Positioning Kisii Municipality as a Preferred Investment Destination by Ensuring Urban Planning Instruments Work Challenge: Urbanisation is an accelerator of economic development and brings with it transformational changes in the spatial distribution of people and resources impacting physical land use. The level of urbanisation has significantly increased in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) especially in countries such as Kenya where the demand by the peri-urban population is driving the expansion of existing urban areas. Urbanisation in Kenya has been driven by three main interrelated factors: a) the emergence of new urban centers (intermediary cities/municipalities), b) expansion of existing urban areas due to increased demand for urban services and c) rural-urban migration. This increase in urbanisation if not well-managed may not lead to the intended accelerated economic growth that is envisioned. As such there is need to prioritise the responsive use of urban spaces (including Kisii) in order to guide inward investments and encourage prudent land use and natural resources to ensure sustainability. Approach: To mitigate against this, partnering with the Kenyan Government, the UK Government through its Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme (SUED), has supported 121 municipalities/intermediary cities to develop Urban Economic Plans (UEPs)2. The UEP amalgamises the intermediary cities development and economic plans and captures how its utilisation in future development will shape the expansion of the urban center. The UEPs are effective in guiding these newly formed municipalities to: a) Allocate Resources: The UEPs have helped the intermediary cities focus on their available resources (both natural and man-made) to address their unique economic growth deterrents. b) Increase Delivery: The UEPs capture within them the projects that need to be prioritised to improve the economic conditions in the municipality to attract investors. The projects are realistically assessed and help the municipality determine where to prioritise spending. c) Attract Investors: Government and private investors now have access to a clear urban development plan that informs their priorities and enables them to determine which projects they would like to partner with the County/Municipality leadership to bring to fruition. d) Improve rural-urban linkages: Integration of both rural and peri-urban priorities and resources to the urban centers as a way for economic diversification. e) Promote co-ordination between local, regional, and national government: by having in place a plan that integrates national priorities to strengthen regional growth, the national government will work with the intermediary cities to create an environment that promotes a viable long-term economic development by integrating the urban centers into economic growth hubs in the country. The development of the UEPs entailed a participatory process that incorporated community priorities within the broader development framework that would guide the future municipal economic development. While the UEP provides an economic growth template there remains a need within these municipalities to develop an Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plan (ISUDP) that will enable them to bring to life their development vision. Land use zones and regulations remain much needed in intermediary cities to ensure that as the trend of land use changes due to growing urbanisation that places a demand on land for nonagricultural use, there is in place legislation based on a plan that clearly outlines the municipal boundaries and informs land use to deter unregulated urban development.
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Lake Region Economic Bloc- Bungoma and Kisii, North Rift Economic Bloc – Eldoret and Iten, Frontier Counties Development Council- Isiolo and Mandera, Mt. Kenya and Aberdares Region Economic Bloc- Kathwana and Kerugoya/Kutus, South Eastern Economic Bloc- Kitui and Wote, Jumuiya Ya Kaunti Za Pwani- Malindi and Lamu. 2