Wote Urban Economic Plan

Wote Municipality Urban Economic Plan Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme SUED May 2022

The development of the Wote Municipality Urban Economic Plan (UEP) has been made possible by funding from the UK government through UK Aid’s Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme (SUED) that is managed by Tetra Tech.

This report was developed by Atkins.

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W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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Abbreviations and Acronyms AAAP

Africa Adoption Acceleration Program

ACCF

African Climate Change Fund

AD

Anaerobic Digestion

ADAS

Agriculture Development and Advisory Service

AF

Adaptation Fund

AFAC

African Financial Alliance on Climate Change

AfDB

African Development Bank

AGPO

Access to government Procurement Opportunities

AGRA

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa

ALEAP

Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India

ARAF

The ACUMEN Resilient Agriculture Fund

ARCAN

Africa Regional Climate and Nature Programme

ASAL

Arid and Semi-Arid Lands

ASDSP III

Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme Phase Three

ASTGS

Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy

CIDP

Makueni County Integrated Development Plan 2018 - 2022

GIZ

German Development Agency

CIF

Climate Investment Funds

GVA

Gross Value Added

COP26

Conference of the Parties 26

ICT

Internet, Communications and Technology

CSP

Makueni County Spatial Plan 2019 -2029

IDeP

Draft Wote Municipality Integrated Development Plan 2021 – 2025

CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility

IFI

International Financial Institution

CTF

Clean Technology Fund

ILO

International Labour Organization

CUIDS

Count Urban Institutional Development Strategy

IT

Information Technology

DFID

Department for International Development

IUCN

International Union for the Conservation of Nature

DTF

Decentralised Treatment Facility

JOYWO

Joyful Woman Organisation

ECED

Early Childhood Education

KCSAP

Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project

EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment

KeNHA

Kenya National Highways Authority

EPR

Extended Producer Responsibility

KES

Kenya Shillings

EU

European Union

KIM

Kenya Investment Mechanism

F&B

Food and Beverage

KNBS

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics

FAO

Food and Agricultural Organisation

KNCCI

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry

FCDO

Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office

KPLC

Kenya Power and Lighting Company

FDG

Focus Discussion Group

KURA

Kenya Urban Roads Authority

FPEAK

Fresh Produce Exporters Association Kenya

KUSP

Kenya Urban Support Programme

FTE

Full-Time Equivalent

LDCF

Least Developed Countries Fund

ATC

Agricultural Training Centre

BCC

Behavioural Change Communication

BID

Business Improvement District

CACSH

Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute

GBV

Gender-Based Violence

MB

Municipal Board

CBD

Central Business District

GBVH

Gender-Based Violence and Harassment

MDB

Multi-lateral Development Banks

C-BED

Community-Based Entrepreneurship Development

GCF

Green Climate Fund

MFPP

Makueni Fruit Processing Plant

CBO

Community-based organisation

GCP

Gross County Product

MHM

Menstrual Hygiene Management

CCCF

County Climate Change Fund

GEF

Global Environment Facility

MIDP

Municipal Integrated Development Plan 2021 - 2025

CECM

County Executive Committee Member

GeSI

Gender and Social Inclusion

MSI

Micro and Small Industries

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MSP

Draft Wote Municipality Spatial Plan 2021-2030

SIG

Special Interest Group

MTP III

Third Medium Term Plan 2018 - 2022

SME

Small and Medium Enterprises

NACHU

National Cooperative Housing Union

SnCF Global

Global Sub-National Climate Fund

NCPWD

National Council for Persons with Disability

SONEDE

NDA

National Designated Authority

Société Nationale d’Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux

National Environment Management Authority

SPIS

Solar-Power Irrigation Systems

NEMA

National Food Technology Research Centre

STF

Sewage Treatment Facility

NFTRC NGO

Non-Government Organisations

SUED

Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme

NHIF

National Health Insurance Fund

SWOT

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, And Threats

NHP

National Hygiene Program

ToT

Training of Trainers

NIE

National Implementation Entity

TVET

Technical Vocational Education Training Centres

NMT

Non-Motorised Transport

UBSUP

Up-Scaling Basic Sanitation for the Urban Poor

NSP

National Spatial Plan

UEP

Urban Economic Plan

NUDP

National Urban Development Policy

UHT

Ultra-High Temperature

PPCR

Pilot Program for Climate Resilience

UK

United Kingdom

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment

UN

United Nations

PPP

Public-Private Partnership

UPS

Uninterrupted Power Supply

PV

Photovoltaic

US

United States

PWD

People Living with Disabilities

VBA

Village-Based Advisors

SACCO

Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations

VC

Value Chain

SCCF

Special Climate Change Fund

VSLA

Village Savings and Lending Associations

SEFA

Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa

WOWASCO

Wote Water and Sanitation Company

SEKEB

South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc

WWTP

Wastewater Treatment Plant

SEKU

South Eastern Kenya University

SGR

Standard Gauge Railway

W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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Tables

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Table 2-1 – SIGs and exclusion manifestation table

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Table 4-14 – Fruit harvest by month

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Table 2-2 – Businesses Identified Challenges to Growth

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Table 4-15 – Capacity and volumes for fruit processing

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Table 4-1 – Wote Municipality Sector Action Plans Overview

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Table 4-16 – Value Added

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Table 4-2 – Agriculture and Livestock SWOT

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Table 4-17 – Project 5 summary information

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Table 4-3 – Agriculture and Livestock Action Plan

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Table 4-18 – Project 5 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-4 – Project 1 summary information

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Table 4-19 – Project 6 summary information

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Table 4-5 – Project 1 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-20 – Project 6 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-6 – Project 2 summary information

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Table 4-21 – Project 7 summary information

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Table 4-7 – Project 2 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-22 – Project 7 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-8 – Project 3 summary information

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Table 4-23 – Markets, Trade and Services SWOT

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Table 4-9 – Project 3 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-24 – Markets, Trade and Services Action Plan

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Table 4-10 – Project 4 summary information

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Table 4-25 – Capacity and volumes for Municipal solid waste

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Table 4-11 – Project 4 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-26 – Potential output and revenues

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Table 4-12 – Agri-Processing and Manufacturing SWOT

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Table 4-27 – Land requirement for MSW VC

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Table 4-13 – Agri-Processing and Manufacturing Action Plan

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Table 4-28 – Project 8 summary information

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Table 4-29 – Project 8 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-44 – Project 15 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-30 – Project 9 summary information

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Table 4-31 – Project 9 basic analysis and timeline

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Table: Comparison of Sanivation briquettes to wood and charcoal.

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Table 4-32 – Pros and Cons of Bus Park options

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Table 4-45 – Project 16 summary information

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Table 4-33 – Project 10 summary information

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Table 4-46 – Project 16 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-34 – Project 10 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 5-1 – Summary of Project Information and Costs

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Table 4-35 – Project 11 summary information

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Table 4-36 – Project 11 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-37 – Project 12 summary information

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Table 4-38 – Project 12 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-39 – Project 13 summary information

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Table 4-40 – Project 13 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-41 – Project 14 summary information

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Table 4-42 – Project 14 basic analysis and timeline

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Table 4-43 – Project 15 summary information

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W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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Figures Figure: Map of climate resilient infrastructure and focus areas

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Figure 1-1 – Purpose of the Plan

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Figure 1-2 – UEP process

Figure 3-5 – Focus Area 3: Aggregation Centre at Wote Agricultural Training Centre (ATC)

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Figure 4-1 – Map of the climate resilient infrastructure and focus areas

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Figure 1-3 – SUED Principles

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Figure 4-2 – Local Aggregation Centre Flows

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Figure 1-4 – UEP Process

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Figure 4-3 – Central Hub in Wote

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Figure 2-1 – Location of Wote Municipality

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Figure 4-4 – Distribution of value-added goods and services to the Northern Corridor and beyond via Emali

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Figure 4-5 – Aggregation Centre at Wote Agricultural Training Centre (ATC)

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Figure 4-6 – Current condition of road network between Makueni ATC centre and existing collection centres

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Figure 2-2 – Makueni County settlement patterns and road connectivity Figure 2-3 – Planning Context

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Figure 2-4 – Wote Municipality’s Social and Demographic Profile

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Figure 2-5 – The three dimensions of inclusion

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Figure 2-6 – Gross County Product per Capita, 2017 (in KES)

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Figure 2-7 – Makueni County GCP Breakdown, 2017

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Figure 2-8 – Wote’s infrastructure overview

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Figure 3-1 – Overview of Wote’s Development Concept

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Figure 3-2 – Wote Spatial Strategy for Economic Development

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Figure 3-3 – Focus Area 1: Wote CBD

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Figure 3-4 – Focus Area 2: Agri-processing at Kalamba

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Figure 4-7 - Current pavement status between Makueni ATC centre and existing collection centres Current pavement status between Makueni ATC centre and existing collection centres

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Figure 4-8 – Kaiti River crossings

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Figure 4-9 – Wider Value Chain Cluster and Linkages

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Figure 4-14– Process flow for Municipal solid waste

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Figure 4 15 – Location of the proposed solid waste management facility in Wote

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Figure 4-16 - Revenues by Source

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Figure 4-17 – Gender and social inclusion considerations

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Figure 4-18 - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

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Figure 4-18 - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

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Figure 4-19A - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

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Figure 4-19A - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

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Figure 4-19A - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

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Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

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Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

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Figure 4-10 - Process flow for fruit and vegetable canning

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Figure 4-11 - Operating Costs 2026

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Figure 4-12 – Gender and social inclusion considerations

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Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

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Figure 4-13 – Main industrial access road and an alternative access road at Makueni Fruit Processing Plant - Kalamba

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Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

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Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

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Figure 4-27 – Visualisations showing the proposed design for the bus park

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Figure 4-21 - River Kaiti

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Figure 4-22 – County level context of the extents of the Kaiti River Park Proposal

Figure 4-27 – Visualisations showing the proposed design for the bus park

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Figure 4-22A - Municipal level context of the extents of the Kaiti River Park Proposal

Figure 4-28 – NMT network to connect old and new bus park as well as key attraction points in CBD

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Figure 4-29 - Typical features of an accessible toilet block

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Figure 4-23 – Diagram showing various proposed nodes in context of the proposed township plan

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Figure 4-24 – Diagram showing various nodes and proposed interventions.

Figure 4-30 - Current alignment of Wote (Ukia) – Emali B107/ C99 road in relation to Northern corridor and Machakos – Wote – Makindu road (B60)

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Figure 5-1 – UEP Development framework schedule

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Figure 4-24 – Diagram showing various nodes and proposed interventions.

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Figure 5-2 – Next steps

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Figure 4-24 – Diagram showing various nodes and proposed interventions.

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Figure 4-25 – Plan showing alternative locations for Bus Park relocation

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Figure 4-26 – Zoning map showing the proposed bus park rationalisation

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Figure 4-26 – Zoning map showing the proposed bus park rationalisation

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W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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Contents 1.

Introduction

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3.

Vision and Development Concept

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5.

Implementation Plan

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1.1

Background

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3.1

UEP Vision

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5.1

Introduction

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1.2

Purpose of the Plan

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3.2

Setting the Concept

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5.2

Partners and Institutional Structures

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1.3

Approach

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3.3

Supporting Elements to the Concept

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5.3

Implementation Costs and Potential Funding Sources

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1.4

SUED Principles

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3.4

Spatial Framework for Development

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5.4

Scheduling

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1.5

Climate Change, Social Exclusion and Poverty

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4.

Economic Development Plan

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5.5

Funding

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1.6

COVID-19 Impacts in Kenya

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4.1

Overview

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5.6

Recommendations for Capacity Building

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1.7

Structure of this Report

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4.2

Agriculture and Livestock Sector Action Plan

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5.7

Recommendations for Social Inclusion

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2.

Wote Urban Diagnostics

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4.3

Agri-Processing and Manufacturing Sector Action Plan

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5.8

Recommendations for Climate Change and Resilience

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2.1

Study Area

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4.4

Markets, Trade & Services Sector Action Plan

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5.9

Next Steps

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2.2

Planning Context

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4.5

Cross-sectoral (Wote-wide) infrastructure projects

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2.3

State of Wote

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2.4

Infrastructure Overview

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2.5

Environment and Climate

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2.6

Diagnostics Conclusion

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Executive Summary WS Atkins International Limited was commissioned to develop the Urban Economic Plan for Wote Municipality as part of the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme (SUED). The aim of the programme is to support market-driven growth in emerging towns and cities in Kenya.

The Urban Economic Plan (UEP) is an advisory document that builds on existing work and priorities identified under the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) alongside the Local Urban Development Plan (LUDP) and draft Integrated Development Plan (draft IDeP), as well as aligning and complementing work by other donors. In doing so, it will provide a focused economic strategy for the Municipal Board, Municipal Departments, and the County Government to deliver economic development within Wote Municipality.

The UEP outlines prioritised Value Chain projects, sectoral action plans as well as climate resilient and urban development projects that can support Wote Municipality’s economy. The aim is to identify the greatest potential for inclusive employment generation, and in turn promote sustainable economic development. Drawing on international best practice, it introduces an integrated multidisciplinary approach to planning for economic growth and supports capacity building from an early stage. Stakeholder engagement has been prioritised at each stage of the process.

The purpose of the plan is to: > Provide an inclusive economic strategy that can guide future development towards increasing prosperity in Wote Municipality; > Prioritise economic activities and infrastructure that can maximise benefits and support the development of a sustainable economic future for Wote Municipality;

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> Bring together stakeholders on deciding the Municipality’s vision and implementing it; and > Identify and prepare value chain (VC) projects that can be considered further in terms of their feasibility and bankability before SUED seed financing is committed.

Section 2 of this document sets out the Diagnostic Assessment of Wote, where the social, economic, planning, infrastructure and environmental and climate risk baseline has provided an understanding of the barriers and drivers to sustainable economic growth.

Makueni County is situated in South-eastern Kenya.

The County lies south of the equator, west of Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline, north of Mt Kilimanjaro and along the Eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley. The County forms part of the South-eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB). The County is anchored on the Trans-African corridor consisting of the A109 / A8 highway and railway that connects Central Africa and Nairobi to the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa.

Makueni County is a small county in terms of land area, with a total surface area of approximately 8,034 km2. The estimated County population is 987,653 in 2020 with an annual growth rate of 1.3%. Urban development in Makueni County is attributed to its natural features and the main transport links. Over time, settlements have sprung up along its main transport arteries. The challenging natural topography of the upland and midland areas of the County have resulted in multiple market centres. In the rural areas, more dispersed settlements are commonplace, which is especially the case in the eastern lowlands where the characteristic low terrain presents limited physical barriers to settlements.

The population of Makueni County is smaller than its neighbours of Machakos and Kitui Counties which are 1,421,932 ans 1,136,187 respectively.

Wote Town is the capital of Makueni County, with the Municipal population estimated to be 164,116 in 2020. Makueni County has an urban population of around 11.8%, as significant levels of rural-urban migration have elevated this percentage, especially in the urban centres of Mtito Andei, Wote and Kibwezi. The specific geographic focus of this UEP is Wote Municipality, which comprises of Wote Township and the other market centres of Mukuyuni, Kilala, Nziu and Kalamba in the west and Kwa Kathoka, Kathonzweni and Mbuve in the east.

The SEKEB economic bloc contributed towards just 5.7% of national output in 2017, with a combined GCP of approximately KES 435,344 million, despite representing 13% of Kenya’s total land area. Makueni County economy is a small contributor to the national economy, accounting for 1.4% of national GVA. Agriculture is the predominant economic activity in the county.

Around 63% of the land in the County is considered arable, however, only around 6% is used for crops. Despite the small utilisation of land for farming across the County, agriculture accounts for 47% of the total GCP. Livestock rearing, fishing and beekeeping are also common economic agricultural activities which occur across the County.

The landscape can be split into four distinct zones based on their altitude and characteristics. This unique landscape profile also configures the County’s drainage pattern in specific ways and has led to the formation of a dense permanent and seasonal river network.

The County lies within the arid and semi-arid zone (ASAL).

The southern low-lying grasslands receive little rainfall whereas the higher northern parts of the County receive large amounts. Despite this, and being home to a dense river network, the County is water scarce and suffers from water insecurity, especially during dry seasons.

There is an overwhelming lack of critical infrastructure and services in the Municipality. A lack of adequate water supply and sewage infrastructure continues to be problematic for W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

residents and businesses, as well as causing contamination of groundwater. Furthermore, unsatisfactory transportation provision hampers productivity and inadequate solid waste management pollutes the environment. The roads connecting the built-up areas are mostly made from bitumen and earth, presenting issues for efficient connections and transportation across the Municipality, especially during heavy rains when the roads can become flooded and damaged.

There are several healthcare and educational facilities in the town, offering training and employment opportunities, including a Level 5 Referral Hospital. It is also home to a burgeoning financial hub, with a number of banks and insurance companies.

A Gender and Social Inclusion Study (GeSI) was a key part of the diagnostic reporting, providing recommendations for meeting the aims of the SUED Programme to advance inclusion of PWDs, youth, and women. These groups are often worst affected by the impacts of climate change, inequality and poverty.

Section 3 explains the main points of the Development Concept for Wote Municipality. This is informed by the stakeholders’ vision on the future of the Municipality. There are three focus areas which make up the spatial framework for development, which aim to assist the Town and surrounding areas develop in-line with the vision: > Wote CBD > Agri-processing in Kalamba > An Aggregation Centre located at the Kwa Kathoka ATC. Section 4 sets out the Economic Development Plan for Wote Municipality by outlining the specific development interventions proposed for the key economic sectors:

> Agriculture and Livestock; > Agri-Processing and Manufacturing, and > Markets, Trade and Services.

This section focuses on economic Sector Action Plans, incorporating soft initiatives, interventions and infrastructure proposals, in addition to the anchor projects and priority VC projects proposed to mobilise development within the Municipality.

Each Sector Action Plan includes economic ambitions and consist of a mixture of soft interventions such as education and training, changes to systems such as skills development, technology availability and smaller focused infrastructure recommendations, in addition to the larger, strategic urban development and infrastructure proposals. The Sector Action Plans should be regarded as a strategic sequence of events, with the soft interventions intended to maximise the potential of the sector to benefit from strategic infrastructure proposals, particularly the anchor projects of the Climate Smart Aggregation Centres and Agri-Processing in Kalamba.

The VC opportunities of juice bottling/canning and solid waste management are presented as pilot schemes to drive key sectoral development within the County.

The Sector Action Plans, including the shortlisted VCs, will also consider aspects related to sustainability, climate resilience, social inclusion and the circular economy.

Section 5 provides the Implementation Plan, which presents relevant considerations across partnerships with key stakeholders such as the active NGOs operating in Wote Municipality, and scheduling for the proposed VC and climate-resilient and inclusive infrastructure projects, plus estimated capital costs. This section also presents potential climate action funds and some recommendations for social inclusion and climate resilience, as crucial elements for implementing the UEP.

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The UEP is an advisory document owned and administered by the Municipality, the main responsible authority for its future implementation. Similarly, the Municipality is responsible for agreeing to appropriate funding from the County budget as well as seeking any additional funding from IFIs, donors, and/or the private sector to support the implementation of the VC and climate-resilient infrastructure projects.

Following the completion of the UEP, during the next phase of the SUED programme, the identified projects will be developed further by: > Capacity building specialists to enhance the local capacity, particularly Municipal Departments, to implement the projects and ensure revenue generation; and > Investment experts to develop feasibility studies, business cases and investment promotion strategies for the projects.

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Figure: Map of climate resilient infrastructure and focus areas

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1. Introduction 1.1

Background

WS Atkins International Limited was commissioned to develop the Urban Economic Plan for Wote Municipality as part of the UK’s Department for International Development Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme (SUED).

The aim of the programme is to support market-driven growth in emerging towns and cities in Kenya. Supporting these smaller centres provides an environment to create economic opportunities and job creation in a way that balances growth across the country, develops economic sectors that can contribute towards increasing the national output and provides an incentive for minimising uncontrolled migration.

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1.2

Purpose of the Plan

Figure 1-1 – Purpose of the Plan

Combining local knowledge and international expertise, the Wote Urban Economic Plan (UEP) is an advisory document that builds on existing work and priorities identified under the County Integrated Development Plan 2018-2022 (CIDP), Makueni County Vision 2025 and the Makueni County Spatial Plan 2019-2029 (CSP) as well as aligning and complementing work done by other donors. In doing so, it will provide a focused economic strategy for the Municipal Board and Municipal Departments to enable them to deliver economic development within the Municipality.

Provides an inclusive economic strategy that can guide future development towards increasing prosperity in Wote;

Prioritises economic activities and climate resilient infrastructure that can maximise benefits and support the development of a sustainable economic future of Wote and introduce international best practice and innovation;

Brings together stakeholders on deciding the economic future of Wote and implementing it; and

Identifies and prepares value chain projects that can be considered further in terms of their feasibility and bankability before SUED seed financing is committed

Source: Atkins analysis

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1.3

Approach

The approach and methodology have been developed in response to the DFID terms of reference and in consultation with the SUED Team and FCDO and has been tailored to consider local conditions in Wote Municipality. The aim was to enable a collaborative approach between different local stakeholders and the consultant team to assess Wote Municipality’s economy in a systematic way, develop an agreed economic vision and prioritise actions that will have maximum impact and are ready to attract donor co-financing.

The preparation of the UEP comprised four main phases:: > Phase 1 – Inception phase: which focused on the Kick-off Meeting. The aim was to present the approach of the UEP and capture key opportunities and challenges affecting economic growth in Wote Municipality as defined by local stakeholders; > Phase 2 – Diagnostics phase: was developed to provide a comprehensive and wide-ranging assessment of Wote Municipality’s economy, demographics, infrastructure, environment and climate change risk profile against national and international context;

Figure 1-2 – UEP process Inception Phase

Infrastructure and Transportation Provision

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Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of Key Economic Sectors

Environmental & Climate Change Risk Profile

> Phase 4 – Development of the final UEP which sets out in detail economic opportunities and actions and prioritises climate resilient infrastructure projects for implementation.

Setting Vision & Key Economic Sector Actions

Development Framework and Climate resilient, Inclusive infrastructure Assessing requirements and impact of shortlisted VC opportunities

Evaluating climate resilient green infrastructure opportunities

Identification of short listed VC opportunities and climate resilient infrastructure Consultation with Municipal Board, Municipality and County officers, Businesses, Special Interest Groups

Source: Atkins, 2022

UEP Phase

Evaluating and prioritising VC opportunities

Economic and Demographic

Gather inital comments through stakeholder engagement - KOM

Technical Briefing Paper

Setting principles for development of the UEP

Policy Framework International / National Trends

> Phase 3 –Technical briefing paper: set out a development framework for Wote Municipality and identified, assessed and prioritised economic growth opportunities and their requirements;

The Wote Municipality UEP has been developed utilising primary and secondary research and analysis, ranging from the review of local and national strategies and international studies to statistical analyses, business surveys, focus group discussions with stakeholders and site assessments.

Diagnostics Phase

Anchor Projects: Value Chains opportunities

Stakeholder Engagement The purpose of stakeholder engagement is to ensure that stakeholders’ interests and views are taken into consideration throughout the development process and reflected in the Wote Municipality UEP. More specifically: > To ensure that the development of the Urban Economic Plan is inclusive and is undertaken in a manner that fits with Wote Municipality’s business and community culture; > To ensure that all stakeholders are clear on the purpose, scope, recommendations and outcomes of the Urban Economic Plan as well as meeting key stakeholder’s aspirations and gain buy-in from them; > To understand better the interests of specific groups, especially the vulnerable ones and how the Urban Economic Plan can benefit them; and > To provide a regular flow of information to and from key stakeholders.

The stakeholders that have been continuously consulted and participated in the UEP process include: > County Government including office of the executive through HE the Deputy Governor. Other offices within the executive that have been consulted are:

> County Assembly including the Speaker of County Assembly, Clerk of County Assembly, Committee Members in charge of Physical Planning, members of the county assembly within the Municipality, and ward administrators > Municipal Board including Chairperson, Vice-Chair, Municipal Manager and Board Members > Business Representatives including Chamber of Commerce (KNCCI), organised business groups, traders and Jua Kali, SACCOs, banks and finance organisations, public transport representatives, boda boda operators, Maendeleo Ya Wanawake, market representatives-Wote open air market, hawkers, and cooperatives > Utilities and Service Providers including KURA, Kalamba, aggregation centres, ATC, Makueni Sand Authority, and SEKEB > Special Interest Groups (SIGs) including representatives for women/women traders, local community youths, people living with disability (PWD) and National Youth Council representatives > NGOs and CBOs including civil society, self-help groups, and faith-based organisation These stakeholders have engaged in the process through a series of meetings and exercises, namely:

> Representative of Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) > County Economist > Private Sector/Business Community representative from the Municipal Board > Civil Society Representative > Wote/Nziu Ward Youth Representative > Informal Sector Representative from the Municipal Board > Chairman, Environment, water, Sanitation and Social Services Committee > Representative from Public Works > County Urban Planner > County Sanitation Coordinator > Wote/Nziu Ward Representative > Wote/Nziu Ward Women Representative The PSG, under an elected representative, also facilitated the dissemination of information on the various components and progress of the UEP and the broader SUED Programme, including liaison with the County Government, the Municipality and the Municipal Board. It includes champions on SUED’s key themes of climate change and social inclusion.

> County Secretary

> Project Steering Group meetings.

> CECM in Lands, Urban Development, Environment and Climate Change

> Stakeholder workshops. > Formal social consultations; and

> CECM in Devolution, County Administration, Participatory Development, Youth and Public Service

> Business consultations

The PSG was also tasked with arranging meetings and workshops part of the overall Programme roll out. The PSG was updated on a weekly basis on progress in the UEP process and the following meetings between the PSG and the SUED team took place.

At the onset of the project, a Project Steering Group (PSG) with representatives from various key groups was constituted with the help of the Municipality to enable the exchange of ideas and information between the Municipal Board, SUED technical team and wider stakeholders. The following representatives were nominated for PSG membership.

Workshops were undertaken, both virtually and physically, depending on COVID-19 restrictions, to gather feedback from key stakeholders. The first Kick-Off Meeting on 21st September 2021, was held to present the project and process, to collate information from stakeholders regarding key characteristics, strengths, and challenges.

> CECM in Roads, Transport, Energy and Public Works > CECM in Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock and Fisheries Development > CECM in Sports and ICT > CECM in Gender, Children, Culture and Social Services > CECM in Water and Sanitation > CECM in Trade, Industry, Marketing, Tourism and Cooperative Development W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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A site visit and face-to-face discussions with various stakeholders were undertaken between 22nd and 23rd September 2021. Sectoral SWOTS were discussed during these meetings, plus the identification of future growth opportunities and constraints. After this, business consultations were conducted from 12th to 15th October 2021 followed by another workshop to gather feedback from the PSG and associated stakeholders on the initial findings in the diagnostics assessment from 27th to 29th December 2021. A visioning exercise was undertaken in a subsequent workshop, which provided the foundation of the emerging development concept and the development framework, setting the scene for the final UEP.

1.4

SUED Principles

The development of the UEP and identification and prioritisation of proposed projects are grounded on key principles that support the Programme’s aim to create market driven growth and build resilience. The Atkins SUED Team has defined these principles as: Figure 1-3 – SUED Principles Resilient Shifts in the economy Adaptive infrastructure to climate change Smart solutions

Resource Efficient Circular economy and zero water Water and energy management Rural - urban images

Business consultations were initiated to better understand how businesses operate in Wote Municipality.

The business consultations were composed of one-to-one interviews with 74 businesses, many of whom were small businesses or independent workers, given the nature of the local economic climate, helping to establish Wote Municipality’s key sectoral activities.

The Gender and Social Inclusion (GeSI) study involved a literature review and primary research, covering interviews with key project informants and focus groups.

This helped identify socially excluded groups, establishing how their exclusion is manifested and the local processes that perpetuate their exclusion; all of which helped in the development of gender and social inclusion interventions proposed in this UEP.

Socially inclusive Socio-economic trends Vulnerable groups Immigration/migration

Source: Atkins, 2022 20

Sustainable Low carbon development Green energy Green infrastructure

Sustainable: The UEP promotes sustainable infrastructure that supports the development of Wote Municipality, while minimising the environmental impacts of increased population and economic activity in the future as well as protecting the abundant water resources within the County.

Socially Inclusive: The UEP is socially inclusive building on the thorough analysis of the status of social inclusion within Wote Municipality through stakeholder meetings and focus group discussions. The identified excluded groups of PWDs and Youths are included in the UEP development process, the VCs and infrastructure projects to ensure that their impacts will equitably benefit all members of the community.

At its core the UEP seeks to create employment opportunities that are accessible to all and set out economic measures and supporting actions and projects that can help directly or indirectly lift the local population out of poverty whilst supporting crucial livelihoods such as the informal sector.

All proposed projects (VCs and infrastructure projects) contained within the UEP have been screened and refined for their contribution to improving livelihoods by considering availability; accessibility; affordability; acceptability; and adaptability, across special interest groups as well as low-income groups, the urban poor and the informal sector.

The aim is to minimise inequalities and improve access to job opportunities for optimum benefits to the community.

Resilience: The prioritised projects will have to be resilient against shifts in the economy, both for domestic and international markets, to remain competitive. They will also need to be adaptive to the climate change impacts specific to the area such as more variable rainfalls and higher temperatures, while ensuring technological advancement through smart solutions can be introduced where possible.

Persons with Disability (PWDs) and Youth in Wote Municipality face challenges that are either caused by or lead to exclusion, and recommendations for their inclusion are fully integrated in the UEP. People who are excluded are not ‘just like’ the rest of the poor, only poorer. They are also disadvantaged by who they are or where they live, and as a result they are locked out of the benefits of development.

Resource Efficiency: To preserve the environmental assets and agricultural land, the UEP directs economic growth towards resource efficiency, by integrating the VCs to establish a circular economy promoting minimisation of waste and optimising water and energy use, whilst aiming to promote rural - urban linkages..

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1.5

Climate Change, Social Exclusion and Poverty

Climate change poses a serious risk to poverty reduction efforts. While this is a global phenomenon, its impacts disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable populations such as low-income households, PWD, elderly people, and people with chronic illnesses. It affects access to clean air, safe drinking water, food, and shelter, and can have severe impacts on human health. Communities that rely on weather-sensitive subsistence livelihoods such as agriculture are especially vulnerable. Harmful social norms pose additional challenges, by limiting the participation of these groups in formal risk reduction and climate adaptation programmes.

At the time of preparing this UEP, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt societies and economies around the globe.

The negative impact, both on health and the economy, have been felt locally in Wote. While governments are trying to address current challenges, this pandemic has brought to the fore the need to understand better the connection between vulnerable groups, livelihoods, and shocks from critical events such as climate change.

In Wote, youths, women, elderly people and PWD are often excluded from socio-economic activities; they lack access to information, assets, and finance; and they do not participate in decision-making processes. This makes them more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and other shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, FGDs highlighted that most SIGs engaging in crop farming in Wote face significant challenges during dry seasons since they are highly dependent on rain-fed farming. At the time of the FGDs, it had been seven months since it last rained. The same instances also noted that, a few years ago, there were heavy rains and some areas experienced flooding and landslides, which destroyed local crops.

These events impacted in particular:

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Figure 1-4 – UEP Process

Disruption of livelihoods and economic activities

Economic poverty, weak social protection, powerlessness

Vulnerability to disease outbreaks

Social exclusion, discimination

Climate Change

Poverty Food insecurity

Increased inequality

Vulnerability to urban disasters

Spatial segregation, informality

Source: Atkins, 2022

> Elderly People: In Makueni County, land ownership is mainly held by elderly men. Most of them use the land for livestock-keeping and planting fruit trees. However, due to their age, they cannot fully engage in these activities, and they often lack access to labour-saving technologies or technologies to adapt to climate change-impacts, for example due to extremely dry seasons. Older adults are also affected by climate change due to aging-associated illnesses, which can severely limit their mobility and means that they are less able to respond to extreme weather events.

> PWD: Statistically, PWD are more likely to have lower levels of education, be illiterate or unemployed. Due to discrimination, they usually have less access to support networks and social capital than their able-bodied counterparts. These social networks are recognised as a key factor that enables groups to prepare for, respond to, and recover from, climate variability and shocks, and this lack of access increases the vulnerability of PWD to climate change. In Wote, PWD often operate small businesses as tailors, cobblers and in grocery shops, and engage in farming. Yet, they lack access to finance to develop their economic activities and to invest in measures that would better-prepare their businesses to cope with extreme events and climate hazards. FGDs also highlighted that, during rainy seasons, travelling for PWDs is extremely challenging due to poor and inaccessible roads.

> Women: In Wote, women spend more time than men on unpaid care work. An increase in health diseases due to climate change, can add to this time poverty.

Increasingly severe climate issues such as drought and heat stress have a negative impact on industries such as livestock, dairy production and other small-scale businesses. For example, leading reduced livestock reproduction, lower growth rates and reduced milk production affecting livelihoods, food security and the products’ costs, will impact the livelihoods of women working in these industries. What’s more, women’s lack of access to information and financial resources critically affects their ability to recover from these disasters.

Harmful social norms and competing community and domestic responsibilities pose additional challenges.

Conversely, women are and can be powerful agents of climate action. During the flooding mentioned above, a local group of women were trained by the County government to subdivide the land, form terraces and plant trees to mitigate water run-off and flooding impacts.

