The Anchor October-November 2010 stories

OPINION

Ways of spurring fast growth

of Machakos to  city status

By P NZEI

Might it be of some interest to anyone to know that Nakuru is the fastest growing town not only in Kenya and East Africa but in the whole of Africa?

The 46^th International Society of city and Regional Planners Congress being attended by over 1,000 participants from 70 countries was told on 21^st September 2010 that Nakuru was growing at a rate of 13 per cent.

Mr Thomas Melin the U.N Habitat Senior adviser said this in a discussion on governance and planning for sustainable Cities at Kenyatta International Conference Centre.  It is followed by Dire Dawa in Ethiopia. 

He said that this growth   rate is compared to only cities in China.  China today is the fastest growing Economy in the world.  He said that cities in the rural areas grow at an optimum rate five per per-cent. 

Nairobi is estimated to be growing at 7 percent. This narrows my interest to towns in the Lower Eastern Counties singling out Machakos town because it is the biggest and oldest.  It is expected to spur Economic growth for other towns because many depend on it in many ways.

 Travelling from Makueni County to Nairobi, you have to pass through Machakos town.  Majority of those traveling from Kitui do the same before they get to Nairobi.

 Listen to this:-  Some Counties will be having direct Tourist flights from Europe.  Only the Kitui County in Lower Eastern has an airstrip. There is not a single airport.  There was an airstrip in Makindu  but the greedy guys have grabbed its land.

Back to Machakos town and its expansion experienced an unusual eye-opener during the East African Municipalities Sports Competitions.  A lot of lessons were learnt.

 A real surgical thought and a decisive planning will be required in this town.  Some of the real decisions may be unpopular with some people but the future generations will benefit.  The town has remained small, on same place and only the old buildings are being expanded.  One wonders if this is the town which is said to have been the first capital city of Kenya. 

It recently celebrated its 100 years of its existence, though the celebration came several years late as Machakos was founded in 1896. 

Today, Machakos is ranked 7^th in the country after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret and Thika.  It is basically expected and thought to be the co-coordinating Centre of the Kamba activities but when one compares it with other younger and fast developing towns like Kitui, Kitengela, Mlolongo and even Matuu in Yatta, then one may not be able to finger out how the town will grow to play in its rightful league of cities

 When the provinces were being split to have regions this town was made the Regional Headquarters of Lower Eastern region.  The Kamba people expected another region – South Eastern Region with Headquarters in Kitui but that was not given.

During the said games, Hotels which were expected to serve the large number of participants were not available.  Advance delegations which had visited the town before to make accommodation arrangements found that there was real shortage of room, and the few which were available were in-explicably expensive.

  So many made alternative accommodation arrangements at Kyumbi, Athi river, Mlolongo and even Nairobi.  Some other teams were accommodated in institutions.  In fact many of the guests should have found nice and affordable accommodation in Machakos had the town been undergoing frequent expansion like other town in this country. 

Towns like Kisumu, Nakuru, Thika have become big enough with elaborate transport systems, recreational places, Higher Educational facilities and other instruments of development.  This has been possible due to proper planning and visionary leadership on the part of the leaders.

Take a good example with Kitui town.  Its leaders sat down and saw that there was need of expansion.  As a result they decided to have the prison moved to Kwavonza to give room for the towns expansion.

Kitui today boasts of four Institutions of Higher learning which include Southern Eastern University College which is the first public university in Ukambani. It hosts a Campus of Kenyatta University, the Kenya Medical Training Institute, Kenya Water Institute and now Kitui Teachers Training Collage is coming up.

 Another example is Thika town.  The leaders moved Mangu High School to its present site.  The only school in the town is Thika High School which sitting on a small piece of land which is surrounded by active commercial buildings.

Machakos Town is like an island.  It is surrounded by hills just as Mombasa is surrounded by water.  To enter Mombasa, one has to go through Makupa causeway. Just as you enter Machakos as you cross the river which divides the town with  Miwani town.  This is adjacent to Machakos prison on one side and the bushy unutilized land of Machakos School.  On the other side is the upcoming ACK Cathedral and the Red Cross offices.  Now you enter the town after crossing the river but you will not need to travel for a long distance before you come to the CBD (Central Business District) and that is it.  The leaders of Machakos should have thought quite a long time ago and should have transferred the prison to Konza.  Yes, lon time ago.  It does not help the commercial development of the town or help any of those people who have been killed in the bridge between it and Machakos School.  This is a fact,Machakos School is sitting on land which is bigger than that of Nairobi University and Kenya Polytechnic University College.  There will be a loudly speaking need to join the three towns which makes Machakos town  namely:- Kenya Israel, Miwani and Machakos itself.  This will mean that people will be able to walk at anytime freely between the three towns.

Water is essential in any town.  People who are handling this important sector must know that as long as there are cartels selling water in the town, then it will remain the only town without water .  It is funny that individual businessmen can have boreholes in the town to supply water to residents at a fee when the municipal council has not been able to.

Tourism circuit must be nurtured and improved.  The building which housed the Governor when Machakos was the capital of Kenya is still there and it is a real tourist attraction.  Look at Fort Jesus in Mombasa and the many tourists it attracts.  What the Governor’s house in Machakos needs is publicity and with proper marketing people even Kenyans can be interested in viewing it.  The Ministry of Tourism has already said that it will establish special desks in the Counties to promote the tourism.  This will be a key wealth generator and important source of revenue.

The Road joining Machakos with Konza on the Nairobi – Mombasa highway is really a priority.  It can open a lot of economic development of the town especially now Malili ICT knowledge Centre is being built.

Universities have flourished in other towns.  Look at Kisumu, we have Maseno University, Bondo University College, the Great Lakes University and others.  Look at Thika, there are over 8 different universities, Kenyatta University with the highest number of students in Kenya, JKUAT is not far from Thika.  This means that students can stay in Thika and have evening classes.  Machakos needs at least 2 to 3 Universities. 

Machakos Teachers College can easily be turned to a University the way Siriba was up-graded to give way to Maseno University.  It can be called University of Machakos.  Students are high spenders and there is no town which can have real money circulation without universities.

 Katumani Dry Land Research Satation under KARI, is older than Egerton yet the later is one of the well established universities in the country.  Let Katumani be upgraded without delay or condition to a university.  It can be called Paul Ngei University of Science and Technology just as Maside Muliro in Kakamega.

 Machakos Technical will later come to age and will be a polytechnic University.  This will bring students, parents and guardians to Machakos and the whole face of the town will change. 

People will notice a 24 hour Economy flourish, banks, shops hotels and the social life outlets will witness real growth.  If this town has to be expanded, then the old thinking must be taken home and the planners must meet in town with modern innovative decisions, otherwise Malili or even Kyumbi will swallow it.

 Nobody in the young generation can claim to own any plot  within the town, but the same generation have plots in Naiorbi, Athi River and in other towns.  This is because the plots are available in those other towns.  If plots have to be availed, then they must be allotted but not sold because those with lots of money will buy but fail to develop them.  Young professionals and businessmen given the plots can source for funding from banks and develop them easily making the town a modern town.  This will create employment and hence do away with insecurity.

 When many of the people have no jobs, they are not spenders but form a liability group.  They turn to crime. Let us empower our people and we will wonder how hard working they are especially the young generation.

Mr Nzei is an Educationist.  He vied for Makueni parliamentary Seat in 2007 and presently is working with commu-nity based projects.