President Mwai Kibaki Monday launched the Nairobi Metro 2030 Strategy and directed relevant Government organs to speedily expedite the requisite legal and institutional reforms that will facilitate the success of the strategy.

Speaking during the launch at Kenyatta International Conference Centre -KICC-, President Kibaki said his Government is putting in place strategies aimed at transforming the city of Nairobi and other major towns into vibrant centres of economic activity for the benefit of wananchi.

"Towards this end, we are according priority to urban development, and specifically Metropolitan development, as one of the driving forces that will propel our country into the status of a middle income rapidly industrializing country," President Kibaki said.

He said the Government, under vision 2030, programmed to create and develop metropolitan regions across the country, namely Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu-Kakamega, Nakuru-Eldoret, Wajir-Garissa-Mandera, and Kitui-Mwingi-Meru.

The President emphasized that the identification of the metropolitan region is strategic as it is intended to play a pivotal role in the realisation of the growth targets envisaged under VISION 2030.

Said the President:" Some of these targets include promotion of social equity and inclusiveness and making our cities yield more in terms of their productive potential."

President Kibaki pointed out that the Government's decision to begin the implementation of the urban development strategy with the Nairobi Metropolitan region is based on the fact that the capital city is the country's main gateway to the rest of the world.

The Head of State expressed confidence that the Nairobi Metro 2030 strategy will guide the transformation of the Nairobi Metro region into a world class metropolis and also inform decisions on a wide range of urban issues including transportation, infrastructure, housing, natural heritage and resource protection.

Noting that local authorities in the Nairobi Metropolitan region have a key role to play in the success of Nairobi Metro 2030 strategy, President Kibaki said a metro-wide approach to the implementation of the strategy will be adopted.

"Local authorities in the metropolitan region must focus their strategic planning, local revenue mobilisation, investment and service delivery to the realisation of the Metro 2030 strategy," President Kibaki said.

In this regard, the President said it is necessary to place all Nairobi Metro region local authorities under a common Nairobi metropolitan governance framework to facilitate the implementation of the Metro 2030 strategy and enhance the coordination of strategic investments and development on a metro-wide scale. 

President Kibaki, however, said the local authorities in the Nairobi Metropolitan region are free to retain their independent status as corporate bodies in furtherance of their localized service delivery mandates.

Noting that the successful implementation of the Nairobi Metro 2030 strategy will require approximately 33 trillion shillings, President Kibaki said the Government will partner with the private sector and development partners in order to raise the resources required.

"I am glad to note that the Ministry has so far reached out to various development partners, among them the Chinese Government and the United Nations Habitat, who have agreed to support some of the development programmes and other initiatives outlined in the metro strategy," President Kibaki said.

The President, therefore, appealed to development partners, the private sector and civil society to support the Government's efforts in transforming the country's cities into decent places in which to live and work.

On urban population, President Kibaki said there is need for strategic planning that will enable the country to adequately cope with the rapid growth of urban populations.

He added that the country must also strategically respond to global trends with efforts being focused on positioning the nation as a leading regional and global stakeholder.

"I am therefore encouraged to note that the Nairobi Metro TWENTY THIRTY strategy has taken note of these developments and is focusing on tapping global economic opportunities, as well as benchmarking service delivery within the metropolitan region to world-class standards," President Kibaki said.

The President observed that the Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development website which he commissioned during the occasion will promote the development of the Metro region's strategic role. 

President Kibaki, once again, emphasized the need for strong private sector participation, quality social responsibility and civic engagement for the country's cities to become competitive in the global economy.

"In other words, all of us are stakeholders and have a role to play in ensuring that our cities are globally competitive and attractive to investors," said the President.

Citing provision of quality services as one of the areas requiring priority attention, the President said focus should urgently shift to improving the provision of infrastructure and services in the cities.

He asked Kenyans to also change their attitudes and stop viewing urban centres as temporary dwelling places but permanent habitations in which they all have a stake.

"This will ensure that we undertake the necessary investments needed to make urban centers ideal homes for the many people who now live in towns," President Kibaki said.

The President also stressed the need for urban planners to re-orient their thinking to focus more on how the country's cities will look like in a decade or two from today, saying the vision of developing the city of Nairobi into a regional and global services hub cannot be realized without undertaking major innovative reforms.

Speaking during the function the Prime Minister Rt. Hon Raila Odinga said the Nairobi metropolitan Development Strategy will apart from addressing the issues of decongestion, insecurity and poverty, make the city investor friendly and thereby create job opportunities to majority of the youth.  

Saying the strategy to transform Nairobi into a world class city is well charted, the Prime Minister called on all stakeholders to support the ministry in its endeavor to attain its vision.

He further said as more people continue to migrate to the city from rural areas, there is need for the Government to start improving and expanding basic facilities such as shelter, clean water and sanitation so as to achieve environmental friendly sustainable urban development.

Other speakers included the Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development Mutula Kilonzo, Assistant Minister Elizabeth Ongoro, Nairobi deputy Mayor Councilor John Njoroge Chege and the Chairman of Kenya Private Sector Alliance Mr. Steve Smith among others.

Also present were the Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet Ministers Samuel Phogisio, Beth Mugo and Fred Gumo, Assistant Minister Joseph Nkaissery and Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura among others.