Lodwar, 16 July 2024 (Public Communication and Media Relations)

A multisectoral team has initiated the development of a comprehensive municipal plan to formally identify and map public land in Kakuma, following its recent elevation to municipality status.

The initiative, led by the county government with support from UN Habitat, aims to transform Kakuma into a well-organized urban area with clearly mapped out land for public utilities.

In his speech, County Executive (CECM) for Lands, Physical Planning, and Urban Areas Management, Peter Akono, highlighted the importance of this initiative for Kakuma’s future development.

“The immediate aim is to jointly map spaces for public utilities and infrastructure for the residents,” Akono stated.

CECM Akono explained that the multisectoral team is proactively addressing potential challenges such as land grabbing and misuse, which are common when public spaces are not mapped out during the early stages of urban planning.

Given Kakuma’s unique characteristics, including its diverse population of refugees and the host community, the CECM emphasized the need to refer to the Refugees Act 2021 and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) for guidance.

“Both the Refugees Act of 2021 and the CRRF will ensure that the municipality’s development is inclusive and sensitive to the needs of both host and refugee communities, as envisioned in the county’s Ushirika plan,” he saiid

The resulting plan is expected to guide urban development and provide clear guidance on the placement of essential infrastructure, such as streetlights, public toilets, access roads, and water points, to serve the integrated community.

This early mapping of public spaces is anticipated to avert the infrastructure and service delivery challenges that have plagued other rapidly growing urban areas in Kenya.

Present at the meeting were Phoebe Ekal, Director of Environment; James Ewar, Deputy Director of Public Works; Davies Munialo, Director of Physical Planning; Jonathan Ekai, Director of Administration; and David Edoket of Urban Areas Management.

Kakuma is the second urban center in Turkana to acquire municipality status, following Lodwar, which serves as the county headquarters.

The Kakuma Municipality office has been fully operational since staff were deployed to kickstart service provision a few months ago.