It is imperative to understand exposure, and vulnerability to climate change, to build resilience into future projects through appropriate adaptation measures. In particular, it is important to ensure that adaptation measures do not act to reinforce or deepen existing inequalities, but that they are accessible to groups that are already marginalised. Climate-resilient technologies need to be affordable, accessible to all, and culturally appropriate. Their implementation needs to be accompanied by capacity building and technical support. As well as considering inclusion and poverty elements of all adaptation and climate risk management measures, excluded groups may require targeted interventions that are designed to help build their resilience to climate change.

> Youth: Youth dominate the transport sector in Wote as boda boda, donkey carts or taxi operators, and some of them own small-scale businesses such as cyber cafés, beauty salons, and barber shops. Extreme weather events render roads unpassable and reduce the service demand, thus affecting their income. Many youths also engage in casual labour on farmlands and climate hazards can severely affect their livelihoods. Youth lack involvement in decision-making processes and have reduced access to land (and consequently, credit), which further complicates their ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Increasing the resilience of current and future livelihoods and infrastructure is key to poverty reduction and is addressed systematically throughout the UEP to avoid creating polarisation and further exclusion. Similarly, ensuring that infrastructure projects, VC opportunities and development policies are climate-resilient will not only help the built environment to better respond to future climate risk but also communities and excluded groups to be less affected by climate change events.

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When implementing the recommendations in this UEP, it is important to consult and understand the needs and expectations of local communities, and particularly SIGs, who have wealth of knowledge about local environmental conservation and who are already powerful agents for climate action.

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1.6

COVID-19 Impacts in Kenya

In Kenya, the impact of COVID-19 has been real and devastating. The pandemic has significantly had an impact on all aspects of life such as health, institutional revenues and livelihoods. COVID-19 has hit the most vulnerable the hardest, particularly the densely populated informal settlements, as well as other people who lack access to adequate housing and basic services.

The informal economy, employing about 70% of Kenyans has been drastically affected as lockdowns and curfews were introduced to curb the transmission of the virus. Low wage earners have been hit the hardest because they rely on the informal sector and daily wages. Mostly they lack the option to work from home as they are mostly in the service industries and more exposed to the virus. Despite the low wages, some have also received pay cuts, and some have lost their jobs all together. There has also been loss of revenue due to reduced activities in other sectors like industry, commerce and hospitality with the effects felt throughout their supply chains.

Travel restrictions led to a sharp and substantial fall in demand for movement and subsequent impacts on supply chains: > Road freight and logistics have been interrupted as long-distance truck drivers are suspected to be a major source of imported infections and transmission. This has had implications for trade and cross-border activities. Goods take longer to reach destinations. For perishable agricultural commodities, post-harvest loses become rampant; > Disruptions in global supply chains have also led to shortages or delays for critical inputs for agriculture ultimately disrupting production and food supply and manufacturing, leading to price increases; and

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> Increased awareness of hygiene signifies increased demand for limited resources like water, as well as increased demand for disinfectant used for hand cleaning and sanitization, with additional costs to society, particularly where access is not straightforward.

Persons with disability have been left without vital support and advocacy due to social distancing. The majority of PWDs operate small businesses in market centres, which have been adversely affected therefore they have experienced loss of their livelihood.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people differently based on their age, gender, ability or disability, sexual orientation, health status, migrant status, and ethnicity, among other aspects. Crises exacerbate existing gender inequalities, exclusion, and discriminative practices, and vulnerable groups are more adversely affected by the outbreak and the consequences of the response.

Street families are also highly exposed to the danger of the virus because they lack shelter. Many of them rely on market centres where they ferry goods for a wage, and with the closure of markets has resulted in loss of their livelihood.

Emerging evidence on the impact of COVID-19 suggests that women’s economic and productive lives have been affected disproportionately in comparison with men. This is because women earn less, save less, and are more likely to be employed in the informal sector. Their capacity to absorb economic shock is therefore less than that of men. Women are also the majority of the frontline healthcare workforce and caregivers, putting them at higher risk of catching the virus.

Cultural factors may restrict women’s access to information and services, and some women may be particularly affected, e.g. older women living alone, and isolation may lead to an increased risk of violence in the home.

Young people are already among the most affected by the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. In addition to losing employment, the closure of businesses, and the need to keep away from schools and universities, youth are also at high risk of increased anxiety and mental health problems.

Additionally, youth make up more than 30% of the migrant and refugee population who are likely to be disproportionately affected due to limited movement and fewer employment opportunities caused by the pandemic. Young women and girls are also at high risk of many forms of domestic and gender-based violence during the pandemic.

1.6.1

Impact of Covid-19 on Wote

Engagement with local stakeholders helped to provide a greater understanding of the extent to which the pandemic impacted the businesses and communities in Wote Municipality. The majority of businesses interviewed stated that there had been a negative effect on business. During the worst months, from March to August 2020, there was a significant drop in sales, resulting in the closure of several businesses. Costs increased dramatically, due to issues with global supply-chains, and increases in the price of fuel.

Requirements for government health guidelines, such as sanitation and social distancing measures, also forced costs to rise sharply; one business reported their costs had increased by 500%. Local curfews limited opening hours during the workday, reducing sales and business yet further.

There were a few positive reports of increased sales.

Due to restrictions on movement nationally, some local traders felt that competition from outside the County was reduced, resulting in higher sales. This was only a small percentage; however, most businesses were extremely frustrated with the extent to which the pandemic had negatively impacted their livelihoods.

Most businesses felt more confident about the future.

The vaccination programme is underway in Kenya and international trade is no longer reduced, so there is hope for a return to a more normal business landscape.

1.6.2

Lessons from COVID-19

It will be important to draw lessons from the current crisis to inform long-term planning and ensure resilience is embedded in planning in the future. It is not unlikely that a similar disaster can reoccur, and the pandemic has offered an opportunity to get insights into a future fully-fledged climate change crisis. Municipalities have a critical role to play in addressing these challenges. What can we learn from this crisis that can change the way societies operate? What are the changes needed to support development of healthier, more resilient communities and behavioural change?

The following lessons align with the SUED principles and have informed the development of the Urban Economic Plan: Urban planning: There is a need for adaptive, urban integrated plans to ensure sustainable urban development and infrastructure provision including appropriate housing is planned in a way that can help minimise impact from future risks. Understanding dependencies and synergies across urban sectors, whether they are related to economy or infrastructure, can support better planning for the future, maximising benefits for the community.

Capacity-building: Strengthening preparedness and emergency response capacity is critical. This means better preparedness in terms of financing, service delivery and business continuity including budgeting for future crises, emergency operations centres, capacity building, drills, and human resources redeployment plans. Ensuring city officials are empowered with the knowledge to plan effectively and proactively will mean they will be better able to respond to crises. It will also be important to make sure that communication to the community is clear and public awareness campaigns are consistently available to all and in a format and language understandable to all.

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Green cities: Improving the environmental performance of cities through low-carbon and environmentally sensitive actions not only mitigates against climate change risks but has clear health benefits for society. Redefining green spaces and the way city centres are designed for business as well as traffic management has been a critical short-term response to the current pandemic, proving a valuable long-term planning target.

Social inclusion: It has been clear that those who were most severely affected by the pandemic have been vulnerable groups and people already at risk and living in poverty.

Understanding who these vulnerable groups are, and prioritising policies to confront spatial, social, and economic exclusion, will both help to support overall growth and ensure safeguards are in place in the face of another shock.

Targeting women and girls in all efforts remains a key aspect. It will be vital to intentionally apply gender lenses to the design of social assistance programmes and economic stimulus programmes to achieve greater opportunities, social protection, and meaningful impact.

Economic growth and recovery: Careful consideration and analysis of key sectors’ supply chains and their critical links such as for agriculture and manufacturing, as well as trade support development planning, can also protect livelihoods from external shocks. The pandemic has been a clear indication of the need to focus on local inputs to ensure food security and at the same time safeguard export-oriented products to maintain revenue generation.

There is also a need to understand the importance of the informal sector as a contributor to the economy and its vulnerability in terms of a lack of financial security particularly in economic downturns. Improving market access and introducing marketing efficiency through adoption of innovative processes that connect buyers and sellers could support access to finance when needed. This may include the adoption of technology to promote marketing and information sharing, and formalising product delivery services that can support the continuation of activities, but it can also work as collateral for financial support.

Smart tools: Adoption of smart technology improves provision and efficiencies. At its basic form leveraging information technology (IT) systems can support information-sharing and communication and has been critical to this pandemic from M-Pesa payments to virtual meetings and maintaining market access. Increased use can help better match the community’s demand for services such as the required transport demand with excess supply in real time and provide travel pattern visibility, helping passenger and logistics operations become nimbler considering a quickly evolving context.

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1.7

Structure of this Report

Following this introduction, the report is structured as follows: > Section 2: provides a summary of key findings from the Diagnostics Report which forms the basis for the development of the UEP. This includes sumaries of the demographic and economic profiles and the infrastructure and environmental assessments. The section details the key challenges and drivers for growth, identifying Wote Municipality’s key sectors. > Section 3: introduces the Wote Municipality development concept, supported by the economic vision developed by the local stakeholders. > Section 4: outlines the Urban Economic Development Plan in detail. For each of the economic sectors, soft initiatives and climate resilient infrastructure projects are identified, supported by the shortlisted VC and anchor projects.

Cross-sectoral infrastructure projects are analysed to ensure linkages between each of the key sectors. > Section 5: presents a range of implementation considerations and schedules to support the next stages of the SUED Programme.

The report is supported by a series of appendices, in which:

Appendix A – Wote Municipality Diagnostic Report The purpose of the report is to assess the current position of the economy and state of infrastructure, alongside the regional, national and international context, before the consideration of emerging economic growth opportunities and infrastructure needs.

Appendix B – Technical Briefing Paper This captures the process followed from identification to assessment of growth opportunities for Wote Municipality and provides recommendations on those with the greatest potential to maximise benefits and be developed further.

The contents of this report formed the backbone of the UEP.

Appendix C – Wote Municipality Social Inclusion Study This study was a key part of the diagnostic process and engaged with special interest groups through interviews and focus group discussions. The study identified the groups that are excluded in socio-economic activities in Wote Municipality and explored how and why they are excluded.

The Study made a series of recommendations for the SUED programme to ensure inclusion and to address the multiple barriers that these groups face.

Appendix D – Climate Vulnerability Assessment Has been undertaken to outline the climate vulnerability context for the selected infrastructure projects to be developed in Wote Municipality. The Climate Vulnerability Assessment will complement associated pre-feasibility and feasibility studies.

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2. Wote Urban Diagnostics Before any proposed interventions are developed it is important to understand the local development context and potential opportunities and barriers to growth. The Municipality’s assessment has been undertaken in the UEP diagnostic process, as presented in Appendix A. The diagnostics phase was a critical process to establish a foundation for identifying solutions that can deliver economic, social and environmental benefits.

This section provides a summary of the diagnostic report’s assessment of: > Wote Municipality planning and regional context, its socio-economic profile, with urban and economic conditions and trends; > The state of existing infrastructure; and > Environmental and climate risks.

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2.1

Study Area

Figure 2-1 – Location of Wote Municipality

Makueni County is situated in South-eastern Kenya.

The County lies south of the equator, west of Kenya’s Indian Ocean Coastline, north of Mt Kilimanjaro and along the Eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley. The County forms part of the South-eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB) which includes the Counties of Makueni, Machakos and Kitui. Makueni County has six sub-counties, which are further divided into 30 electoral wards. Makueni sub-County has the highest number of wards with nine, followed by Mbooni with six, Kaiti, Kibwezi and Kibwezi West with four and Kilome with three.

The County is anchored on the Trans-African railroad corridor consisting of the A109 / A8 highway and railway that connects Central Africa and Nairobi to the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa. The corridor, which runs mostly along the southwestern boundary of the County, see Figure 2 2.

Makueni County is also connected to Tanzania through the Emali-Loitokitok Road (C102). The County is bordered by Machakos to the North, Kitui to the East, Taita Taveta to the South and Kajiado to the West.

The focus of this UEP is Wote Municipality, which comprises of Wote Township and the other market centres of Mukuyuni, Kilala, Nziu and Kalamba in the west and Kwa Kathoka, Kathonzweni and Mbuve in the east, see Figure 2 2. The Municipality covers an area of around 1,082 km2 and is situated in the northwest of Makueni County, making up around 13.47% of the County’s land mass. The Municipality sits within three sub-Counties, Makueni, Mbooni and Kaiti. The Municipality lies within seven wards: Wote/Nziu, Muvau/Kikumini, Ukia, Kathonzweni, Nzaui/Kilili/Kalamba, Mavindini and Kako/Waia.

Source: Atkins analysis W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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Figure 2-2 – Makueni County settlement patterns and road connectivity

Source: Atkins analysis 30

2.2 Planning Context The planning context provides the foundation of the development of the UEP. The most relevant non-statutory urban development and planning strategies for Wote Municipality are listed below: Kenya Vision 2030 is the long-term development blueprint for the country and the most ambitious national strategy launched in 2008. It was approved in 2016 by Cabinet Sub-Committee and presented in Parliament in 2017.

The aim is to create a globally competitive and prosperous country with a high quality of life by 2030 and to transform Kenya into a newly-industrialising, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens in a clean and secure environment.

The vision has been implemented through five-year medium-term plans, the current one is the Third Medium Term Plan 2018-2022 (MTP III) which has been integrated with The Big Four Agenda that has been under implementation from 2018 to 2022. The upgrade of MTP III focuses on 1) industrialisation, manufacturing and agri-processing, 2) affordable housing, 3) food and nutrition security, and 4) universal healthcare, the so-called “Big Four” initiatives to support higher economic growth and job creation across the country. The MTP III is also supporting the continuous and progressive implementation of the devolution programme.

The National Spatial Plan (NSP) is a key enabler of Vision 2030 and the MTP III, it has been prepared to provide further policy direction guiding long-term development, sector plans, the CIDP and overall spatial development of the country.

The NSP established that the 47 headquarters, including Wote, are administrative and commercial centres of each county and are expected to see increased investment in real estate, education and commerce as well as to attract people to migrate for seeking employment and other opportunities.

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The National Urban Development Policy (NUDP) is guided by clauses 176 and 184 of the Kenya Constitution that provides for regulation and governance of urban areas and cities. The NUDP seeks to create a framework for sustainable urban development in the country. It focuses on addressing critical thematic areas such as: urban economy, urban finance; urban governance and management; national and county urban planning; land, environment and climate change; social infrastructure and services; physical infrastructure and services; urban housing; urban safety and disaster risk management; and inclusion of marginalised and vulnerable groups.

The Makueni County Spatial Plan 2019 – 2029 (CSP) (2019) is the long-term land use and spatial planning framework that highlights the existing strengths and deficits in the existing spatial structure and proposes a strategy of interventions which integrate various components into a wholesome and overarching framework to achieve long-term sustainable development across the County.

Six county spatial development framework strategies are proposed, these are: i) Environment and natural resources management, ii) Agricultural development, iii) Economic development, iv) Settlement development, v) Transportation development, and vi) Infrastructure and services development.

The Makueni County Vision 2025 (2016) provides the platform for wealth creation and socio-economic transformation in Makueni County by the year 2025. It is anchored on the Kenya Vision 2030, Africa Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The vision addresses socio-economic development challenges that have faced the County since its independence, the result of which has been a high level of poverty and inequality. The Vision 2025 is based on eight key founding principles and focuses around three pillars that identify flagship projects and programmes for implementation by 2025. The pillars are: i) economic, ii) social amenities and services, and iii) political and governance.

At the local level there are two main plans for Wote Municipality: The Draft Wote Municipality Integrated Development Plan 2021-2025 (IDeP) (2021) and the Draft Wote Municipality Spatial Plan 2021-2030 (MSP) (2021)1. The draft IDeP aims to provide an overall integrated framework and co-ordinated programming of projects and budgets across all spheres within the Municipality.

The County Integrated Development Plan 2018-2022 (CIDP) (2018) is grounded upon the Vision 2030, the MTP III, the NSP and international targets such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The CIDP is one of the most important documents at County level, which aims to guide the County to reach a sustainable path of economic growth and enhance the welfare of its citizens over the five-year period. The strategic goals of the CIDP are to: i) increase agricultural productivity, value-addition and commercialisation, ii) increase availability and access to water, iii) enhance quality healthcare for all, iv) youth, women and PWD economic empowerment, v) secure land tenure and urbanisation.

The Draft MSP is a framework aimed at guiding the general trends and direction of development in the Municipality.

The plan provides a spatial structure that defines how spaces within the Municipality are intended to be utilised to ensure optimum use of land and resources.

1 The IDeP and MSP were in draft form when writing this report.

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Figure 2-3 – Planning Context

Source: Atkins analysis

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2.3 State of Wote 2.3.1

Regional Context

Makueni County is a small county in terms of land area, with a total surface area of approximately 8,034 km2. The CIDP (2018) estimated the County’s population to be around 1,002,979 in 2018 with an annual growth rate of 1.3%.

The demographic is split between 51% women and 49% men.

Agriculture is the predominant economic activity in the county.

Around 63% of the land in the county is considered arable, however, only around 6% is used for crops. Despite the small utilisation of land for farming across the County, agriculture accounts for 47% of the total GCP. Livestock rearing, fishing and bee-keeping are also common economic agricultural activities which occur across the County.

The landscape can be split into four distinct zones based on their altitudes and characteristics. This unique landscape profile also configures the County’s drainage pattern in specific ways and has led to the formation of a dense permanent and seasonal river network. The County lies within the arid and semi-arid zone. The southern low-lying grasslands receive little rainfall whereas the higher northern parts of the County receive large amounts. Despite this, and being home to a dense river network, the County is water scarce and suffers from water insecurity, especially during dry seasons.

Urban development in Makueni County is attributed to its natural features and the main transport links. Over time, settlements have sprung up along its main transport arteries. The challenging natural topography of the upland and midland areas of the County have resulted in multiple market centres. In the rural areas, more dispersed settlements are commonplace, which is especially the case in the eastern lowlands where the characteristic low terrain presents limited physical barriers to settlements.

These largely follow feeder roads, however, often dwellings and structures are embedded within lots and may not be directly aligned with roads.

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This poses challenges when implementing linear and reticulated infrastructure services such as electrical cables or water supply.

Two planned projects nearby are expected to be transformative to the Makueni County economy and service provision. The Konza Technology City will be located 60km south of Nairobi, bordering Makueni County. The County is hoping to capitalise on the spill-over effect of the ICT expertise to translate into economic growth opportunities mobilised via ICT capacity development initiatives and automation of County service delivery.

The Thwake Dam Project is another flagship project in the area. Once completed, the dam will offer residents of the Municipality a fresh water supply, as well as enhancing opportunities for local agriculture and the burgeoning agri-processing industry via improved irrigation sources.

The dam will also generate hydroelectricity and will include a water treatment plant, which will help to alleviate water shortages and assist the establishment of better provision of electricity and sewage infrastructure in the Municipality.

2.3.2 Municipal Context The topography of Wote Municipality is in keeping with the County as a whole: largely rural in character, and mostly used for agricultural activities, the backbone of the local economy.

Both linear and nuclear urban development can be identified within the Municipality. Nuclear patterns can be found in the urban centre and linear settlements have formed along the roads into the main urban centre, Wote Town. Significant urban settlements such as Wote Town, Kathonzweni, and Kalamba, have high population densities and high levels of rural-urban migration as those living in rural areas move towards the urban areas for better employment and education opportunities. This has presented issues for the local Municipality governing bodies, as the demand for residing in urban areas has outstripped the provision of local critical infrastructure provision.

While there is increasing movement of people from rural-urban areas, agriculture remains the mainstay of land-use in the Municipality, making up 83.93% of total land. The remainder of land for recreational and public use is therefore insignificant in comparison. Overall, there is an inadequate provision of public land in the Municipality, mostly due to encroachment on public land and uncontrolled urban developments. Due to historically weak enforcement of planning guidelines, urban sprawl is increasingly becoming problematic for the Municipality.

There is an overwhelming lack of critical infrastructure and services in the Municipality. A lack of adequate water supply and sewage infrastructure continues to be problematic for residents and businesses, as well as causing contamination of groundwater. Furthermore, unsatisfactory transportation provision hampers productivity and inadequate solid waste management pollutes the environment. The roads connecting the built-up areas are mostly made from bitumen and earth, presenting issues for efficient connections and transportation across the Municipality, especially during heavy rains when the roads can become flooded and damaged. The completion of the Thwake Dam is likely to alleviate infrastructure gaps in the water, sanitation and energy spheres.

Wote Town, the largest urban area in the Municipality acts as the administrative capital of the County, since gaining Municipality status in 2018. There are a number of healthcare and educational facilities in the town, offering training and employment opportunities, including a Level 5 Referral Hospital. It is also home to a burgeoning financial hub, with a number of banks and insurance companies. Despite these tertiary industries, the Town is heavily reliant on the agricultural industry based in the surrounding hinterland as the mainstay of its economy, with a thriving market for trading produce at the centre of the Town.

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2.3.3 Socio-Economic and Demographic Profile Figure 2-4 – Wote Municipality’s Social and Demographic Profile

Population

987,653

Population Growth

Education

1.14 million

6%

inhabitants are projected to be living in Makueni County by 2030 if current growth rates continue. 186,900 of these inhabitants will live in Wote Municipality.

of Makueni County had no level of education in 2019, compared with 9% in Kenya overall. 23% of both males and females have been educated to a secondary school level.

inhabitants in MC in 2019.

164,116 inhabitants in WM in 2019.

Source: Atkins analysis

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Poverty

Health Facilities

Makueni County had an absolute poverty index rate of 34.8% in 2018, compared with 36.1% nationally.

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Public health facilities in Wote Municipality - a County Referral Hospital, 5 health centres and 18 dispensaries.

Demographic Profile

Social Inclusion

The population of Makueni County is 987,653, which is relatively small when compared with the other SEKEB counties. By comparison, the population of Machakos and Kitui counties were 1,421,932 and 1,136,187 respectively. Wote is the capital of Makueni County, with the Municipal population estimated to be 164,116 in 2020, based on 2019 Census projections. Makueni County has an urban population of around 11.8%, as significant levels of rural-urban migration have elevated this percentage, especially in the urban centres of Mtito Andei, Wote and Kibwezi.

The social pillar of the Makueni County Vision 2025 is to have “a just, all-inclusive and cohesive society enjoying equitable social development in a clean and secure environment” with a particular focus on generating employment opportunities for youth, women and PWDs. The Makueni County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2018-2022 is aimed at the County’s socio-economic development through, among its strategies, increasing agricultural productivity and enhancing industrialisation.

The population density of the County is 82 inhabitants per km2, making it the 29th densest County out of the 47 overall in Kenya. The annual population growth rate of Makueni County is estimated to be 1.3%, including an urbanisation rate of 2%, which means urban populations within the County are growing faster than the population as a whole. If this growth rate continues it is projected that by 2030 the population of the County will reach 1,139,452 inhabitants. However, it is important to note that these projections rely on observed growth rates, but do not take account of other factors likely to impact growth – including fertility rates, land availability, infrastructure and job opportunities.

What’s more, these projected growth figures do not account for the likely implications the Konza Technopolis will have on migration into Makueni County, attracted by the employment opportunities and facilities it is expected to deliver. This will require a detailed approach to planning and social development in order to mitigate against potential threats to the County.

Figure 2-5 – The three dimensions of inclusion

The plan recognises that this should be done while ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and an inclusive participation of all in economic activities.

The strategies aimed at succeeding in the latter are, for example, focused on strengthening financial inclusion and cooperatives’ work. The CIDP also mentions its aim of “enhancing a cohesive society through sports, culture and provision of quality education and training”.

Despite the County’s plans and successful implementation of social inclusion initiatives and programmes, KIIs and FGDs conducted at the Municipality level established that PWD, women, elderly people, and youth still feel excluded.

The approach to the social inclusion study was guided by the World Bank’s multi-dimensional approach to inclusion that considers social, economic, and spatial dimensions as illustrated in Figure 2-5.

Source: Atkins analysis

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Special Interest Groups (SIG) have indicated that social exclusion in Makueni County manifests in the following forms: Table 2-1 – SIGs and exclusion manifestation table SIG

Key findings from the Wote Municipality Diagnostic Report

Women

› Lack of access to information and no participation in decision-making processes: In FGDs, women indicated that they do not feel represented in the design of programmes targeted at them. They have also stated that they cannot easily access market and agricultural information. › Limited access to assets and finance: Women do not own land, and access to it is through their spouse or parents; this makes access to funds that require collateral (e.g. Tetheka Fund) difficult. Due to cultural norms, women often have limited control over economic resources. › High levels of gender-based violence (GBV): Makueni is one of the counties with the highest prevalence of GBV in Kenya. According to the County’s Department of Gender and Social Services2, at least five GBV cases are reported every day. The Makueni County Sexual and Gender Based Violence Policy (2020) recognises that women and girls are disproportionately affected by this type of violence.

Youth

› Lack of involvement in decision-making processes: In FGDs, young people indicated that they do not feel represented in the design of programmes targeted at them. They also feel that they are not represented in leadership positions. FGD participants have also said that there is usually no monitoring process on how government funds are allocated to the youth. › High unemployment levels: FDGs stated that the youth do not often have access to employment opportunities since qualification levels or requirements in terms of years of experience are disproportionately high. Moreover, employers require certificates of good conduct, which are costly to obtain. While there are some employment opportunities such as government mentorship programmes, they are short (two to three months long), and not everyone can access information about these opportunities. FGDs also stated that since the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has been operating, employment opportunities (i.e. hospitality and transportation services) have been further reduced. The lack of opportunities results in the economic migration of youths to other towns. › Lack of access to land and capital: Young people feel that despite their skills, talent, and eagerness to work, they do not often have access to finance or capital to engage in businesses. In the Kamba culture, men find pride in owning land (where they usually have fruit trees), and young people do not usually have access to land. This also makes access to finance or funds that require collateral (such as the Tetheka Fund) difficult.

2 Makueni County Sexual and Gender Based Violence Policy (2020)

Source: Atkins analysis

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SIG

Key findings from the Wote Municipality Diagnostic Report

Elderly People

› Lack of involvement in decision-making and lack of access to information: FGDs stated that both the County and national governments do not involve elderly people in decision-making process on issues regarding them.

In terms of access to information, many people were left out of the Inua Jamii Fund (Social Protection Cash Programme). FGD participants said that, since the process of registration was done during a political campaign, some elderly people thought it was done for political reasons and were left out. Moreover, the registration process is said to be unclear and lengthy. › Conflict over access to land: FGDs have indicated that elderly people often own land and hold on to it to benefit from what is cultivated there (often fruit trees). As stated before, in Kamba culture, owning land is a source of pride.

FGDs have revealed an increasing tendency for children to aggressively demand their share in land (inheritance of the ancestral land). Since elderly people usually refuse, their children start to neglect them. This leaves them in a particularly vulnerable position since they are not able to work the land by themselves. › Challenges accessing services and social infrastructure: There is no priority system for elderly people at healthcare facilities. Transportation services do not consider the needs of this group either. FGDs also stated that elderly people often lack information about medical insurance cover (National Health Insurance Fund, NHIF). › Challenges when engaging in economic activities: FGDs said that elderly people who own small-scale shops are often taken advantage of. FGD participants also indicated that, when they receive support from caregivers to sell their produce, they do not always declare the right amount of money earned. Elderly people engaging in agriculture face issues over land, high costs of inputs and technology, and severe weather events. › Lack of recreational spaces: FGDs have indicated that there are not enough recreational spaces that are accessible and safe for elderly people.

PWD

› Lack of PWD-friendly infrastructure: FGDs have indicated that most buildings, markets, and public spaces are not accessible to PWD, particularly for those using assistive devices. In markets, there is also the need to plan for accessible vending spaces. Moreover, transportation services do not usually take accessibility into account, and often charge PWD additional fees. › Low literacy levels: There are not many educational facilities equipped for PWD within Wote and the ones that exist are not affordable to many PWD, other PWD access learning institutions from other counties such as Kiambu which is not affordable to many PWD. For this reason, PWD cannot always gain access to education, and hence, often have lower literacy levels than their able-bodied counterparts. › Lack of access to capital: Due to discrimination, lower literacy levels, and lack of collateral, PWD do not often have access to seed capital to start economic activities or to expand their businesses. Funds such as Tetheka are only available for people who have collateral. › Lack of PWD involvement in decision-making processes: PWD feel they are not usually represented or consulted in the preparation and implementation of development projects. › Lack of access to information and communication barriers: Due to discrimination, PWD do not often have access to agricultural and market information and opportunities. Moreover, there are communication barriers that affect PWD access to social infrastructure. For example, there are no sign language interpreters at hospitals or health centres. › Partial or lack of implementation of disability laws and social protection measures: FGDs commented that there is no clear information about NCPWD special funds and grants. For employed PWD, the registration process to obtain tax exemptions is lengthy and often unclear. › Stigmatisation: PWD face high levels of discrimination, which often results in them being excluded from employment opportunities.

Opportunities for inclusion in the SUED programme include involvement of all in decision-making and in the development of safe, inclusive and climate-resilient infrastructure.

This will enable better access to capacity building initiatives, seed capital and employment opportunities – especially through participation in the VC projects.

There are interlinkages between climate change and poverty, as climate change will have an impact on income security and quality of life. It is important to understand where the burden of climate change impacts may fall and how societal groups can be included in proposed mitigation measures.

Social inclusion is cognisant of this relationship. The UEP adopts climate adaptation approaches, as well as inclusivity in all forms, to avoid exclusion of certain groups and to reduce inequality. Similarly, it seeks to address how infrastructure and VCs can be made more resilient to climate shocks, with the understanding that climate impacts hit vulnerable groups the hardest.

Source: Atkins analysis

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Figure 2-6 – Gross County Product per Capita, 2017 (in KES)

The SEKEB economic bloc demonstrates a relatively un-diverse economic output. Agriculture is the engine that drives the economies of SEKEB, accounting for 33% of the bloc’s GCP and it is the single largest employer across all the counties. Focusing on Makueni County’s internal economy, GCP analysis reveals some slight differences with the SEKEB average. Agriculture, forestry and fishing vastly dominates the economic output of Makueni County, accounting for 47% of County GCP. This is significantly higher than the SEKEB average (37%), but also higher than any other County in the region. However, as with the other SEKEB counties, Makueni’s agriculture sector remains uncompetitive compared with the rest of Kenya – accounting for just 1.7% of national GVA for the sector. This suggests that the agriculture sector is less productive here, as well as a relative lack of value addition, and therefore accounts for a smaller share of national GVA. Manufacturing, with a total output of KES 412 million in 2017, accounts for less than 1% of Makueni’s economy. In contrast, Machakos is the manufacturing hub of the region, accounting for 98% of the bloc’s output. However, both the Makueni County CIDP and CSP detail an aspiration to enhance the competitiveness and diversity of its manufacturing sector.

The education sector is also well represented in Makueni (9%), as with Kitui (11%). This is likely to be reflective of the two SEKU campuses situated in the County, as well as the University of Nairobi research centre at Kibwezi.

Source: Data from KNBS, Gross County Product Report (2019)

Economic Profile The SEKEB economic bloc contributed towards just 5.7% of national output in 2017, with a combined GCP of approximately KES 4.35 billion, despite representing 13% of Kenya’s total land area. Over half of SEKEB’s economic activity is driven by the County of Machakos, which represents the fifth largest economy in Kenya. This is largely due to Machakos’ close proximity to Nairobi, which creates spill over effects that contribute to driving the County’s economy.

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By contrast, Kitui and Makueni’s economies are both equally small contributors to the national economy, with each accounting for 1.4% of national GVA. Makueni County’s economy can still be considered small, even after factoring in the County’s size. Makueni’s GCP per capita was significantly lower than the national average in 2019, at KES 104,161, compared to KES 161,499 nationally.

Figure 2-7 – Makueni County GCP Breakdown, 2017

The state of business in Wote Municipality Seventy-four businesses, reflecting Wote’s main sectoral activities, were consulted through in-depth interviews.

Many of these were small businesses or independent workers but large employers were also consulted, including financial institutions, hotels and healthcare facilities. The analysis below has been utilised to inform the understanding of the business environment, socio-economic inclusion, and key challenges and enablers.

Businesses in Wote include a variety of different sizes, however the production chain is limited, with little interaction between businesses upstream and downstream. Most businesses operate locally, especially in the retail, trade, agriculture and livestock sectors, selling their produce either within Wote Town or the surrounding Municipality. Some businesses, particularly in the services sector, operate outside the Municipality in Makueni County. Similarly, the majority of businesses use local suppliers for goods to enable their business to operate effectively, with a small proportion sourcing from further afield in Nairobi and Machakos.

This was especially the case for the retail and trade sector, as well as agriculture and livestock businesses. A significant majority identified transport as a major cost, especially businesses in the retail and trade sector. Most businesses identified word of mouth as the main method of marketing, with retail and agriculture businesses typically relying on referrals and/or walk-ins rather than paying for marketing.

A significant proportion of businesses indicated that they expect to expand and have a positive outlook for the future.

However, several of the consultees who suggested that they intend to expand their business were reliant on interventions to address their main constraints to growth (see Table 2 2). There were occasional cases of self-employed workers expecting their business to decline or even close, citing the increasingly high cost of living and the personal financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue has been exacerbated by the inability of small business owners to attain financial assistance, predominantly due to their lack of collateral.

