The County government has committed itself to support the State department of housing and urban development in developing strategies in upgrading the informal settlements through a consultancy.
While hosting consultants supporting the slum upgrade and prevention strategy upgrade in his office Atch.Douglas Sasita CECM lands, urban, physical planning, housing, Municipalities lauded the state department of housing for choosing Bungoma County to benefit from the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project (KISIP 2).
The KISIP 2 informal upgrade project is supported by the World bank, Kenyan government and County government of Bungoma among other partners.
The meeting was meant to formally introduce the consultant tasked with preparation of Bungoma County Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy.
The meeting focused on timely delivery of the task ahead by the consultant while ensuring highest standard of output is achieved.
Bungoma County is clustered together with other four Counties including Kakamega, Kisumu, Homa bay and Migori under one consultancy firm.
This intervention under KISIP 2 component 3 (Institutional capacity development for slum upgrading) aimed at strengthening the capacity of counties and national government institutions to carry out slum upgrading and prevention.
Atch.Sasita noted that strategy shall be a guiding blueprint which gives a clear vision of what the County government expects from the project.
“The strategy will inform interventions geared towards prevention of proliferation of informal settlements and allow a participatory engagement in bringing all stakeholders on board,” he said.
He noted that the strategy will first need the Cabinet approval before it goes to the county assembly for adoption and later on its implementation.
Head of consultancy (Silverwing Consultancy) Dr. Philip Olale stated that the preparation process will be inclusive and the final report will showcase the uniqueness per respective Counties
Communication consultant from the State department of housing the one implementing the KISIP 2 project Godfrey Olali called for the involvement of all stakeholders like SEC, Non governmental organization and the civil society.
Present were Chief Officer Housing and Municipalities Rashid Fwamba, Chief Officer Lands, Physical planning and urban development George Kombo and also the County KISIP 2 coordinator Wellington Sindani among other stakeholders.
