par-
is an enhanced revenue collection system. Insolvency hampers ticipate in urban development. Local authorities must create
the council’s ability to pay its staff and to deliver services ef- an enabling environment for service delivery and slum up-
fectively. There is a need for an analysis of the institutional situ- grading for the activities to succeed. However, local authori-
ation to review procedures, assess alternative revenue sources, ties are often ill-equipped to deal with these challenges, and
and consult the ratepayers and city stakeholders. This will then lack the skills and knowledge to facilitate these processes. For
serve as a base for recommendations to improve and strengthen example, the municipality lacks physical planning capacity
the overall revenue collection system of the MCK. and although it has recently established a planning depart-
ment, it has limited financial and human resources to effec-
OBJECTIVES: To propose recommended strategies to tively carry out its functions. In Kisumu, training of council
improve MCK’s revenue collection, compliance, transparency staff and councillors has not been high on the agenda. The
and efficient financial management, monitoring and councillors are often not aware of their roles and responsi-
reporting. bilities, and the council staff lack the skills and knowledge to
perform their tasks effectively and efficiently. Therefore, the
ACTIVITIES: (1) Conduct an institutional needs assessment of council’s capacity needs to be built so that it can facilitate
the MCK’s financial management systems through interviews urban development processes in a sustainable and transpar-
with all key departments associated with revenue collection ent way. Capacity building and training is required, utilising
and financial management. (2) Conduct a mini-consultation the existing UN-HABITAT training tools in elected leader-
within key MCK departments to develop and agree upon rev- ship, municipal finance, participatory planning, participa-
enue collection priorities, and conduct a SWOT analysis on tory budgeting and conflict management, along with other
municipal revenue management. (3) Conduct an assessment tools in GIS methods.
of potential alternative revenue sources. (4) Conduct inter-
views with business sector stakeholders and other ratepayers to OBJECTIVES: To build the capacities of the council staff
determine key issues to be addressed in order to achieve com- and councillors to perform their tasks more effectively and
pliance, improved management and collection. (5) Conduct efficiently, in order to improve governance and the sustain-
interviews with Kenya Revenue Authority to ascertain how ability of urban interventions in the city.
revenue collection may be strengthened and supported with
recommendations. (6) Organise a consultation workshop for ACTIVITIES: (1) Conduct a training needs assessment
all the stakeholders. (7) Complete a report on the improved of the councillors and the council staff. (2) Identify a focal
strategies and recommendations for MCK to implement. (8) point within the council staff to act as a training coordinator.
Support the implementation of approved recommendations (3) Identify an external training institution to carry out the
through institutional capacity building and staff training. (9) training. (4) Design and develop or identify relevant training
Monitor outcomes and MCK financial capacity trends. courses on the basis of the training needs assessment; formu-
late training plans for each staff member and the councillors
OUTPUTS: Institutional needs assessment, mini-consulta- utilising UN-HABITAT training materials already customised
tion with key MCK departments, assessment of potential for Kenya and translated into Kiswahili. (5) Establish a con-
alternative revenue sources, interviews with business sector tinuing programme of comprehensive training in identified
stakeholders and other ratepayers, and interviews with Kenya subject areas. (6) Pilot test the toolkits by providing training
Revenue Authority conducted. A consultation workshop for for the council staff in the identified areas. (7) Monitor and
all the stakeholders organised. Report and recommendations evaluate the programme.
for improving the overall financial management system of
the MCK made available.
23
OUTPUTS: A training needs assessment completed and the aims set out in the City Development Strategy (CDS).
an external training institution identified to carry out the As part of the approach, the forum has established a Kisumu
training. A training focal point identified and briefed about Action Team (KAT), whose aim is to consolidate the exist-
his/her duties. Individual training plans prepared for council ing resources in different sectors for accelerated development
staff and councillors, and a training programme formulated within the CDS framework. However, the forum has only
and carried out. established its concept – it requires a vision, strategic plan-
ning, institutional strengthening, technical assistance and a
STAFF REQUIRED: A team of trainers specialising in financing strategy in order to be fully operational, and these
training and capacity building in: elected leadership skills, are the aspects this project will aim to support.
municipal finance, participatory planning, participatory
budgeting, conflict management and GIS methods. An in- OBJECTIVES: Support the existing stakeholder forum for
ternally identified staff member with expertise in training and action by assisting it to develop a vision, a strategic action
capacity building to act as a training coordinator. plan, a financing strategy and a plan for organisational de-
velopment, in order to ensure that the forum is fully opera-
tional and able to pursue its aims and objectives.