This challenge, as well as other identified constraints to growth, are explored further in Table 2 2.

Wote’s businesses primarily sell locally within the Town or Municipality. There are some businesses which sell nationally, although only a handful of agricultural businesses stated that they sell internationally. The majority of the businesses said that they tend to not deliver their goods, with customers instead expected to come to them if they wish to buy goods or use their service.

Source: Data from KNBS, Gross County Product Report (2019)

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Table 2-2 – Businesses Identified Challenges to Growth Key Challenges

Detail

Lack of access to finance

Small business owners reported difficulties in obtaining loans or grants, in particular when they have little to no collateral – such as capital or property deeds. In addition, individuals eligible for a loan often do not take them, due to concerns around high interest rates. This has been exacerbated by financial implications imposed by COVID-19.

The majority of traders interviewed were members of SACCOs or smaller table banking groups, however, it was conveyed that the funds available are not sufficient and do not provide a reliable finance source. As such, there was an identified need for a sustained method of finance, for instance low interest loans with extended repayment plans.

Transport infrastructure

The poor road network was mentioned regularly in consultations. Several key roads are not paved, including on market access routes, resulting in muddy soils when it rains and frequently impassable sections. For agriculture and retail, this leads to problems in sourcing and distributing goods, limiting the businesses’ capability to trade and operate. Interviewees from the transport sector also identified the inadequate road network as a major constraint, due to damage caused to vehicles by the unpaved routes.

Access to utilities

Numerous businesses highlighted a lack of access to fundamental utilities. This included a lack of reliable water sources, with businesses often having to purchase water from commercial vendors or dig their own boreholes. Another major cost item identified frequently was electricity and power, with several reporting power cuts due to the absence of a reliable power source.

Lack of capacity and skills

Several businesses, particularly from the agriculture sector, referred to a lack of training and knowledge as a constraint.

There is low literacy on modern farming systems and techniques in Wote, including declining extension services in recent years, while the costs of inputs and productive resources are high. This has resulted in a lack of value chain approach to the agriculture sector. Low adoption of appropriate technologies such as high-yielding crop varieties and modern machinery also means farmers are unable to operate at maximum potential productivity.

Environmental factors and climate change

Issues of both drought and increasingly heavy rainy seasons were identified as impacting the cultivation, storage and sale of agriculture and livestock produce. Several farmers expressed a desire to diversify their produce but lacked the necessary finances and/or training to do so. In addition, multiple farmers alluded to the challenges presented by livestock and crop diseases, which are expected to be exacerbated by climate change.

Inadequate market infrastructure

Most local markets lack the basic support infrastructure necessary to operate – such as power connectivity, paved paths, drainage systems, solid waste collection facilities and adequate water supply. This includes issues with muddy paths limiting access when it rains. Respondents also highlighted issues of security at the markets, including theft of goods and unlicensed traders operating outside the market – thus stealing customers.

Inadequacy in storage and processing facilities within continues to constrain the marketability of particularly perishable goods, such as fruits/vegetables, which are also damaged in transit due to poor road conditions.

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2.4 Infrastructure Overview Makueni County’s infrastructure has been assessed and evaluated in its current provision and state to identify strengths and critical gaps. The assessments also reviewed proposed or planned projects, and how they respond to the County and Wote Municipality’s infrastructure challenges. Overall, to address the existing infrastructure challenges and barriers to growth, the Municipality will need to upgrade existing infrastructure and commit to new projects to support economic growth and development.

Key infrastructure gaps identified include:

Figure 2-8 – Wote’s infrastructure overview

Water

Drainage

Transport

15-24%

20%

98%

of population have access to water supply which varies from 800 m3 per day in the dry season to 1,800 m3/day in the wet season - not adequate to meet the current household demand of 3,000 m3 per day within the Municipality

of drainage coverage across the County’s urban centres is comprised of closed drains

Solid Waste Management

Only 3.7%

of the County’s solid waste is collected, which is burned, buried or dumped.

Waste collection is not segregated, hampering opportunities for reuse/recycling

of total travel in Makueni County is road transport.

Only 2% (83km) of the Municipality’s road network is paved, the remainder are earth roads. Walking accounts for 60% of all commutes; bicycles, and motorcycles account for 29%; public transport 8%; while driving accounts for 1.2% of all commutes.

Energy

Wastewater & Sanitation

Electrification rates are reported to be as low as 35% in urban areas and 12% in rural areas. Most people continue to use firewood and charcoal for cooking as LPG and paraffin are too expensive.

Wote Municipality lacks a conventional sewer system, instead relying heavily on pit latrines. There is evidence of poorly constructed septic tanks and pit latrines, often resulting in contaminated groundwater.

The absence of a conventional sewer system is discouraging inward investment into Wote Town.

Source: Analysis

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Water Supply, Wastewater and Drainage

Solid Waste Management

> Water resources and water, wastewater and drainage infrastructure are inadequate and are increasingly challenged by climate change, increased urban population and a lack of enforcement and control due to limited resources. Drought is a major issue and interruptions to public water supply have resulted in inflated prices among private water vendors, which negatively impacts poor communities. Furthermore, these challenges mean that the average distance to travel for water within the County is 5 km.

> Collection and transportation of solid waste in Makueni County is undertaken by the County government, however the majority is burned, buried or dumped (including in storm drains, leading to flooding in wet seasons). The Municipality Solid Waste Management Policy highlights that most urban centres lack solid waste collection facilities and appropriate disposal sites. Wote Municipality experiences general poor waste management and inadequate infrastructure.

Waste management remains one of the Municipality’s most imminent environmental challenges and poor waste management is leading to surface and groundwater and air pollution, as well as generating odour and attracting vermin.

Burning waste releases particulates into the air and burying waste can lead to polluted groundwater.

> At present, three main water supply companies are mandated to supply water across Makueni County, though they only serve between 15% and 24% of the population. Current water supply varies from 800 m3 per day in the dry season to 1,800 m3/day in the wet season, which is not adequate to meet the current Municipality household demand of 3,000 m3 per day. Similarly, a lack of water for irrigation has been identified as a significant constraint for the agricultural sector. > Wote Municipality lacks a conventional sewer system, instead relying heavily on pit latrines. Low-income areas typically rely on public ablution blocks, while higher income residents utilise septic tanks. There is evidence of poorly constructed septic tanks and pit latrines, often resulting in contaminated groundwater. The absence of a conventional sewer system is widely cited as a constraint to growth – especially by the workforce who live in Machakos and commute to Wote – discouraging inward investment into Wote Town. > Storm water drains are positioned along the main bitumen roads across the County, which can become congested with solid waste, often resulting in localised flooding during heavy rains. Along the murram and earth roads, a complete absence of drainage has led to road degradation and erosion. Closed drains comprise approximately 20% of drainage coverage across the County’s urban centres, however these often become blocked with solid waste.

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> Only 3.7% of the County’s solid waste is collected, which is transported to an undesignated, unfenced dumpsite in the outskirts of Wote Township, where it is reportedly managed through burning. The dumpsite is not licensed by NEMA and due to its location near the River Kaiti, poses a threat to people using water downstream of the dumpsite.

The challenge of solid waste management is increasing due to the changing composition, which now includes oils, greases, e-waste and plastic. > There is limited investment in recycling or recovery. Waste collection is not segregated, hampering opportunities for reuse/recycling. Waste pickers recover small amounts of reusable or recyclable waste, which is passed onto middlemen who trade the waste to buyers in Nairobi, Mombasa, Ruiru and Thika. There are no recycling businesses in Makueni County. > Makueni Referral Hospital is a significant source of biomedical waste. Infectious waste is incinerated on site, while highly infectious waste and sharps are transferred to Makindu or Machakos, where they are also incinerated.

Other waste is taken to the Municipal dumpsites and undesignated management sites, as well as rudimentary facilities such as kilns for management or disposal.

Energy

Transport

> Significant challenges currently prevent both Makueni County and Wote Municipality from achieving their own energy targets and aligning with Kenya’s country-wide targets and visions. Electrification rates across the County in 2021 were reported to be as low as 35% in urban areas and 12% in rural areas. With limited or no access to electricity, residents’ quality of life remains poor, and they lack opportunities to productively use electricity to generate income.

> Road transport is the main mode of transport in Makueni County, accounting for 98% of total travel, as well as Wote Municipality. Goods and passenger transport is predominantly moved by road and the road network plays a fundamental role in facilitating Wote’s development and economic growth. Despite this, only 2% (83km) of the Municipality’s road network is paved, while the rest are earth roads. The earth roads across the County and Municipality are in poor condition, lack storm drains and are difficult to navigate during the rainy seasons. Most of the road links from Makueni’s farms to markets are earth roads in poor conditions, inhibiting ease of access to farms and markets for agricultural produce and farm inputs.

> Affordability is a key challenge in Wote Municipality.

Almost all business survey respondents mentioned that the cost of electricity was too high, while affordability is not just restricted to power. Most people continue to use firewood and charcoal for cooking as LPG and paraffin are too expensive, however the cost of wood is not uniform and depends on demand and availability.

Issues of de-vegetation have been largely attributed to demand for firewood and charcoal. > Wote’s expanding economy requires a constant, reliable, and affordable power supply in order to remain productive and successful. However, the power supply to Wote Town is deemed to be unreliable, including both regulated and unregulated outages. Regulated interruptions occur when KPLC carries out maintenance, upgrades or connects new customers, and normally last only for the peak hours on one day, but still represent an inconvenience for businesses. Unregulated power blackouts in Wote meanwhile – caused by events such as trees collapsing onto power lines, cars striking pylons and other faults such as overloads – typically result in more disruption as users are unprepared and they can last for multiple days.

> Within Wote Township, walking accounts for 60% of all commutes; bicycles, and motorcycles account for 29%; public transport 8%; while driving accounts for 1.2% of all commutes. The Town has about 7km of walkways, located along the B60 roads, which double as cycle lanes. Outside of these, all the urban streets and connecting streets lack pedestrian provision, posing safety concerns for pedestrians and other NMT users. Pedestrians, cyclists and cart pushers are forced to share road space with fast-motorised vehicles, with a lack of safe crossings, exposing them to the risk of accident and injury. Elderly people, women, children and PWDs are most particularly vulnerable to safety concerns in the town.

> Matatus only operate along paved roads and due to low trip rates within the town, services only serve intercounty routes. Services are often unreliable, unsafe and of poor quality, as there are no regulations relating to service quality, routes or fares. Lack of effective enforcement also contributes to instances of operators using old, polluting and unsafe vehicles which are unregistered. Likewise, boda bodas suffer from many challenges, including poor road safety and bad driving etiquette. > Makueni County has one underutilised public airstrip, located in Makindu town off the northern corridor (A8).

Over the years, the airstrip has been non-functional, with no scheduled airline services, so all air passengers must fly through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport in Nairobi, situated 126 km from Wote Township.

Similarly, the use of rail transport within the County is at 1% and connectivity between the new SGR stations and surrounding road network is reported as being poor.

> A future challenge for Wote Municipality is ensuring that the increasing demand for power does not outstrip available supply. Currently Wote’s power infrastructure has poor resilience and is under capacity, so may not support the Municipality’s proposed expansion of business activities, depending on their timing and location.

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2.5 Environment and Climate The County is characterised by diverse topographic features such as plains, valleys and hills. Outside the urban areas exists a considerable agricultural hinterland, spanning across three agro-ecological zones. Although around 60 % of the land is arable, soil degradation is widespread, with 50% of all soils thought to have low fertility levels. Part of the County is covered in forests and woodland, where a number of economically significant trees grow. The percentage of forest and woodlands cover has, however, declined from 20.3% in 2009, to 18.3% in 2014.

Given that Makueni County falls within the arid and semi-arid (ASAL) region of Kenya, the area is prone to frequent droughts. Water scarcity presents a critical threat to local water-dependant industries, and households and other businesses suffer from an inadequate supply of fresh water.

The increasingly variable climate of worsening droughts and more varied, unreliable rainy seasons cause undue damage of lives and livelihoods.

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The Kenyan Meteorological Department reports that the frequency of drought events is set to rise in the area due to climate change. Indeed, farmers are increasingly reporting worsening drought conditions and extreme heat across the County. In 2015, a major drought resulted in 60% loss of productivity in agriculture and left 60,000 people in need of food aid.

There are two annual rainy seasons. Due to increasingly variable rainfall during the rainy seasons, and as a consequence of deforestation and population growth, there have been a growing number of flash floods and landslides in the area. During heavy rainfall in 2015, flooding destroyed homes and businesses. Viable sources of fresh water must be central to any of Makueni County’s future development plans.

A proportion of the County is dedicated to three National Parks, areas designated to protect the local wildlife. These parks are world-renowned and Tsavo West National Park is considered one of the world’s biodiversity strongholds. The parks are home to some of Kenya’s most endangered wildlife, reportedly 50 % of the wildlife found here faces extinction.

2.6 Diagnostics Conclusion To promote diverse economic development within an attractive investment and business environment, Wote Municipality will need to focus on its key economic sectors and the competitive advantages that can support climate-smart and inclusive growth within the Municipality, and throughout the County. The economic profile supported by business consultations includes the following: > Agriculture and livestock: the local population largely relies on this sector as the main economic subsistence activity, with farming households accounting for 79.1% of total households in Makueni County > Agri-processing and industry: to provide value addition to the agriculture sector by supporting provision of processing facilities to complement the existing Makueni Fruit Processing Plant at Kalamba. > Trade and services: reflecting the existing commercial activity occurring in Wote, both formal and informal, and the Municipality’s strategic location for the wider distribution of goods.

2.6.1

Barriers to Growth

The diagnostics analysis demonstrated that there are various common barriers to growth, which are shared by the identified key economic sectors in Wote, as presented below. These also reflect the strong influence of national and international trends on local economies within Kenya: > Low agricultural output and productivity – Makueni County’s agriculture sector remains uncompetitive compared with the rest of Kenya – accounting for just 1.7% of national GVA. This suggests the sector is less productive here, as well as a lack of value addition. Overcoming this barrier will be crucial in achieving the socio-economic development aspirations of the Municipality. Concerted effort on multiple fronts will be required to achieve this, including utilisation of appropriate technology and irrigation, improved transport and energy infrastructure, capacity building and investment in agri-processing facilities. > Uncontrolled urbanisation and inadequate land use systems – Within Wote town, encroachment was widely cited as a barrier to orderly growth and quality of life. In rural areas, inadequate land use policy, coupled with population growth, has also put pressure on land available for agriculture, leading to the subdivision of land into uneconomical sizes. Enhanced land use policies in rural areas, coupled with improved implementation and enforcement of existing policies in urban areas can limit these existing issues.

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> Climate change – Water scarcity and drought are existing barriers which are being exacerbated by climate change.

Due to its location in an ASAL region, Makueni is particularly vulnerable to drought, yet almost 80% of the population depend on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods, as smallholder farmers have limited resources to adapt.

Extreme temperatures are also increasingly reported, which severely affect agricultural yields. The expansion of irrigation, coupled with new/modified crop varieties, can help to address this barrier to growth. > Connectivity – Wote’s relative disconnection from the northern corridor, metre-gauge and standard gauge railway lines is a barrier to growth and comparative disadvantage relative to other urban centres such as Emali, Makindu, Kibwezi and Mtito Andei. Towns like Wote risk being left behind by the more ‘metropolitan’ Machakos and other towns along the northern corridor or with railway stations. Improvements to the road network between Wote and this major transport routes will be crucial in overcoming this challenge. > Inadequate infrastructure service provision – Makueni County and Wote Municipality suffer from inadequate infrastructure in multiple asset classes, including water, energy and solid waste, which individually and cumulatively act as a significant barrier to growth for residents and businesses. The Thwake Dam Project is a major opportunity to address several of these barriers, while ongoing improvements through the KUSP are also reducing barriers in urban infrastructure. However, significant investments in transport infrastructure, sewerage and waste management are also required.

2.6.2 Drivers for Growth In addition to the outlined barriers for growth, the SWOT analysis process undertaken for the Diagnostics Report highlighted a number of recurring opportunities for climate-resilient inclusive growth in Wote. These shared drivers for growth are summarised below: > Agricultural output/productivity: Makueni County is endowed with three broad agro-ecological zones, which support a broad range of agricultural production that could be a primary driver of climate-resilient inclusive growth. The potential for higher yields from existing crops, expansion into other crops and value addition represent an enormous opportunity to drive growth. > Opportunities for agri-processing: The opportunity for agri-processing is inherently linked to improved agricultural productivity. Value addition from raw crops to processed products will increase the direct economic output of Wote Municipality, but also offers the opportunity to engage a larger and broader workforce which can improve livelihoods and social inclusion. > Retail and trade markets: Wote is the anchor of a market network which spans the County and drives growth through trade. The Municipality itself boasts open-air markets, closed markets and livestock yards, which attract traders from as far as Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos. While the quality of existing market infrastructure is inadequate, improvements could enhance the attractiveness of these markets to drive trade and growth opportunities across the Municipality. > Thwake Dam Project: If completed as planned, this major project will be a significant driver of growth for Wote Municipality, Makueni County and surrounding areas.

The Makueni Vision 2025, CIDP and CSP highlight the dam as a key infrastructure project to drive growth in the County through the supply of fresh water and electricity to its citizens, as well as unlocking land for agriculture through increased levels of irrigation.

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3. Vision and Development Concept The UEP Development Concept is the broad framework that integrates climate resilient, sustainable and inclusive urban development, infrastructure proposals and Value Chain (VC) projects for Wote and thereby; structure, prioritise, and phase urban development coherently with respect to the three focus areas for development and investment.

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The Development Concept is guided by existing planning documents that inform planning strategies in Wote Municipality and the wider County:

Figure 3-1 – Overview of Wote’s Development Concept

Economic Sector Plans

(1) Agriculture and Livestock

(2) Agri-Processing and Manufacturing

(3) Trade and Services

Soft Initiatives

Supporting and developing the aggregation network; building upstream capacity of farmers and organising cooperatives; increased sector resilience to climate change

Enhanced value addition and commercialisation of agricultural and livestock produce; improved access to finance and focused technical support

Enhanced market infrastructure and public realm to support sector development; improved access to focused business support, with opportunities to benefit from key economic development projects

VCs / Anchor Projects

Anchor Project Aggregation Centre

VC1 - Juice Bottling / Canning

VC2 - Municipal Solid Waste

Urban Development Strategy and Focus Areas

Aggregation Centre

Agri-processing in Kalamba

Wote CBD

Aggregation Accessibility Network Model

Industrail Access Road Upgrade: Road Upgrade and Junction Improvements

Targeted Rural Access Interventions: River Kaiti Crossings

Solar Refrigeration Systems

> Makueni County Vision 2025 > County Spatial Plan (CSP) 2019-29 > County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2018-22 > County Urban Institutional Development Strategy (CUIDS) 2018 > Wote Physical and Land Use Development Plan 2021-30 > Municipal Spatial Plan (MSP) and the Municipal Integrated Development Plan (MIDP) 2021-25.

The proposed UEP model for development in Wote is founded on the UEP principles and has been developed in collaboration with Wote’s stakeholders. It aims to strengthen the Municipality’s economic position based on its competitive and comparative advantage whilst taking a citizen-centred approach to green growth and sustainable investment.

Figure 3-1 outlines the development concept that integrates Wote’s UEP Vision with the key economic sector plans (Section 4) which include the soft initiatives, the priority VCs and the supporting infrastructure development interventions.

This will enable climate resilient and socially inclusive economic growth across Wote Municipality.

Climate Resilient Infrastructure Proposals / Anchor Projects

Wote JuaKali Market Improvement

Kaiti River Park

Improved Water: Wastewater and Drainage for Agriprocessing at Kalamba

Bus Park Relocation

Urban Centre Transport Network Improvements & Management

Solar Power for Agriprocessing at Kalamba

Streetlighting

Accessible Public Toilet Blocks

Solar Irrigation Improved Linkage to Northern Corridor and Key Urban / Market Centres Cross Cutting Infrastructure

Decentralised Wastewater / Sludge Treatment Facility Water Supply for Low-income Households and Rural communities

Source: Atkins analysis W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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3.1

UEP Vision

A visioning exercise was undertaken at the Diagnostics and Technical Briefing Paper Workshop on 27th January 2022.

Stakeholders were asked to consider the key elements of their UEP vision. The stakeholders’ responses were collected following the workshop and analysed for common elements.

These included: > Environmentally friendly. > Sustainable, inclusive and prosperous. > Vibrant and dynamic. > Modern, attractive and clean. > Organised and orderly. > Industrialised, and an industrial hub. > Economic hub and centre of excellence. > Adequate infrastructure provision.

The proposed vision that best represents the stakeholder’s aspirations is stated here and adopted by the UEP:

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“A leader in climate resilient development, Wote Municipality will become an example for the SEKEB economy and leading agri producer in Kenya. It will be a centre of economic prosperity, inclusive growth, and sustainable development, providing a liveable place for all.”

3.2 Setting the Concept Makueni County is keen to promote polycentric growth across the key centres of the County (described in more detail in the Diagnostic Report in Appendix A), linking the multiple urban centres and maximising their local growth through specialisation and minimising competition for resources. In support of this polycentric development approach, the primary centres identified are Wote and Kalamba. The increasing prominence of the Northern Transport Corridor (A104) has impeded Wote’s competitiveness, as towns along the Northern Corridor gain competitive advantage in trade and services along the Nairobi/Mombasa economic corridor.

In light of Wote Town’s significant competition from Machakos, and the emerging towns along the Northern Corridor, it needs to develop a more focused, yet diversified economic base, that serves the surrounding agricultural hinterland by establishing it as the anchor node in the polycentric urban fabric of the County.

In parallel, and rather than compete with Emali, improved connectivity between Wote and Emali (B107/C99) will enhance the distribution of value-added goods and services to the Northern Corridor and beyond. Thus, access to the existing and future growth node and logistics hub in Emali, coupled with improved transport linkages between Wote and Emali (see proposed transport infrastructure projects) will support and enhance Wote as the anchor node for the County’s aggregation, value addition and distribution network.

W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

The development concept seeks to establish Wote Town as the shared service centre of the County agricultural network through the development of the proposed Aggregation Centre and improvements to the Jua-kali Market, aiming to bolster the local foundation of the service sector. The UEP development concept also focuses on supporting smaller scale local centres of agricultural production across the County to enable inclusive growth, linking these centres to Wote Town as the key central hub for aggregation and supporting agricultural services. The promotion and further strengthening and development of the agri-processing VC at Kalamba (the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant) will help to create a critical mass for value addition, which in conjunction with the Aggregation Centre will foster innovation, services provision and circular economy benefits.

To further strengthen Wote’s position, proposed improvements to the Town’s existing bus park will also enable the local business and trading community to take advantage of the connectivity to the wider county as well as the Northern Corridor, which will directly enhance economic opportunity and local amenity for Wote’s growing population.

Finally, the consolidation of, and proposed investments in the Makueni Fruit Processing plant in Kalamba reinforces the economic argument for, and takes advantage of, the improved transport connectivity between Wote, Emali and the Northern Economic Corridor.

3.3 Supporting Elements to the Concept The development concept of the UEP is anchored on the following priorities: Climate resilient development – Makueni, as a semi-arid County with a high reliance on agriculture, is vulnerable to a number of climate hazards and experiences strong variability in yields from year to year due to a changing local climate.

The County’s experience with the County Climate Change Fund has positioned Makueni as a leader within Kenya in adapting to climate change and building resilience. Leveraging this strong foundation as well as the relatively high level of awareness of climate change and its issues, an aggregation network and hub ‘model’ is proposed as an opportunity to provide a range of supporting services throughout the County. This will further strengthen agricultural resilience and ultimately improve both the reliability of the supply of produce to the proposed VCs and improve farming practices and livelihoods.

The central Aggregation Centre in Wote will provide support to a wider network of smaller local aggregation centres across the County. Whilst the primary benefit of the central aggregation centre is to improve the quality and consistency of produce supplies, it will also provide numerous other benefits including improved access to technology and better farming practices and advice on finance and insurance, resulting in enhanced and stabilised farm incomes. The Aggregation Centre will focus on support for agri-tech, agri-fin and smart farming innovations and technologies that will increase climate resilience of the agriculture sector more broadly.

As such, it will have the potential to enable access to seed funding through climate finance initiatives, including the County Climate Fund.

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Liveability in the Municipality (quality and attractiveness of Wote CBD) - A key aspect of the development concept is to position Wote Town as a desirable place to live for the existing population and to appeal to future workers and potentially residents from Machakos, Konza and the surrounding hinterland. This longer-term aspiration will require considerable investment in enabling infrastructure (see proposed infrastructure projects for water and sanitation, drainage, solid waste, energy and transport) and urban infrastructure to enhance the appeal and quality of life in Wote Town and to attract private investment.

As the centre of the County and Municipal governments, as well as providing health and educational facilities and institutions, along with other social amenities it is imperative to the Town’s future that it can create a desirable environment to attract private investment to enhance the living experience and employment opportunities for all residents. Interventions in key infrastructure provision, affordable housing and public realm enhancements are central to the UEP’s development concept.

Resource Management - Given that the County is situated in the ASAL zone, it is water-scarce and suffers from water insecurity, especially during the dry season. Water scarcity and increasing drought conditions act as existing barriers which are exacerbated by climate change and threaten growth, not only in the agriculture sector but more broadly in the town’s future population trajectory.

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Valuable natural resources and rivers, such as the River Kaiti and its tributaries, are being polluted, degraded and encroached due to uncontrolled urbanisation, poor agriculture practices and lack of solid waste management. It is imperative to protect these valuable resources, thus the UEP adopts a blue-green infrastructure network approach viewing water as a holistic system and aim to: > Recognise the importance of scarce natural resources, particularly water, within Makueni County > Highlight the potential risks and vulnerabilities from existing and future human and economic activities, population growth as well as climate change effects > Identify green and climate resilient projects that demonstrate how to manage an interconnected set of challenges that affect the water system including water resource management (surface and ground water), water quality and supply, sanitation, solid waste management, flooding and droughts, and conservation of natural ecosystems and green open spaces.

Green and blue resilient infrastructure interventions will enable Wote Municipality to address existing and future infrastructure needs in an integrated way, considering synergies between different economic and other activities and interventions to ensure the protection of the natural ecosystem.

3.4 Spatial Framework for Development The Spatial Framework consists of a spatial plan with a focus on three key development areas, with proposals for a range of climate resilient and inclusive urban and infrastructure interventions and projects. The three development focus areas considered by the UEP are shown in Figure 3 2. These are: > Wote CBD > Agri-processing in Kalamba > An Aggregation Centre located at the Kwa Kathoka ATC. The relationship between these areas is important and therefore factored into considerations for their respective roles within the wider Makueni County and regional ecosystem, their infrastructure requirements, and how effective linkages, both soft and hard, can drive socio-economic benefits for all communities both urban and rural.

Figure 3-2 – Wote Spatial Strategy for Economic Development

3.4.1

Focus Area 1: Wote CBD

Wote Town is the largest urban centre in the Municipality and has developed as a County headquarters and administrative centre. People from across the County visit to take advantage of urban services such as the Makueni Referral Hospital; banks and other financial institutions; markets such as the fresh fruit and vegetable markets and the County chicken market; Government institutions; and tertiary education facilities.

Wote Town is reliant on agricultural-related activities due to its rich agricultural hinterland. Other light industry and economic activities such as mining of sand from the River Kaiti, Jua-kali and informal services, such as boda boda businesses, operate within the township.

Kwa Kathoka

(similar to Kalamba and Kathonzweni)

There are a number of challenges facing the CBD that are preventing optimal economic and sustainable development, these include: > Significant traffic congestion in the town, particularly around the bus park adjacent to the B107 (previously C99). > Poor market infrastructure serving the Jua-kali sector, leading to competing uses and a lack of accessibility to market sites. > Lack of suitable infrastructure provision to existing housing stock and a lack of adequate and affordable housing supply. > Pollution affecting the amenity of valuable natural assets, such as the River Kaiti. > Lack of NMT provision, which results in a disconnected centre and lack of flow throughout the town. > Limited and marginalised open space provision and connected public realm network.

Source: Atkins, 2022

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Development is focused on several nodes in the CBD to address the challenges stated above as well as to capitalise on the opportunities presented within the centre. Development nodes are numbered as Anchor Projects 1, 2, and 3 shown below:

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Figure 3-3 – Focus Area 1: Wote CBD

Anchor Project 1 – Wote Clothes & Timber Market Upgrade - The Jua-kali market sheds, adjacent to the Makueni County Referral Hospital, currently suffer from a lack of visibility from the street, poor accessibility to the site, and a conflict of incompatible uses on the site. There is a need to consider redevelopment of the site with appropriate uses, maximising the available space for trade and commerce, increasing permeability through the site, and providing greater visibility for businesses along the frontage. There is also the potential to provide additional transport connectivity to the site with the provision of a bus stop. Conscious of operational and funding challenges, two options have been developed to give the Municipality a range of choices, including a radical re-development of the site or a partial repurposing of some of the existing structures (adaptive re-use) in an attempt to produce a cost-effective yet improved new destination.

Refer to Section 4.4.3.1 for further details on these options.

Anchor Project 2 – Kaiti River Linear Park - River Kaiti is central to the development of Wote Town but is currently plagued by the town's inefficient solid waste management system and illegal sand mining activities for construction, which results in soil erosion during flash floods and subsequently low vegetation coverage. Despite this, the southern riverbank is already a leisure and recreation site, especially utilised and enjoyed by the younger population. The ‘Linear Park’ concept takes a blue-green infrastructure approach and focuses on addressing these challenges through multiple conservational/ protective and urban interventions along the river's stretch.

Source: Atkins, 2022

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Anchor Project 3 – Wote Bus Park Relocation & Rationalisation – The bus park along the Wote - Makindu Road B107 (previously C99) is located centrally within the CBD and creates traffic and congestion. The site is currently too small to accommodate larger buses and a number of alternative sites have been identified, including those proposed by the Municipality, to relocate the bus park in order to service County and regional bus services.

These are considered alongside potentially repurposing the existing site in order to rationalise the flow of traffic through the CBD and provide more functionality.

3.4.2 Focus Area 2: Agriprocessing at Kalamba Agri-processing is an emerging sector across the Municipality with considerable potential for value addition in multiple sub-sectors (e.g., fruit, poultry, and honey). However, the existing scale of production, technology adoption, access to finance and technical support are all constraints. Makueni County is a significant producer of fruits that are suitable for juice extraction and bottling, in particular mango, citrus, and other fruit including papaya, pomegranate, guava and passion fruit. However, most of the County’s fruit output is sold at fresh produce markets or sent for processing elsewhere, with little local value addition.

There is an established medium-sized County operated processing plant for mango juice and pulps located at Kalamba, known as the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant.

The existing plant has potential to be developed as a value chain opportunity, by incorporating a wider range of products and addressing the existing post-production marketing and sales issues. Development in this Focus Area would be targeted on the existing site of the fruit processing facility and support the expansion of the facility, in particular introducing citrus juice processing and water bottling. There is substantial potential to extend the processing season through targeting other fruit for juicing.

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A number of factors support Kalamba as a suitable location for enhanced and potentially new industrial activity. The site is located near the mid-point of the B107/C99, between Wote and the northern economic corridor which enables good access to the transport and logistics hub at Emali. The existing juice processing factory also provides the impetus, with basic infrastructure and access to an existing pool of labour. This VC would be complemented by the proposed Aggregation Centre in Kwa Kathoka, supporting its agri-processing potential with additional agricultural products.

The agri-processing facility will need to ensure pollution and damage to the natural environment is minimised. It is proposed to undertake modular development of the site and develop guidelines on infrastructure requirements to ensure the site is developed in a sustainable manner which allows for expansion of activity, while safeguarding the environment including the provision of on-site water treatment, waste management and disposal, solar power to support ongoing operations, transportation corridors (links) and security measures.

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Figure 3-4 – Focus Area 2: Agri-processing at Kalamba

3.4.3 Focus Area 3: Climate Smart Aggregation and Services Centre Agricultural productivity within Makueni County is low due to poor adoption of technology, limited access to inputs and inadequate extension services. As part of supporting VCs within the County there is a strong need for improvements in the collection and aggregation networks, investment in farms and upskilling of farmers. To address these issues, aggregation and service centres would be developed to serve farmers in the County. The aggregation centres would collect, pack and dispatch produce, as well as provide farm inputs. To increase yields, the centres would provide training and advice supported by model farms, as well as be a conduit for investment finance and insurance. Cooperatives and SACCOs have a role to play in this development as well as the agri-processing centres.

Aggregation can provide a holistic approach to overcome supply chain challenges and serve as a key pillar of integrated economic development. It also requires smarter ways of agricultural production. Aggregation can improve and stabilise farmer incomes and strengthen the resilience of food production. It can provide farmers with essential access to information and resources, including knowledge tools to build capacity, resilience and adaptability, along with better market access and prices.

Source: Atkins, 2022

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Aggregation of smallholder farms into groups will bring together isolated, fragmented small-scale farms to create viable economies of scale capable of servicing large-scale buyers that provide guaranteed markets and predictable payment. This includes interlinked activities involved with the production, handling, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal of food products, as well as tackling existing gaps to ensure they continue to work together effectively and in an integrated manner. Storage solutions, such as solar-powered cold storage hubs can extend the shelf life of perishable food and reduce post-harvest losses, allowing small-scale farmers to increase their quality of produce, sale volumes and income.

