Preparations for the 9th edition of the Afri-Cities conference to be held in Kisumu City in November next year are in top gear.
A multi- agency committee composed of State and County officials is on the ground to ensure that the flagship event is successful.
Kisumu which is the first intermediate city on the continent to host the event will be home to over 8, 000 delegates from around the world.
Among those involved in the preparations are officials from the ministries of Devolution, Interior, Treasury, Foreign Affairs, Transport, ICT, Housing and Urban Planning and the Council of Governors.
At Mambo Leo Show grounds where the event will take place, construction of Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium is ongoing with the contractor under instructions to complete the project within six months.
Devolution Principal Secretary (PS) Charles Sunkuli who visited the venue to assess the level of preparedness said good progress has been made.
The PS said the ministry was committed to partnering with the county government and other stakeholders to make the event a success.
He was accompanied by ICT Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng and Sports and Culture Principal Secretary Joe Okudo.
PS Ochieng said a technical team was on the ground to assess the ICT needs for the conference.
The team, he said has been tasked with the responsibility of fixing the required ICT infrastructure to enable delegates who will not manage to attend the conference physically to get their message virtually.
“This conference will be a mix of both physical and virtual that is why we want to ensure that proper ICT infrastructure is in place,” he said.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o said the conference would put Kisumu on the world map and at the same time boost economic activities in the area.
The county government, he said, would work hand in hand with the national government to ensure that the visitors get the best experience.
Afri-cities is the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa’s flagship pan-African event that is held every three years in one of the five regions of Africa.
The event attracts communities and local authorities in African countries, as well as financial institutions, civil society groups and development partners at continental and international level.
By Chris Mahandara
