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 A STINT IN THE WEST; OR DO I SAY KISUMU CITY?
19th Jan 2007
Besides the 8 provinces, Kenya can be dissected into two zones. On one side is the west of the Great Rift Valley whereas the other one is on the eastern side.  I have spent all my life in the Eastern part, safe for a few visits to the west. A recent call of duty took me to the western zone, where I spent some five weeks in Kisumu City, the Nyanza Province seat, except for a few days in Eldoret.

When I learnt of my Kisumu posting, I had a few requests to make to God. One of them was to save me from the world dreaded mosquitoes headquartered around the lakeside (in my perception) whereas the other one was to enable me cope with the lakeside heat.  The insect is dreaded because it has caused untold suffering to international visitors who have not been used to tropical diseases like malaria. Many of them have been sent to their graves prematurely courtesy of the disease. Remember the early day tourists otherwise known as missionaries and or explorers.

Before take off, I convinced myself not to take anti-malaria dosage as is commonly the precaution. Instead, I chose to give a chance to natural immunity which worked somehow.  No matter how much the mosquitoes tried, I was unscathed except for the discomfort of the deadly bites. Today, I still wonder if my survival was actually by faith, miracle or shear luck.  As for the heat I just endured.  But, I had not known of a third challenge.

It had indeed not occurred to me how difficult it was to get to Kisumu. The airport was in disuse for a while. The rail transport appeared to have been discontinued or at best irregular. It is an unbelievable loss of business opportunities for the Railways Corporation, more so during the heightened holiday travels.  I could not understand why so much business could be left to privateers when the Corporation is continually crying for cash bailouts. Or was it a strategy occasioned by vested interests?

The road to Kisumu to say the least is crying for attention. Save for the stretch between Nairobi and Gilgil, the rest is a nightmare, though the section to Nakuru is slowly being fixed. This route reminds me of the famous twist dance synonymous with the Daudi Kabaka (God rest his soul in peace). The vehicles have been subjected to the said dance as they wade through the potholes on their way to Kisumu. It does not matter whether buses, container trailers, tankers or even private vehicles. Driving a small car like Toyota is even more torture. You are not any better off driving a four wheeler else known as off-roads. I hear they are called “Gari za Ndume” (kiswahili for Male Vehicles) these days.

I dreaded the trips to and from Kisumu while accomplishing the call of duty. Despite this, the options were limited. Meanwhile, I knew Kisumu when it was a municipality.  It was a filthy town then. Becoming a city appears to have turned it around. It is now cleaner and bursting with numerous activities. The most notable one is the transport sector, which is highly liberalized. Besides, human traffic there is an incredible flow of bicycle taxis commonly known as boda bodas. It is not uncommon to witness boda boda collisions. Motorcycles are not left behind either followed by Tuk Tuks (three wheelers). Matatus and buses are also in plenty. In Kisumu city, transport options are wide open. The determining factor is the pocket depth and the destinations.

Enquiry during my free time indicates a lot of investment opportunities. They range from real estate to hospitality sector. The main entertainment spots in Kisumu City cannot extend beyond the fingers of one hand. I wonder how they satisfy thirst for fun associated with  Kisumu fraternity. Existing hotels are mostly booked to capacity. The prices, as I understand are on the upward trend. Probably this is as a result of the recent establishment of Maseno University, which is in the heart of the city. Another major contributor is activities of local and international Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs). There are numerous seminars and research activities going on in the lakeside   city, one time known as Port Florence. These interventions are geared towards taming the spread of HIV & AIDS infections and empowering those infected and affected. Research on Malaria control and related activities also form part of the activities.

A visit to the city is not complete without visiting the beaches and in particular, fish eating dens along the lakeshore. The city is however facing a few challenges worth mention. Worst of them all is the water problem, which has been caused by the re-emergence of the water hyacinth. In a matter of days, whole masses of the lake were submerged by the weed. It even blocked water pipes drawing the precious commodity into the Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company system for purification. This has caused severe water shortage in the city. It is disturbing how Kisumu City, situated on the shores of one of the world’s largest masses of fresh water can experience this downturn. The weed is another cause for concern for the marine life. The fish industry, one of the major economic activities in the region is severely destabilized. What happened to the insects that did justice to the weed some years ago? Why can they not be unleashed on the weed once more? Thereafter, should the insects not be maintained or is it harnessed in anticipation? Like our armed forces which are maintained for many years in anticipation of future trouble, I belief the invaluable insects should be done likewise.

Meanwhile, the seemly secure city, (you can even walk around town even at night without too much worry or is it through lack?) operates open trenches for its drainage system. They are covered with screed cement tiles and form part of the walkways. This writer noticed many uncovered sections in the heart of the city and the estates too.  These sections are disaster in the making. Come later in the year, there may be election violence or riots commonly associated with Kisumu city. I fear that it is only miracles that will save those unlucky from death or injuries caused by the open trenches. Surprisingly, concern for this phenomenon made the writer to casually raise the issue with a senior government functionary in Nairobi, while on one of the weekend breaks. The officer intimated that Kisumu City Council is responsible for design and maintenance of its own infrastructure. I could not agree more. Unfortunately, pressure of call of duty could not allow the writer to spend some precious time at the Mayor’s Parlour sensitizing those concerned with the imminent disaster.

But, my heart blend profusely whenever traveling to and from Kisumu. I sympathize with the economic activities which are suffering through the poor roads. The inefficient usage of resources characterized by time wastage, vehicle breakdowns, and high maintenance costs reflects badly on the national economy. I am concerned that this region, which not only supplies fish to places as far away as Europe, but also forms a substantial part of the national sugar belt, is going through all this.

Certainly, the Kisumu City authorities may be responsible for some of the concerns.  For others, the blame lies elsewhere. On unexploited investment opportunities in Kisumu City, your guess is as good as mine. In the meantime, could the unfavorable road conditions be as a result of too much usage, shear neglect or courtesy of cowboy contractors?

Finally, the writer interacted with visitors from Kisii and Nyamira who were keen to learn every detail about entrepreneurship and business development process, which was part of what the call of duty entailed. Could it be true that these people are major stakeholders in the development of Kisumu City?  Further, will exploitation of business opportunities in Kisumu City not lead to lower pricing particularly of the hotels? But, no matter the interests, this region will not be ready for delivery of Vision 2030 until the road link is suitable for Enterprise development particularly through small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Newtimes Editor

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