Guaranteed markets also serve as an incentive for smallholders to invest in improving their methods of productivity and in meeting the standards and requirements of modern markets which ultimately enhances their competitiveness. This, in turn, generates better farmer incomes and the ability to save and invest more and lift farmers out of the cycle of poverty. From a buyer’s perspective, aggregation enables the cost-effective provision of logistical capacity to collate the output of many farmers scattered in remote rural areas and build the capacity of those farmers to meet required volumes and quality. These elements work to create a sustainable, resilient and productive supply chain.

Figure 3-5 – Focus Area 3: Aggregation Centre at Wote Agricultural Training Centre (ATC)

Aggregation centres would be located across the County, making use of existing aggregation centres that have been developed but are currently underutilised. The agricultural produce from these small, localised aggregation centres would be transported to a central logistics hub at Kwa Kathoka ATC, at which point they can be sorted, collated and packed for onward transportation to markets, agri-processors or to Emali, for further distribution along the Northern Corridor.

In addition to collecting, packing and dispatching produce, the centres would provide climate-smart training programmes and extension services for farmers, whilst also acting as a conduit for investment finance and insurance. These climate-smart services are presented in detail, including several best practice case studies to exemplify how such schemes can be implemented effectively through the Aggregation Centres.

The aggregation model and Aggregation centre to support the agricultural and livestock sector is detailed in Section 4.2.1. The phasing of developing infrastructure to enable the aggregation model is elaborated under the climate resilient infrastructure projects in Section 4.2.2.

W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

Source: Atkins analysis

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4. Economic Development Plan This section details the Economic Development Plan for Wote Municipality by outlining the specific development interventions proposed for Wote’s key economic sectors of Agriculture and Livestock; Agri-Processing and Manufacturing, and Markets, Trade and Services.

The section focuses on economic sectors action plans devised for each key sector, incorporating soft initiatives, climate resilient interventions and infrastructure proposals, in addition to the anchor projects and priority VC projects proposed to catalyse development within the Municipality.

4.1

Overview

Sector Action Plans have been produced for the identified key sectors: > Agriculture and Livestock > Agri-Processing and Manufacturing > Markets, Trade and Services

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The Sector Action Plans are informed by the SWOT analysis undertaken during the Diagnostics Report process, the key highlights of which are captured in the sections below.

The production of these Action Plans have been supported by the business consultation exercise in Wote (Section 2.3.3), as well as workshops with local stakeholders and analysis of relevant available data.

Figure 4-1 – Map of the climate resilient infrastructure and focus areas

The sectoral plans for Wote Municipality must be integrated and reflect co-dependent interventions. As with every developing economy, these sectors are strongly interrelated, and development cannot be considered in silos. Indeed, the three key sectors selected for Wote are inherently interconnected in their nature and therefore will likely involve several shared actors and stakeholders. Consequently, the Action Plans are intended to be developed in synergy, so that several interventions will be cross-sectoral in both their implementation and expected benefits for the community.

The Sector Action Plans consist of a mixture of soft interventions such as education and training, changes to systems such as skills development, technology availability and smaller focused infrastructure recommendations; in addition to the larger, strategic urban development and infrastructure proposals identified for the Wote Municipal area.

The Sector Action Plans should be regarded as a strategic sequence of events, with the soft interventions intended to maximise the potential of the sector to benefit from those strategic infrastructure proposals, particularly the anchor project of the Climate Smart Aggregation Centres (Section 4.2.1). The VC opportunities of juice bottling/canning and solid waste management are presented as pilot schemes to drive key sectoral development within the County.

Ultimately the aim of these plans is to provide clear actions for the development of the sectors in their own right, whilst also as supporting ecosystems for the selected VCs and anchor projects and to identify appropriate climate-resilient and inclusive infrastructure proposals to support growth.

The Economic Sector Action Plans, including the shortlisted VCs, will also consider aspects related to sustainability, climate resilience, social inclusion and the circular economy. These are detailed in the following sections.

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Table 4-1 – Wote Municipality Sector Action Plans Overview Economic Sector

Economic Ambitions

Actions

Agriculture and Livestock

› Developing upstream capacity of farmers › Increased sector resilience to climate change and rainfall variability › Inclusion of SIGs, particularly youth, women and PWD

4.2.1 Anchor project: Climate Smart Aggregation Centres 4.2.1.1. Aggregation and Services Approach 4.2.1.2. Location and Links 4.2.1.3. Development Phasing & Infrastructure 4.2.1.4. Climate Smart Support Services A1: Improve access to inclusive finance and insurance A2: Create practical and business training programmes for farmers A3: Introduce technology and extension services to improve resilience and productivity A4: Provide accessible and tailored climate information 4.2.1.5. Supporting Mechanisms and Capacity-building Interventions A5: Organise farmers into cooperatives to share resources and maximise benefits from the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres A6: Establish reliable water sources for farmers and pastoralists 4.2.2 Climate resilient infrastructure projects Project 1: Aggregation Accessibility Network Model Project 2: Targeted Rural Access Interventions – River Kaiti Crossings Project 3: Solar Refrigeration Systems Project 4: Solar Irrigation

Agri-Processing and Manufacturing

› Enhanced value addition and commercialisation of agricultural / livestock produce › Improved access to finance and focused technical support › Inclusion of SIGs, particularly youth, women and PWD

4.3.1 Soft initiatives, training and capacity building A7: Establish a strategic plan of contract farming to ensure a reliable supply of inputs for agri-processing and manufacturing A8: Develop a joined-up education and training strategy tailored to the sector A9: Provide enhanced access to local entrepreneurs and the local labour force A10: Promote an inclusive approach to the development of agri-processing and manufacturing A11: Undertake a market study and increase marketing of products through an Export Board 4.3.2 Wote Value Addition 4.3.3 Value chain opportunity: Juice bottling/canning 4.3.4 Climate resilient infrastructure projects Project 5: Industrial Access Road Upgrade: Road Upgrade and Junction Improvements Project 6: Improved Water, Wastewater and Drainage for Agri-processing at Kalamba Project 7: Solar Power for Agri-processing at Kalamba

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Economic Sector

Economic Ambitions

Actions

Markets, Trade and Services

› Enhanced market infrastructure and public realm to support sector development › Improved access to focused business support, with opportunities to benefit from key economic development projects › Inclusion of SIGs, particularly youth, women and PWD

4.4.1 Soft initiatives, training and capacity building A12: Introduce and promote community-led initiatives A13: Enhance regulation, enforcement and monitoring of the local markets A14: Establish an Entrepreneurship Centre to support local entrepreneurs in benefiting from the region’s flagship economic development projects A15: Develop affordable housing to support economic development and social inclusion 4.4.2 VC2 – Solid waste management 4.4.3 Anchor Projects Project 8: Wote Jua-Kali Market Improvement Project 9: Kaiti River park Project 10: Wote Bus Park Relocation & Rationalisation 4.4.4 Climate resilient infrastructure projects Project 11: Urban Centre Transport Network Improvements and Management Project 12: Streetlighting Project 13: Accessible Public Toilet Blocks

Cross-sectoral (Wotewide) infrastructure projects

4.5. Cross-sectoral (Wote-wide) infrastructure projects Project 14: Improved Linkage to Northern corridor and Key Urban/Market Centres Project 15: Decentralised Wastewater/Sludge Treatment Facility Project 16: Water Supply for Low-income Households and Rural Communities

Source: Atkins analysis

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4.2 Agriculture and Livestock Sector Action Plan The agriculture and livestock industry is one of Kenya’s ‘Big Four’ sectoral priorities, with a crucial role in the Vision 2030 development programme, accounting for approximately 51% of national GCP and 56% of employment3. Similarly, agriculture and livestock represent a vital foundation of both Makueni County and Wote Municipality’s economy, accounting for 78% of the County’s total household income and 47.2% of total GCP. Agriculture and livestock practices are predominantly focused on subsistence farming in Makueni County, with fairly limited commercial farming at present. With regards to livestock, animals reared include beef and dairy cattle, poultry, goats and sheep, in addition to a growing adoption of apiculture. Major crops grown include maize, green grams and pigeon peas, as well as high-production fruits like mangoes and citrus fruits.

Wote Municipality has a significant amount of land and resources available for agriculture and livestock production. However, there are a number of existing issues which have resulted in comparatively low output and productivity, including a lack of training and knowledge on modern technologies and high-yielding crop varieties, as well as increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. In addition, the agricultural value chains in Wote currently fails to effectively link its inputs, production, processing and marketing. As such, the UEP provides an opportunity to develop climate-resilient value chains and support farmers in adapting to these changing conditions, while improving the productivity of the sector and value addition.

From the Diagnostic Report analysis, the following key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were established. These were used to determine the actions proposed in the following section.

3 World Bank, Kenya Economic Update, Edition n.19 (2019)

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Table 4-2 – Agriculture and Livestock SWOT Strengths

Weaknesses

› Makueni County is endowed with a diverse selection of agro-ecological zones, which support a range of agricultural production. › Favourable conditions for horticulture crops in Wote, as well as relatively fertile soils. › Substantial livestock resources and vast livestock wealth, with Makueni being the fourth largest producer of poultry in Kenya. › Dairy farming is gaining prominence in the County due to increased demand for milk and ongoing government interventions.

› Limited value addition and low marketing of both agricultural and livestock products. › Relatively low productivity, largely due to a lack of appropriate modern technologies and limited skills/knowledge amongst farmers. › Inadequate land use policy and population growth has resulted in the subdivision of agricultural land into uneconomical sizes. › Poor road network infrastructure constrains transport of inputs, as well as moving agricultural produce/livestock to markets.

Opportunities

Threats

› Establishment of agri-processing industries presents opportunities for value addition and the reduction of post-harvest losses. › Potential for trade and commercialisation of produce, given the County’s location with regards to major food consumption cities. › Thwake Dam – if completed as planned – will significantly expand irrigation potential for agricultural production across Wote.

› Climate change: increasing floods and droughts, unpredictable rainfall, temperature fluctuations, new and intensifying diseases. › Urbanisation and population increases will place increasing pressure on existing land available for both agriculture and livestock. › High levels of competition for agriculture and livestock products from neighbouring counties and larger counties across Kenya.

Source: Atkins analysis

The Sector Action Plan, outlined in Table 4-3, should be viewed as a practical sequence of actions to support the climate-smart development of the agriculture and livestock sector, taking into account the Municipality’s existing strengths and weaknesses. The Plan is centred on the anchor project of the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centre, which are presented as a potential pilot scheme for the sector to catalyse climate-resilient development.

Introduced in Section 4.2.1, the anchor project comprises a network of local aggregation and service centres positioned across County, supported by a central hub at Kwa Kathoka ATC. In addition to collecting, packing and dispatching produce, the centres would provide climate-smart training programmes and extension services for farmers, whilst also acting as a conduit for investment finance and insurance.

These climate-smart services are presented in detail, including several best practice case studies to exemplify how such schemes can be implemented effectively through the Aggregation Centres. Due to the inherently interrelated nature of the identified key economic sectors of Agri-Processing and Industry and Trade and Services with the Agriculture and Livestock Sector, the anchor project and strategic interventions outlined are also likely to have significant potential for specific benefits for the other sectors and vice versa.

Table 4-3 – Agriculture and Livestock Action Plan

4.2.1

Economic ambitions

Actions

› Developing upstream capacity of farmers › Increased sector resilience to climate change and rainfall variability › Inclusion of SIGs, particularly youth, women and PWD

4.2.1 Anchor project: Climate Smart Aggregation Centres 4.2.1.1. Aggregation and Services Approach 4.2.1.2. Location and Links 4.2.1.3. Development Phasing & Infrastructure 4.2.1.4. Climate Smart Support Services A1: Improve access to inclusive finance and insurance A2: Create practical and business training programmes for farmers A3: Introduce technology and extension services to improve resilience and productivity A4: Provide accessible and tailored climate information 4.2.1.5. Supporting Mechanisms and Capacity-building Interventions A5: Organise farmers into cooperatives to share resources and maximise benefits from the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres A6: Establish reliable water sources for farmers and pastoralists 4.2.2 Climate resilient infrastructure projects Project 1: Aggregation Accessibility Network Model Project 2: Targeted Rural Access Interventions – River Kaiti Crossings Project 3: Solar Refrigeration Systems Project 4: Solar Irrigation

Source: Atkins analysis

Anchor Project: Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres

This section outlines the agriculture and livestock sector’s anchor project of the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres for Makueni County, presented as a pilot scheme for the sector to catalyse climate-resilient development.

The project has the overarching objective of raising and stabilising farm incomes by combining logistics support with advice and training on farming practices, and improved access to finance and insurance, through a network of aggregation and service centres.

Agricultural productivity within Makueni County is below its potential due to limited adoption of technology, costly access to inputs, inadequate extension services and difficulties accessing finance. The position of farmers is exacerbated by limited local agri-processing and offtake, high transport costs, and climate change. These issues cannot be addressed separately and will be more financially self-sustaining if addressed together. For example: > Developing an aggregation network can reduce transport costs and raise farmers’ margins but does little to improve access to finance or resilience; > Investment in extension services can make some positive impact on productivity but the impact is limited by access to finance; and > Expanding available finance for agriculture without supporting services, is unlikely to increase investment.

A variety of existing initiatives have been making progress in addressing these issues in the County, and building the foundations needed for more secure, resilient livelihoods.

These include the work of the County Climate Change Fund, AGRA’s Village Based Advisors programme, and the Kenya Cereals Enhancement Programme Climate Resilience Agricultural Livelihoods project among others, and provide a strong foundation, and base of partners and expertise which this anchor project can build on and complement. In line with this, an integrated aggregation and services approach for the Climate Smart Centres is introduced in Section 4.2.1.1.

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4.2.1.1. Aggregation and Services Approach In order to address the entangled issues restricting agricultural productivity and resilience in Makueni County in a financially self-sustaining manner, an integrated approach to the Climate Smart Centres is proposed, based around a network of local aggregation centres supported from a central hub providing climate resilient services. Within this approach, the local aggregation centres would collect, pack and dispatch produce to markets and processors, as well as delivering farm inputs to producers (including seeds, feed and fertiliser). In their role, the centres would also be responsible for checking the quality of produce, introducing product traceability and acting as the payment point for farmers. The overall flows to and from the local centres are illustrated in the figure to the right.

The central hub would coordinate the logistics operations and provide technical advice on regenerative and climate resilient farming techniques, supporting farmers in raising both the yields and quality of their produce. The central hub would also be responsible for coordinating the development and delivery of targeted finance-insurance packages to farmers, and the provision of other information services (for instance, including centralised delivery of market information and tailored weather forecasts). These services would be provided both directly to farmers and through the local centres (depending on the size and capacity of the local centres). The central hub would also direct the development of model farms to be used as training centres. The proposed capacity building initiatives and extension services to be delivered through the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres are detailed in Section 4.2.1.4.

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Figure 4-2 – Local Aggregation Centre Flows

Inputs Feed Seed Fertiliser DoCs...

Produce Poultry Eggs Milk Fruit...

Local Aggregation Centres Cold Store, Dry Storage, Packing, Testing - QC, Aggregation, Payment Point

Supplies Feed, Fertiliser, Seed...

Markets Processors

Figure 4-3 – Central Hub in Wote

Supplies Feed, Fertiliser, Seed...

Local Aggregation Centres

Processors Markets

Finance Insurance Packages

Extension services Training Organisation of aggregation centres

Development of targeted offers

Insurance Providers

Model Farms Central Hub - Wote Extension Services, Training, Monitoring, Finance Support, Insurance Support

Banks and Lending Agencies

Additionally, the proposed Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres provide an opportunity to address social inclusion with regards to storage and aggregation opportunities, including the current limited access to information and resources for SIGs, as well as lack of affordability. It would be important to promote and include SIGs groups in development of the Aggregation Centres, for instance incorporating accessible infrastructure, whilst also considering affordability.

Unloading, quality check, sorting, packing, cold storage, loading and dispatch

In order to target SIGs, a digital communication strategy in an accessible format should be considered to inform farmers about the aggregation and support services available. There are various existing examples of digital platforms that could be promoted or utilised as best practice case studies, including: Agri-Fin Accelerate; a programme that seeks to enhance digital access to financial and informational services for farmers, and Wefarm; an SMS-based knowledge sharing platform4.

4 AgriFin Accelerate, Four Years of Learnings from Tanzania (2019) Available at: https:// www.mercycorpsagrifin.org/2020/02/19/four-years-of-learnings-from-tanzania/ (Accessed: 12/02/2022).

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Figure 4-4 – Distribution of value-added goods and services to the Northern Corridor and beyond via Emali

4.2.1.2. Location and Links The County Government has constructed an extensive ATC at Kwa Kathoka that could provide a base for the central hub. On a site of 30 acres, the ATC covers livestock, horticulture, arable and fish farming, with facilities including offices, training rooms, halls, hostels and demonstration farms, as well as internet connectivity to enable agricultural research uptake. Located just 12 kilometres southeast of Wote on the Makindu Road, the ATC is an established centre for the agricultural sector within the County.

In order to build on the role of the ATC, the central hub and aggregation centre could be situated within the facility at Kwa Kathoka. The central hub would require about 2,000 m2 of space, comprising 1,000 m2 covered sorting and packing area, 300 m2 for cold storage, 100 m2 of office space and 600 m2 for loading / unloading. The potential throughput at the site is estimated at around 100,000 tonnes of produce per year, with around 50 to 60 truck movements per day.

With regards to the local aggregation centres, there is scope for utilising some of the 43 existing collection centres across the County, of which only a handful are operational. In particular, there is potential in building on the new centres at Kalongo in Kaiti, Kavuthu in the Mbitini ward of Makueni and Kalawani in Mbooni. These centres are around 95% complete (as of February 2022) and are all expected to include cold storage facilities. Another location with potential is at the Makindu Grain Processing Plant (which is under the Makueni Integrated Grain Value Addition project). In addition, a local centre at Emali could also be of use for the sector, due to the town’s role as a major gateway for farm inputs coming into the County from Mombasa.

The identification of sites for local aggregation centres should be undertaken in consultation with farmer-based groups, VBAs and KCEP, as well as processors and traders, and with reference to the comprehensive database of farms and agricultural services in the County that is being finalised.

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Figure 4-5 – Aggregation Centre at Wote Agricultural Training Centre (ATC)

4.2.1.3. Development Phasing & Infrastructure Crucially, the project should be developed in phases, with the initial focus being on the production and aggregation of mango and other fruit suitable for juicing and pulping (e.g. tomato, passion fruit, citrus, papaya, etc.), to ensure supplies to the Makueni Processing Plant, in Kalamba. The project could then expand into other horticultural produce, and later grains and livestock.

The aggregation hub would benefit from being private sector led venture, with some public sector involvement. The private sector would be needed for the development of effective marketing and sales networks, the creation and delivery of efficient finance and insurance products, cost-effective logistics and good overall fiscal management. The public sector stakeholder/s (County Government or Municipality) could ensure a strong regulatory base, supporting the enabling environment and engagement with the farming community and cooperatives.

For the aggregation hub, the ATC are open to hosting commercial activities, and currently ANI Oils (formerly AGIP) are setting up a biofuel plant using cotton seedcake, croton nuts and caster seeds on the site.

Source: Atkins analysis

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The ATC Kwa Kathoka site has adequate infrastructure for its own activities, but going forward, improvements are required to support the additional needs of the aggregation hub and also to provide improved resilience.

This will ultimately both improve the reliability of the supply of produce to the VCs and improve farming livelihoods – including access to inclusive finance and insurance, delivery of extension services and focused training programmes.

> Water is sourced from a borehole on the site, and while the yield is low, it is sufficient for the ATC’s current needs.

Additional water extraction, harvesting and storage capacity would be needed for the hub.

The Climate Secretariat in the County have identified the most at-risk wards across Makueni based on a combination of factors (weather, poverty indicators, etc.) and have established stakeholder groups in the priority wards. These groups are then supported in identifying projects and developing proposals. Projects have mostly focussed on water (rainwater harvesting, sand dams, etc.), though some green energy projects are now under discussion. A significant part of the Secretariat’s work is in dissemination of information to the ward groups, using SMS and WhatsApp. While additional work is needed to extend the Secretariat’s reach across the County, they have a well-established network that the aggregation hub could link in to. The position of the Climate Secretariat should be strengthened upon completion of the Climate Change Act, with it then becoming a full operational County department.

> Electricity is provided to the site through a connection to the KPLC grid, with interruptions in supply being covered by on-site diesel generators. Additional power would be needed to cover general use at the hub as well as for the cold storage, and there is scope for roof-top PV. > The site has good road connectivity, being close to the Wote-Makindu highway, but the last 300 metres into the ATC is an earth road. With the additional vehicle activity expected with the aggregation hub with a requirement for year-round access, this segment would need to be upgraded (refer to proforma section 4.2.2.1). > Organic waste on the site is currently composted, but the ATC are planning for an anaerobic digestor which, depending on capacity, could be used for any organic waste from the sorting and packing activities of the hub (over-ripe and damaged produce).

4.2.1.4. Climate Smart Support Services As a semi-arid County with a high reliance on agriculture, Makueni is vulnerable to climate hazards and already experiences a high variability in yields from year to year based on climatic conditions. The County’s experience with the County Climate Change Fund has put Makueni in a strong position to adapt to climate change and ensuring local resilience. Building on these strong foundations and given the high level of awareness of climate change locally, the aggregation hub model offers an opportunity to provide a range of services that will strengthen agricultural resilience to climate change.

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This section outlines the climate-smart support services to be delivered through the Climate Smart Centres to enhance both the resilience and productivity of the sector, whilst improving inclusion of excluded groups. The model for the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres is to build on, and collaborate with, successful programmes which already exist in the County, including, among others, existing agriculture extension services, SACCOs and other farmer-based organisations, and three leading programmes: Village-Based Advisors (VBAs), PROFIT and KCEP-CRAL. These programmes, as well as other national and international examples of successful climate-smart support services, are presented as best practice case studies to guide the implementation process within the centres.

Case Study 4-1: Privatisation of agricultural services Commercialisation of agricultural advisory services While most countries have established extension services to support their agricultural sectors, many of these have now been commercialised in order to make them sustainable and immune to government budget cuts.

Two established services are CACSH in the Caribbean, which is a commercial but government-owned operation, and ADAS in the UK which is fully privatised.

Caribbean Agricultural Commercial Services Hub (CACSH) The Hub was established to deliver goods and services provided by CARDI (Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute), operating as a self-sustaining business.

Their services now include advice on soil and water management, pest and disease control, business planning and farm management. CARDI also support work on the development of agriculture value chains across the Caribbean including hydroponics, coconut processing, abattoirs and the Ebini Integrated Agribusiness Project in Guyana (a 5,000-acre mixed farm that maximises the circular economy).

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CARDI supply fertilisers, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, seeds and plants, from approved producers focussing on local companies.

ADAS Originally part of the UK Ministry of Agriculture, ADAS (Agriculture Development and Advisory Service) was privatised in 1997.

ADAS provide regular advisory services to all its members, as well as a range of consultancy and contracting services covering all aspects of farming and environmental management. Though privately run, ADAS prioritise environmental and social interests, and will not partake in projects that may be environmentally or socially damaging.

With over 300 full-time employees plus 250 part-time contractors, the company is the largest independent agriculture advisory service in Europe, and now exports its services worldwide.

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A1: Improve access to inclusive finance and insurance Research consistently shows that access to agricultural insurance products significantly increases yields, and in turn household incomes. In particular, weather-based index insurance products, which can be triggered by remotely monitored metrics such as rainfall or temperature thresholds, provide a way of reducing costs to the point where premiums become affordable to small farmers. With rainfall variability an increasing threat to farmers, expanding insurance coverage in the County would be an effective way of building resilience.

There are, however, a number of very clear barriers to insurance uptake across many of Kenya’s farming communities, including: the perceived value of insurance and the cost of premiums paid up front with no guarantee of a return; the difficulty in aggregating demand to make an insurance pool attractive to insurers, and the mismatch between farmer needs for insurance and the products currently available. The Climate Smart Aggregation Centre provides an opportunity address these barriers and facilitate access to inclusive and appropriate forms of insurance for the agriculture and livestock sector. Building on the experience of successful projects such as Pula’s ‘Pay at Harvest’ model in Nigeria, the mechanism below could lead to more effective uptake of insurance:

> VC companies engage with insurers, and draw on their network of suppliers to ensure commercially viable demand for insurance products; > The companies pay insurance premiums upfront on behalf of their suppliers; > The companies pay their farmers for produce in the normal way, and a small part of the proceeds of the sale is retained by the VC company to cover the cost of the insurance premium – in this way farmers only feel that they are paying at a point at which they have income.

If contract farming is being used (see Action A7), this mechanism can be written into the contract; > If a pay-out occurs, farmers receive the benefit of insurance, and repay the premium to the VC companies.

To enhance climate resilience within this model, the VC companies could opt for weather-based insurance products and incentivise climate-smart farming practices among their farmers in the form of reduced premiums for farmers who, for example, are practising water-conserving techniques.

Because weather-based schemes pay-out based on environmental triggers, and not recorded losses, there is an incentive for farmers to adopt resilient practices – if a farmer is able to maintain a reasonable yield despite poor conditions, they may benefit from an insurance pay-out while at the same time being able to sell their produce to the VC. In Makueni, both the Program for Rural Outreach of Financial Innovations and Technologies (PROFIT), and Kenya Cereals Enhancement Programme Climate Resilience Agricultural Livelihoods project have been working with financial institutions to provide farmers with better access to finance and financial products (see case study 4-2 and 4-3). NEMA, meanwhile included enhanced access to insurance as part of its concept note to the GCF for the Makueni Climate Resilience and Food Security project. This experience, and recognition of insurance as a key tool with which to build resilience, could be leveraged to support the provision of insurance through the Climate Smart Centres.

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Case Study 4-2: Program for Rural Outreach of Financial Innovations and Technologies, Kenya The Program for Rural Outreach of Financial Innovations and Technologies (PROFIT) was developed and tested in Kenya from 2010 to 2019. Promoted by the IDB and AGRA, the aim of the Program was to provide financial services along the agriculture value chain, with the objective of improving the productivity, profitability and resilience of small-scale rural stakeholders.

The Program sought to work with established financial institutions, overcoming the existing barriers associated with loans (perception of high risk and little or no collateral), through the provision of blended finance combined with technical assistance – which was determined to be a critical factor for successful lending.

The blended finance used concessional capital to partially de-risk lending to farmers. Risks are further reduced through the provision of insurance and technical support (including new farming techniques and market linkages), while operating through SACCOs and other farmer-based groups spreads the individual risks.

Case Study 4-3: Kenya Cereals Enhancement Programme Climate Resilience Agricultural Livelihoods The Kenya Cereals Enhancement Programme Climate Resilience Agricultural Livelihoods (KCEP-CRAL) project promotes regenerative agriculture through land and water management and farming of drought tolerant crops, focusing on cereals and legumes. To date the project has benefited just under 15,000 households in Makueni County.

The project, which is in its third year, provides technical advice and financing to farmers (on a declining cost sharing basis over three years), supporting their transition to regenerative agricultural practices and crops. Credit lines are linked to approved suppliers and service providers.

The project has a broad range of partners including donors and Government departments, including Kenya Meteorological Department and the National Disaster Management Authority.

A2: Create practical and business training programmes for farmers Limited knowledge of effective farming and livestock management practices was acknowledged as a significant issue constraining the agriculture and livestock sector in Wote.

This also includes a lack of business support and knowledge sharing with regards to marketing strategies, value addition and supply chain management. Through the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres, it is envisioned that the established Village-Based Advisors model (see case study 4-4) can be built upon to address these issues, both by expanding the number of advisors in the County, and also providing additional training and expertise in relation to climate-smart agricultural practices.

Farmers’ understanding of the potential impacts of climate change for the community’s livelihoods is critical to ensuring climate-smart sector growth, thus creating awareness of climate change impacts and improving the resilience of agriculture and livestock practices should be the initial target of training. Building on the strong foundations established by the County Climate Change Fund, and the relatively high level of awareness of climate change, the Climate Smart Aggregation Centres provide an opportunity to deliver a range of localised practical and business training initiatives that will develop farmers’ adaptation skills, improve water efficiency and enhance access to climate risk information (Section 4.2.1). As outlined for Kwa Kathoka ATC in the ADP, farms could also be utilised as test beds for practical training, with improved yields demonstrated in participating farms in other counties previously.

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Development of integrated and focused training programmes for farmers and pastoralists across Makueni County should consider the following subjects as a minimum: > Information on maximising productivity and resource efficiency. Collaboration with national projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity and value addition, such as the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (see case study 4-4) should be explored in order to facilitate this. Provision of support could include assisting farmers in undertaking soil testing to identify the most suitable fertilisers, in addition to training on efficient implementation of livestock management.

It will also be important for farmers to gain knowledge on relevant benefits and costs of agricultural inputs and how to best use them; > Climate-smart techniques that will enable farmers and pastoralists to be prepared for more variable weather events and reduce the current dependence on rain-fed farming during dry seasons. For instance, this could include collaborating with the Kenya Climate Smart Programme on techniques like water harvesting to improve water availability and increase resilience. Training on how to access and interpret weather and climate information will also help in adapting to climate change (see Action A4); > Improving understanding of available crop and livestock varieties, including which have optimal output and are most resilient to temperature fluctuations and droughts, in preparation for the introduction of such varieties in Action A3;

> Strategies for protecting crops and livestock against pests and disease, including the advantages and disadvantages of using pesticides and best practice. Farms could also be utilised as test beds for agricultural students, with improved yields demonstrated in participating farms when students collaborate with farmers; > Provide support and accessible information regarding the process of acquiring business certificates and other necessary documentation for trading of produce, as well as business management practices such as marketing, accounting and supply chain management. This should include advice on how farmers can best position themselves to benefit from Wote’s agri-processing facilities (Section 4.3.1) and long-term contract farming (Action A7).

Due to social norms, discrimination or reduced participation in cooperatives, SIGs often lack access to information about training or extension services. In particular, remote farming communities can have difficulties attending training centres due to transport costs, mobility restrictions, or time availability.

In response to this, training initiatives should consider visiting local communities to provide training programmes, tailored to be culturally appropriate and relevant for the community’s practices. It is recommended that a cohort of young people are trained as peer educators for the Climate Smart Aggregation Centres, as individuals will be more likely to engage in training if developed by peers. Training a youth cohort (or a cohort of other SIGs) could also represent an opportunity for additional income. In addition, the location, timing and length of trainings should be compatible with women’s care and community responsibilities to encourage their participation.

A clear, well-designed communication strategy in a format and language accessible to all should be implemented to inform communities about training opportunities and the associated benefits in terms of increased production and revenues.

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Case Study 4-4: National Agricultural & Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP), Kenya5 NARIGP is a national government project, implemented through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation and the State Department for Crop Development, with funding support from the World Bank. Introduced in 21 counties, including Makueni, the project’s objective is to increase agricultural productivity and the profitability of identified priority value chains among selected smallholder farming communities. NARIGP also aims to provide an immediate and effective response to rural communities in the event of an eligible crisis or emergency.

One of the core goals of NARIGP is to support the strengthening of farming co-operatives and training institutions that help farmers and communities work together to improve productivity and value addition, and to achieve efficiency and economies of scale. Key activities include: (i) developing value chains and commercial agriculture; (ii) improving catchment management practices; (iii) promoting innovative technology, farming methods and sustainable agricultural practices that help target beneficiaries to improve efficiency and quality of their production; and (iv) complementing existing subsistence strategies that promote climate resilience with new measures such as efficient irrigation, drought and disease-tolerant crop varieties and erosion controls, as well as dissemination of climate information (e.g. seasonal and long-term forecasts).

NARIGP also aims to support County governments and other partners to strengthen their roles and capacity as enablers of community-led initiatives for farmers and vulnerable population, including integrating community-led interventions in County Integrated Development Planning (CIDP) and budgeting processes.

5 Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation (2018) National Agriculture and Rural Inclusive Growth Project: Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups Framework.

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A3: Introduce technology and extension services to improve resilience and productivity Sector productivity has been restricted by low adoption of appropriate modern technologies and the high costs of inputs and productive resources. As a result, there is a need for enhanced access to technologies and infrastructure that could increase sector resilience and productivity. Furthermore, existing unsustainable farming practices continue to damage Wote’s already fragile ecosystems, including issues with agrochemicals polluting water sources through run-off. In order to address these issues, there is a pressing requirement for the introduction of modern, sustainable technologies and management practices across the farming community. Building on the VBA model (see case study 4-5), it is envisioned that the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres will support the expansion of extension services, making use of the aggregation system that ensures regular visits to different farms or local centres, which can provide practical support on the effective implementation of climate-smart practices and technologies.

A viable option for the introduction of modern technology is the availability of communal resources, for instance through operationalisation of an agricultural resource centre at the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centre, which can be booked to use by cooperatives, thus reducing the upfront capital cost for individuals and encouraging collaboration.

