By James Okoth
Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr Mathew Owili has unveiled a 10-point development agenda dubbed “The Kisumu Promise”, setting out his vision for the county as he positions himself to succeed Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o in 2027.
Owili launched the blueprint during a media breakfast in Kisumu, framing it around “Building on the Foundations, Safeguarding Kisumu’s Future.”
At the centre of the agenda is a pledge to create a government that listens, delivers and remains accountable to residents.
- Government from the centre to the village: Owili proposes Village Councils and Village Administrators in every village to bring services closer to residents and give communities a direct role in planning, budgeting and monitoring projects.
- Quality healthcare: He promises to upgrade health facilities, improve staffing and equipment, ensure reliable medicines and strengthen maternal, child, emergency and community healthcare. Kisumu County Referral Hospital would be elevated into a premier facility.
- Roads and clean energy: The plan prioritises rural access roads, drainage in flood-prone areas and better links between farms, beaches, schools and markets. Solar lighting and floodlights would also be expanded across market centres.
- Agriculture and fisheries: Farmers would receive stronger extension services, subsidised inputs and support for mechanisation, while the fisheries sector would benefit from completed landing sites, cold storage, processing and value addition.
- Youth jobs and opportunities: Owili proposes expanding vocational and digital skills training, establishing digital hubs, supporting youth enterprises and creating apprenticeship and internship opportunities, alongside investment in sports and the creative economy.
- Women and SME empowerment: The agenda proposes revolving funds, better access to finance, insurance and markets, as well as One-Stop SME Support Centres to help businesses navigate registration, licensing and financing.
- Water, sanitation and better towns: Owili promises faster pipeline and sewer extensions, improved drainage, stronger waste collection and better urban planning, particularly in informal settlements.
- Education and VTC development: The blueprint targets improved ECDE facilities, upgraded Vocational Training Centres, timely bursaries and scholarships, and stronger links between education, technology, innovation and employment.
- Transparent and accountable governance: Owili pledges to publish county projects, budgets and implementation timelines, audit stalled projects, reduce wastage and link public spending to measurable results.
- Safeguarding the gains: The final pillar focuses on major strategic projects, including the revitalisation of Kisumu Port, completion of the Lakeside Promenade, establishment of Special Economic Zones, urban renewal programmes, fish landing sites, a comprehensive cancer centre and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Owili also commits to lobbying for the Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway, strengthening specialised healthcare and supporting major housing and investment projects.
The blueprint presents Owili’s candidacy as one of continuity rather than disruption, with the Deputy Governor emphasising his nine years working alongside Nyong’o.
He says the experience has given him an understanding of the county’s achievements and challenges and positioned him to guide Kisumu into its next phase.
The political test now is whether voters will accept his argument that the county needs to build on the Nyong’o foundations while correcting what remains unfinished, rather than taking a completely different direction.