DURATION: 12 months
24
PROJECT PROPOSALS - SLUMS
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Priorities
S L U M U P G R A D I N G S T R AT E G I E S
• National Land Policy • Lack of updated • Lessons from previ- • Political interference and • Harmonisation and co-
under preparation is land and housing ous upgrading inter- lack of political will. ordination of slum-up-
expected to have a stock information in ventions should be • Slum upgrading may ex- grading strategies.
positive impact on informal areas. used to influence pol- ert pressure, forcing rent • Build the implemen-
access to land by the • Lack of a city devel- icy development. increases and displacing tation capacity of the
poor. opment plan, which • A conducive policy slum dwellers from their MCK.
• Kenya Slum Up- undermines the environment for slum existing accommodation. • Develop appropri-
grading Programme ability to plan for upgrading and in- • No strategy for Kisumu’s ate base maps for land
(KENSUP) and Cities slum areas and inte- creasing government development that con- management and prop-
Without Slums (CWS) grate them more ef- commitment to slum siders economic, physical erty registration.
are developing a fectively within the upgrading. and environmental plan-
comprehensive ap- overall city devel- • Establish a regulatory
• The existence of pri- ning. framework and action
proach to slum up- opment. vate sector industries
grading in Kisumu as • Land and financial plan- plan to ensure equitable
• Slum dwellers typi- in the area that could ning, resource man- and pro-poor access to
a pilot that could be cally receive little participate in slum
replicated. agement and slum urban services.
recognition from upgrading. upgrading strategies are
• Strong and diverse the authorities. • Develop transparent
centralised. pro-poor processes in
civil society organisa- • The councillors are
tion base. land tenure, security
not trained to effec- and allocation. Devolu-
tively deal with ur- tion of land manage-
ban issues like slum ment and physical and
upgrading. economic planning to
• Poor communica- local authorities.
tion between the • Improvements in access
council and its citi- to shelter, water, sanita-
zens. tion and a clean envi-
ronment.
• Train local leadership
and councillors.
• Support the CWS and
KENSUP.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
• Kisumu is the centre • Increasing poverty • Increasing donor in- • Inadequate revenue col- • Improve the revenue
of economic produc- within the city. terest in slum up- lection. collection capacity of
tion in the region. • Inequitable access grading. • Lack of a physical and the MCK.
• Increasing impor- to services under- • The possibility of economic development • Develop an economic
tance of the informal mines economic broad-based part- policy for the city. plan for the area, includ-
sector. development in nerships in slum-up- • Inequitable and corrupt ing specific plans for the
• Increasing interest of slums. grading activities land allocation system. informal sector.
donors and NGOs in • Inadequate budg- involving the private • Develop a financing
and community sec- • Donor support is unpre-
slum upgrading. ets for responding dictable and unsustain- strategy for slum up-
to community de- tors. grading.
able.
velopment needs. • The revenue base • Develop planning
• No municipal strat- should be fully ex- standards and licensing
egy for promoting ploited and all in- procedures that create
local economic de- dustries should be an enabling environ-
velopment. brought under the ment for the informal
collection system. sector.
• No economic plan-
ning within the mu- • Increasing impor- • Improve the human
nicipal council. tance of the informal and financial resources
sector offers a good of local authorities to
• Inability to fully uti- opportunity for pov-
lise the existing rev- perform planning func-
erty reduction, if it is tions.
enue base. adequately managed
and utilised.