With the Climate Smart Centre also facilitating access to credit, individual farmers can be supported to buy necessary inputs from trusted suppliers (as with the KCEP model), overcoming the problem of access to reliable sources of seed for climate-resilient crops, for example. This will particularly benefit SIGs, smallholder farmers and cultural minorities, and vulnerable groups who are disproportionally affected by the impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, it will be crucial to prioritise culturally appropriate and affordable options, or to provide financial and technical support to these groups.

Introducing climate-smart technologies can also represent employment opportunities for SIGs.

Appropriate technology and climate-smart management practices to consider include: > Crop varieties with increased resilience to climatic shocks and insufficient soil moisture, including promotion of drought resistant crops such as green grams and millet, which will reduce the vulnerability of the sector. This should incorporate intercropping to deliver a greater yield on a certain piece of land; > Improved livestock management practices, for instance fodder production and conservation for drought periods, as well as the adoption of local breeds with increased resilience to increasing temperatures and droughts.

More climate-resistant breeds are typically in a better position to fight diseases. For Makueni, small-scale farmers are encouraged to focus on indigenous livestock breeds, such as Maasai Zebu cattle or Galla goats. In addition, cross-breeding that is heat-stress and disease-tolerant is another option for improving livestock breeds and reducing mortality; > Rangeland reseeding accompanied by reduction, or temporary exclusion, of livestock numbers as appropriate to rehabilitate overgrazed rangelands and minimise land damage. Pastoralists are also encouraged to increase the practice of rotational grazing, which will minimise damage to land through overgrazing and reduce health risks; > Use of conservation land tillage by small-scale farmers to guard against poor yields and high production costs.

This involves any method of soil cultivation that leaves the previous year’s crop residue on fields after planting to reduce land degradation and runoff, supply additional organic matter for soil improvement, in addition to other benefits such as carbon sequestration. Animal-drawn or manual ploughs are also recommended for small plots to limit fuel emissions from tractors and reduce the costs associated with hiring equipment;

> Introduction of green houses, enabling farmers to diversify production and enhance resilience to climatic shocks.

Green houses are typically more effective in terms of water and nutrient management, as well as protection against pests and disease; > Support and development of micro AD technology at farms, which can generate gas and fertiliser from animal and human waste. This could include the introduction of simple and affordable systems like rubber-balloon biogas plants6. The produced gas can be recovered and used directly for cooking and lighting, while the nutrient-rich sludge can be utilised as a fertiliser; > Enhancing water availability through simple and affordable mechanisms, including dug wells on small plots and drip irrigation that can generate significant increases in water use efficiency; and > Renewable energy options, for instance solar energy at farm level to support small-scale activities such as irrigation, as described in Section 4.2.2.

Finance is a critical enabler for introducing climate-smart technology and management practices, with significant opportunities within the Climate Smart Centres to mobilise finance to accelerate the low-carbon transition in the agriculture and livestock sector. For instance, livestock credits could be introduced to the community for methane offsets, whereby farmers are paid for methane-reducing actions such as using high-quality feed or methane-inhibiting antibiotics. For such programmes to be successful, a trusting relationship will need to be developed between the farming community and facilitators of livestock credits, for example through training and workshops.

Case Study 4-5: Village-Based Advisors (VBA), Kenya The VBA model was designed by AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) in response to the decline in extension services to agriculture. The objective is to provide targeted and financially sustainable advisory services, based on regenerative and climate smart agriculture, which could be replicated throughout the agriculture sector.

Under the model, VBAs are chosen in consultation with other farmers, in most cases being leading farmers who are well trusted. The VBAs are given training on relevant agronomics (including fertiliser use, drought tolerant crops, improved varieties and irrigation methods), and are also linked to input companies (such as suppliers of seed, fertiliser, livestock and irrigation infrastructure).

The VBAs monetarise their role through commissions on sales of inputs, as well as through organising and aggregating sales of produce.

The model has been rolled out to three counties in Kenya, including Makueni, where it operates in three sub-counties: Makueni, Kaiti and Kibwezi West. There are plans to expand coverage. To date around 50,000 farmers in Kenya are registered with VBAs. Each VBA supports up to 700 farmers, through both visits in person and via AgriBot, a digital chat platform developed by Microsoft. The AgriBot allows VBAs a low cost means of providing support (including weather forecasts, price information and advice) to those farmers registered with them.

The VBA work in parallel with the County Extension Volunteers (CEV). While the CEVs are recruited by the County and paid a stipend, the VBAs are trained in agriculture and entrepreneurship and are leading the new Agriculture and Livestock Policy which promotes private sector engagement in extension service provision.

6 Tilley, E., Ulrich, L., Luethi, C., Reymond, P. and Zurbruegg, C. (2014) Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies. Dubendorf, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology.

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A4: Provide accessible and tailored climate information

4.2.1.5. Supporting Mechanisms and Capacity-building Interventions

The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) produces seasonal forecasts and advisories that are downscaled to the County-level and can be tailored to specific crops. There is, in general, a gap between producing the information, and ensuring that it can be properly interpreted and applied; understanding what action is sensible given a forecast of below average precipitation, for example. Progress is already being made in this area through the VBAs, CEVs and KCEP services, and the local Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres provide an opportunity to work further with KMD to support extension workers to carry out interpretation sessions for farmers around seasonal forecasts.

In order to best prepare the farming community of Wote, and the wider Makueni County, to benefit from the aggregation approach and In order to best prepare the farming community of Wote Municipality to benefit from the aggregation approach (section 4.2.1.1) and supporting services (section 4.2.1.4) proposed for the Climate Smart Centres, the following capacity-building interventions and soft initiatives should be implemented. These interventions can be adopted early in the implementation process to maximise the potential benefits of the Centres for the County’s agricultural and livestock producers, whilst also enhancing the resilience of the sector and improving inclusion of excluded groups.

Enhanced capacity to understand and use seasonal forecasts benefits both agri-processing VCs, as well as farmers, by allowing climate-informed decisions around planting and crop management, and thus reducing losses. KMD have previously run Participatory Scenario Processes (PSPs) targeted at specific crops in a number of different counties, and the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) also provides services to strengthen the use of agri-climatic information, both of which provide a good model to build on. The design of this service should explicitly consider the role of poor farmers and their ability to access, and act on, climate information. If coupled with services to improve farmers’ access to credit, the seasonal forecasts can be a trigger to invest in farm inputs that, for example, increase the ability to withstand below average rainfall conditions.

A5: Organise farmers into cooperatives to share resources and maximise benefits from the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres Wote Municipality has significant land available for agricultural and livestock production, including relatively fertile soils and substantial livestock resources. However, the sector is characterised by low productivity and subsistence farming, relying on traditional rain-fed methods with low utilisation of appropriate technologies and improved seed/ livestock varieties. The business consultation process highlighted that the cost of farming inputs is prohibitively high in Wote, and, in many cases, this results in farmers using poor quality inputs – particularly in regard to fertilisers, seeds, pest-management products and livestock feeds.

Furthermore, stakeholder engagement in Wote indicated that it is predominantly elder members of the community who own agricultural land and hold onto it to benefit from the products cultivated there, resulting in increased issues with access to land and conflict between generations regarding inheritance of ancestral land. In addition to these conflicts, restricted access to land poses further issues for acquiring loans or grants, due to a lack of individual collateral.

One primary intervention to support farmers in addressing the challenges associated with limited access to finance and land should be to promote existing cooperatives or the formation of new groups for small-scale farmers. The majority of farmers in the County are members of existing farming groups or cooperatives, however some still operate as individuals.

Crucially, enhancing the capacity and membership of existing cooperatives will allow farmers to maximise their benefits from the Climate Smart Aggregation Centres and establish communal resources and services through the anchor project, in turn reducing the upfront capital costs for members, and also fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing7. Sharing resources signifies a central component of the circular economy and climate-smart development, encouraging maximum utilisation of a single resource. Several elements of infrastructure, resources and services could be shared: > Equipment and infrastructure – including cold storage facilities, farming equipment and delivery vehicles.

Emerging digital technology platforms could be employed to enable this process. For example, the Hello Tractor platform, which is gaining prominence in Kenya, connects small-scale farmers to tractor owners to temporarily hire otherwise idle vehicles. The outcome is convenient and affordable tractor services for farmers and an additional income source for tractor owners8. > Resources and services – including the supply of agricultural inputs and delivery services, as well as knowledge sharing regarding best practices and business strategies like marketing, branding and price determination. Members could also profit from economies of scale relating to the transportation of produce to the County’s agri-processing facilities, markets and the Climate Smart Aggregation Centres.

7 FAO, Mobilizing Capital in Agricultural Service Cooperatives (1997).

8 The Borgen Project, Bringing African Farmers into the Digital Revolution (2019) Available at: https://borgenproject.org/tag/hello-tractor/ (Accessed: 12/02/2022).

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As discussed, the community of small-scale farmers in Wote have reported a lack of access to finance and agricultural land as a significant constraint to developing into commercial farming, as well as farming training initiatives.

This includes difficulties in obtaining loans or grants, in particular, when they have little to no collateral – such as land, capital or property deeds. Based on the GeSI findings, cooperatives should be actively encouraged to exclude ownership of land as a requirement for their membership, in turn providing small-scale farmers with a platform for accessing a reliable finance source that requires alternative forms of collateral, for instance via table banking schemes.

In order to address family conflicts over land, cooperatives could also consider running awareness workshops with entire households, with the potential for such meetings to be hosted at the local Climate Smart Aggregation Centres.

The Climate Smart Aggregation Centres incorporate inclusive options for facilitating access to agricultural insurance products. Prior to establishment of the Climate Smart Centres, another alternative option to maximise small-scale farmers’ access to inclusive and reliable finance is the formation of Village Savings and Lending Associations (VSLAs). Otherwise known as ‘chamas’, a VSLA comprises a collection of individuals (typically between 20 and 30) who collaborate to accumulate savings and take small loans from those savings. After a specified period, the accrued savings and the loan profits are shared amongst the group’s members.

This provides opportunities for farmers who may otherwise have limited or no access to conventional banking services that require collateral for credit accessibility. Several NGOs operating in Kenya have acknowledged the importance of VSLAs in generating a secure method of saving, as well as the opportunity to borrow on flexible terms and obtain affordable basic insurance. Consequently, several organisations are supporting VSLAs by building the capacity of members to operate their groups effectively (see case study 4-6), with the opportunity for existing cooperatives to join forces with such groups going forward.

To improve social inclusion within the sector, it will be critical for cooperatives to promote collaboration among SIGs and provide accessible information on available funds and how to access them, including the Tetheka Fund, the Women Enterprise Fund, the Uwezo Fund, and the Youth Enterprise Development Fund9. Cooperatives can also be organised to engage and progressively include SIGs in agricultural development activities and decision-making processes10.

Case Study 4-6: Joyful Women Organisation (JOYWO), Kenya Founded in 2009, JOYWO is a registered NGO with the mandate to promote the economic empowerment of women in Kenya and beyond through financial inclusion, collective agency, voice and influence. At present, the organisation includes a membership of over 100,000 women across all 47 counties, with each member situated within a local cooperative or community savings group.

The NGO’s flagship project has been the provision of financial resources to women to engage in livelihood projects by facilitating and promoting table banking.

Through this model, a group meets once a month and members save money, take loans from the contributions made and make repayments for loans taken. In order to be a member, the group must have between 10 and 20 participants, with at least 70% being women who are engaged in income generating activities.

JOYWO aims to strengthen and develop the skills of its member groups to adapt and thrive in the changing world, this includes periodical training on table banking, business and entrepreneurial skills, modern agricultural methods and access to government procurement opportunities, as well as developing linkages with financial institutions.

9 Chamasoft, Table Banking: The Concept of Table Banking (2015) Available at: https://blog. chamasoft.com/table-banking-the-concept-of-table-banking/ (Accessed: 28/10/2021).

10 Sifa, C.B., Role of Cooperatives in Agricultural Development and Food Security in Africa (2014) Available at: Role of cooperatives in agriculture in Africa (un.org) (Accessed: 28/10/2021).

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A6: Establish reliable water sources for farmers and pastoralists

Considering the future potential of the Thwake Dam, this should seek to incorporate the solar irrigation project (contained in Section 4.2.2) and further inclusive and affordable household-level interventions such as:

Changing weather patterns, particularly due to climate change, increasingly threaten the productivity of the agriculture and livestock sector in Wote and the wider region, which typically depends on rain-fed farming. Farmers have reported an increase in drought conditions and extreme heat in Makueni County and there is recognition that a combination of changes in rainfall, population growth, and deforestation have combined to reduce water availability. The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment study (Appendix D) demonstrates that this situation is likely to worsen over time. In the long term, the Thwake Dam mega project is a major opportunity to address several of these barriers in water supply and irrigation. Once construction is finished, the KES 82 billion dam is anticipated to supply Makueni County with fresh water, hydroelectric power and water for irrigation. If completed as planned, is anticipated that around 44,531 m3/day of water will be treated and supplied to Makueni on a daily basis, thus easing some of the problems associated with water scarcity in the County11. Phase four of construction will include the irrigation of areas both upstream, with the aid of water pumping, and downstream of the dam in Makueni and Kitui Counties, in turn enhancing agricultural output and therefore food security in the semi-arid regions. However, in the short and medium-term, interventions are required to help alleviate the pressing agricultural challenges associated with water scarcity arising within the Municipality.

> Sustainably planned community boreholes. Boreholes will increase farmers’ capacity to irrigate crops and provide drinking water to livestock in rural areas not served by the domestic water supply system;

The first step in addressing water scarcity should be the creation of a holistic water management strategy for Wote, taking account of climate change risks, the impact of sector activities on water quantity and quality, and the sector’s requirements, aligning these with the Municipality’s water needs.

11 The Star, Thwake Dam slowly takes shape with works 46% complete (2021) Available at: https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/eastern/2021-02-17-thwake-dam-slowly-takes-shapewith-works-46-complete/ (Accessed: 11/02/2022).

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> Properly constructed and covered dug wells on small plots like gardens for household drinking purposes; > Expanded use of soil conservation techniques.

The Livelihoods Fund focuses on land restoration to improve food security and conserve water resources12.

Soil moisture can also be preserved by encouraging the use of organic manure that enhances water retention capacity; > Insurance for farmers who adopt solar-power irrigation systems (SPIS) as part of the solar irrigation project (see 4.2.2.4). For instance, the Counties of Turkana and Isiolo encourage the uptake of financial and insurance facilities for purchase of SPIS13; and > Within the provision of climate-smart training at the Aggregation Centres (Action A4), suitable training and guidance should also be available for farmers and agro-pastoralists regarding the use of irrigation and crop management techniques to improve yields.

12 Farming First, Smallholder Resilience Starts with Soils (2018) Available at: https:// farmingfirst.org/2018/05/why-increasing-smallholder-resilience-starts-with-soils/ (Accessed: 11/02/2022).

13 Panafricare, Building Irrigation Infrastructure in Turkana, Kenya (2021) Available at: https://panafricarekenya.org/1144/building-irrigation-infrastructure-in-turkana-kenya/ (Accessed: 12/02/2022).

Such interventions should be promoted through the farmer groups and cooperatives outlined in Action A1 to encourage social inclusion, as well as the Climate Smart Aggregation Centres. This should be accompanied by initiatives such as changing farmer groups and associations’ membership requirements and developing awareness sessions to promote SIGs’ participation in decision-making processes and enhancing their access to information.

Organisations such as Kenya Integrated Water Sanitation and Hygiene Programme and the AfDB’s Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Programme have already introduced similar measures elsewhere in Kenya. Currently there are limited local NGO initiatives targeting reliable water sources in Wote, however this presents an opportunity for local farming groups to be directly involved in designing and implementing interventions that will maximise benefits for the Municipality’s farming and pastoralist community.

4.2.2 Climate Resilient Infrastructure Projects 4.2.2.1. Project 1: Aggregation Accessibility Network Model Project Overview Wote’s agriculture sector is dominated by small-scale farming.

These farms are dispersed across the region, and farmers rarely organize around input or output markets and other agricultural services such as transport and warehousing.

Roads to farm areas are usually unpaved and in poor conditions which impacts on market accessibility and affects quality of produce during transit. This translates into high transport costs of inputs and outputs leading to expensive produce. To reduce these costs, aggregation of farms and farms produce through a collection network can aid reduce these costs and can create a platform for farmers to thrive. The proposed aggregation facility to be located in Kwa Kathoka is expected to be a focal point for delivery of aggregation and farmer extension service. The site is located southwest of Wote, close to the Wote - Makindu road which provides connectivity to key centres such as Wote, Kathonzweni and Makindu. To the north, the site is served by an unpaved road which connects to Kwa Mutune where it joins a planned new road that links to Thwake Dam and the surrounding agricultural productive areas planned to be placed under irrigation.

The aggregation hub would be supported by a network of local collection centres where produce would be collected, packed and dispatched to markets and processors, and farm inputs (seeds, feed, fertiliser, etc.) would be picked by farmers.

The local centres could comprise existing collection centres many of which are underutilised and markets, which already serve as natural points for aggregation. In addition, areas such as Thwake (particularly after the completion of the Thwake irrigation scheme) and related locations along Galana river are set to be significant source of produce and the collection network could be expanded to include these areas.

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Poor roads limit the ability of extension agents to reach farmers and farmers to reach markets. It will be important to consider roads and aggregation services simultaneously due to strong complementarities between them. The aggregation centre services around advice and training on farming practices, and improved access to finance and insurance would enable farmers to capitalize on market access. While improvement to rural roads connectivity would facilitate the access to the services, reduce transport costs and increase access to market opportunities that further incentivize the take up of the farmer advisory services.

The map in Figure 4-6 shows the roads assessed to be part of the accessibility network connecting the aggregation hub and dispersed collection centres. Based on current conditions a subset of these roads need improvement to support movement of about 100,000 tonnes of produce per year to the aggregation hub which would equate to around 50 to 60 truck movements per day. Priority should be placed on first developing the network to the collection centres currently being developed at Kalongo, Kavuthu and Kalawani together with targeted improvements to sections of the network in poor condition particularly along the access road to ATC site. The ATC access road is earth but access is frequently maintained.

Improvements are required where condition is poor and should be considered for paving along the entire stretch.

The aggregation hub would be operating its own logistics in the first instance to build the network of farmers and guarantee quality control of the produce. In the long run, there could be potential to outsource the distribution and logistics operations to a third-party logistics partner that can consolidate orders with those of other clients to offer more efficient services at reduced rates.

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Figure 4-6 – Current condition of road network between Makueni ATC centre and existing collection centres

Figure 4-7 - Current pavement status between Makueni ATC centre and existing collection centres Current pavement status between Makueni ATC centre and existing collection centres

Source: Atkins analysis

Source: Atkins analysis

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Location Focus Area 3 Wote Aggregation Centre and Municipal wide.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project is not linked to any existing projects; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the climate smart aggregation centre and the improved linkages to northern corridor and Solar refrigeration climate resilient infrastructure projects; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency and sustainability.

Category > Capital investment: improving existing

Table 4-4 – Project 1 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Improvement of network to provide all weather access › Improvement of 70 km of earth roads › Improvement of 10 km of paved roads › Upgrade of 70 km of earth roads to low volume sealed roads

› Improvements to earth roads KES 455 million › Improvement to paved roads KES 130 million › Upgrade of earth roads 4.55 billion › Total cost = KES 5.135 billion

› Improved access to basic services and markets › Reduced post-harvest losses › Reduce transport cost › Improve quality, through sorting and storing › Improved productivity through increased access to information, inputs and markets

› Funding through development partners › County budget allocations and relevant road authorities › Maintenance through Kenya Road Board – Road Maintenance Fuel Levy Fund (RMLF)

› Assessment performed based on spatial analysis of network, and would need to be validated through community prioritization › Key stakeholders impacted by road improvements that need to be consulted include Farmers and farmer cooperatives, businesses and local communities

Table 4-5 – Project 1 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Road investments need to be sensitive to diverse community needs and avoid perception of favouritism.

Incomplete information on rural road network coverage, condition and traffic data

Short to medium-term.

Cost benefit analysis needed

Improvements to road sections in fair to poor condition can be done in the short term with focus on connection to the collection centres In the medium term, earth roads should be graded to low volume sealed roads based on growth of traffic.

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SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations This project will improve agricultural resilience to climate change by providing reliable collection and transport of farm produce to markets. As mentioned above, the aggregation centre will require a strong road network to be effective, so ideally the roads used should undergo upgrades in both road surface and drainage to ensure they remain passable during high temperature and heavy rainfall events. Staff involved in improving the road network are likely to be exposed to high temperatures when working and so appropriate measures to manage the risk of heat stress should be included, such as providing shade and taking regular breaks.

Social inclusion recommendations Consultation has indicated that poor quality roads, costs of transportation and lack of access to information are significant barriers when accessing agricultural markets. Better roads can have significant social and economic benefits, such as contributing to alleviating poverty, increasing agricultural production (e.g.: by contributing to reduce post-harvest losses), reducing transport costs, and providing or increasing access to employment opportunities, markets, education, health services, and recreation spaces.

To maximise social benefits for SIGs, however, it is recommended to: > Consider principles of universal design for the development of collection centres, considering accessibility and safety issues. For example, ensure there is step-free access, and good lighting within the facilities and surrounding area. > Prioritise the employment of local communities for the construction and maintenance of roads. Ensure employment opportunities associated to the operation of the collection centre are available to all, deploying a non-discriminatory, transparent process.

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Case Study 4-7

4.2.2.2. Project 2: Targeted Rural Access Interventions – River Kaiti Crossings Project Overview

Twiga Foods Limited Collection Centre, Kenya14 Twiga Foods Collection Centre is an aggregation point for all produce Twiga harvests from the farms around a given area. The centre is a shaded facility fitted with a 40ft container for storage of crates and produce, a cemented space for sorting and grading, office space, parking spaces, and utilities such as power, water and ablution blocks as shown below. The facility has enough parking to accommodate parking for boda bodas, small vans and tractors, that bring produce from farm as well as heavy goods vehicle turning. It is from the collection centre, that produces are then loaded into a heavy goods vehicle (40ft) and transported to Twiga’s Warehouse Facility in Nairobi for storage, further sorting and dispatch to the local vendors.

The first stage of agriculture produce movement from farm to roadside, and finally market can be the most expensive especially where the terrain is difficult and there are no reliable roads. This is particularly pronounced along River Kaiti, a major natural barrier to connectivity in Wote with limited crossing opportunities. The only crossings over the waterway are provided by a bridge along Machakos – Wote road at the main gateway into Wote and along B107, which connects to Kalamba. The challenge to movement is prominent near activity nodes where the river often constrains movement between markets on one side and farm areas on the other. Drifts are typically provided at such locations which not only serve as crossings but also act to retain subsurface water upstream, stabilize the riverbed and control gullying and rutting and make it easier to divert water for irrigation from the surface of the riverbed. However, they are often prone to flood damage whenever it rains and are periodically swept away during the rains.

Improving critical crossings over the River Kaiti can support farmers with better access to markets, reduce transport costs and post-harvest loss. Two priority crossing locations are identified which would have an immediate impact to agricultural productivity and market access. These locations are at Kilala and Kaiti Sand beach hotel. Kilala, is a market centre where many farmers south of the River Kaiti bring their produce for sale. The centre is close to the Machakos - Wote road from where products can be transported to the aggregation centre and regional markets. At Kaiti Sand beach hotel, the link road from the north of the Wote is interrupted at the river crossing cutting off connectivity to the town.

The new bridge crossings can foster better connectivity for the movement of goods and people, lowering the cost of transport and boosting trade. Both crossings form part of the accessibility network to the Wote ATC aggregation hub and their development would strengthen access to the hub.

14 Medium, Photo blog: How Twiga Foods created efficient logistics for banana farmers in rural areas (2018). Available at: https://medium.com/twigatech/photoblog-how-twiga-foods-creates-efficient-logistics-for-banana-farmers-in-rural-areasa1bddf9dff02, (Accessed: 07/03/2022).

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Figure 4-8 – Kaiti River crossings

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Location Municipality / County wide

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project is not linked to any existing projects; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the climate smart aggregation centre and aggregation accessibility network model climate resilient infrastructure project; and

Table 4-6 – Project 2 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Construction of two bridge crossings (each 100m long) over Kaiti River

› Capital cost for each bridge KES 325 million › Total Cost = KES 650 million

› Improved access to markets and services

› Funding through development partners › County budget allocations and relevant road authorities › Maintenance through Kenya Road Board – Road Maintenance Fuel Levy Fund (RMLF)

› Assessment performed based on spatial analysis of network, and would need to be validated through community prioritization › Key stakeholders impacted by road improvements that need to be consulted include Farmers and farmer cooperatives, businesses and local communities

> Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency and sustainability.

Category > Capital investment: New

Table 4-7 – Project 2 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Flooding risk

Lack of data on volume of traffic and goods transiting at crossing

Short-term and can be paired with planned upgrade to adjoining road sections

Securing funding

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SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations Improved connectivity between farmers, aggregation centres and markets are key to improving agricultural resilience.

There is a risk of flash flooding in Wote as a result of heavy rainfall which can cause structural damage and bank erosion.

Bridges should be designed to accommodate high river flows plus a degree of uncertainty for climate change and should be designed to avoid blockages from debris. The fixtures and fittings used in the design should also be able to withstand periods of extreme temperature.

Social inclusion recommendations As explained above, roads can have significant social and economic benefits, being fundamental for the development of rural and remote communities. Road construction, maintenance and rehabilitation can also become income-generating and employment opportunities for local communities.

Case Study 4-8: Bridging the Gap Africa15 Rural isolation is often cited as a root cause of poverty.

Connecting communities to essential education, healthcare facilities and economic opportunity is one of the cornerstones of social development and genuinely life-changing. Bridging the Gap Africa (BtGA) is an organization that assists communities in Kenya with bridge-building. It combines community participation with local volunteers, collaborating with them in every phase of a bridge building project. This usually includes the sourcing of material, raising funds for construction and providing technical expertise and financial assistance throughout the process. Once the footbridge is complete, BtGA celebrates the community’s achievement with an opening ceremony wherein the bridge is officially commissioned and owned by the village.

These bridges empower communities, transforming previously impassable rivers and providing villagers access to more opportunities.

To maximise social benefits for SIGs, however, it is recommended to:

4.2.2.3. Project 3: Solar Refrigeration Systems Project Overview Post-harvest and post-catch losses are a significant problem across the agricultural sector. For agricultural produce, cold stores can extend the shelf life of perishable food by between 2 and 21 days, reducing post-harvest losses by up to 80% and increasing small farmers’ income by 25%16.

There are three large cold storage facilities currently close to completion. They are located in Kalawani, Kalongo and Kavuthu, so will primarily serve the north-west of the County.

There are also over 43 produce aggregation centres across the County that are run by the Department of Agriculture, but only around 5% of them are still working.

This infrastructure project aims to provide solar powered cold stores in agricultural hub locations to support local farmers who currently have no access to cold storage and therefore lose part or all of their product due to spoilage. This may include Wote ATC and also may involve some of the existing aggregation centres noted above.

Modular solar-powered cold stores are becoming popular in small farming communities where grid electricity is not available or expensive. They work on a subscription model whereby farmers pay a flat daily rate for each crate of food they store (about KES 5 per kg). Some providers use mobile phone apps to communicate to farmers about the availability of space in the store and to process payments. The revenue created goes towards maintenance of the facility and employment of a facility manager. Many providers target job creation for women.

> Consider climate resilience recommendations for the design of roads is fundamental to ensure the security of local communities’ livelihoods and access to social infrastructure. > Prioritise the employment of local communities for the construction and maintenance of roads.

This project will provide a number of small, solar-powered cold stores (a half to full-size shipping container) that will act as hubs to local farmers who currently have no access to refrigeration services. All farmers can use the facilities whether they are linked to the VCs or not.

15 Bridging the Gap Africa, Home page (2022). Available at: https://www.bridgingthegapafrica. org/, (Accessed: 07/03/2022).

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16 Cold Hubs, Cold Hubs solution and social impact (2022). Available at: https://www. coldhubs.com/, (Accessed: 01/03/2022).

This project has several proposed components: > The size and location of the facilities will be based on determining the following: > number, size and location of arable farms and livestock holdings and their seasonal outputs, the current status of their storage facilities and refrigeration needs, and current produce sales practices; > Preparation of designs for solar refrigeration systems as well as a procurement and deployment plan; > Selection of land and deployment of systems to selected locations; to include construction of facility, roll-out of payment mechanism, selection, and training of managers; and > Capacity building with selected locals to ensure maintenance and operation of systems.

Location The locations of these projects will be determined by a feasibility study. The initial emphasis will be to provide cold stores to the areas of highest needs and equip some of the existing Department of Agriculture aggregation centres where this is feasible.

Table 4-8 – Project 3 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Establishment of needs for solar refrigeration systems › Preparation of design brief for refrigeration systems › Development of procurement and deployment plan › Develop training plan, for management, operation and maintenance

› Cold stores › Benchmark: KES 750,000 per system › 35 systems planned › Total cost = KES 26.25 million

› Reduced produce spoilage leading to higher revenues for small farmers. Ability of farmers to sell direct to local communities › Employment opportunities for women and other SIGs

› Donor funding is available from numerous sources, including Self Help Africa and AGRA › Public sector funding may be available from the central government via the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries

› Site selection – Municipality with assistance from national agricultural specialists › Equipment selection – Municipality with assistance from cold chain specialists › Construction and implementation - Municipality › Operation and maintenance – responsibility of Municipality

Table 4-9 – Project 3 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Obtaining comprehensive data on current situation

Limited knowledge of current situation

Short-term for completion of needs assessment, system design.

Obtaining funding for initial construction

Short to mid-term for implementation.

Developing business model to ensure long term sustainability

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project does not link to any other existing project; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the juice bottling/canning VC and climate smart aggregation centre; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency and sustainability.

Category > Feasibility Study > Capital investment: new

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SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations This project contributes to both climate change and social inclusion objectives. There are clear resilience benefits to this project which targets small farmers who currently suffer losses in potential earnings, and adverse effects on their livelihoods. Women and other SIGs are particularly affected by the lack of access to storage opportunities, often having significant post-harvest losses or being forced to sell their produce when market prices are lower. As both extreme, and average, temperatures in Wote have increased, and will continue to do so under all emissions scenarios, the incidence of high temperatures causing products to spoil is likely to increase. Providing cold chain solutions that are powered by renewable energy and which target small-scale farmers will help increase their resilience to climate change, and as such strengthen their livelihoods.

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Recommendations

Climate Finance Options

> The site location of the storage hubs will need to be resilient to increased rainfall and risk of flooding. Accessible infrastructure e.g., step-free storage facilities, should be considered.

Access to climate finance increases the capacity of projects to deliver climate mitigation and adaptation actions. There are a range of specialised funds and instruments available which could provide a source of finance for this project, including:

> Ensure communication strategies about the availability of space in the store are available and accessible to all people, particularly to SIGs and SIGs organisations engaging in agriculture; > Ensure the employment opportunities associated to the project, such as maintenance staff, and a facility manager, are available for SIGs and other disadvantaged groups. > Lack of affordability is also one of the main constraints for inclusion of SIGs in these initiatives. Consequently, it would be important to promote and include SIGs groups and associations, and to provide affordable storage facilities.

> Green Climate Fund (GCF) > The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) > Clean Technology Fund (CTF) > Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) > Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) > Africa Regional Climate and Nature Programme (ARCAN) Section 5.5 provides more information about available climate funds in Wote.

Case Study 4-9: Solar cold stores in Wakatobi and Pacitan, Indonesia17 Contained Energy successfully developed and deployed stand-alone, off-grid, 100% solar-powered cold storage facilities with thermal energy storage technology in combination with ultra-efficient compressor packages.

The 20 m3 unit was designed to keep 500 kg of fish at -2ºC, with the capacity of adding and cooling 200 kg of ‘un-iced’ fish per day (for a total cooling load of 30 kWh per day).

It is powered by a 6.4 kW solar array backed up by a relatively small 10 kWh valve regulated lead-acid battery bank.

The unique feature of the system is that it deploys a large volume of Phase Change Material in the ceiling, capable of storing and releasing 15 kWh of cooling capacity at -4ºC. This thermal energy storage technology allows the compressor package to do most of its ‘cooling work’ during the day, when the solar power is available, saving a substantially larger quantity of battery storage that would otherwise be required. The cold storage helps local fishermen to keep their catch fresh for longer once they have returned from fishing.

4.2.2.4 Project 4: Solar Irrigation Project Overview This infrastructure project aims to provide solar irrigation pumps and systems to local farmers, potentially numbering 2,000, and particularly smaller scale farmers who currently have irregular or no access to water supplies, or who are currently paying an unsustainable amount for water, and who will not be served by the the main sand dams found along River Kaiti. The project is also intended to support farmers who are waiting for the implementation of the irrigation phase of Thwake Dam or those who will not feel the full benefits of the large-scale project due to their location in relation to the dam.

This will support all farmers, not just those growing crops that support the SUED agri-processing VCs. This will make irrigation easier and affordable and so it should improve the economics for farmers. It is proposed that a combination of new boreholes and a sand dam along the river which passes through Kalamba, running near to Focus area 2, is constructed to supply the water needed for the irrigation systems. A feasibility study will need to be conducted in order to ascertain the most appropriate location for a sand dam as well as assess the impacts of a new sand dam along the river in order to limit environmental degradation of downstream environments. The utilisation of rainwater harvesting should also be explored as a method of supplying water for the irrigation systems. Water abstraction needs to be monitored to ensure sustainability of ground and river water supplies.

