Kisumu is set to begin construction of a 6000-seater convention centre as it prepares to host the 9th Africities Summit.
Governor Anyang Nyong’o will host the Africities national steering committee in the county for the groundbreaking at the ASK Showground in Mamboleo on Monday.
Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa will be joined by other Cabinet colleagues among several high ranking dignitaries at the event.
"This centre will no doubt enhance immensely the county’s capacity to attract international business meetings and business tourism, greatly increasing economic activity in the region," a statement from the governor's press unit read.
The secretariat said the convention centre will be the fulcrum upon which investments in the western region will be positioned.
The Africities summit was set for November this year in Kisumu but was postponed until April 2022 due to Covid-19 concerns. Travel and ban on large gatherings also affected the preparations.
A meeting of the Executive Committee of Africities on February 17 decided to move the date of the summit from November 2021.
Committee members include CS Eugene, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa secretary-general Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Council of Governors chairman Martin Wambora and Governor Nyong’o.
On Sunday, the secretariat said the organisers of the event have weathered various storms caused by the ravaging effects of the coronavirus sweeping through the globe.
"The planning committees have navigated through those challenges to put forth a plan that will make this great country deliver the most memorable summit and the first in an intermediary city," the statement read.
The government has committed Sh1.2 billion to upgrade the Kisumu International Airport by building another terminal ahead of the event.
The upgrade will increase the airport's capacity to about one million passengers annually, Eugene said.
He said the airport was originally upgraded to process 250,000 passengers annually, but demand has grown to 500,000 passengers.
“With the expected number of delegates to the conference, this will pose a challenge. So the government is committing resources to upgrade it.”
The government has also mobilised resources to improve roads leading to the conference venue, he said.
“Through the Ministry of Infrastructure, we are going to improve to bitumen standards a number of roads leading to the ASK Showground," Eugene said.
(edited by o. owino)