25
Project proposal OBJECTIVES: The project focuses on community-driven
SLUMS
slum upgrading where slum communities are important
N°1 Participatory city-wide slum upgrading participants rather than mere beneficiaries. The aim is to
strengthen the capacities in slum upgrading of local, central
LOCATION: Kisumu´s 12 slums and regional institutions, and key stakeholders, utilising
good governance and management approaches. It intends
DURATION: 36 months to provide better livelihood skills for the slum dwellers, and
the skills to demand better services from the local authori-
BENEFICIARIES: Slum communities in Kisumu. ties. In addition, the project intends to build capacities of
the local authorities and the private sector to be better able
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: The Municipal Council to respond to the demands of slum dwellers by creating an
of Kisumu, local NGOs, community-based organisations, enabling environment for a people-driven upgrading process
Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Local and comprehensive urban planning. The project will focus on
Government, Maseno University, NEMA, the private sector improving the existing housing stock, constructing roads and
and UN-HABITAT. drains, putting up streetlights, and improving the environ-
ment through self-help activities.
ESTIMATED COST: US$ 6,500,000
ACTIVITIES: (1) Analyse the lessons learnt from existing
BACKGROUND: Kisumu’s slums are host to over 200,000 slum-upgrading initiatives in Kisumu. (2) Form partner-
people who live in deplorable conditions with no access to ships with the public, private and community sectors and
proper housing, services or infrastructure (e.g. roads, elec- divide responsibilities. (3) Conduct a feasibility study. This
tricity, water, sewage and public transport). The slums are includes complementing the existing socio-economic map-
in urgent need of upgrading. Any low-income housing and ping reports, assessing the physical conditions of the existing
infrastructure programme aimed at slum improvement must housing stock, road infrastructure, electricity network and
take into account poverty alleviation activities to assure that environment, preparing an integrated master plan, and con-
slum dwellers will have a reasonably secure and sustained ducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). For-
household income over the envisaged repayment period. This mulate action plans for upgrading and institutional support.
project thus also focuses on income-generating activities. UN- (4) Start a revolving fund with a seed capital component for
HABITAT is engaged in slum-upgrading activities in Kisumu upgrading housing, and mobilise communities to participate
through its Cities Without Slums initiative and the purpose in the project. (5) Capacity building and training. Conduct
of this project is to complement the existing activities. The an institutional capacity-building assessment and formu-
Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) is supporting late staff training action plans. Conduct training of project
water supply and sewerage facilities with 20 million USD and participants in income-generating activities, house construc-
the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency tion, waste collection, sanitation and road construction. (6)
PROJECT PROPOSALS - SLUMS
(Sida) is involved in improving the solid waste management Undertake upgrading. (7) Monitor, evaluate and document
system in Kisumu. Therefore, this project focuses on housing, project experiences.
road accessibility, electrification and the environment.
OUTPUTS: Partnerships formed, feasibility study complet-
ed, revolving fund established and fully operational, capacity
building and training of the council staff and project par-
ticipants completed. Housing stock, road accessibility, elec-
trification and the environment upgraded, and the processes
monitored, evaluated and well documented.
26
PROJECT PROPOSALS - GENDER AND HIV/AIDS
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Priorities
GENDER AND HIV/AIDS POLICY
• Existence of a national • No formal gender or • The national gender • Prevalent negative atti- • Operationalise the na-
HIV/AIDS policy. HIV/AIDS policies with- and HIV/AIDS policies tudes and lack of politi- tional gender and HIV/
in the MCK. could be operational- cal will. AIDS policies at the lo-
• No budget on gen- ised. • Lack of financial re- cal level.
der or HIV/AIDS main- • Make funds avail- sources. • Train council staff in
streaming. able for gender • Exorbitantly high HIV/ gender and HIV/AIDS
• Inadequate VCT cen- mainstreaming and AIDS infection rates. mainstreaming, and
tres. HIV/AIDS issues, and employ gender and
build the capacity of • Lack of available HIV/AIDS specialists
• Lack of available data the council to facili- medication for HIV/ within the council.
on HIV/AIDS. tate these issues. AIDS.
• Coordinate the activi-
• No gender-disaggre- • Civil society organisa- • HIV/AIDS stigma. ties of gender and HIV/
gated data for monitor- tions, if strengthened AIDS civil society organ-
ing and planning. and coordinated, isations.
would be a good • Set up more VCT cen-
channel for catering tres.
for some gender and
HIV/AIDS needs.