The proposal is to provide pumping kits that i) pump water through an above-ground distribution network, where the farmer has adequate rainwater storage, but gravity irrigation will not work, or ii) pump water up from a borehole, or the new sand dam, where the farmer does not have any rainfall water storage, or iii) do both.

This project has several proposed components: > A baselining exercise to determine the number of agricultural and livestock holdings, their irrigation needs, and the current status of their irrigation facilities; > A study to determine the status of the groundwater resources and sustainable extraction rates > Establishment of the agricultural holdings that would benefit from a solar irrigation system, then preparation of designs for solar irrigation systems as well as a procurement and deployment plan; > Deployment of systems to selected agricultural holdings; > Capacity building with selected farmers to ensure maintenance of systems.

This project is intended to improve the output of local micro, small and medium-sized farms by providing them with a consistent water supply for crop irrigation and also to improve their finances by reducing costs associated with the provision of water. It will simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with irrigation by utilising solar power.

17 FAO, Renewable energy and reducing food loss and waste in fish value chains (2020).

Available at: https://www.fao.org/flw-in-fish-value-chains/flw-in-fish-value-chainsresources/ articles/renewable-energy-and-reducing-food-loss-and-waste-in-fish-value-chains/es/, (accessed: 28/02/2022).

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Location The project will be located around Focus area 2 to support the farming activities associated with the proposed VC. There is potential to implement the project across the County to support small to medium scale farmers that are currently not served by the electricity or water utilities or where provision of these services is currently expensive for the farmer.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project links to the desire to implement irrigation in order to support faming is a goal set out in the Makueni County Vision 2025 and other local planning documents. > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with juice bottling/canning VC; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency and sustainability.

Category > Feasibility study / design / piloting > Capital investment: new

Table 4-10 – Project 4 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Mapping of ownership of all local agricultural and livestock holdings and their irrigation needs, current status of their irrigation facilities. › Review of abstraction volumes from each borehole to ensure sustainability of water resources. › Establishment of needs for solar irrigation and borehole systems. › Preparation of design brief for boreholes / sand dam / irrigation systems. › Development of procurement and deployment plan. › Preparation of a Maintenance plan.

› Benchmark: KES 75,000 per system18. › Actual: KES 150 m based on max 2,000 systems. › Total cost = KES 150 million.

› Consistent service provision for farmers with no powered irrigation. › Lower costs for farmers where current system is on grid. › Reduced carbon emissions associated with agricultural sector. › Supporting small and medium farmers.

› Donor funding is available from numerous sources, including small-scale irrigation and value addition project run by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program19. › Public sector funding may be available from the central government via funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.

› Site selection – Wote Municipality with assistance from national agricultural specialists. › Equipment selection, construction and implementation – Wote Municipality with assistance from irrigation specialists. › Operation and maintenance – responsibility of the smallholder recipients.

Table 4-11 – Project 4 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Effort needed to obtain comprehensive data on current situation

No knowledge of current situation

Short to medium-term

Obtaining funding Finding appropriate locations for new boreholes and sand dam to source a sustainable supply of water

The project should be established in the short-term around Focus area 2 in order to support the juice bottling/canning VC. The project can later be expanded to the wider County area in the medium-term

18 FAO, The benefits and risks of solar-powered irrigation – a global overview (2018), Available at: https://www.fao.org/3/I9047EN/i9047en.pdf, (Accessed 09/02/2022 19 GAFSP, Small-Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project (2022), Available at: https://www.gafspfund.org/projects/small-scale-irrigation-and-value-addition-project-sivap, (Accessed: 09/02/2022).

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SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations Provision of an irrigation system increases resilience against unreliable rainfall and can be used in combination with irrigation scheduling which can help farmers achieve higher water productivity. The use of energy efficient and renewable energy pumps has clear climate mitigation benefits by not contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and the consequent impacts on air quality and public health. The solar pumps will need to be operationally resilient to periods of extreme temperatures. As mentioned above, abstraction from the proposed water sources will need to be monitored to ensure they remain viable and sustainable in the long term. There is a risk of flash flooding from periods of intense rainfall and so flood risk assessments should be carried out to ensure the proposed locations of the solar irrigation systems are resilient to flooding.

Climate Finance Options Access to climate finance increases the capacity of projects to deliver climate mitigation and adaptation actions. There are a range of specialised funds and instruments available which could provide a source of finance for this project, including: > Green Climate Fund (GCF) > The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) > Clean Technology Fund (CTF) > Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) > Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) > Africa Regional Climate and Nature Programme (ARCAN) Section 5.5 provides more information about available climate funds in Wote.

Social inclusion recommendations

Case Study 4-10

Improving the financial sustainability of agriculture could provide significant improvements to the livelihoods of the local agriculture community. An expanding sector could lead to increased employment opportunities across the community.

Valle family farm, Matagalpa, Nicaragua20

To maximise benefits for SIGs, however, issues such as access to technologies should be considered. Recent studies have indicated that women (and possibly other SIGs) are less likely to practice irrigation and those who do, usually deploy labour intensive methods. Women often lack access to this type of opportunities due to restricted mobility, low literacy levels, and competing community and domestic obligations.

Recommendation: > Ensure irrigation opportunities and information are available for SIGs, and specifically target SIGs groups, by including them in communication strategies, consulting their preferences, and involving them in training.

Grid Alternatives International Program has been helping farmers in Nicaragua with sustainable irrigation solutions for the last 5 years. One such solution helped the Valle family of Matagalpa. They grew squash, passionfruit and tomatoes on two acres of land to sell at the local market but had trouble making a profit due to high irrigation costs. The average monthly electricity bill to run their pump was as much as the equivalent of KES 3,300, but their income was only US$ 103 (KES10,300). Also, the supply quality was poor, meaning they could only irrigate on three days instead of every day. Other expenditure reduced their earnings to KES 2,500 per month.

Working with Grid Alternatives and local company Suni Solar, they installed a solar irrigation system. The total cost was US$ 10,000 (KES 1,000,000), but the Valle family was only asked to pay US$ 2,000 (KES 200,000) which they financed via Unión Nacional de Agricultores y Ganaderos, a national agricultural organisation. Two solar panels power a pump that abstracts water from a nearby river into a cement tank and to a gravity-fed pole mount system that drips onto the plants. With adequate water supply to the plants, they can now irrigate other crops, including onions, pipian and pasturage and raise tilapia. They increased their livestock from 8 cows to 12 cows, and also use the water for domestic purposes, whereas previously they had to walk to the community well to get drinking water. Their monthly electricity bill is now US$ 3 (KES 300), whilst their monthly earnings have now increased to US$ 546 (KES 54,600).

20 Grid Alternatives, Solar drip irrigation case study – The Valle family (2022), Available at: https://gridalternatives.org/sites/default/files/International%20 Valle%20irrigation%20case%20study.pdf, (Accessed: 09/02/2022).

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4.3 Agri-Processing and Manufacturing Sector Action Plan Agri-processing has been recognised as a key development sector within Kenya, with the aim of creating 200,000 new jobs and a tripling of production, with higher values on the global market signifying a key incentive. While still representing a relatively small contribution to the County GCP, Wote’s emerging agri-processing and manufacturing sector has grown significantly in recent years. This is primarily due to the development of major agri-processing facilities like the flagship Makueni Fruit Processing Plant, as well as Kathonzweni Milk Processing Plant and Makueni Ginnery.

Indeed, one of the core goals of Makueni County’s economic development strategy is the promotion of value-addition and industrialisation, focusing on the processing and conversion of extracted raw materials and agricultural produce, with the long-term objective of thriving export-oriented trade.

The potential for the commercialisation of Makueni County’s agricultural produce, given its location in relation to major consumption cities like Nairobi and Mombasa, is considerable.

Investing in the agri-processing and manufacturing sector offers potential for value addition and the upscaling of the agriculture and livestock sector in Wote, which would enable producers to generate and retain increased value locally, limit the volume of waste caused by overproduction at certain times of season, and guarantee even revenues for producers throughout the year. However, as demonstrated in Table 4-12, there are a number of constraints that need to be overcome in order for the sector to develop sustainably, including the existing scale of production, low technology adoption, access to finance and limited technical support.

From the Diagnostic Report analysis, the following key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats have been established. These were used to determine the actions proposed in the following section.

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Table 4-12 – Agri-Processing and Manufacturing SWOT Strengths

Weaknesses

› Increased development in Wote’s agri-processing sector in recent years, including the flagship Makueni Fruit Processing Plant. › Substantial volumes of core agriculture and livestock commodities that could support development of agri-processing activities. › Reduces issue of oversupply for farmers, particularly during rainy seasons, which was cited as a key problem during consultation. › Limits potential opportunities for exploitation of farmers by brokers and middlemen.

› Limited access to finance, including small manufacturers lacking the leverage to upgrade capital and employ technologies. › Low availability of skilled labour and limited technical support for existing businesses. › Inadequate cold storage points and collection catchment areas, as well as poor road infrastructure, resulting in input waste. › High cost of production and utilities like energy constrain profits, exacerbated by costly taxation and regulations.

Opportunities

Threats

› Potential for development of various value-addition activities to support agricultural producer incomes and provide employment. › Considerable opportunities for trade and commercialisation of agrI-processing, given Makueni’s location with regards to key food consumption cities (Nairobi and Mombasa). › ASTGS identifies Makueni as being eligible for three major flagship projects, including the development of agri-processing hubs.

› Extreme temperatures and rainfall variability impact crop production and yields, with knock-on impacts for agri-processing inputs. › Increasing need for skilled labour across the sector, which will limit production potential and constrain any future growth. › Competition with established processing sites in neighbouring counties and beyond. Infrastructure gaps make production less efficient/more expensive in comparison.

Source: Atkins analysis

While the Makueni Processing Plant has demonstrated the viability of the agri-processing sector in the County, including buyers in Ethiopia and Egypt, stakeholder engagement suggested that surpluses still remain high during the mango and orange season. Middlemen often take advantage of the situation and buy the fruits from farmers at a lower cost.

To address such issues, the Sector Action Plan (outlined in Table 4-13) should be viewed as a practical sequence of actions to support the development of the agri-processing and manufacturing sector, taking account of the Municipality’s existing strengths and weaknesses. The individual actions are presented in detail at each stage, including several best practice case studies to exemplify how these schemes can be implemented effectively within Wote Municipality.

The Plan commences with the soft initiatives, training and capacity-building interventions (Section 4.3.2) recommended to best position the emerging sector to benefit from the inclusive and climate resilient infrastructure proposals (Section 4.3.4) and the anchor project Agri-Processing in Kalamba, which are proposed to enable sector growth across the County.

The VC opportunity of juice bottling/canning is presented as a potential pilot scheme for the sector to catalyse climate-smart development (Section 4.3.3). Crucially, Makueni County is endowed with a diverse selection of agro-ecological zones, which support a range of agricultural production. As such, there is scope for development of several new VCs, which would likely reduce post-harvest losses and in turn support key livelihoods and increase resilience to climate change.

Table 4-13 – Agri-Processing and Manufacturing Action Plan Economic ambitions

Actions

› Enhanced value addition and commercialisation of agricultural / livestock produce › Improved access to finance and focused technical support › Inclusion of SIGs, particularly youth, women and PWD

4.3.1. Soft initiatives, training and capacity-building A7: Establish a strategic plan of contract farming to ensure a reliable supply of inputs for agriprocessing and manufacturing A8: Develop a joined-up education and training strategy tailored to the sector A9: Provide enhanced access to local entrepreneurs and the local labour force A10: Promote an inclusive approach to the development of agri-processing and manufacturing A11: Undertake a market study and increase marketing of products through an Export Board 4.3.2. Wote Value Addition 4.3.3. Value chain opportunity: Juice Bottling/Canning 4.3.4. Climate resilient infrastructure projects Project 5: Industrial Access Road Upgrade: Road Upgrade and Junction Improvements Project 6: Improved Water, Wastewater and Drainage for Agri-processing at Kalamba Project 7: Solar Power for Agri-processing at Kalamba

Source: Atkins analysis

Due to the inherently interrelated nature of the identified key economic sectors of Agriculture and Livestock and Trade and Services with the Agri-Processing and Industry Sector, the interventions outlined are also likely to have significant potential for specific benefits for the other sectors and vice versa.

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4.3.1

Soft Initiatives, Training and Capacity Building

This section outlines the soft initiatives, training and capacity building interventions proposed to enhance the productivity and resilience of the sector, improve inclusion of excluded groups and increase the value addition and commercialisation of produce. Ultimately, the aim of these initiatives is to position the sector so that it can maximise the potential benefits of the recommended climate resilient infrastructure projects (Section 4.3.4), the anchor project Agri-Processing at Kalamba, and the identified VC opportunity of juice bottling/canning (Section 4.3.3). While not a definitive roadmap, the initiatives are presented in a logical sequence for implementation, starting with actions that can be introduced immediately and following through to longer-term interventions.

A7: Establish a strategic plan of contract farming to ensure a reliable supply of inputs for agri-processing and manufacturing In order to develop a commercially viable agri-processing sector in Wote Municipality, there needs to be a continuous and reliable supply of agricultural produce to existing and future agri-processing facilities. In addition, the local farming community will require evidence of guaranteed demand and a consistent market to diversify their production to include more resilient crops or livestock varieties. As a result, an initial step to driving sector growth should be to establish a strategic plan to ensure inputs of an appropriate quality and quantity can be delivered on a regular basis, in turn facilitating the production of a stable and commercially viable volume of output from Wote’s agri-processors.

One intervention could involve agri-processers and manufacturers establishing contracts and partnerships with local farmers. There is significant potential for the development of contract farming arrangements, whereby a buyer (for instance, an agri-processor or agri-industrial company) engages in a fixed long-term agreement with a farmer to purchase a set quantity of product at a specific price, thus establishing a steady level of supply-demand21. Farmers are therefore provided with a guaranteed long-term buyer for their produce at a stable price, in turn reducing produce waste. Contract farming will ensure a stable and timely supply of inputs to the agri-processing and manufacturing sector through the proposed aggregation network (Section 4.2.1), with the required quantity and quality of inputs produced.

However, compliance can present a significant constraint for contract farming, largely due to the inadequate existing legal framework22. Therefore, creation of a County-level compliance framework would ensure trust from both parties, including exhibiting legal and institutional support for farmers, thus supporting them to engage in contract farming in future.

To ensure maximum production, it is vital that agricultural produce is transported to agri-processing facilities efficiently, and without being spoiled or damaged. This will be the role of the proposed network of local aggregation centres (Section 4.2.1) in collecting, packing and distributing produce on behalf of farmers. The collection centres would serve to aggregate several agricultural products and provide some pre-processing before delivery for further processing, for instance through grading, sorting, drying or fermenting.

21 FAO, Contract Farming: Partnerships for Growth, FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin 145 (2001).

22 Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Contract Farming Handbook: A Practical Guide for Linking Small-Scale Producers and Buyers (2013).

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Crucially, a continuous supply of agricultural inputs is redundant if the supply is deemed to be of poor quality or unsuitable for processing. In line with this, the proposed Climate Smart Aggregation Centres could also contain an integrated quality control centre for assessing the agricultural inputs being transported through the centre.

The expansion and capacity building of agri-processing at Kalamba could also incorporate technical assistance services for agri-processing businesses, in particular relating to food safety and nutritional advice. This includes the potential for processors to utilise the facility to undertake a range of analytical services on their products, including nutritional analysis for labelling of products and determining shelf-life (see case study 4-11).

A8: Develop a joined-up education and training strategy tailored to the sector The business consultation process in Wote identified that, despite expansion in access to education and training, enterprises in the agri-processing and manufacturing sector struggle to find a suitable workforce with the appropriate technical and core work skills, identifying a lack of a skilled labour force as a key constraint to growth. In particular, this related to a lack of training with regards to machine operation and maintenance. This presents an opportunity to strengthen and coordinate training initiatives through the proposed Climate Smart Aggregation Centres and Agri-Processing at Kalamba to ensure that the appropriate skills are developed to meet the requirements of Wote’s growing agri-processors and manufacturers.

The existing weak linkages between training providers and industry has resulted in poor work-based learnings and weak apprenticeship/internship programmes for trainees.

Consequently, development of a joined-up education and training strategy for agri-processing would comprise a programme of initiatives that incorporates the Municipality’s key education and employment stakeholders – including training providers, education institutions, local agri-processing businesses and inclusive cooperatives like Makueni Fruit Processing Co-operative and Kaiti Dairy Co-operative, with the potential for support from national programmes such as NARIGP. Local agri-processing and manufacturing businesses should be actively involved during curriculum development and throughout the programmes to align the training with the required skillsets of the sector, including identifying gaps in the existing skills base to develop a suitable labour force for driving future growth.

Stakeholder engagement also suggested that insufficient practical orientation and hands-on competence among many of the County’s TVET trainers have contributed to a lower quality of agri-processing training. Therefore, prior to rolling out the training strategy, a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme should be developed to support and ensure a more demand-oriented and enhanced quality of Technical and W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

Vocational Education and Training (TVET), in turn increasing the employability and job prospects of agri-processing trainees. The ToT programme should be devised in collaboration with local agri-processing businesses to focus on the required technical skills to drive the sector, as well as core business skills such as communication and teamwork.

The training and education strategy should aim to increase accessibility of training for every member of the community, including vulnerable and marginalised groups.

The aim of the training and education strategy for agri-processing and manufacturing should be to:

> Develop low-cost and accessible training options for out-ofschool youth, women and PWD with low literacy levels.

For example, business and marketing trainings should be available to support those who already own businesses and those who would like to start one regardless of their education levels. These alternatives will also benefit women and PWD in Wote who often face barriers to access these opportunities due to low literacy levels, domestic and community responsibilities, and lack of access to information; > Actively communicate about all business development opportunities in local media, universities and local education centres. Ensure communication formats and languages are accessible to all; > Engage with existing young producers and youth-owned businesses in the region to showcase the benefits of being involved and start agri-businesses and agri-processing.

This could contribute to youths seeing these activities as attractive and economically profitable; > Consider developing additional outreach training to facilitate access to remote communities and people with restricted mobility due to physical impairments or cultural norms.

Always prioritise locations and timings that are compatible with SIGs’ everyday lives and economic activities. Training materials should be accessible to all; > Liaise with, and inform local communities about, existing government opportunities and funds to support local entrepreneurs, start-ups or MSMEs. Aim particularly at targeting SIGs. This will help address the most common challenges faced by SIGs’-owned start-ups in Wote (limited access to capital); and > Promote internships and on-the-job training to support skills development of local students. It is recommended to set participation rates for PWD, youth, women, and vulnerable groups.

> Design education and training programmes to align with the required skillsets of Makueni County’s agri-processing and manufacturing businesses. This will require training providers to work with local businesses within the industry to identify gaps in the existing skillsbase, in order to develop a suitable labour force for driving the sector’s growth; > Develop a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme to build the capacity of education providers with regards to relevant labour market skills and competencies, in collaboration with agri-processing businesses; > Increase accessibility of appropriate training for every member of the community, including vulnerable and marginalised groups; > Promote career opportunities to new applicants to encourage them to engage in training programmes that may be more likely to result in improved employment prospects, as they correspond to skills required within the sector; and > Actively involve local agri-processing businesses during curriculum development and throughout the programme, for instance through provision of apprenticeships and on-the-job training for students.

Development of a joined-up training strategy for the sector will offer benefits for local businesses, education providers and students alike. For instance, agri-processing businesses will be able to shape the training on offer to ensure suitable skillsets are being developed to support sector growth, enabling them to recruit directly from Wote’s local labour pool (as detailed in Action A9). Similarly, students will likely benefit from higher job prospects by developing desirable skills for the growing agri-processing sector. In line with this, career opportunities should be promoted to new applicants to encourage them to engage in training programmes that may be more likely to result in improved employment prospects.

To maximise social inclusion benefits emerging from this action, it would be important to:

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Case Study 4-11: National Food Technology Research Centre, Botswana The National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC) is a research and development organisation funded by the Government of Botswana, in collaboration with Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, with the mandate to promote food security through commercially viable food processing technologies.

As part of its activities, NFTRC has established a vocational training programme to equip local entrepreneurs with agri-processing skills through its research and development outputs. The on-site training initiatives are promoted to the general public and existing businesses to stimulate growth in the agri-processing sector. Specialised training programmes are tailored to a range of different produce, delivered by qualified research professionals – including Meat Products, Fruit and Vegetables, Dairy Products and Honey. Specific topics taught in each processing course include: National Food Legislations, Hygiene and Sanitation, Good Manufacturing Practices, Product Manufacturing Equipment Requirements and Hazard Analysis.

In addition to training, NFTRC offers a range of technical assistance services for existing businesses relating to processing, food safety and nutritional advice. This includes the opportunity for processors to bring their product to the centre for a range of analytical services, such as: nutritional analysis (i.e. for labelling), determination of shelf-life and product quality/safety testing.

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A9: Provide enhanced access to local entrepreneurs and the local labour force Development of the agri-processing and manufacturing sector provides significant potential to enhance the local economy in Wote through the creation of new jobs and offering opportunities to existing businesses and SMEs. In order to maximise these benefits for the local community, a proactive sector strategy will be required to ensure that local workers and entrepreneurs, especially those that may be otherwise marginalised, are provided with access to these new opportunities. In particular, this relates to the expansion and capacity building of the existing Makueni Fruit Processing Plant as an anchor project for the sector.

Provision of appropriate and inclusive training, defined in Action A8, will play a central role in improving access to work for the local community and marginalised groups. This should include gaining an understanding of the required technical skills to drive the agri-processing and manufacturing sector, such as machine operation and maintenance, as well as wider core skills to support processing activities like communication and adaptability. This could be supported by internships and on-site training by businesses to provide practical experience of agri-processing and manufacturing activities.

In order to ensure social inclusion, target participation rates should be introduced for PWDs, youth, women and other excluded groups.

As outlined in Action A7, local farmers and businesses should be actively incorporated into the agri-processing and manufacturing supply chain. Development of new agri-processing facilities (for instance during the expansion of Makueni Fruit Processing Plant) will require various suppliers upstream and downstream, including raw agricultural produce, marketing, packaging and logistics.

By actively promoting local businesses and workers, there will be increased opportunities for procurement within these new supply chains. This could include registration lists of local businesses and networking events, as well as incentives for agri-processors and manufacturers that utilise local businesses. Local workers should also be prioritised for contractual work within the Agri-Processing Zone, such as general maintenance or cleaning, including workers from the informal sector to generate new opportunities for income generation.

Informal business activities and the Jua Kali sector have historically been a core driver of the economy in Wote Municipality, with Makueni County particularly renowned for its work in carvings, basketry and pottery . In addition to the growth of formal activities within the manufacturing sector, there is a need for targeted interventions that enhance infrastructure provision to protect and develop the Municipality’s Jua Kali businesses. This could include provision of additional flexible workspaces, such as a community makerspace, with shared equipment and tools for members to use as needed, in addition to the redevelopment of the Jua Kali market (Section 4.4.3.1). This would allow Jua Kali workers to have access to specific tools when required and share best practice with others via a shared workspace.

A10: Promote an inclusive approach to the development of agri-processing and manufacturing Ultimately, as discussed, the expansion of the agri-processing and manufacturing sector should offer equal all opportunities to all of Wote’s citizens, support local businesses and entrepreneurs, and improve education and training development. The construction of new processing facilities and associated infrastructure, particularly during the expansion and capacity building of the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant, will require a comprehensive and robust approach to planning and social management. Various different interventions could be incorporated by businesses during the sector’s growth to ensure an inclusive approach to its development, including: > During the development of the sector and going forward, engage local workers, businesses and SIGs to align its activities with local issues such as post-harvest losses and to ensure all views have been taken into consideration regarding construction of new facilities and infrastructure; > Develop a strong and respectful relationship with the local community, include accessible communication platforms and programmes to address social issues in Wote and the wider region; > Working in partnership with education providers, deliver inclusive opportunities for skills development aligned with the requirements of agri-processors and manufacturers, particularly targeting SIGs and other marginalised community members (Action A8); > Maximise opportunities to implement circular economy practices. For example, where by-products are produced in the agricultural value chains, such as during processing, this could be used to generate animal feed to sell to livestock farmers. This will offer an economical alternative for livestock farmers, while creating a supplementary income source for agri-processors.

> Offer support to local businesses and entrepreneurs, including the potential for creation of procurement targets and development of shared workspaces (Action A9); > Guarantee equal working opportunities for all members of society, particularly SIGs, and respect existent employment quotas; > Provide social infrastructure – such as accessible toilets, childcare services and mothers’ rooms – and abide by performance standards with regards to social inclusion, gender equality, labour conditions and community dialogue (see case study 4-12); and > Ensure adequate working conditions in line with national and local laws, including following health and safety laws in workspaces and undertaking regular audits.

Case Study 4-12: ALEAP Green Industrial Park, Telengana, India23 The Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP), supported by the German Development Agency (GIZ), developed an 82.55 acre green industrial park which houses 170 female entrepreneurs. The master planning of the park accounted for the particular needs and desires of women entrepreneurs and workers. In order to identify their specific requirements, a series of workshops and field visits were held, with the site masterplan reviewed at various stages by stakeholders including the entrepreneurs and members of ALEAP. Along with environmental considerations, employees’ individual requests have been incorporated into the park’s development, including rest houses, crèches and accessible facilities.

This case study demonstrates a best practice example of how the agri-processing and manufacturing sector in Wote can accommodate all members of society in its development, including SIGs, through the provision of social infrastructure and accessible facilities for all..

23 United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), An International Framework for Eco-Industrial Parks (2021) Available at: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/ handle/10986/35110/156450.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y (Accessed: 09/02/2022).

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A11: Undertake a market study and increase marketing of products through an Export Board Once a plan to ensure continuous inputs for agri-processing has been established, including development of processing facilities with access to modern technologies and an educated labour force, a market study should be undertaken to identify the variety and quantity of products in demand in both the domestic and international export markets. The business consultations undertaken in Wote suggested a lack of knowledge with regards to effective marketing techniques amongst existing local processing and manufacturing businesses, with the vast majority relying on word of mouth.

As a result, there is an opportunity for the creation of an agri-processing and manufacturing business support platform within the Municipality, targeting aspects like marketing (focused on the products identified through the market study), accounting and business management.

The platform could be managed by cooperatives or community groups, in collaboration with the public and private sector, incorporating a range of agri-processing experts and technologists. The overarching objective of the platform would be to holistically develop the agriculture and agri-processing sectors in parallel, forming a symbiotic relationship that ensures productivity, sustainability and resilience are all maximised through enhanced access to information, knowledge and skills. In order to obtain knowledge on effective marketing and establish contacts in the industry, expeditions could be organised to nearby towns with an established agri-processing sector.

The Board should be developed in collaboration with the public and private sector to include; local businesses, co-operatives such as the Makueni Fruit Processing Co-operative, representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and Makueni County Government trade and agriculture officials.

This could involve working alongside the Fresh Produce Exporters Association Kenya (FPEAK), a national association formed to unite and promote the Kenyan horticultural industry in the global market with due regard to safety and sustainable agricultural practices, as well as social and ethical responsibilities24.

As part of its operations, the expanded Makueni Fruit Processing Plant could provide agri-industry businesses with a community hub where they can obtain information on business certificates and other necessary documentation, as well as emerging technologies and international best practice. Critically, it will be imperative to ensure the hub offers information in languages and formats that remain accessible to everyone.

The GeSI assessment also indicated that SIGs engage in agri-processing activities. Hence, it would be important to include them and understand their needs when developing these measures. Further recommendations can be found in the GeSI assessment for the prioritised VCs and the GeSI study (Appendix C).

Establishing an Agriculture and Agri-Processing Export Board could also be beneficial in terms of increasing the marketing of the sector’s products to international markets. An Export Board would offer advice to agri-processing businesses on export promotion, negotiate shared deals with brokers and construct a branding strategy for the sector in Wote.

24 FPEAK, Our Vision and Mission Statements (2021) Available at: https://fpeak.org/about-us/ vision-mission/ (Accessed: 14/02/2022).

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4.3.2 Wote Value Addition 4.3.2.1. Overview Identifying the UEP value chain opportunities for Wote was a four-stage process: > Long - list process: an extensive list of economic opportunities, reflecting government policies, VC studies, exports and imports assessment, inputs requirement, outputs and processes, linkages with key policies and programmes, and market linkages. > Diagnostics alignment: the long-list was assessed against the SWOT analysis and other factors identified in the Diagnostics stage. The resulting list was presented to stakeholders. > Evaluation: the SUED evaluation framework used to sift the opportunities, including criteria for the SUED principles (included within Appendix B). The PSG, the MB and other stakeholders identified the relative importance of each criteria for Wote, to provide weightings for final evaluation and identification. > UEP selection: six short-listed VCs were further assessed in detail, including their costs and revenues, competitiveness and land and infrastructure requirements, utilising the wider SUED assessments.

Following further discussions with stakeholders, two VCs were selected for taking forward:

The Technical Briefing Paper (Appendix B) included assessment for a further five shortlisted VC opportunities:

> Juice processing: This VC project is for a mixed fruit juice and pulp facility, sourcing fresh produce across the County and neighbouring region and supplying both the bulks and retail markets. The VC would build on the mango processing factory at Kalamba, expanding the range of produce and developing the marketing and sales capabilities.

> Poultry sector development: This VC is aimed at tackling the issues in the sector by developing a fully integrated poultry industry that builds on the existing distribution and collection networks, farmers and processors, aims to fill in gaps in the value chain, and improve overall efficiency.

> Municipal waste collection and processing: This VC is for the commercialisation of solid waste collection in Wote, with sorting and separation, and sale of recyclates.

The VC would expand the current levels of collection in Wote, and the waste processing facility could take materials from other parts of the County. This VC is in line with one of the projects proposed by the Municipality as part of its SUED submission.

These VCs have been assessed against climate resilience and sustainability, both scoring highly. They have also been assessed to have a high level of readiness for investment, and as such are suitable as initial projects to spur further growth.

> Processing of honey and related products: This VC is for the establishment of an apiculture centre that would process and market the full range of bee products and provide training and support to beekeepers in Makueni and neighbouring counties.

4.3.2.2. Value Chain Cluster – wider opportunity There are strong synergies between many of the shortlisted VCs and there are benefits to be gained from co-location, especially for the agri-processing VCs. Furthermore, many of the VCs would benefit from the proposed climate-smart aggregation network, with the potential for combined collections of produce and distribution of farming inputs.

The potential linkages between the VCs are shown in Figure 4-9.

> Milk processing and integration of the dairy sector: This VC is aimed at supporting the development of the dairy sector under the umbrella of the MCCC, by investing in improvements in the supply chain (collection, processing, marketing and dispatch), additional value added, and improvements in animal husbandry and the dairy herd. > Production of interlocking construction blocks and other low-cost building materials: This VC is for a low-cost building materials centre that would produce blocks, roofing panels, etc., develop demonstration housing schemes and provide training to construction crews. > Feed mill: This VC is for a feed mill that combines these waste streams to produce formulated feeds targeting; poultry - from day-old chicks to layers and broilers; fish farming - from hatchling, fingerlings to mature fish; and cattle and goat: with a focus on zero-graze dairy.

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Figure 4-9 – Wider Value Chain Cluster and Linkages

4.3.3 VC1 – Juice bottling/canning

Fruit juice processing Canned pulp, UHT juice packs

Processing waste

This VC project is for a mixed fruit juice and pulp facility, sourcing fresh produce across the County and neighbouring region and supplying both the bulks and retail markets. The VC could build on the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant, expanding the range of produce and developing the marketing and sales capabilities, or be a separate additional processing facility.

Animal feed mill

Poultry sector integration Linking hatchery-farm abbatoir Joint services: wastewater treatment, utilities, marketing Dairy sector integration VA processing, scheduled collections and support Straw and fibers for roofing panels

Honey processing and other apiary products

Compost

Source: SUED Atkins Team

Backhaul from collections

Climate-smart aggregation network

Feed crops: soya, sunflower, etc

The key benefits of this VC include: > Reducing post-harvest losses through improved collection, storage and processing; > Supporting farmers to invest in irrigation, fertiliser use, improved seeds, etc., by providing a secure offtake and stable prices; > Providing by-products for an animal feed mill (peels, pulp, stones, pips, etc.), supporting the expansion of the poultry sector in the County; > Providing a base for additional processing: citrus oil extraction, concentrates, mixed juices, etc.;

Construction blocks low-cost building materials Plastics for roof panels and lumber

Municipal solid waste processing

> Increasing the value added in agriculture in support of the Big Four Agenda objectives and the Makueni County Government’s development of agri-processing; and > Creating direct employment for around 90 full-time employees, with high potential for employing special interest groups (SIGs) and people with disabilities (PWDs).

Makueni County is a significant producer of fruits that are suitable for juice processing, in particular: > Mango: annual production ranged between 270,000 and 350,000 tonnes between 2015 and 2020, with the Makueni sub-County accounting for around half of this output. > Citrus: production has expanded rapidly in recent years reaching 230,000 tonnes in 2020 . > Other fruit: many other fruits suitable for juice extraction are produced in the County including papaya, pomegranate, guava, tomato and passion fruit.

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Most of the County’s fruit output is sold into fresh produce markets or sent for processing elsewhere, with little local value added. As a result, farmers face price volatility, and with no stable offtake it can be difficult for farmers to invest in new crops or increased yields.

