Construction of US $13M Convention Center in Kisumu, Kenya has kicked off. Kisumu County Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o and Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa performed the ground breaking ceremony.
The facility will feature a main auditorium, cultural centre, press rooms, 60 exhibition spaces, VIP lounge, 15 breakaway rooms, health centre, picnic area, a children’s park and outdoor amphitheatre. The project’s design is deeply rooted in the Luo Culture
The project is set to be completed in eight months and host over 5, 000 delegates during the Afri-Cities conference in April next year. According to CS Wamalwa, the facility will be is the second one of its kind in the country after Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi. It is set to revolutionize conference tourism within the lake region.
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Afri-cities
“This facility will not only serve the Lake region counties but with the revival of lake transport we are looking to have our brothers from Uganda and Tanzania bring meetings here. We are committed to making the Afri-Cities conference slated for April 26-30, 2022 a success,” he said.
Afri-cities is the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa’s (UCLGA) flagship pan-African event that is held every three years in one of the five regions of Africa. The event attracts communities and local authorities in African countries, as well as financial institutions, civil society groups and development partners at continental and international level.
The CS Wamalwa added that other projects were on course in the area to ensure that the event runs smoothly. This include upgrading of Kisumu International Airport to accommodate the high number of visitors expected in the city to attend the conference. A road linking the airport to the Convention Center through Uzima University, was also being upgraded to bitumen standard to facilitate free flow of guests.
The government, plans to take advantage of the conference to demonstrate the success of devolution and also highlight investment opportunities in the lake region. Devolution Principal Secretary (PS) Julius Korir said Kenya has already paid US $30M to UCLGA, the franchise holders for the event.
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