The Government has welcomed a US$150 million (KSh16.2billion) credit from the International Development Association of the World Bank for the continued upgrading of informal settlements in select urban areas across the country under the State Department for Housing and Urban Development (SDHUD).
The funds will be used to finance the second phase of the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP) that is focused on improving living conditions and livelihoods in informal settlements.
This will be done through an integrated approach comprising infrastructure upgrading, strengthening tenure security, enhancing socio-economic inclusion and supporting institutional as well as policy development.
The Project is focused on improving living conditions and livelihoods in informal settlements through an integrated approach comprising infrastructure upgrading, strengthening tenure security, enhancing socio-economic inclusion and supporting institutional as well as policy development.
Approximately 1.7 Million people are set to benefit from these interventions
Phase 1 of the Project which closed on November 30 2019, directly and positively impacted 1.4 million lives across 14 counties.
Commenting on the approval from the World Bank, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Amb. Ukur Yatani Kanacho said this will spur social and economic development.
“We are very delighted to receive this support from the World Bank that will go a long way in enabling us to improve informal settlements in our urban spaces and in so doing spur social and economic development and bring those populations into the mainstream economy,” he said.
The credit terms have a maturity of 30 years including a five-year grace period.
James Macharia, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development under whose ministry the project is domiciled said the roll out of KISIP 2 will enable both the national and county governments reduce the number of slums in the country, lift millions of people out of poverty and restore their dignity.
“The Project will enhance their quality of life by providing basic services that will ensure that households have access to sanitation and safe water which will in turn reduce communicable diseases; we will provide roads and footpaths that will improve mobility and access to those settlements as well as high mast lighting that will enhance security and spur economic activities,” CS Macharia said.
KISIP 2, which is envisaged to run for 5 years, will build on the successes of KISIP 1 which saw 1.4 million lives directly and positively impacted across 14 counties.
“We will go into KISIP 2 with great insights and positive experiences that we have drawn from KISIP 1 on informal settlements upgrading. These funds are therefore a major shot in the arm for the Government and particularly the State Department because we now have an opportunity to continue transforming the lives of our people in slums who often feel neglected and marginalized,” SDHUD Principal Secretary Charles Hinga added.
County governments and respective communities will play a critical role in the implementation of this program.
Specific activities under KISIP 2 will include; titling to enhance tenure security, Infrastructure upgrading for basic services (roads, drainage, water, sanitation, street lighting, community facilities, Livelihoods support and community engagement to assess and address risks, including the impacts of COVID-19.
KISIP 1 was a partnership of the Kenyan Government, the World Bank fund IDA and development partners Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and France’s AFD.
The partners cumulatively invested US$165m into the project which kicked off in June 2011 and which saw the enhancement of tenure security and the investment in infrastructure and service delivery in 15 urban areas within 14 counties.
KISIP 1 closed on November 30th 2019.
The Project supported the counties of Mombasa, Nairobi and Kisumu with the necessary technical assistance during their preparation of housing and urban development plans, which have since been included in their County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs).
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