There is one fruit processing plant of significance in the County, the mango processing plant established at Kalamba (the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant - MFPP). This produces mango pulps in 205 kg drums and has a modest capacity of five tonnes per hour, which equates to around 8% of Makueni sub-County’s mango output. However, the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant has had a number of problems, including: > Dependence on a single processing line, which breaks down from time to time. > Difficulty selling output as the focus has been on sourcing and production, rather than marketing and sales. The plant is currently holding large stocks of mango pulp. > Dependence on single crop resulting in a short processing season (c. 4 months).

The Makueni Fruit Processing Plant has been looking into the potential to expanding its processing range, in particular introducing citrus juice processing and possibly water bottling.

There then may be scope for this VC to build on the position of the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant.

Given the farming base in Makueni and surrounding counties, there is potential to develop a fruit juice processing plant with a long processing season through targeting a range of fruit for juicing. The table below shows that, with the exception of August and September, there should be fresh produce available for processing throughout the year, as well as a continuous supply of tomatoes with staggered planting and irrigation. In addition, some fruit (in particular citrus) can be stored for up to three months or more prior to processing25.

25 Ritenour, M.A., (no date), Orange, Indian River Research and Education Center Port Pierce, FL.

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Table 4-14 – Fruit harvest by month Main harvest period for target fruit J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Mango Citrus Papaya Passion Fruit Guava Tomato* Pomegranate

Source: Food security, 2019, based on Machakos26 *Note: Tomato harvest periods based on staggered planting and irrigation.

If a multi-fruit processing facility was to be developed at the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant, much of the existing capacity would be suitable for a range of fruit processing (e.g., delivery area, ripening stores, washing and checking line, sterilisation line, etc.). Introducing juice bottling and expanding the range of fruit processed would maximise the benefits to farmers of the facility (in terms of offtake and price stabilisation) and secure year-round employment. However, some additional capacity would be needed, including cold stores and packing lines.

The County Government accept that private sector participation in the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant is needed to secure its long-term future, especially in terms of improving processing efficiency, quality control and marketing. Currently the County is in negotiations to lease the plant to a private investor (see box below).

Wherever the VC is developed, there is a need to ensure that the problems of Makueni Fruit Processing Plant are understood and avoided.

In particular, there must be a strong emphasis on sales and marketing to ensure that products meet customer expectations in terms of quality and price, addressing the current problem of unsold stock. In addition, the links with farming cooperatives need to be strengthened to ensure timely supplies of a range of quality fruit.

The County Government has identified Kibwezi as the centre for an agri-processing hub. However, given the location of mango and citrus farming in the County, Wote would be a more suitable location for this VC. Development of the fruit processing value chain is supported by: > Makueni CIDP: the County Government supports value addition in agri-processing, and supported the operationalisation of the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant, and is committed to its long term success; > Big Four Agenda: prioritises the manufacturing sector which covers all areas of agri-processing; > Post-harvest loss strategy: supports the Government’s target to cut post-harvest losses from 30% to 5% of total production.

26 Food security, 2019, based on Machakos

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Makueni Fruit Processing Plant The Makueni Fruit Processing Plant (MFPP) at Kalamba was developed by the County Government as a flagship project aimed at capturing local value added from a leading crop in the County, mango, and improving the prices paid to farmers.

Since commissioning in 2017 the processing plant has been loss making, and currently receives around KES 100 million per year from the County Government to continue operations, which is used largely to cover salaries.

Recognising the need to make the processing plant financially sustainable, a full diagnostics and options study has been undertaken27.

Currently the plant is currently being managed as a county corporation while trading as a private entity. This structure gives conflicting objectives, with the plant required to pay a high price for mangoes to support farm incomes while also aiming to be profitable. The plant is also constrained by Government procurement requirements. The options study identified five possible future structures for the MFPP: Lease the facility: easy to execute and would leave the County Government with some indirect control through the leasing terms.

PPP: structuring the partnerships can be a complex and lengthy process, and it is likely that there will be few potential investors.

Strategic investor: private investors are likely to want 51% stake, leaving the County Government with little control.

Farm-owned enterprise: Kenya Tea Development Authority identified as a potential model to follow, but the Authority faces some serious challenges (primarily a lack of innovation, low payments to farmers and corruption).

27 Diagnostics review and options analysis report, PKF 2020 funded by USAID through the Kenya Investment Mechanism.

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Three-Way-For-Profit Social Enterprise Co-owned by the County Government, the Community and a Strategic Investor: this structure would support commercialisation of operations, (with fruit purchases at market prices), and allow the County Government and Community ownership to use their dividends from the investment for social good.

This last option is the approach recommended by the study: the creation of a three-way social enterprise.

A phased approach would be taken to achieving this with the first steps covering improvements in the operations of the plant and streamline ownership in order to achieve profitability. Once profitable, (expected to be achieved in six months), the plant would be valued and the leasing cost assessed prior to offering a share to a private investor.

While this approach seems optimistic, there is a willingness to take action and an acceptance that private involvement is essential for the future operation of the plant.

In March 2022 a Kenyan investor entered into negotiations to take over the plant under a 20-year lease. Their overall plans are in line with those of the County, as they seek first to improve operations and stabilise cash flow from mango pulp processing, and then expand in terms of volumes and product range (tomato, papaya, passion fruit, etc.).

Of these other fruit, tomatoes have the highest potential; harvesting takes place throughout the year, County production is around 25,000 tonnes per year and can be increased quickly if required. However, the market for tomato juice is relatively small compared to that for canned fruit and pastes. Producing canned tomatoes and pastes would require additional equipment (e.g. steam peeling, canning line) but this investment should be viable if volumes are sufficient as fresh tomato prices in Makueni are competitive.

4.3.3.1. Production Potential and Supply Chain

Figure 4-10 - Process flow for fruit and vegetable canning

Production process While there will be some differences in the extraction and processing of citrus and other fruit juices, there are a number of common processes that support the economics of combining citrus and non-citrus fruit juice production in one facility.

As a first step, all fruit would be subject to initial inspection and grading, with the rejection of sub-standard product.

This is followed by washing and a second grading. Fruit will then be held in cold stores until required for processing, or ambient stores for ripening. For citrus fruit, juice is extracted from whole fruit through crushing, while mango and many other fruit are destoned, and/or peeled and then pulped.

Extracted juice is then pasteurised, and either bottled after cooling or further processed for concentrates.

Processing waste (e.g. pulp, peel, seeds, and stones) would be either dried prior to selling for animal feed or sent wet to a local feed mill.

Source: SUED Atkins Team

Capacity To provide good economies of scale for the plant, a target processing capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year (40 tonnes per day) of fresh fruit has been identified. Assuming an equal split between mango and citrus, the plant would produce around 2,500 tonnes per year each of mango pulp, orange juice and dry material suitable for animal feed.

The precise balance between various fruits would depend on a combination of supplies available, stocks and market prices. For simplicity, the volumes identified in the following table are based on the production of mango pulp packed in 200 litres drums and orange juice in one litre consumer packs. While other fruit might be processed at the plant, such as tomato, the capacity and financial assessment just focusses on citrus and mango at this stage.

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Table 4-15 – Capacity and volumes for fruit processing Production target and volume flows

The orange juice market in Kenya is estimated at US$ 16 million with growth of over 9% per year in the medium-term30.

The market size of other fruit juices is smaller, but the growth projections are expected to be similar.

Purchases

Reject

Input

Skin, Stone

Inputs

T/Y

Losses

T/Y

Share

Supply chain and markets

Mango

5,263

5%

5,000

45%

Citrus

5,263

5%

5,000

44%

Outputs

T/Y

Mango pulp

2,487

in 200 litre drums

Citrus juice

2,537

in 1 litre consumer packs

Animal feed

2,488

Fruit would be sourced from across Makueni, building on the links that the MFPP has developed with the farming cooperatives and major mango growers in the County.

To minimise transport costs, collections would be coordinated with growers, providing scheduled collections from aggregation points throughout the harvesting season for each crop. As well as sourcing within Makueni, there is potential to source from neighbouring counties in the future, in particular Kitui.

Sales

Prices and margins

Demand Outlook

When the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant started operations there was a commitment to raising the prices paid to farmers.

The processing plant now pays KES 15 per kg for mangoes, a marked improvement on the prices paid by traders which would often be around KES 10 per kg or lower.

For bulk juices and pulps, export markets will be targeted.

The key products, orange juice and mango pulp, are both commodity products that are traded internationally and have strong demand growth outlooks:

Taking account of losses and expected yield, the cost of fruit needed to produce one kilogram of pulp is around 32 shillings.

Bulk mango pulp prices in India, the leading global market and exporter, equal around KES 65 per kg, providing a significant margin to cover both fixed and other processing costs.

For the other target fruit, prices are slightly higher, for example oranges wholesale at around KES 19 per kg, melon at KES 22 per kg and pawpaw at KES 45 per kg. However, processing yields are higher for some of these fruits, and so too are juice prices, resulting in similar overall margins to mango pulp production.

> Mango puree: global trade is estimated at US$ 760 million in 2021, and annual market growth of over 7% is forecast to 2027 28. > Orange Juice: global demand is estimated at US$ 32 billion, with annual growth just under 4% over the next five years 29.

The VC will also have potential for sales of retail packs of juice and pulps into the local market. While the Kenyan market for packaged fruit juice is relatively small, with increasing urbanisation and expansion in the middle-class, the growth outlook is strong.

28 Future Market Insights, Mango puree market by source (organic mango pure, conventional mango pure), end use (infant food, beverage, bakery and snacks, ice cream and yoghurt, dressings and sauces) & region – forecast 2017-2027 (2017). Available at: https://www. futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mango-puree-market, (Accessed: 01/03/2022).

29 Statistica, Orange Juice (2022). Available at: https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/nonalcoholic-drinks/juices/orange-juice/worldwide, (Accessed: 01/03/2022).

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This VC and the farms supplying fruit to it would benefit from the proposed smart-agriculture aggregation centres and hub in Wote, through the creation of efficient collection networks and improvements in farming techniques. Furthermore, this would allow the plant to target low grade mango for pulping. This is in line with the original strategy for the MFPP, whereby the plant would purchase all grades of mango, sort and then sell the higher grades as fresh fruit for local and export markets, while processing the third grade. However, this approach has not been followed due to issues with purchasing arrangements, handling and storage.

Sales of mango pulp from the facility would target export markets, with shipments going Mombasa. The packaging for the mango pulp will be in industry standard 200 litre “bag-indrum” aseptic packaging, in line with EU requirements and those of other major markets.

It is expected that other fruit juices would be sold in the Kenyan market, with packing in one litre Tetra Pak of similar retail cartons. These products would be trucked to major wholesalers in Nairobi.

30 Market Research.com, Kenya Orange Juice Market in the medium-term (2020). Available at: https://www.marketresearch.com/Williams-Marshall-Strategy-v4196/Kenya-Orange-JuiceImpact-COVID-13623472/, (Accessed: 01/03/2022).

Location Specific Analysis

Figure 4-11 - Operating Costs 2026

The Makueni Fruit Processing Plant is large enough to support an expansion in the range of fruit to be processed, and overall production capacity. However, if the VC is not developed at the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant site, then the facility would require a site of around 1,500 m2, including a processing building with around 400 m2 and 200 m2 of chiller storage, with much of the remaining area being needed for external storage, and deliveries and dispatch.

KES million

Regardless of location, the VC would benefit from co-location with other agri-processing activities. Of particular benefit would be locating alongside a feed mill, which could take around one third of the juicing plant’s production by volume.

The Makueni Fruit Processing Plant site has adequate space to host a feed mill operation. Co-location with some of the other shortlisted VCs (poultry, dairy and apiculture products), could bring benefits in terms of joint collection and distribution networks, as well as combined wastewater treatment and utilities.

4.3.3.2. Indicative Costs and Revenues

11

Other Opex

14

Transport and Machinery

4

Power and Water

26

Manpower

49

Packaging

179

Fruit

Investment The total investment required is estimated at around KES 150 million. This is based on developing the VC at the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant site, thereby saving some construction and equipment costs. Even with the established facility, additional investment, of around KES 50 million, is expected in equipment (cold stores for citrus and other fruit, sterilisation and filling line for UHT retail packs, drying line for waste to animal feed, etc.), as well as some building adaptation and additional vehicles.

Source: SUED Atkins Team

Operating costs Total operating costs are expected to approach KES 300 million per year, with around 80% of these costs covering the purchase of fruit and packaging materials. Included in the costs is a marketing and promotions budget of KES 5 million per year to support the sales and marketing team and address a key weakness of the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant.

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Human Resources

Other OpEx

Fruit processing is relatively labour-intensive activity, with significant jobs required for sorting, washing, peeling and packing. In developing a processing plant that takes a range of fruit, the facility should be operational throughout the year.

As a result, employment at the plant should be stable, though there may be a need for some seasonal workers during peak periods. The key elements of the human resource needs and costs are:

Covers electricity, water and other utilities, maintenance of machinery, and marketing and promotions. The OpEx also covers transport fuels and vehicle maintenance costs, (based on using two 20-ton trucks to collect the fruit from across the County, and truck mango pulp to Mombasa for export and orange juice to Nairobi.

> Head count of 90 FTE in total; > Monthly salaries of KES 13,000 to KES 30,000 depending on skills; and > Additional employment costs estimated at 25% of salary.

Raw materials The project economics for this VC are based on processing mangoes for bulk pulp sales, and oranges for retail juice packs. > Mangoes: an average purchase price for mangoes of KES 15 per kg has been used, which is in line with the price paid by MFPP. > Oranges: an average price of KES 19 per kg has been used, in line with current wholesale prices of around KES 1,800 per 95 kg bag. > Packaging costs are based on Tetra Pak or similar packaging for orange juice for retail, costed at KES 11 per litre. For mango pulp, polyethylene bags in 200 litre metal drums will continue to be used, costed at KES 9 per litre. These costs include palletisation.

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Revenues Annual revenues are estimated at around KES 350 million by 2026. This is based on average sales prices of KES 70 per kg for mango pulp (fob delivered to Mombasa Port), KES 50 per litre pack of orange juice (delivered to Nairobi wholesalers), and KES 15 per kg for dried material suitable for use as animal feed (delivered to a local feed mill).

Value added The value added, calculated as sales revenues less the cost of fruit (including any losses) and other inputs (packaging, electricity, water, fuel, etc.), but excluding manpower, is estimated at the equivalent of KES 9 per kg of fruit purchased, some 28% of the sales price.

Table 4-16 – Value Added KES per kg of fruit equivalent Purchase Price

17

Other Inputs

6

Value Added

9

Sales Price

32

Source: SUED Atkins Team

4.3.3.3. Recommendations and Need Assessment Enabling Business Environment and/or Other Catalysts The VC could be developed around the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant. While Kalamba has a number of issues (including a lack of marketing, dependence on single crop and a single processing line), these could be addressed by the VC. Alternatively, a separate additional processing facility could be developed – production of mangoes in the County are substantial and could support a second processor.

The VC needs to develop strong links with the farming cooperatives in Makueni, and where practical, the neighbouring counties. Working with proposed smart-agriculture aggregation centres and hub in Wote would be of benefit in securing quality supplies of fruit, with the potential to direct and support farmers towards growing target crops.

Figure 4-12 – Gender and social inclusion considerations

Diagnostic • Most large scale farms are controlled by men. Youth and women are actively involved in fruits production, harvest and post-harvest in Kenya (women mainly focusing on plant and care for the crop). Yet, their work is often invisible and unpaid as it is considered family work. In many cases, harvesting is done by the buyers.

• Some PWD engage in farming, and, in some cases, they hire employees to work in their farms. SIGs oftern lack access to credit and agricultural information, and are not involved in decision-making processes (e.g. cooperatives and associations). Middlemen often take advantage.

• There are several issues accessing land due to cultural traditions associated to the inheritance of the ancestral land.

• Regarding the transport link of this VC, Young men dominate the transport sector in Wote as boda voda riders (motorcycle taxis) and with donkey carts.

• Women in small-scale production harvest and hire the services of the youth to transport the fruits to the market.

• Transportation for large-scale production is done with trucks, the responsibility of transport is usually under the buyers.

• Women are mainly in charge of processing fruits (especially processing fresh juice for market days), yet they often face several challenges when engaging in economic activity.

• They also lack affordable & adequate equipment.

• Industrial processing represents additional employment opportunities for SIGs, including for back-office and maintenance jobs. The main barriers to inclusion are related to inadequate infrastructure and equipment, and lack of knowledge, skills and training.

• The sale of fruits at a small-scale and derived products is often in charge of women and other SIGs. This is done often by the roadside and other smaller centres in Makueni. This link in the value chain offers a flexible schedule, compatible with other responsibilities and activities.

• Several barriers for SIGs inclusion related to mobility restrictions (physical impairments or cultural norms) lack of social capital and lack of soft skills. This is worsened by low literacy levels and financial literacy. PWD also face constraints to participate in markets since the infrastructure is often inadequate for their needs.

Transport

Processing

Sales

Fruit Bottling Value Chain Production & Harvesting

Social Inclusion Considerations • Facilitate access to credit or link SIGS with existing funds.

Encourage SIGs to engage in table banking and their participation in existent agricultural associations.

• Ensure everyone has access to training on farming techniques, storage facilities and irrigation.

Prioritise the use of peer educators for trainings (e.g. young educators for youth), target women and men directly in training communications, and cosinder timings, locations and materials that are compatible with SIGs’ needs and everyday activities.

• Implement an inclusive communication strategy to support farmers, and target SIGs to access market information.

• Accompany these measures with specific awareness sessions targeted at women and men (parents, spouses) to avoid negative consequences within the household.

• The scheduled collection services represent new job opportunities, particularly for young men who already work in the transportation sector.

• Develop training on safety and on how to adequately handle produce and weights.

Consider developing a certification system for transport operators.

• If the collection services are to be booked online, liaise with local organisations to reduce the digital gap to make these opportunities accessible to groups without mobile phones or digital skills.

• Provide labor-efficient and affordable infrastructure and technologies that are accessible to all.

• Ensure workplaces adopt principles of universal design and respect quotas for PWDs’ inclusion.

• Provide mothers’ rooms at processing factories, childcare arrangements, or link women to community day-care facilities.

• Tackle discrimination and harmful social norms through awareness campaigns at a community and regional level that include SIGs, and their parents, spouses and/or caregivers.

• Develop inclusive financing options for SIGs and low-income groups and link SIGs with exisent funds.

• Draw on existent know-how and stakeholders to develop trainings.

• Provide accessible and inclusive infrastructure and services (i.e. marketplaces/road/transport etc.)

• Offer trainings on soft skills that are available and accessible to SIGs, people with low literacy levels and other vulnerable groups.

• Develop inclusive financing options for SIGs and low-income groups.

Promote SIGs and their participation in existing cooperatives.

• Develop sensitisation sessions that could progressively contribute to integrating SIGs into leadership positions.

• Encourage the use of digital markets and mobile banking.

• Provide support for, and accessible information about, acquiring business certificates.

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Case Study 4-13: Promoting inclusion of people with disabilities in cocoa, coffee and palm oil VCs in Tanzania31 The project, currently under implementation, aims at: a) providing PWDs with sustainable livelihood opportunities, b) improving PWDs’ access to markets, and c) generating awareness about the importance of PWDs’ inclusion at the community level.

The involvement of PWDs starts in the production stage, engaging PWDs and disability organisations. For the processing of raw materials, PWDs work with equipment that is accessible. For marketing and trading, PWDs and PWoDs (people without disability) are organised as economic groups. The programme trains PWDs in soft skills such as leadership, entrepreneurship and business skills. It also links them to providers of financial and business development services, and existing government programmes.

Sensitisation campaigns, guided by Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) strategy, were developed to overcome the preconception that PWDs cannot successfully engage in agriculture and livestock, targeting the general public and PWDs themselves.

Moreover, the project implemented awareness campaigns to develop solidarity among PWDs. Finally, the programme also learned that local knowledge is key to developing successful inclusion measures, for example, sign language might not be used in rural areas, but family members can act as interpreters.

31 Trade Craft, Disability inclusion in mainstream value chains (2018). Available at: https:// traidcraftexchange.org/project-disability-inclusion, (Accessed: 28/02/2022).

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Case Study 4-14: Successful stories of women’s empowerment in Makueni County32 A recent local article has highlighted the successful experience of Lillian Kimanthi's fruit farm in Makueni County. Kimanthi, a 38-year-old woman ventured into the oranges’ agribusiness more than 10 years ago. After attending an agriculture seminar, she realised that the area she was working on was perfect for growing oranges and started with a few trees. When her family saw the benefits, they planted more.

Now, she became a well-known referent in the area and began educating other women about the opportunities of engaging in oranges’ production, involving them in the whole farming process from planting to maturity, harvesting and marketing. She now expanded to other citrus fruits. In this article, Kimanthi said: "during my continuous research, I had always wanted to plant oranges for the export market, [especially the variety] that has the highest value. I knew, through teaching other women how to grow these and giving them the seedlings, that I would be empowering a generation”.

Kimanthi also explains that while growing fruit trees can take up to 15 years, there are improved varieties of seedlings that can reduce that time to 3 years. The article said Kimanthi’s experience has also incentivised women in Makueni County to ditch unprofitable crops and now around 15 women in the County engage in this activity.

The article also said men are becoming more interested in supporting their wives in this activity since they see it as a profitable business.

32 ChinaAfrica, Female orange farmers in Kenya empower themselves by growing profitable fruit (2020). Available at: http://www.chinafrica.cn/Homepage/202011/t20201105_800225950. html, (Accessed: 28/02/2022).

This case study illustrates the importance of improving access to information and developing trainings and skill development opportunities that are available and accessible to women. Women are often not targeted in these initiatives because, due to social norms, their work is often invisible and unpaid. However, this type of initiatives should be always complemented with awareness sessions to tackle gender inequality, and with access to irrigation services and other key infrastructure/technologies.

4.3.4 Climate Resilient Infrastructure Projects 4.3.4.1. Project 5: Industrial Access Road Upgrade: Road Upgrade and Junction Improvements Project Overview Makueni Fruit Processing Plant (MFPP) is located along Emali – Ukia road (B107/ C99), and about 1km south of the Kalamba market centre within Wote Municipality. The plant is served by two access roads: one main access road that links the plant to B107 road and a rural feeder road that extends into the surrounding farmlands (Figure 4-13).

The main access road is 1km long, gravelled with a right of way (ROW) of 12m while the rural feeder road has a ROW of 6m, measures 1.2km and is earth surfaced. The unpaved surface condition on these roads, creates access challenges particularly in during the rainy periods when the surfaces become muddy and heavy goods vehicles (HGV) have difficultly accessing the site. The poor road condition also affects the quality of produce resulting in high post-harvest losses.

Fruits are easily bruised on the rough roads exposing them to biological degradation which causes reduced shelve life and increased post-harvest losses.

Besides the poor road condition and lack of NMT, the roads have two junctions at the intersection with B107/ C99 and with the two access roads that have poor visibility and low turning radius for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV). During fruit harvesting period, the plant experiences high volumes of HGVs and the county has proposed a truck parking facility roughly 400m from MFPP as shown in Figure 4-13.

To ensure seamless movement in and out of the plant, the parking facility will need to be well linked to the access road and plant through good roads and a fleet management system should be considered to coordinate the despatch of vehicles loading and offloading at the plant.

In sum, a total of 2.2km stretch of road which comprises of 1km road upgrade to bitumen and 1.2km of low volume sealed road should be developed to support access to the industry.

These should be paired with development of NMT facilities, storm water drains and junction improvements to allow for turning of HGVS.

Further, the main industrial road access lacks NMT provisions although the width is sufficient to cater for pedestrian flows and cycle use especially for factory workers and visitors to the plant. This causes significant health and safety concerns to pedestrians that share the road with the heavy goods vehicles.

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Figure 4-13 – Main industrial access road and an alternative access road at Makueni Fruit Processing Plant - Kalamba

Source: SUED Atkins Team 108

Location > Focus Area 2 Agri-processing at Kalamba

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project does not link to any other existing project; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the juice bottling/canning VC as well as the link to the northern corridor climate resilient infrastructure project; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency and sustainability.

Table 4-17 – Project 5 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Upgrade of 1 km of roads from earth to bitumen standards with storm water drains, NMT facilities and junction improvements and upgrading of 1.2km of earth road to low volume sealed road › Development of truck parking centre

› Capex of upgrading 1 km of road, installing storm water drains, NMT provision and junction improvements of road KES 156 million › 1.2km of low volume sealed road – KES 78M › Truck parking centre – 130M › Total cost = KES 364 million

› Eased access to the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant › Better and safer pedestrian access › Improved land value

› Funding through Development Partners and/ or through County budget allocation › Maintenance by the County Government

› Partnership between Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) and County Government of Makueni to improve the road condition › Provision of NMT facilities could be done by County Government of Makueni in partnership with different development partners i.e., World Bank

Category > Capital investment: improving existing

Table 4-18 – Project 5 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Increased air and noise pollution due to the increase in vehicular volumes

Pre-feasibility and feasibility study

Short-term.

Traffic impact understanding due to this new road

Feasibility studies and detailed designs are in the immediate term while construction works are in the short term.

Access to funding to support the design and upgrade the road infrastructure

SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations Road surface upgrades and provision of appropriate storm water drainage will increase the resilience of the Plant to increased temperatures and high rainfall events.

NMT facilities should include consideration of the impact of high temperatures on pedestrians and cyclists and could incorporate measures such as shading to protect against heat stress.

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Social inclusion recommendations The upgrading of the road and transport infrastructure will improve access to the industrial site and surrounding markets, which is essential for a strong and thriving economy.

Well-designed NMT and transport facilities along the stretch of the road will offer safe, affordable and accessible transport options to local communities, workers, and visitors to the industrial site and surrounding areas. > It is recommended that NMT and transport facilities follow principles of inclusive design and ensure accessibility and safety.

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Case Study 4.3.4.2.

Project 4-156: Improved Water, Wastewater and Drainage for Agri-processing at Kalamba Project Overview The Makueni Fruit Processing Plant currently derives its water from a nearby borehole and sand dam river intake and water is treated through the installed reverse osmosis treatment plant.

Wastewater is treated

Tatu City Industrial Park, Kenya33 Tatu city is a 5,000-acre, new city in Kenya located five kilometres from exit 11 on Thika Superhighway and two kilometres from both the Northern and Eastern Bypasses, along the Ruiru - Kamiti Road.

Its Master Plan proposes a comprehensive mix of land uses including low, medium and high residential developments, industrial, commercial, educational and recreational developments, tourism and social facilities, infrastructure and transport networks, public utilities and open spaces including natural green zones and water bodies.

The main road link to Tatu city is Ngenda road (D399) and has been designed with a right of way of 25m to allow for turning of large vehicle, landscaping, pedestrian and cycling zones.

33 TatuCity, Gallery (2022). Available at: https://www.tatucity.com/gallery/ gallery-2020/, (Accessed: 07/03/2022).

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4.3.4.2. Project 6: Improved Water, Wastewater and Drainage for Agri-processing at Kalamba Project Overview The Makueni Fruit Processing Plant currently derives its water from a nearby borehole and sand dam river intake and water is treated through the installed reverse osmosis treatment plant. Wastewater is treated through an onsite treatment plant and discharged into the local environment. The capacity of the wastewater plant is inadequate for the current capacity of the facility.

This project seeks to improve the water, wastewater and drainage facilities on the Kalamba site to cater for the current plant and proposed future processing activities.

Water demand for the current and future proposed processing activities is approximately 10,000m3 per year with an average production of 150m3 per day to cater to high water demand during harvest seasons and constant requirements for other process and domestic needs. The existing facility provides 100m3/day, and an additional 50m3/day capacity plant is proposed.

Water is abstracted from both the on-site borehole and existing sand dam pumped intake as a combined system. Mixing the fresh river water and saline borehole water will result in better quality water and a back-up system. A storage tank with capacity for one day’s water requirement is recommended to build resilience into the system. Furthermore, energy from renewable sources, such as solar PV, should be used to power the borehole and river intake pumps.

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The capacity of the existing sources to provide the increased capacity will be assessed. If a new borehole is required, a drilling permit must be applied for from the Water Resources Authority offices under the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

The borehole will also be subjected to EIA study and NEMA approval. The capacity and structure of the sand dam and intake structure will be assessed for adequacy of increased capacity.

The current wastewater plant has a capacity of 30m3/day while up to 100m3/day is required in the harvest season.

With increased production, a wastewater treatment plant of approximately 127m3/day will be provided. Assessments will be made on possible reuse of grey water for initial fruit washing and other uses to reduce the quantity of wastewater and improve sustainability.

Wastewater generated from toilets will be treated using septic tanks. Liquid waste will be treated in the reedbed system and an anaerobic digestor used to treat solid human waste. More details on an anaerobic digestor and supporting infrastructure are provided under the solid waste management VC (section 4.4.2).

There is an opportunity for the water and wastewater management of the site to be operated by an SME but there will need to be outside investment to develop the assets.

Staff toilets should be connected to septic tanks and an aerobic digestor used to treat solid human waste.

It is important to consider future space requirements for water and wastewater infrastructure to enable potential future growth in industry. For example, space for an additional borehole or additional wastewater treatment infrastructure.

To manage surface water, sustainable drainage systems features such as rainwater harvesting systems could be utilised to collect surface water from the new industrial buildings rooftops. The water collected could be reused for the selected VCs. To manage the surface water runoff from the proposed footpaths, a combination of filter strips and rain gardens can be utilised throughout the site and directed to the reedbed system. Exact locations of SuDS features can be finalised as part of the detailed design stages of the industrial site.

Location The project will be located in Focus area 2 and provide water, wastewater and drainage services for the proposed agri-processing at Kalamba.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project does not link to any other existing project; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the juice bottling/canning VC and the solar power for agri-processing at Kalamba climate resilient infrastructure project to supply energy for pumping and treatment of water; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency and sustainability.

Category > Capital investment: Improving existing

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Table 4-19 – Project 6 summary information

SUED principles for implementation

Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Water supply: Borehole, pump and treatment system › Wastewater treatment plant › ESIA including hydro-geotechnical investigation

› › › ›

› The project will provide water supply, wastewater treatment services as well as sustainable drainage for the Kalamba site in order to support the chosen and future VCs.

› Funding through development partners like World Bank or Water Sector Trust Fund. › Or local government for capital investment.

› The implementation agent would be Municipality with the aid of the SUED programme. › The stakeholders would include local businesses and SMEs for the operation and maintenance of services and employees of the industrial zone.

KES 10 million KES 15 million KES 400,000 Total cost = KES 25,4 million

Climate resilience recommendations This proposal will provide a sustainable and resilient water supply for the Kalamba site. Groundwater assessments should be carried out to ensure that the amount of water being extracted by the solar-powered boreholes is sustainable and does not deplete the water table, particularly during drought events. There is a risk of damage to water supply and wastewater treatment infrastructure from flooding and so flood risk assessments should be carried out.

Climate Finance Options

Table 4-20 – Project 6 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

If sufficient ground or river water is not available, then surface water will have to be used. This will add to the cost and energy requirements as water will need to be pumped and treatment increased.

Groundwater depths, yields and water quality to confirm feasibility and design parameters of the systems.

Short-term.

The services would have to be developed at the same time as the juice bottling/canning VC are developed on the site in order to improve the availability of water, wastewater and drainage services to the Kalamba site.

Access to climate finance increases the capacity of projects to deliver climate mitigation and adaptation actions. There are a range of specialised funds and instruments available which could provide a source of finance for this project, including: > The Adaptation Fund (AF) > The National Treasury > The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) > African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC) > The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) Section 5.5 provides more information about available climate funds in Wote.

Social inclusion recommendations The improvement of water provision and wastewater treatment will contribute to the economic activities in the industrial site, supporting future industrial activities.

This will also contribute to improve the health of staff and local communities.

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Case Study 4-16: Water and wastewater minimisation in a citrus plant in Argentina34 A study conducted by S. Thevendiraraj et al., on the minimisation of water and wastewater in a citrus plant in Argentina using a water pinch analysis showed that, in this case freshwater use could be reduced by up to 30% when employing water recycling and reuse methods at the citrus processing plant. These improvements were shown to be achievable with minimal capital investment, with only 7 additional pipes needing to be added to the system.

The payback rate of the capital investment to achieve these improvements would have been 0.14 years. In other studies, traditional approaches to water minimisation such as changing washing operations, when complemented with water pinch analysis methodology have shown to achieve 30-60% freshwater savings in industrial applications.

4.3.4.3. Project 7: Solar Power for Agri-processing at Kalamba Project Overview The existing facilities at the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant comprise sorting, ripening, processing and storage buildings with a combined area of 2,850m2. To this the project plans to add a cold storage facility for about 1,000 tonnes of produce and possibly a feed mill capable of 10,000 tonnes per year output.

Kalamba is located roughly halfway between Sultan Hamud Bulk Supply Point and Wote main substation, however the local power infrastructure is very poor and not reliable.

Based on the current and future proposed facilities, the general power and lighting demand for the buildings and process load could be in the region of 200-220 kW depending on the type and efficiency of equipment installed.

