By Nancy Juma
The on-going Kisumu City beautification programme received a boost this afternoon with the unveiling of the Oginga Odinga Quadrant beautification project by Toyota Kenya and County Government of Kisumu.
The beautification programme is a collaborative initiative between the City of Kisumu and the Corporate Sector within Kisumu to transform the city through enhanced urban aesthetics. The initiative has identified six broad areas to give the city the beauty it deserves with quick win projects targeted to be implemented within a year to improve the city’s economy and improve the services offered to the citizenry.
The carefully selected projects include; drainage, integrated solid waste management system, environmental conservation and stewardship, development and management of city markets, public health and sanitation as well as street lighting and beautification.
While addressing members of the public and the fourth estate at the Oginga Odinga Roundabout, Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o accompanied by his colleagues Wycliffe Oparanya and James Ongwae of Kakamega and Kisii respectively, thanked the people of Kisumu and the private sector for the overwhelming support extended to his administration to drive the Kisumu transformation agenda.
Governor Nyong’o said the beautification process would not have succeeded without the support and the good working relationship with the private sector adding that Kisumu is creating a balance between the built environment and the green environment.
He mentioned that Kisumu will make a special appeal to UNESCO to declare Oginga Odinga Street and the Central Business District (CBD) as a historical site. This he says will help in the preservation of Kisumu’s cultural and commercial heritage.
Toyota Kenya Managing Director Arvinder Reel reiterated it is critical to continue finding a balance between urbanization and good environmental practice as a way of creating a future where nature and people can exist in harmony. He also mentioned that Toyota Kenya will be constructing a new state-of-the-art branch in Kisumu between April and June 2021 at a cost of Kshs. 400 million as way of offering better services for the people of Kisumu.
Additional support from Toyota Kenya will include solar panels for street lighting and will help in reducing the high electricity costs witnessed in the past. The streetlights powered by solar will be unveiled by the governor this evening.
