The Kisumu County Government has ordered all building owners in the city and its environs to repaint their structures with blue color and shades of white.
The exercise targets to improve Kisumu city’s beauty and aesthetics ahead of the Afri-Cities conference to be held in the area from May 17 – 22.
Speaking during the launch of the exercise over the weekend, Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o said all building owners in the Central Business District (CBD) and the city’s environs have two weeks to comply with the directive.
The county government, he said, shall extend land rates waivers to those who comply with the directive as preparations for Afri-Cities reach homestretch.
Those who fail to comply with the directive, he noted, risked having their business premises closed. To facilitate the exercise, he added that the county government has negotiated with Crown Paints Limited to sell the paints to the building owners at discounted rates.
Kisumu becomes the second city to ‘go blue and white’, after Mombasa which gave the orders to have buildings painted as such in 2018.
Over 6, 000 delegates among them Heads of State are expected in Kisumu for the 9th edition of the Afri-Cities conference next month.
Afri-cities is the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa’s flagship pan-African event that is held every three years in one of the five regions of Africa.
The event attracts communities and local authorities in African countries, as well as financial institutions, civil society groups and development partners at continental and international level.
Preparations for the venue of the conference at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium and Mamboleo show grounds are in top gear as organizers put final touches on tents and exhibition stands.
Kisumu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Tourism Achie Alai said besides the main exhibition area at Mamboleo showground, another exhibition bazaar shall be erected within the CBD to allow small traders to sell their wares.
She asked the traders to visit the Afri-Cities website and register to be allowed to exhibit and sell their goods to the visitors during the conference.
Hotels in the area, she added, have registered high bookings with some fully booked as more visitors continue to show interest in the conference.
The CECM asked those with houses that they can convert into air bnb to liaise with her office so that their premises are audited and posted on the official website of the conference.
“This is a golden opportunity for all of us to do business. Kindly take advantage of registering on the official website so that you are not left out,” she encouraged.
Meanwhile Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga has cautioned politicians against erecting billboards and posters within the CBD until the conference is over.
The move, he said, targets to keep the city beautiful and clean during the event.
A stakeholder’s conference with boda boda and matatu operators, he said, shall be called this week to work out modalities of decongesting the city and ensure free flow of traffic during the conference.