Kakamega: Community members within the Amalemba Informal Settlement are now benefiting from tarmac roads and street lights established under the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP II). A section of community members noted a reduction in crime since the installation of street lights and high-mast floodlights.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Assistant Chairperson of the Settlement Executive Committee (SEC), Marymoli Haji, stated that before the project, roads were impassable, especially during heavy rains. Ibrahim Nyanga Suleiman, a resident, mentioned that street lights have enabled residents to continue with their activities even after darkness sets in. Jane Yusuf Sakali, also a resident and trader, urged the partners and the government to consider constructing a modern market for them to operate from.
Alvin Omenda, a youth from the area, expressed gratitude to the government and development partners for the project, saying it had opened up the area. The County KISIP Coordinator, Kelvine Marangu, said the project in the Amalemba Informal Settlement is at the completion stage with only sewerage connection and road markings remaining. He urged residents to protect the equipment from vandalism.
Marangu was speaking when he led a delegation from the World Bank and government officials during an inspection tour of the project. He appreciated the community members for their patience and for giving the contractor ample time to complete the works. The Amalemba is among five informal settlements within Kakamega that have been undergoing infrastructure upgrades under KISIP at a total cost of Sh300 million.
The project is being implemented by the Government of Kenya and the County Government of Kakamega through funding from the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD), and a grant from the European Union (EU). Other informal settlements include Kambi Somali in Kakamega town, Mjini, Shibale, and Lukoye in Mumias town. At Kambi Somali, KISIP is undertaking the connection of a sewer line and upgrading the road network to bitumen standards. Project works at Mjini, Lukoye, and Shibale include the establishment of water points (kiosks), upgrades of roads to bitumen standards, installation of solar street lights, and installation of high-mast floodlights.