Kisumu governor Anyang Nyongo has defended plans to evict hawkers from the Central Business District and relocate them to another place within the city.
This is as the county leadership seeks to clean the city ahead of the Africities conference set for November 2022, and set to be attended by delegates from across the continent.
Speaking during the swearing in of his new Health Executive Professor Judith Miguda-Atyang and County Attorney Victor Obondi on Tuesday, he announced that the county has secured a 23-acre land for the relocation.
The land, he said, has been bought from the Kenya Railways and will also house traders evicted from temporary roadside structures and those near the main bus park.
“Hawkers are on the streets because of lack of proper establishments for their operation and we are going to offer them just that,” said the county boss.
He added that the changes are aimed at sanitizing growth, stating that the roadsides will soon be cleared to give room for city beautifications ahead of the summit.
City Manager Doris Ombara announced plans to as well evict people occupying road reserves and sewer lines to pave way for the city upgrade which has been sponsored by the World Bank to a tune of Sh250 million.
The project seeks to better drainage system in the citu which has for some time been grappling with cases of poor drainage, especially during rainy seasons.