• Broad-based partner-
ships in addressing
HIV/AIDS issues with-
in the MCK and with
external partners.
G E N D E R A N D H I V / A I D S AWA R E N E S S A N D A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y
• Civil society organisa- • No general awareness • Create gender aware- • Lack of political will. • Gender and HIV/AIDS
tions actively involved of gender issues. ness. • Prevailing patriarchal awareness campaigns
in addressing gender • HIV/AIDS awareness • Train MCK staff in attitudes. for the public, private
and HIV/AIDS issues. campaigns have not gender and HIV/AIDS and community sectors.
• Male-dominated lead-
• Radio communication been successful. mainstreaming. ership. • Specific gender and
is efficient. • Women have less ac- • Increase effectiveness • HIV/AIDS training for
Stigma against HIV- council staff.
• Large number of edu- cess to information. of civil society organi- positive individuals.
cational and commer- • Lack of coordination sations through coor- • HIV/AIDS information
cial establishments among gender- and dination. centre.
that have the poten- HIV/AIDS-focused civil • Formulate innovative • Gender-disaggregated
tial to develop and im- society organisations. HIV/AIDS awareness data collection for plan-
plement work-based campaigns, taking ning and service deliv-
HIV/AIDS and gender • Disparity in education
levels and opportu- into consideration ery.
policies. past failures.
nities between boys • Coordination of stake-
• The educational de- and girls. holders.
partment is able to
provide coordination
for HIV/AIDS aware-
ness issues.
27
GENDER Projects proposal GENDER Projects proposal
HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS
Mainstream gender within the Municipal Establish an HIV/AIDS coordination and
N°1 Council N°2 training office within MCK
BENEFICIARIES: Municipal Council of Kisumu and Kis- BENEFICIARIES: Municipal Council of Kisumu and Kis-
umu residents. umu residents.
BACKGROUND: The MCK has no gender sensitisation BACKGROUND: The MCK has no HIV/AIDS policy, al-
policies in place, there being no budget for these issues. The though the city has the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in
national gender policy needs to be operationalised and gen- the country and the municipal council itself loses on average
der issues mainstreamed into all of the council’s operations. 38-40 persons yearly to the disease. The MCK does not have
This requires an internal work-based policy for education a budget for these issues. Kenya has a good national HIV/
and sensitisation of staff in gender mainstreaming, as well as AIDS policy but the role of local authorities in the struggle
an external response policy to orient all service delivery and against the disease is non-existent. Therefore, the national
reinforce gender-mainstreaming strategies at all levels of the HIV/AIDS policy needs to be operationalised. This requires
council’s operations. an internal work-based policy as well as an external response
policy, to orient all service delivery and reinforce HIV/AIDS
OBJECTIVES: To assess the needs of the MCK in order to mainstreaming strategies in the council’s operations. If HIV/
successfully operationalise the national gender policy, and AIDS issues are to be effectively mainstreamed within the
to assist the council to plan and develop an institutional re- council, it is essential that it has its own HIV/AIDS informa-
sponse that enables this operationalisation. tion and coordination office. Kisumu has several active civil
society organisations and other organisations tackling the
ACTIVITIES: (1) Undertake a needs assessment of existing HIV/AIDS pandemic, but they lack the coordination that
internal work policies, actions and service delivery policies. could critically improve the efficiency of their interventions.
(2) Assess ongoing activities (if any) in the gender field. (3)
Undertake a comprehensive local stakeholder analysis. (4) OBJECTIVES: To assess the needs of the MCK in order to
Mobilise a local consultation involving the MCK and stake- successfully operationalise the national HIV/AIDS policy,
holders, to develop a mainstreaming implementation action and to assist the council to plan and develop an institutional
plan to address gender issues. (5) Develop guidelines for fol- response that enables this operationalisation. To establish
low-up actions and recommendations required to anchor and a HIV/AIDS information and coordination office within
institutionalise gender-mainstreaming activities. the MCK that takes on multiple roles: running awareness
campaigns in the media and in schools, training staff on
OUTPUTS: National gender policy operationalised at the HIV/AIDS issues, and coordinating and synchronising the
local level and gender issues successfully mainstreamed into existing HIV/AIDS activities within the city. There are a
all of the council’s policies and activities, such as service de- wide variety of civil society organisations focused on HIV/
livery and work-based policies. AIDS issues, but their activities are not coordinated. Better
coordination could avoid duplication of work and ensure
STAFF REQUIRED: Gender specialists, trainers and insti- better effectiveness of the limited HIV/AIDS funds. The
tutional experts. civil society organisations need to be catalogued and all their
activities documented. The office will also have a coordinat-
ing and monitoring role with regard to HIV/AIDS indicators,
ensuring that they are properly collected, analysed and dis-
seminated among the relevant city stakeholders.
