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Henry Andanje

Urban centres in Busia municipality will benefit from Sh1 billion World Bank funding through the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP), an official has disclosed.

Solomon Ambwere, a representative from KUSP secretariat said the county has been receiving Sh101 million each financial year since  2018 for infrastructure development of the border town.

He said apart from the current funding, Sh50 billion has been set aside for Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Programme (KISIP) in all counties across the county.

Ambwere said the main aim of the of KUSP is to create urban institutions and to strengthen the existing ones and to manage urban development in all counties in the country. 

He asked the county government to create one more municipality to enable it  to benefit from KUSP funding by July, after the mid-term review.

“Busia County has only one municipality compared to most municipalities including Bungoma and Kakamega counties which have got more than one,” said Ambwere.

Qualify for funding

He said KUSP has given four classifications including Cities, Municipalities,Towns and Markets which qualify for funding from the programme.

Ambwere lauded the contractors who were awarded KUSP projects and went ahead to complete them without being paid any cent, adding that the county government should work with such contractors.

Lands Executive Grephas Opata said the department has commenced the payment of contractors under KUSP projects while tractors for collecting garbage will be delivered in two weeks’ time.

County Assembly Planning Committee member, Moses Ochieng said they are ready to lose part of their Ward Development Fund allocation to improve Busia Municipality and other urban centres.