About 18 new municipalities in Kenya have been included among the 77 that are set to benefit from phase two of the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP), meant to boost infrastructure and services in urban settlements.
Engineer Benjamin Njenga, Secretary of Urban and Metropolitan Development, State Department for Housing and Urban Development, said the funding from the World Bank of about Sh 43 billion will be released in July 2024 after the selected municipalities have been appraised.
Njenga was speaking at the newly commissioned Kabarnet Public Park, where he challenged the municipalities to move with speed and abide by the laid-down conditions so as to avoid being locked out of the funding.
He stated that the benefiting municipalities should comply with nine sets of minimum requirements, including being autonomous, having a functioning board, a working budget, and personnel.
“We are going to appraise municipalities in October this year, and we expect them to have met all nine minimum requirements, which are not very difficult,” said the Urban and Metropolitan Secretary.
Njenga, who was responding to concerns from a section of local leaders, stated that the revaluation will check population growth in some urban settlements, which will in turn inform increased allocations in the future.
“If we correct the population, the funds will rise from about Sh 2,500 to almost Sh 2,800 per urban resident,” he added.
Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi said in his remarks that he has written a letter to the Ministry of Lands as well as the World Bank seeking a review of the population of Kabarnet town, which he said was captured in the 2009 National Population and Housing Census as having 22,000 people but has now surpassed the 50,000 mark yet urban allocations have remained the same.
He noted that the undervaluation challenge has brought about constraints in the existing facilities and services which cannot be solely addressed by his administration due to tight budgets.
The county boss who hinted that Eldama Ravine and Marigat will soon become municipalities called for more funding from state and non-state actors in order to improve the livelihoods of residents, especially those living within urban settlements.
Kabarnet MCA Ernest Kibet shared the sentiments of Governor Cheboi, noting that the population of Kabarnet town doubled, especially with the advent of devolved units. He called for its revaluation so that every urban dweller in the town could benefit from the various funding sources.
Baringo CEC for Lands Architect Reuben Rutto said that Kabarnet town is growing very fast, therefore there is a need to strengthen critical infrastructure like roads in order to improve accessibility.
He pointed out that the establishment of a sewerage plant, which has stalled for many years, is something to be looked into in order to manage waste in the municipality.
By Gloria Cheboi and Joshua Kibet