28
PROJECT PROPOSALS - GENDER AND HIV/AIDS
ACTIVITIES: (1) Undertake a needs assessment of the exist- GENDER Projects proposal
ing work policies, actions and service delivery policies. (2) HIV/AIDS
Upgrade existing municipal and community
Assess ongoing HIV/AIDS activities (if any). (3) Undertake N°3 health facilities
a comprehensive local stakeholder analysis. (4) Mobilise a lo-
cal consultation involving the MCK and other stakeholders,
to develop a mainstreaming implementation action plan. (5) LOCATION: Municipal Council of Kisumu
Develop guidelines for follow-up action and recommenda-
tions required to anchor and institutionalise HIV/AIDS DURATION: 24 months
mainstreaming activities. (6) Assess current bottlenecks in
the HIV/AIDS information domain, (including civil society BENEFICIARIES: Kisumu residents.
organisations dealing with HIV/AIDS issues). (7) Assess the
level of HIV/AIDS awareness among councillors, council IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Municipal Council of
staff and residents. (8) Identify and catalogue different civil Kisumu, Ministry of Health, National AIDS Control Coun-
society organisations operating in Kisumu, assess their level cil (NACC), Association of Local Government Authorities
of collaboration and cooperation, and prepare a civil society in Kenya (ALGAK), Ministry of Local Government, civil
organisation map. (9) Formulate the concept of an informa- society organisations, African Medical and Research Foun-
tion and coordination office catering for the identified short- dation (AMREF), UNAIDS, UNDP, UNICEF and UN-
falls. Information dissemination may be through awareness HABITAT.
campaigns, community notice boards or newsletters, de-
pending on which best addresses the shortfalls. (10) Establish ESTIMATED COST: US$ 400,000
an information and coordination office with activities like:
awareness campaigns for the general public, a training com- BACKGROUND: Kisumu has a high incidence of disease,
ponent for the council staff, coordination of the civil society including HIV/AIDS and malaria, due to geographical, en-
organisations dealing with HIV/AIDS issues, and coordina- vironmental, economic and socio-cultural factors. Kisumu’s
tion and monitoring of HIV/AIDS indicators within the city. medical facilities are in a dilapidated state and there is a short-
(11) Ensure monitoring and evaluation of the activities. age of VCT centres dealing with HIV/AIDS issues. There is
an urgent need to establish new health facilities and upgrade
OUTPUTS: National HIV/AIDS policy operationalised at some of the existing municipal and community health facili-
the local level and HIV/AIDS interventions mainstreamed ties.
in service delivery and work-based policies. The bottlenecks
in the HIV/AIDS information domain assessed within the OBJECTIVES: To establish new health facilities that respond
MCK, as well as within the civil society organisations. An to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as to upgrade existing
HIV/AIDS information and coordination office established health facilities.
with functional plans of action. HIV/AIDS awareness im-
proved in Kisumu, MCK staff trained, HIV/AIDS activities ACTIVITIES: (1) Review and map existing facilities and lev-
coordinated, and monitoring and keeping of HIV/AIDS els of services. (2) Conduct a consultation with the MCK and
indicators synchronised. civil society organisations engaged in community health, and
draft a vision and strategy for improving the municipal and
STAFF REQUIRED: HIV/AIDS specialists, trainers and community health facilities. (3) Select pilot sites to partici-
researchers. pate in the project. (4) Implement pilot projects to test the
strategies. (5) Monitor, evaluate and document the processes
for replication.
