Implementation of County Spatial Plan of the entire Nakuru County is gathering pace

Written by Jeremy Ogolla

The implementation of the County Spatial Plan for the entire Nakuru County will see the digitization of its land records and the increase of its land rate revenue collection base. is gaining traction.

The process is fast gaining traction after the County through the Department of Lands, Physical Planning and Housing and Urban Development in collaboration with a consultant firm mandated with the task met to lay the strategy for the launch of the plan and its execution in the next two weeks.

During its presentation, the consultant firm, Geomap Africa Limited, highlighted a Digital Topographical mapping and the County’s Spatial Plan they have undertaken for verification by the relevant stakeholders ahead of its final launch by H.E Governor Susan Kihika.

Lands, Physical Planning and Housing and Urban Development County Executive Member (CECM) Hon John Kihagi said they have agreed with the presentation by the consultant who will also provide them with the relevant published copies of the plan for purposes of ensuring that the same is launched.

‘’The plan has far-reaching implications on the physical, social and even capital development of Nakuru and we believe that a lot of value will be captured development-wise when this plan is launched and during the implementation period,” said CECM.

The move is in line with H.E. Governor Susan Kihika’s spirited efforts on the County’s land reforms especially in areas of the Urban Mobility Improvement, digitization of land records and processes among others.

The move is a sigh of relief to the County administration which has been struggling with managing the archaic and manual hard copy land records, plans and land information system.

The CECM underscored the importance of the plan saying it has also captured all the areas with environmental fragility that needs to be addressed by sequencing and spacing county development adding that the report has also given them resource potential areas that as a County they can exploit.

‘’It has given us all the areas with the concentrated human settlement, where infrastructural development can be concentrated,’’ said Hon Kihagi.

The County Spatial plan will also inform the County administration on the actual number of all the land parcels registered within Nakuru County, thus informing data on land Information Management Systems which allows better management of the land records digitally.

The plan that rides on Geographically Information System (GIS) is also a light at the end of the tunnel for Nakuru County residents and investors at large, as it will end the opaqueness nature of dealing with development plans and instead untie the land value potential for Nakuru County.

The members present during the presentation expressed optimism that the plan once launched will have ripple effects in various departments within Nakuru County with the Finance department not left out either, as it will massively unlock its land rate revenue collection potential which is currently on its gestation period of barely half a billion instead of its full potential of Kshs.16 billion.

‘’This plan is the starting point of revenue enhancement,’’ pointed out the CECM.

According to the plan, the County transport management plan can now get the capital investment projects that will unlock its transportation plan for Nakuru County and equally transportation mobility plans for each of the urban centres starting with Nakuru City, especially the transportation by-pass.

Thus, the plan is also advising the County to engage with the National government on capital investment to enhance its productivity.