Community members within the Amalemba Informal Settlement in Kakamega are now benefiting from tarmac roads and street lights established under the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP II).
A section of community members said crime has reduced since the installation of street lights and high-mast floodlights.
The Assistant Chairperson of the Settlement Executive Committee (SEC), Marymoli Haji, said that before the project, roads were impassable, especially during heavy rains.
Ibrahim Nyanga Suleiman, a resident said that street lights have enabled the residentss in the informal settlement to continue with their activities even after darkness sets in.
Jane Yusuf Sakali, also a resident of the area, who is also a 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 thanked 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 said the project has transformed the Informal Settlement and urged the 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 on Monday.
He appreciated the community members for their patience and giving the contractor ample time to complete the works.
The Amalemba is among a total of five informal settlements within Kakamega that have been undergoing infrastructure upgrade under KISIP at a total cost of Sh300million.
The project is being implemented by the Government of Kenya and County Government of Kakamega through Funding from the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD) and a grant from the European Union (EU). The project is meant to transform Informal settlements.
Other informal settlements include Kambi Somali in Kakamega town, Mjini, Shibale and Lukoye in Mumias town.
At Kambi Somali, KISIP is undertaking connection of a sewer line and upgrading of the road network to bitumen standards.
Project works at Mjini, Lukoye and Shibale Informal settlements include establishment of water points (kiosks), upgrades of roads to bitumen standards, installation of solar street lights and installation of High-Mast floodlights.
By Moses Wekesa
