Africities Summit boom | Nation

Kisumu is the first intermediary city to host the Africities conference, the ninth edition of which is now being held in Kenya. Intermediary cities across Africa are set to be the epicentre of the continent’s future urbanisation and it is only apt that Kisumu is the stage to discuss their challenges .

Resources have been mobilised to ensure that roads to and around the conference venue are improved. The Kisumu International Airport, which originally processed 250,000 passengers annually, has now been upgraded, and with the construction of a new terminal, its capacity has now increased to about a million passengers annually.

 Kisumu also remains one of the port cities poised to play an important role in realising the full benefits of a blue economy and as a historical city associated with trade, it’s centrally placed to play a major role in trade and commerce in East Africa.  The government has also revamped and refurbished the rail system leading into Kisumu to provide a seamless and efficient movement of goods from the port of Mombasa using the Standard Gauge Railway and into the lakeside city via the revived Meter Gauge Railway.

The last few years have also seen Kisumu work towards unlocking its potential as a business tourism destination. With the rapid development of its tourism and hospitality infrastructure and more than 18 hotels of three-star and higher rating, the city is well prepared to host the growing number of visitors expected in years to come.

Locals will also gain exponentially from such spin-offs as boda boda rides, matatus and taxis, the mama mbogas selling their wares, and also the boom resulting from the delegates’ spending.

The Summit provides Kenya with a golden opportunity to showcase to the world what the country has to offer and comes at a time when the country has started reaping the benefits of devolution. This, in turn, can provide a good case study of how power and resources can be decentralised in Africa for the benefit of all, going forward.