Call for proper Organization of Kisumu City ahead of Africities summit

Lawrence Kapiyo of Grass root while at his office in Kisumu today where he has said there should be proper organization of Kisumu City ahead of the Ninth Africities Summit to be held as from next week on Tuesday to Saturday-Photo and Story By Dickson Odhiambo

May 12, 2022

Call for  proper Organization of Kisumu City ahead of Africities summit

THE Organizers of the Ninth Africities Summit should ensure that there is proper organization of Kisumu City and its environs ahead of the event which is slated to kick off next week on Tuesday.

President of Organization of Inhabitants in Africa Lawrence Kapiyo says so far there has not been heightened level of organization in Kisumu City ahead of the next week’s summit.

Addressing the press in Kisumu today, Kapiyo said the recent relocation of public service vehicles from the Central Business District should be very clear on what points they need to be exactly other than bringing confusion since passengers now no longer know the exact point for picking and dropping.

“The current designated area for the public vehicles are not clear and there is a lot of overcrowding where they are as passengers do not know where they can get the vehicles for their destinations,”

Kapiyo says the current preparations towards the summit can be rated below 50 percent, adding that more information about it should be availed to the public constantly.

He says by now, there should be central venues for entertainment for the guests on local music like the Ohangla hits and the Luo Rhumba among others, adding that Kisumu is known as a music hub hence this should never miss.

Kapiyo who is also the Coordinator of Grass Root Trust which is an NGO that deals with issues of Affordable housing says this will be the first time the Africities Summit is held in an Intermediary city in Africa.

He says there should be a tent pitched by the County Government of Kisumu to help in giving accommodation information on the various facilities outside Kisumu City, adding that most of the hotels in Kisumu have been booked.

Kapiyo says the exhibitors should be given spaces at affordable prices so as to showcase their items during the five-day-event.

The African Cities{Africities} is a pan-African conference held every three years since 1998 when the first meeting was held in Abidjan, Cote d’ voire.

It is being convened by the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa’s {UCLG-A}.

With its headquarters at Rabat in Morocco, the Africities brings together the leadership of Cities {Mayors}, Sub-National and Local Governments with the aim of improving living standards of their citizens.

The hosting of the Africities Summit rotates between five African Sub-Regional Blocks.

This Ninth Edition of the Africities Summit will be held in Kisumu as an intermediary city from May 17 to 21 this year.

The Eight Edition of the summit was held in Marrakech in Morocco in 2018.

In 2006, Kenya hosted the Africities Summit for the first time in Nairobi and this year in May, it will host it for the second time in Kisumu which is not its Capital City but an intermediary City after Kenya won the bid to host it in the year 2021 November.

 The effects of Corona virus pandemic made it pushed to May this year.