Nairobi, May 2018 - H. E. Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu County on Friday,  18 May 2018 paid a courtesy call to the new Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Madam Maimunah Mohd Sharif in a bid to formalize and strengthen UN-Habitat’s engagement with the County.

UN-Habitat has been supporting the County of Kisumu since 2012 in different initiatives including the Lakefront Development Initiative being implemented by Urban Planning and design branch. Madam Maimunah and H. E. Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o agreed that Kisumu City County’s strategic position within the lake region is an advantage for sustainable urban and regional development and could be useful in championing implementation of the New Urban Agenda among counties in Kenya. The two agreed that the forthcoming Blue Economy Conference that will be held in Kenya in November 2018 presents an opportunity to showcase, strengthen and enhance the partnership between UN-Habitat and Kisumu.

H.E. Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, while extending an official invitation to Madam Maimunah to visit the City County, noted that Kisumu LakeFront Development Initiative could borrow a lot from global experiences such as Malaysia and Cyprus whose water front planning initiatives have transformed the countries into strong economic zones with focus on mixed use development and recreation while incorporating cultures and historic values. The Governor added that Kisumu, the largest urban programme in Kenya, should embrace sustainable urban planning that integrates at the earliest opportunity, Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) systems, densification, improved public spaces, primarily focusing on Transit Oriented Development (TOD); and Public Private Partnership (PPP). Both Madam Maimunah and Governor Nyong’o agreed that Land value capture for Kisumu’s Local Economic Development (LED) should be part of the ongoing initiatives since the county is currently intensifying revenue collection and PPP for revenue enhancement.

The Governor thereafter co-signed a MoU with Prof. Naison Mutizwa-Mangiza, UN-Habitat Director, Regional Office for Africa.