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Kisii Town- Where residents reap the grapes of poor planning

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Published on Tuesday, 25 March 2008 03:39

Congested and filthy are two words that aptly describe Kisii Town.

A congested street in Kisii Town where open drains are common.

Dumpsites are located in various parts including near schools, health facilities and hotels, thus exposing the residents to health hazards.Hawkers have turned the town’s streets and alleys into an open air market, making it difficult to walk or drive.“It is a nightmare walking or driving in the town but something is being done to decongest the town,” admits Kisii district commissioner Njoroge Ndirangu.

“There is an urgent need for the re-planning of the town and development of a master plan,” adds the DC. Failure to open the bus park is making the situation worse. Town clerk Jacob Munge admits he does not know when it will be opened.

When it will finally be opened, congestion will be a thing of the past, as public service vehicles will be relocated. There is an increase of PSVs in the town due to post-election violence.The bus park will be completed at a cost of Sh52 million.The park stalled after the main contractor and sub-contractor withdrew without completing it and handed the project to the council.

Last year, the council gave mobile service provider Celtel a Sh5 million contract to complete the bus park and have exclusive rights to advertise in the bus park for five years. The construction of the bus park started in 2004.

The outstanding works that are being completed by Celtel include culverts and drainage, traffic passages, administration block, passenger sheds, toilet blocks, wall finishes, sanitary fittings and food kiosks.

Rapid growth

Vehicles plying the Kisii- Kilgoris, Nyamache, Etago, Eldoret, Kitale, Bungoma, Busia, Suneka, Mosocho, Migori, Sirare and Homa Bay routes pick up passengers at the main Kisii-Sirare highway.Buses and vans plying the Kisii-Nairobi- Nakuru route also park on the highway, causing further congestion.

The town is ill planned and its management is wanting. The rapid growth of the town is evident in several buildings that are coming up, and there is little space for expansion.

By-passes are under construction to help resolve the traffic chaos. The by-passes will cost Sh639 million.The 36km by-passes are nearing completion and according to the contract, they should be completed by May this year.

Stakeholders have raised concern over the slow pace at which the northern and southern bypasses are being done.When he toured Kisii Town last year, then Local Government minister Musikari Kombo defended the contractor, saying even though they were behind schedule; the work done was more difficult than that remaining.

He, however, rejected the contractor’s request to have their contract tenure extended.“The earth work, I’m told, was the most difficult section but we are not extending your contract tenure,” said Mr Kombo.The contractor also complained that heavy rains, relocation of water pipes, cutting down of 2,000 huge trees and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company’s failure to relocate electricity poles had slowed down their work.

Display wares

During his tour, Mr Kombo said a modern market would be built in the town for the hawkers. “We are constructing 12 modern markets across the country and one of them will be here,” he told the traders.

The markets are earmarked for other towns at a cost of Sh2 billion. He said hawkers would be moved from the town streets to the market when it is completed. Daraja Mbili market – one of the largest open air markets in western Kenya - is a tragedy in waiting as traders display their wares on the main highway, exposing them to road dangers.

“The market needs improvement to avert a major disaster and the council lacks funds to improve it,” says former Kisii mayor Stephen Omurwa.The drainage is poor and people get injured day in, day out when they fall into open manholes. However, the council has been sealing the manholes.

The local authority is also planning to relocate the Nyambera dumping site, which is near a river and two schools. They also want to buy a tractor, a trailer, and a shovel to assist in the transportation and disposal of refuse.To assist in refuse disposal the council has installed litter bins in the whole town and many more will be installed.

The cemetery is full following the burial of unclaimed bodies. The site is also next to a school, a river and a bypass. The council is identifying a new site. Roads in the central business district are potholed and the council belatedly started sealing them last month.

On beautification, already about 400 trees have been planted and flowers are also being planted.On a positive note, several companies have installed streetlights along the main streets. They include Safaricom, Celtel, Coca Cola and Nakumatt.

Waste disposal

Among the measures being undertaken, according to Mr Munge, are re-planning the town. “The town is expanding rapidly and there is need for re-planning. We don’t politicise this issue.”In his victory speech, Mr Nyangeso pledged to address congestion in the town as a matter of priority, re-plan the town and ensure that its lost glory is restored, even though he admitted it was a uphill task.

“We have been given a responsibility and there are many challenges facing our town which we need to address as a matter of urgency. Our town is in a very sorry state,” noted the mayor. He says he will seek the speedy construction and completion of bypasses.

“The construction has been delayed for long and we want to ensure that the bypasses are completed as one way of decongesting the town,” he added.On garbage collection and disposal, Mr Nyangeso said they will hire a private company to collect refuse in the town and install more litter bins.

On lack of water, Mr Nyangeso pledged to work with the Gusii Water and Sanitation Company to ensure the town has a steady supply. Hawkers will be removed from the town’s central business district while Daraja Mbili market will be developed.Mr Nyangeso said they would seek help from the ministry to recarpet the roads.