Of the 45 counties earmarked to benefit from the World Bank Funded Kenya Urban Support Program targeted at rehabilitating all town centres and municipalities in Kenya except Nairobi and Mombasa at USD 300 million, Siaya County has become the very first to meet the primary threshold for funding followed by Nyandarua County in Central Region.
The five year program running between 2018 and 2022 will see Siaya County receive KShs. 299 million worth of funding with KShs. 250 million of it to be channeled for urban development initiatives and KShs. 49 million to help with capacity building initiatives for the period of the project.
During an interview at his office earlier in the week, the Chief Officer in the Lands Department Mr. Ondiko intimated that the Urban Institutional Grant for capacity building aspect of the program will see town management committees established in all towns in Siaya and the formation of Siaya Municipal Board for Siaya town headquarters beyond the rigorous capacity building of staff within such towns and Siaya Municipality.
The Urban Development Grant aspect of the program will however see projects relating to storm water management, solid and liquid management, tarmarcking and maintenance of roads within Siaya municipalities prioritized according to Mr. Ondiko. The development program will also finance a modern market within Siaya Municipality and also establish a starndard bus park and parking bays within Siaya Municipality
Some of the minimum conditions to be met before counties are approved for funding and which Siaya County beat all the 45 counties earmarked to benefit included the formation of a municipal board, formation of The Project Coordinating Team, opening of an account to manage the fund and establishment of a County Urban Intergrated Development Strategy.
Mr. Ondiko says that a final assessment of County preparedness will be concluded in July 2018 and the project could as well begin real time roll out latest September 2018. It is foreseeable from the forgoing that Siaya Municipality and the town centres in Siaya County will see complete transformation in their management, improved revenue collection mechanisms and sewerage sanitation.
By Siaya County Press Unit