29
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Priorities
E N V I R O N M E N TA L P L A N N I N G A N D M A N A G E M E N T
• Municipal Council of • Inadequate financial • Alternative water • Weak institution- • Operationalise existing
Kisumu´s Department and human resource sources. al structures for environmental poli-
of Environment is in the capacities to manage • Train leaders on envi- environmental cies, regulations and
process of making a lo- the urban environ- ronmental issues. planning and man- by-laws, and develop
cal interpretation of the ment. agement. new ones.
national law, creating • Donor interest.
• Limited integration of • Unqualified coun- • Build the capacities of
applicable by-laws tai- environmental issues • Broad-based partner- cil staff who do not the council in environ-
lored to respond to the in urban planning. ships to tackle envi- have the capacity mental planning and
challenges in Kisumu. ronmental issues such to handle environ- management.
• No physical planning as waste collection.
capacity within the mental issues. • Clean up Lake Victoria
council and no physi- • Tourism. • Poor monitoring and develop alterna-
cal development plan. and regulation of tive water sources.
• MCK is weak at plan- industrial pollution. • Waste-dumping site
ning and implement- • Increasing demand needed.
ing environmental for services such as • Develop the tourism
measures. waste collection. potential.
• MCK is weak at involv-
ing the public in envi-
ronmental concerns.
• No wastewater dis-
posal.
• Inadequate enforce-
ment of environmen-
tal regulations and
by-laws.
PROJECT PROPOSALS - ENVIRONMENT
• Lack of capacity to
deal with the pollu-
tion of Lake Victoria.
E N V I R O N M E N TA L E D U C AT I O N A N D AWA R E N E S S
• Presence of environ- • Environmental aware- • Building effective in- • Negative public at- • Environmental aware-
mental civil society or- ness is generally poor formation systems titudes towards ness campaigns
ganisations, as well as among the residents and a centre to en- environmental is- through educational
international agencies and within the MCK. able the urban poor sues such as waste institutions.
like UN-HABITAT and • Local leaders do not to access information dumping. • More resources need-
UNEP. get any environmental about environmental • No public educa- ed for environmental
training. issues. tion on how to awareness and train-
• Inadequate financial • Educational institu- treat water resourc- ing campaigns.
and human resources tions offer a good es and avoid water-
to invest in education entry point for envi- related diseases.
and awareness cam- ronmental training
paigns. and awareness cam-
paigns.
• The information
vacuum offers an op-
portunity to influence
environmental prac-
tices of the residents
in a positive way.
• Solid waste manage-
ment projects can im-
prove environmental
awareness.
• Donor interest.
30
PROJECT PROPOSALS - ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRON- Project proposal OUTPUTS: An environmental profile created and priority
MENT
Environmental action planning with a pilot areas agreed upon by all the urban stakeholders. Thematic
N°1 project component working groups established and operationalised, and strate-
gies and actions plans formulated. Pilot projects completed
in the agreed priority areas. Capacity of the MCK’s Envi-
LOCATION: Municipal Council of Kisumu
ronment Department comprehensively improved to take the
lead in environmental planning and management.
DURATION: 24 months
STAFF REQUIRED: Coordinator with expertise in envi-
BENEFICIARIES: Municipal Council of Kisumu and
ronmental management and participatory planning, envi-
Kisumu residents.
ronmental experts on pilot project themes.
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Municipal Council of
Kisumu, NEMA, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), civil
society organisations and UN-HABITAT.
ENVIRON- Project proposal
ESTIMATED COST: Consultation phase US$ 50,000; pi- MENT
Solid waste management
lot projects US$ 700,000.
N°2
BACKGROUND: Kisumu is faced with a wide variety of
complex environmental problems. However, environmental LOCATION: Kisumu
issues do not feature high on the agenda of the MCK. It has
a newly established Environment Department but it lacks DURATION: 12 months
vision, a clear strategy and the financial resources to respond
to the environmental challenges. The MCK needs proactive BENEFICIARIES: Municipal Council of Kisumu, potential
and sustainable environmental planning and management partnership organisations in the private and community sec-
of activities, involving the broad participation of local stake- tors, and Kisumu residents.
