Foreword
Lodwar Municipality is a semi-autonomous entity in the Turkana County Government that provide essential services to the residents of Lodwar township and Kanamkemer wards with its objectives and powers provided under the model Municipal charter, Urban Areas and Cities Act 2011 and County Government Act of 2012.
Lodwar Municipality was conferred a municipal status on 21st December 2018 (two and a half years ago) and the board was constituted of seven members’ representatives of various associations in the municipality (Section 12(2) UACA 2019 and Article 3 of the draft municipal charter). The County Executive Committee member and Chief officer for Lands, Housing and Urban Areas Management are also board members. The Manager is the secretary of the board. There is established priorities in areas of development in the Institutional Development Plan (IDeP) arrived at from consultative meetings in the municipality. The IDeP is a five-year development plan aligned to the CIDP, governors five-point agenda, presidents four-point agenda, SDGs and Vision 2030.
The board aspires to ensure that the municipality is economically prosperous by facilitating economic transformation and enhancing opportunities for inclusive growth, modern markets, organized parking, street lighting, recreation facilities, standard public toilets for health and safety concerns, storm, water drainage, traffic management, urban planning and development under the oversight of the County government.
Achievements
- Establishment of the board committees: Municipal services, Finance and Administration, Planning and development control, Trade and Investment as per Mwongozo guideline on Cooperate governanc
- Successful quarterly meetings
- Successful quarterly board committees’ meetings
- Successful quarterly citizen fora
- Development and Finalization of Nine (9) Municipal by laws: Air quality, Animal Control, Abattoir and slaughter slab, Fire safety, Public amenities, Market Regulation, Waste Management, Storm water Management and Transport bylaws.
- On- going drafting of policies and administration regulations on the by laws
- Contracted cleaning and waste collection Services
- Other successes made by the municipality in the previous years included;
- Opening of 4.8 km of access roads in Napetet village, Lodwar Township ward
- Maintaining Solar powered street lights in Kanamkemer ward
- 100% construction of the Fire station and Installation of 109 Solar powered street lights
- 100% construction of parking lots, Non- motorized transport and Installation of 136 Solar powered street lights that will see increased revenue collection estimated to be at 19 M per annum
Review of the Municipality Board’s performance shows that;
- The board met regularly on quarterly basis aching the right number of meetings.
- The board conducted special meetings when need arose to address major issues.
- The right number of meetings per year for citizen fora/ public participation meetings were achieved.
- The board delegated powers to board committees with clear responsibilities, which also met regularly on quarterly basis.
- The board met with the right number of members (quorum) whenever a meeting was held
- Both the board and committees met at the specified dates and time as scheduled.
- The board always sought consultancy and contracted services in critical areas