holders. These issues can be addressed by developing local
environmental action plans with local stakeholders through a IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: Municipal Council of Kis-
participatory process. The action plans can also contribute to umu, UN-HABITAT, specialist NGOs, NEMA, UNEP and
improved environmental governance by involving the public Kisumu business associations.
in monitoring the implementation of environmental activi-
ties. ESTIMATED COST: US$ 350,000
OBJECTIVES: The city has to prepare and agree on an envi- BACKGROUND: The MCK has a range of potential part-
ronmental profile and identify key issues that require urgent nerships and stakeholders that could be harnessed to support
action. The aim is to establish thematic working groups that activities such as solid waste management and recycling. The
formulate environmental strategies and action plans, which city already has an array of private companies, and incentives
are then tested in a few selected pilot projects. Concomitant- need to be developed to encourage private refuse enterprises
ly, the aim is to develop the capacity of the MCK to devise to do waste collection in poorer areas. Developing commu-
and implement integrated environmental action plans, and nity and private partnerships with the municipality could
incorporate participatory planning and monitoring, as well also be encouraged. The Swedish International Development
as partnership approaches. Cooperation Agency (Sida) has launched a programme aimed
at developing an integrating solid waste management plan
ACTIVITIES: (1) Prepare an environmental profile of the for Kisumu, which is undertaking user surveys, institutional
city and identify priority issues, with the involvement of key analyses, financial systems, technical designs and social stud-
stakeholders in a consultative process. (2) Organise a city ies. However, there is a need to support and strengthen the
consultation involving key stakeholders, to agree upon prior- existing initiatives by supporting waste-recycling initiatives
ity interventions and an environmental vision and strategy in slums.
for the city. (3) Establish and operationalise thematic work-
ing groups to negotiate issue-specific strategies. (4) Formulate OBJECTIVES: To implement projects using local strategies
strategies and action plans. (5) Identify training needs in the for environmental management that maximise economic
MCK’s Department of Environment to develop its capac- gains through incentives, partnerships, waste recycling, im-
ity for integrated environmental planning and management, proved waste management and employment creation.
and to add value to planned environmental interventions.
(6) Develop training tools. (7) Deliver technical training to ACTIVITIES: (1) On the basis of the existing studies done
address a range of training elements (e.g. physical surveying with the support of Sida, select pilot sites to participate in
skills, participatory planning and monitoring, programme waste-recycling initiatives. (2) Test ideas such as an envi-
formulation and project cycle management). (8) Test the ronmental corporation tax and cross-subsidy incentives, in
agreed-upon strategies and action plans by undertaking lo- which private solid waste collection companies that collect
cal pilot projects. (9) Document the processes. (10) Develop waste from richer neighbourhoods may be given incentives
guidelines to replicate the approaches. to collect a proportion from poorer urban environments. (3)
Involve and consult local industries, the private sector and
communities to assess demands and market approaches, in
31
(4) Implement demonstration pilot projects with implement- a focus on simplifying information, language translation and
ing partners, assessing Kisumu’s needs and potential. (5) preparation of community training material. (3) Involve and
Monitor, evaluate and document the experiences. consult local communities to determine the best placing of a
local resource centre, to guarantee its use and the consequent
OUTPUTS: Pilot projects completed and project experi- knowledge transfer to communities about environmental
ences well documented, with activities complementing the practices. (4) Provide training to MCK to support and man-
activities of Sida on solid waste management in Kisumu. age the centre, and to undertake outreach environmental
training for poor communities, as well as other communi-
STAFF REQUIRED: Research consultant team with exper- ties. (5) Support MCK in undertaking this service for the
tise in economics, environmental management and micro- duration of three months, in order to anchor practical skills
enterprise development. and knowledge about community education and the envi-
ronment.
LOCATION: Municipal Council of Kisumu STAFF REQUIRED: Project coordinator and a team with
expertise in agriculture, land management, environmental
DURATION: 12 months management, micro-enterprise development, forestry, com-
munity involvement and training (to establish and develop
BENEFICIARIES: Municipal Council of Kisumu, residents, the resource centre and train the MCK to take over the run-
potential community-based organisations partners and local ning of the centre).
schools.
PROJECT PROPOSALS - ENVIRONMENT
32