The purpose of this project is to introduce a small utility scale solar power system. This project will provide enough renewable energy to support the entire Makueni Fruit Processing Plant site. The plant would be sized to consider both the current and future demands. This system will improve resiliency, reduce running costs, carbon emissions and local air pollution. The solution here would consist of the following: 1. Replacement of existing equipment with Installation of high efficiency motors and drives and other low energy equipment such as LED lamps to ensure the demand is at the lower end of projections 2. On-site energy generation. Solar PV will be installed on the site to minimise reliance on the grid and also reduce electricity bills. An appropriate installed capacity would be around 500 kW. This would require an area of about 3,250 m2.

This could be located on a standalone solar array. This output will be reduced during cloud cover and at night, and during maintenance periods, so the grid supply will still be maintained to cover the peak demand however PV could reduce the cost of grid electricity by up to KES 185,000 per week.

3. Voltage regulation. Spikes, sags or fluctuations in voltage supply can cause damage to equipment and disrupt operations.

Regulation equipment integrated into the distribution transformer at the incoming voltage will protect the manufacturing equipment.

4. Battery storage. This should be included to help with any extended power cuts. Lead-acid batteries are appropriate technology for this environment. An appropriate storage capacity of around 1,500 kWh would provide a suitable level of business continuity.

5. Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) would be needed to instantaneously bridge between any power cuts and the battery storage. The battery storage, voltage regulation and UPS equipment would require a dedicated building on site of roughly 10 x 16 m (160 m2).

The final size, locations and phasing for the PV plants will need to be determined at a later stage via a detailed feasibility assessment.

Location The project will be located in Focus Area 2.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project does not link to any existing projects; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with juice bottling/canning VC; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency and sustainability.

Category > Capital investment: New

The provision of power has been a constant issue at the existing site, with disruption averaging around two to three days per week. This is a clear impediment that must be addressed for the facility to operate successfully in the future.

34 Thevendiraraj, S., Klemeš, J., Paz, D., Aso, G. and Cardenas, G., (2003). Water and wastewater minimisation study of a citrus plant. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 37(3), pp.227-250.

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Table 4-21 – Project 7 summary information

SUED principles for implementation

Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› A pre-feasibility study to determine preferred potential locations, required size including phasing, technical arrangements including preferred technology, and local network connections, commercial arrangement options › Outline design of solar park › Development of procurement and deployment plan This will include: › Procurement route – best options or engagement with solution providers/ contractors › Deployment plan – upskilling of local marginalised groups to work as contractors › Development of maintenance plan, focusing on upskilling of local marginalised groups to work as maintenance staff

› Benchmark: › KES 5 million to complete study/ design, › KES 75 million to complete 500kW plant › Total cost = KES 80 million

› Reliable, resilient and green energy supply for the town › Reduced uncertainty and vulnerability around power cuts › Make Wote a more attractive place to do business › A safer town less vulnerable to energy outages

› Solar power plants are typically financed using a Build, Own Operate model. › Companies such as Globeleq provide finance and construct utility scale projects, whereas specialist impact investors such as Empower can finance smaller scale projects

› Implementing agency will be the Municipality › They will complete the pre-feasibility study and provide the land to the developer

Solar photovoltaics have an operating lifetime of 20 or more years and their vulnerability to climate change includes wind and extreme temperatures. Wote’s diagnostics report has identified increasing temperatures and an increased intensity of rainfall in the coming decades.

Higher temperatures have a variety of impacts on Solar PV systems. Lower cell efficiency and energy outputs are associated with increased temperatures, with some studies indicating that at a temperature of 50ºC on the panel (which can be achieved at much lower air temperatures) Solar PV outputs can be 12% below rated output. The capacity of underground conductors may be lower, again due to higher ambient temperatures. The inverter on the other hand, which converts direct current power output into alternating current is not usually directly exposed and is not especially vulnerable to climate change.

Wote can consider the following adaptive measures in addressing the identified climate change impacts:

Table 4-22 – Project 7 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Developing a sound technical and commercial proposition that will ensure participation from suitable solar solution providers and funders.

No knowledge of suitable solar providers willing to participate.

Short-term.

Securing necessary land.

Climate resilience recommendations

Improvement in power situation urgently needed, solar power plants can take time to be built and become operational, initial stages including feasibility study should be addressed immediately.

> Use designs that improve passive airflow beneath photovoltaic mounting structures, reducing panel temperature and increasing power output; and > Choose modules with more heat-resistant photovoltaic cell and module materials designed to withstand short peaks of very high temperatures.

Social inclusion recommendations Improving the provision, reliability and resiliency of power within the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant site will contribute to reducing power outages, which will in turn contribute to improved industrial activity. There is also the potential for the creation of jobs, some of which could be targeted at employing youths and other SIGs through an upskilling programme. Good lighting will also contribute to make the industrial site and surrounding areas safer.

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Case Study 4-17

Solar power deployed at Premium Poultry, Nigeria35 Premium Poultry is Nigeria’s largest egg producer, producing about 600,000 eggs daily. They decided to construct a solar PV plant at their Abuja factory to provide clean reliable and cheaper energy and reduce their carbon emissions.

They partnered with impact investor Empower New Energy, who specialise in the investment of smaller capacity systems in the utility and commercial/ industrial sectors and Rensource, a leading West African renewable energy services provider.

The 700kW ground mounted PV installation will generate about 1,000MWh of electricity annually and offset 25,000 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime of 25 years. The plant created 40 jobs during its construction and operation phases.

35 Nigerian Tribune, Rensource, Premium Poultry Partner Empower to deploy solar to poultry farm (2020). Available at: https://tribuneonlineng.com/rensource-premiumpoultry-partner-empower-to-deploy-solar-to-poultry-farm/, (Accessed: 04/03/2022).

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4.4 Markets, Trade & Services Sector Action Plan Markets, trade and services represents a growing sector in Makueni County, particularly in Wote. The majority of commercial activities in the Municipality are concentrated within Wote Township, which represents the core business and administrative centre, as well as small concentrations in the other urban centres. The increasing urban population in Wote, and its diversifying economy, is expected to create additional demand for businesses operating within the tertiary sector.

Trade and retail are among the key productive sectors identified in the Makueni CSP for accelerating economic growth and development, due to its immense potential for employment and wealth creation, hence reducing poverty and enhancing quality of life for the County. Wote Municipality houses several markets, including open-air markets, closed markets and livestock yards, which attract traders from as far as Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos. As the main commercial centre within the County, the services sector is also a key offering of Wote Municipality’s economy, with a growing provision of public services and respected financial services.

The role of higher education in Wote, as highlighted by the need for closing the skills gap in other sectors, will also be fundamental in bringing together cohesive and sustainable urban development in future.

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Makueni County is strategically positioned along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway and the standard gauge railway traversing Kenya, and it is envisioned that this connectivity could be exploited in future to develop a strong trade and logistics sector.

This includes the significant potential of Emali as a logistics and distribution hub with strong connectivity to other counties, major urban centres like Nairobi and planned growth nodes such as Konza Technopolis. However, as demonstrated in Table 4-23, there are a number of constraints that need to be overcome for the sector to develop effectively, including major issues relating to urban planning and mobility.

From the Diagnostic Report analysis, the following key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats have been established. These were used to determine the actions proposed in the following section.

Table 4-23 – Markets, Trade and Services SWOT Strengths

Weaknesses

› Wote houses several competitive trade and retail markets, attracting visitors/traders from as far as Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos. › The County has a strategic connection to a network of international rail and road trunks, as well as national and regional highways. › Encompasses a thriving and vibrant informal sector, including various skilled craftspeople operating in and around Wote’s markets. › Makueni County represents a strategic provider for health services in the region.

› Market infrastructure is fairly limited, with inadequate cold storage and processing facilities which constrain marketability. › Several businesses continue to report access to finance and capital as a major constraint on their operation and growth. › Uncontrolled development and inadequate planning has led to uneconomical land uses and increasing informal settlements. › Sparse road network with poor connectivity and a high percentage of unpaved roads.

Opportunities

Threats

› Considerable opportunities for trade and commercialisation of food and drink, given Makueni’s location with regards to key food consumption cities (Nairobi and Mombasa). › The African Continental Free Trade Area agreement will promote trade within Africa, enabling an increased flow of products. › Makueni’s increasing urban population is expected to create additional demand for businesses in the trade and services sector.

› Enduring impact of COVID-19 on both businesses and customer expenditure. › Competition with unregistered roadside traders and street hawkers who have a reduced business cost, as they do not have to pay for a business license/market fees. › Greater distance to northern road corridor and main train stations is a trade constraint may result in Wote being ‘left behind’ from more metropolitan towns like Machakos.

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The Sector Action Plan, outlined in Table 4-24, should be viewed as a practical sequence of actions to support the development of the trade and services sector, taking account of the Municipality’s existing strengths and weaknesses. The Plan commences with the soft initiatives and capacity-building interventions (Section 4.4.1) recommended to best position the sector to benefit from the inclusive and climate resilient infrastructure proposals (Section 4.4.4) and the anchor projects proposed to enable sector growth across the County (Section 4.4.3). The VC opportunity of a commercialised solid waste collection and processing service is presented as a potential pilot scheme to catalyse climate-smart development (Section 4.4.2).

Due to the inherently interrelated nature of the identified key economic sectors of Agriculture and Livestock and Agri-Processing and Industry with the Trade and Services Sector, the interventions outlined are also likely to have significant potential for specific benefits for the other sectors and vice versa.

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Table 4-24 – Markets, Trade and Services Action Plan Economic ambitions

Actions

› Enhanced market infrastructure and improved public realm to support sector development › Improved access to focused business support, with opportunities to benefit from key economic development projects › Inclusion of SIGs, particularly youth, women and PWD

4.4.1 Soft initiatives, training and capacity-building A12: Introduce and promote community-led initiatives A13: Enhance regulation, enforcement and monitoring of the local markets A14: Establish an Entrepreneurship Centre to support local entrepreneurs in benefiting from the region’s flagship economic development projects A15: Develop affordable housing to support economic development and social inclusion 4.4.2 VC opportunity: Solid waste management 4.4.3 Anchor projects Project 8: Wote Jua-Kali Market Improvement Project 9: Kaiti River Park Project 10: Bus Park Relocation & Rationalisation 4.4.4. Climate resilient infrastructure projects Project 11: Urban Centre Transport Network Improvements and Management Project 12: Street-lighting Project 13: Accessible Public Toilet Blocks

4.4.1 Soft Initiatives, Training and Capacity Building This section outlines the soft initiatives, training and capacity building interventions proposed to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the sector, improve inclusion of excluded groups and establish Wote as a trade and services hub for the County. Ultimately, the aim of these initiatives is to position the sector so that it can maximise the potential benefits of the recommended climate resilient infrastructure projects (Section 4.4.4) and the proposed anchor projects (Section 4.4.3), as well as the identified VC opportunity of solid waste management (Section 4.4.2).

While not a definitive roadmap, the initiatives are presented in a logical sequence for implementation, starting with actions that can be introduced immediately and following through to longer-term interventions.

A12: Introduce and promote community-led cooperatives The trade and services industry is an inherently complex sector, involving various stakeholders and key players in delivering services, with an extensive reach in terms of the impact it has on local communities. The Sector Action Plan for the agriculture and livestock sector (Section 4.2) encourages local farmers in Wote to form cooperatives. This is also recommended for Wote’s markets, trade and services sector, in order to include members of businesses, organisations and individuals operating within the Municipality. Cooperatives will enable businesses and individuals to pool together their finances and assets to invest together in focused interventions with direct benefits for Wote’s local community, as well as to develop a network of national and international partners to provide a marketing platform.

Community-led cooperatives will provide local people and businesses with the opportunity to influence and become involved with developing the sector they operate within.

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This will enhance the potential to create an environmentally sensitive and locally controlled markets, trade and services sector, which develops business and employment opportunities for local communities, and ensures money remains within the local economy. Crucially, given the voluntary and open membership of cooperatives, they can be crucial in improving social and economic inclusion of marginalised and vulnerable populations, including ensuring relevant SIGs organisations are involved in informed decision-making.

Cooperatives can also play an important role in promoting sustainable and fair business practices in trade and global supply chains, including in safeguarding human rights and promoting transparency in the lower tiers of supply chains where informality and decent work deficits are prominent.

Such groups would be well-placed to bridge the interests of different stakeholders along value chains to ensure good practices, for instance with regards to labour rights protection, gender equity and youth empowerment.

In order to strengthen cooperative development, an enabling regulatory environment is needed with rules and regulations that allow for efficient registration of cooperatives. The ILO has developed guidelines for cooperative legislation and supported over 110 governments in adjusting and implementing their regulatory frameworks for cooperatives (see footnotes36 37).

In addition, sharing information about the cooperative model and its values and principles can help improve understanding on cooperatives, gain recognition in markets, draw interest from consumers and receive support from buyers in the supply chains.

36 ILO, Guidelines for Cooperative Legislation, 3rd Revised Edition (2012) Available at: www.ilo. org/empent/Publications/WCMS_195533/lang--en/index.htm (Accessed: 23/03/2022) 37 ILO, Promoting Cooperatives: An Information Guide to ILO Recommendation No.193 (2014) Available at: www.ilo.org/empent/Publications/WCMS_311447/lang--en/index.htm (Accessed: 23/03/2022)

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A13: Enhance regulation, enforcement and monitoring of the local markets During the business consultation process in Wote, traders operating at the Municipality’s various markets reported issues of competition with unregistered roadside traders and street hawkers working in and around the markets.

These unregistered traders have a reduced business cost, as they do not have to pay for business licenses or market fees, and thus can usually sell the same products as registered vendors for a lower price. Street hawkers also often set up unregistered stalls on pedestrian walkways and roadsides, making the market and its surrounding area less accessible and attractive to customers.

Monitoring and enforcement of the existing restrictions on street trading should be enforced more strictly to prevent these negative impacts. However, street hawking and unregistered roadside traders are currently a culturally accepted activity in Wote and part of life in urban centres, which may pose difficulties when trying to enhance regulation and enforcement of the local markets. Moreover, women and other vulnerable groups usually constitute the majority of these informal workers. Consequently, provisions could be made to integrate hawkers in official market areas, in order for them to not lose their income stream and livelihoods.

For instance, this could involve offering support for the costs associated with formalisation processes and actively including them in improvements to the markets.

A Market Task Team should be considered to define measures to tackle the issues facing Wote’s markets – including infrastructure challenges, accessibility issues, unregistered traders and waste management. For instance, market days involve a high concentration of traders and residents in one place, which presents an opportunity to implement financial incentives or penalties associated with waste management.

Furthermore, the Task Team could coordinate community engagement activities to gauge the required improvements to existing market infrastructure and the wider public realm.

A consultation period should be considered to understand both registered and unregistered traders’ views regarding market fees and the acceptable amount individuals are willing to pay for the improved provision of stalls, lighting, storage and other facilities.

If fees become too high, traders may be discouraged from utilising the market, making improvements to market infrastructure unviable and increasing the number of street hawkers.

A14: Establish an Entrepreneurship Centre to support local entrepreneurs in benefiting from the region’s flagship economic development projects Qualitative research in Wote has demonstrated that the Municipality has a dynamic and tech-savvy youth population, supported by various polytechnics and tertiary institutions.

However, the GeSI study undertaken for the Diagnostics Report (Appendix A) identified that Wote’s youth often do not have access to employment opportunities since qualification levels or requirements in terms of years of experience are disproportionately high. Moreover, employers require certificates of good conduct, which are costly to obtain. Despite this, there is a lack of initiatives to support individuals in developing their own businesses including aspects such as marketing, product design, accounting and e-commerce opportunities.

Consequently, there is scope for the development of an Entrepreneurship Centre for start-ups and small businesses in Wote, offering support to students, graduates and local entrepreneurs. Support could include technical assistance, business advice, access to investors and provision of a collaborative workspace. The Entrepreneurship Centre should be closely linked with local educational institutions and training facilities, in order to facilitate knowledge sharing between entrepreneurs and academics, as well as collaboration with students in various disciplines such as marketing, computer science or engineering. In addition to benefiting businesses, this will also provide students with real-life experience and a chance to apply their knowledge in their chosen field.

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Several entrepreneurship and business support networks are currently operating across Africa which may be able to offer provide resources or support to the Entrepreneurship Centre, for instance the African Incubator Network, 2Scale or the International Labour Office’s community-based enterprise development (C-BED) programme (see case study 4-18). The Kenyan Department of Micro and Small Industries (MSI), part of the Ministry of Industrialization, also implements incubation programmes through partner support.

The Entrepreneurship Centre should also develop low-cost and accessible opportunities for out-of-school youth and populations with low literacy levels. For example, business and marketing training should be available to support those who already own businesses, and those who would like to start one.

The wider region surrounding Wote Municipality is set to host a significant pipeline of economic development and major infrastructure projects, which will provide considerable employment opportunities for the local population in future.

This includes Konza Technopolis in Machakos County, a key flagship project of Kenya’s Vision 2030 development portfolio, as well as the proposed role of Emali as a major national logistics centre. The economic driver of the Konza smart city is envisioned as a sustainable, world-class technology hub with clusters of innovative ICT, engineering and life science activities – including an enabling environment for SMEs and entrepreneurs.

Consequently, appropriate and tailored training programmes should be offered within Wote Municipality to best position the local population, particularly the youth, to benefit from these flagship projects. For instance, with regards to the employment opportunities offered by Konza Technopolis, provision of training should focus on upskilling in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and core business skills such as communication and teamwork. The potential for these career opportunities should be promoted to the local population to encourage them to engage in training programmes that may improve their employment prospects.

This offer would complement the training to be provided at the Climate Smart Aggregation Centres (Section 4.2.1) and the joined-up education strategy (Action A8) that focuses specifically on upskilling related to agri-processing skills and sustainable farming practices. As with these initiatives, low-cost and accessible training options should be developed for out-of-school youth, women and PWDs with low literacy levels, including active communication of business development and education opportunities in the local media and education centres.

Case Study 4-18: C-BED Programme, International Labour Office38 Currently operating in 14 countries worldwide, C-BED is an International Labour Office (ILO) initiative developed to reach aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in underserved vulnerable communities, providing training programmes to support individuals in starting or improving their own business for enhanced livelihoods.

The programme consists of two core C-BED training packages, C-BED for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and C-BED for Small Business Operators, as well as other modules on related topics.

The key aspect of C-BED is that training can be carried out without external trainers or resources, and it has been designed to be used by marginalised and vulnerable communities. Only a facilitator is required, and participants work together in small groups to solve problems and share existing knowledge and experiences. Participants are able to support each other in understanding formal business concepts, like costing or marketing, and develop stronger skills for business improvement. The programme is therefore action-based and combines local insights with analysis. All C-BED resources are free to access via ILO’s website.

38 International Labour Organisation, Community-Based Enterprise Development (C-BED) Available at: https://learninghub.ilo.org/program/Community-Based_Enterprise_ Development_C-BED#:~:text=Community-Based%20Enterprise%20Development%20 %28C-BED%29%20Building%20on%20the%20knowledge,marketing%2C%20and%20develop%20stronger%20skills%20for%20business%20improvement. (Accessed: 14/02/2022).

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A15: Develop affordable housing programme to support economic development and social inclusion There are no official estimates of the housing shortage in Wote or Makueni as a whole. However, assuming an annual growth rate of 5% in Wote, there could then be a need for approximately 250 new homes per year in addition to homes required to meet the backlog in housing. While these are simple estimates, they indicate the scale of the housing issue. The pursuance of an effective and coherent housing programme, including affordable housing, at both County and Municipality scales is therefore an urgent necessity.

Discussions with the County and Municipal stakeholders confirmed their intentions to address these issues through various approaches both at public and private sectors levels, along with a combination of both through PPP initiatives.

For example, they are currently identifying potential parcels of County government owned land suitable for housing development (land banking) as well as engaging with private developers to initiate housing developments thereon.

Furthermore, the existing but stalled, partially complete housing development known as the Wote Housing Scheme that started in 1980’s is being assessed through Central and County government with a view to rejuvenating the development to provide up to 203 units. The units comprise 1 maisonette, 10 units for senior departmental heads, 30 units for managers and 162 for low level staff. So far about 40 units for the senior staff have been retrofitted and functional but 162 have been abandoned, vandalised and in complete disrepair.

The Municipality is well-suited for housing development, as a growing urban area and the County headquarters, it has experienced significant population influx since the start of devolution in 2013. Many people come to Wote to work, do business or look for employment opportunities and consequently there is a strong demand for housing. As it is, a number of high-income groups within Wote use Machakos as a dormitory town and commute daily due to the inadequate supply of appropriate housing in Wote.

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Wote is very strategically located, it offers residents access to a range of amenities and services – including healthcare, education, public administration, and strong market centres – and a strategic location for accessing other areas of Makueni County and beyond. This makes Wote an attractive place to live, which will be further enhanced by the proposed anchor projects of River Kaiti Linear Park and the bus park upgrade (Section 4.4.3), as well as through providing a range of housing options for all members of society.

The enhanced provision of accessible climate resilient infrastructure, including affordable housing, will not only ensure retention of the local labour force but will attract other economically active people that will drive economic development within the town. Given the projected population growth and increasing urbanisation in Wote, as well as nearby major infrastructure projects like the aforementioned Konza Technopolis and the Thwake Dam, pressure on housing provision is likely to further increase in the short term.

However, at present, uncontrolled development has led to the inappropriate and uneconomical use of land, rising land prices, areas that are underserved by utilities and increasing informal settlements. Furthermore, it has been noted that a lack of affordable housing for students continues to constrain the potential of Makueni’s and Wote’s educational facilities, with an increased need for student accommodation within the County and in close proximity to its educational institutions.

Development of an affordable housing programme, which is integrated within a broader housing development strategy, is therefore key in ensuring Wote’s future role as the main activity hub for the County. It should be considered in order to respond to growing demand and to target those individuals most in need of economical housing options, including: Public and Civil servants – as aforementioned many County and Municipal officials currently live outside of Wote, and even the County, due to a shortage of housing options within the Municipality. This needs to be rectified to reduce commuting time, costs and environmental impacts, as well increase economic activity with the town – the 24hour economy.

Housing for students – students typically experience difficulties accessing the housing market, with specific needs for individual rooms and temporary accommodation on a rental basis. Students from various institutions in Wote have reported having to live in inadequate shared facilities with a lack of facilities and high rates of crime, suggesting a strong demand for affordable and appropriate accommodation. In 2018, the Kenyan Government introduced an initiative aimed at private investors/developers to raise funds for the construction of hostels to serve the increasing student population39. However, uptake has been limited due to the impacts of COVID-19, the high cost of land, inadequate lending and insufficient experience in development and management of purpose-built student hostels.

Affordable housing for all segments of the population – particular attention should be paid to SIGs and other vulnerable groups such as women, informal settlement dwellers, the unemployed and underemployed people (see case study 4-19) whereby access should not be conditional on working in the formal sector.

For example, women often lack access to land/property ownership due to social and cultural norms, and this makes them more vulnerable, with recent studies demonstrating that gender equality in land/property ownership can substantially decrease violence against women (GBV). Moreover, assets’ ownership can empower women to act sooner when they are already facing GBV. Consequently, the development of affordable housing options and models - such as outright purchase, subsidised purchase, long term rental or rent to buy – will support economic development in Wote and provides a major opportunity to promote more socially inclusive forms of ownership and control over property over and above employment creation along the value chain.

39 Construction Kenya, State Courts Private Investors in Sh20bn Student Hostels Project (2018) Available at: www.constructionkenya.com/5263/kenya-student-hostels-project/ (Accessed: 11/02/2022).

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The development of an integrated housing programme, including the construction of affordable housing, also provides a significant opportunity for Wote Municipality to take advantage of the advancements in climate-smart infrastructure and housing. The Municipality must ensure that new housing constructed in their area of jurisdiction complies with water and energy efficiency and usage standards, whilst also educating developers and building owners/occupants on the benefits of water and energy efficient buildings. This can be done through campaigns and in collaboration with the local building industry develop a range of building by-laws to encourage innovation and compliance.

For example, to help meet the demand for affordable housing, good supplies of low-cost building materials are required. The County have already made some progress in this area, having purchased three Hydraform machines to make interlocking stabilised soil blocks. These moulding and compression machines, take mixes of locally available sands, earth, clay, ash, and the like, and produce stable blocks that fit together like Lego. The blocks do not require mortar, and construction can be undertaken by those without traditional block laying skills. This makes construction of walls both low-cost and rapid. There is potential to expand the use of these blocks across Wote and across the County, as well as other low-cost construction material and techniques, as part of the affordable housing initiative. This not only reduces the cost of housing construction through innovation but also increases the potential for entrepreneurial activity and employment opportunities for the local communities.

It is noted that this UEP has identified within the shortlisted VCs the possible development of a low-cost construction centre, manufacturing construction materials (blocks and roof panels) and training teams in new building techniques.

The centre would oversee the construction of demonstration buildings using the new techniques and materials, as well as water-wise reticulation and energy saving technologies.

It is intended that the VC would build around the existing blockmaking service provided by the County, expanding capacity and training.

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In addition, the VC would aim to work with the Wote Vocational Training Institute to train future builders. > Compacted earthen floors: These are made from compacted layers of laterite, fine earth mix and a topping of an oil sealant. This provides a dust and water resilient flooring, comparable with concrete but at much lower cost. > Modular roofing panels: These are interlocking (1 m2) panels made from a compressed waste fibre core (e.g., sugar cane fibre, straw or corn husks) coated in a thick veneer of recycled plastics. The panels are waterproof and provide good thermal insulation. > 3D printing: while the technology is still developing, demonstration projects indicate that costs could be low (e.g., under $ 4,000 for a complete single floor structure of 60 m2 including ducting), using a range of widely available materials (e.g., raw materials can include straw, husk, hydraulic lime, sand, silica, ash, and small volumes of cement)40.

Finally, as part of its overall housing programme, the Municipality should also set conditions based on sustainable development goals (SDG) for the sale or lease of County/ Municipal land to housing developers/investors, for instance with regards to the incorporation of sustainable climate resilient infrastructure and building materials, including renewable technologies. Crucially, the proper location and siting of new housing schemes will be important to sustainable development, including locations in proximity to existing or future climate resilient infrastructure, and positioned away from wetlands and other sensitive ecosystems.

40 Treehugger, reporting ICON printing of housing in Texas (2020) accessed at: https://www. treehugger.com/icon-d-printed-affordable-homes-4858287

Case Study 4-19: Reall & National Cooperative Housing Union (NACHU), Kenya4142 Reall, a housing development scheme, has been working in partnership with Kenya’s NACHU, with the objective to provide affordable and appropriate housing and infrastructure to the urban low and modest-income communities. The initiative also incorporates community mobilisation and training, technical support, housing finance, lobbying and advocacy. The partnership has seen the construction of over 1,500 homes, with NACHU also engaging national and regional governments to assist in creating housing policy to consider people on low incomes. The partnership focused on commercial low-income housing developers, and negotiations with government-backed mortgage providers and commercial banks on end-user finance.

Some examples of the partnership’s work include: Nanyuki – a community-based partnership in which NACHU constructed housing and sanitation whilst the community facilitated roads, electricity, fencing and landscaping. The scheme was supported by a savings and credit cooperative that offered financial assistance, providing micro-mortgages for those housed.

Alfa-Mwanda – a project to provide homes for those formerly residing in densely-populated informal settlements. All tenants previously lived in unsuitable conditions with little or no access to safe and reliable water or sanitation. They were offered end-user finance

by NACHU, in the form of micro mortgages.

41 Reall, About Reall: Our Mission (2022) Available at: https://reall.net/about-reall/ourmission/ (Accessed: 11/02/2022).

42 Reall, Data Dashboard: Alfa Mwanda Housing (2022) Available at: https://reall.net/datadashboard/kenya/alfa-mwanda-housing/ (Accessed: 11/02/2022).

4.4.2 VC2 – Solid waste management This VC aims is for the establishment of a commercialised solid waste collection and processing service, that improves collection across the Municipality, maximises the recovery and production of useful materials and minimises disposal.

Benefits of this VC then include: > Reducing the costs of waste collection and disposal to the Municipality; > Reducing the need for landfill and environmental degradation; > Providing compost for farmers and biogas for domestic cooking; > Supporting improvement in the attractiveness of the Town to investors; > Creating direct employment for around 124 full-time employees in safe and hygienic conditions, with potentiaL to extend secure employment to existing informal waste pickers; and

Waste collection is undertaken using a combination of lorries, carts and wheelbarrows, and once collected the waste is taken to an undesignated, unfenced site on the outskirts of Town, where it is dumped and burnt. The approach to the handling of Municipal waste is similar in other urban centres in the County.

This VC is also supported by other policies at the national and county level:

Recovery of waste is limited to the small volumes collected by informal waste pickers, who sell on to a series of traders/ middlemen for eventual use in one of the major cities.

There are no recycling businesses in Makueni County.

Waste management presents a major challenge to Wote Municipality, as well as other urban centres in the County, with key issues including:

> Vision 2030 with its focus on efficient and sustainable waste management systems;

> Collections are infrequency and erratic, leading to waste being dumped around Town; > Lack of receptacles for domestic waste: general littering around Town limiting attractiveness for investors; > Inadequate sensitisation of the residents on proper solid waste management;

> Creating the opportunity for producing products from recyclate, with links to low-cost building materials.

> Lack of solid waste separation and sorting, leading to waste being undervalued;

4.4.2.1. Base Assessment

> No appropriate disposal sites: after collection most solid waste is burnt, buried or dumped;

Wote Municipality generates an estimated 17,000 tonnes of waste per year, of which 60% are organics. It is estimated that currently less than 6,000 tonnes are collected each year by truck for open disposal outside Town. Across the County the overall collection rate is far lower, reported at 3.7% in the County Spatial Plan43.

Currently, Wote Municipality does not charge a fee for waste collection, transportation or disposal. Collections can be infrequent and the days and times for collection are not always known to households and businesses.

43 WMB & Renaissance Planning, Wote Municipal Spatial Plan 2021-2030 (2021).

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> Makueni CIDP which supports the development of waste management systems in the County’s six urban centres including Wote;

> Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources’ Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), supporting a circular economy approach to solid waste management in urban areas; > Makueni County Government’s Solid Waste Baseline Survey, which supports the need for integrated strategies and capacity building, both physical and human; > NEMA’s (National Environment Management Authority) National Solid Waste Management Strategy which supports improved collection, user charges and reprocessing/recycling; and > Wote Municipality Waste Management Policy, 2020, which supports an integrated approach with potential for commercialisation and user charges.

> Risk of pollution of the Ndue Nguu stream and River Kai from existing dumpsite; > Lack of PPE for waste handlers; and > Limited capacity for handling biomedical waste, with waste from the Makueni Referral Hospital transferred to Makindu or Machakos for incinerated.

The Municipality commissioned a report on Solid Waste Management Policy (December 2020) which sets out the policy goals of minimising waste generation and promoting recovery, re-use and recycling of waste materials as well as sustainable waste disposal. This VC aims to support the Municipality in achieving those objectives through the commercialisation of waste collection services, combined with waste separation and processing that maximises recovery of useful materials and minimises disposal.

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4.4.2.2. Production Potential and Supply Chain Overall process flow The collection services in Wote Municipality would be expanded to provide a regular service to all areas. Additional waste operatives, estimated at around 50 full time equivalent jobs, would be supported by additional vehicles and hand carts, as well as extensive use of the three-bin system throughout the Municipality. With the three-bin system, separate receptacles for dry recyclate (paper, card, wood, metal, glass, etc.), organic waste (fruit and vegetable scraps, plant trimming, etc.) and residual waste, are placed together in order to reduce the separation and sorting needed once waste is collected. A combination of large bins (each with a capacity of around 1,100 litres) and small bins (100 litres) would be located throughout the Municipality.

The roll-out of the three-bin system would be supported by extensive user engagement and education, and the trucks taking the contents of the three bins would be designed to maintain separation of the materials.

Once the waste is collected it will be transferred to a treatment site. Primary processing would comprise the following: > Initial delivery > Where there is no separation at source, waste to be loaded onto a conveyor for picking out key streams: > Plastics > Metal containers > Glass bottles > Organics > Separation of metals into ferrous / non-ferrous

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After primary separation, sorted waste would be aggregated into a series of containers in readiness for the next stage of processing comprising: > Metals: compacting and bailing of aluminium and steel cans, ready for sending to Nairobi or Mombasa for sale and processing. > Plastics: > PET bottles to be removed for compacting and bailing, prior to transporting to PETCO in Nairobi, the national recycler of PET > Other plastics to be washed, separated by type (e.g. PE, PVC, etc., if volumes sufficient), and bailed for dispatch to a processor, with potential for use in local roof panel facility or plastic lumber extrusion. > Glass: crushing for use as aggregate, combing with stones and other inert waste (e.g. some construction waste). If glass volumes are sufficient, separation by colour and dispatch to Nairobi for bottle making. > Organics: shredding and then processing in an anaerobic digester, to produce biogas (suitable for bottling and use in domestic stoves) and a digestate (a fertiliser). > Card and paper: sorting and bailing of unsoiled material for dispatch to mills in Nairobi. If volumes are low, potential to shred and combine with the organics. > Landfill of residual waste.

A central element of the processing will be the anaerobic digester (AD), which will take over half of the expected volumes of solid waste. In the AD, organic matter is broken down to produce biogas (a methane rich gas) and a fertiliser with similar properties to compost. While the AD represents a substantial capital investment (over KES 400 million), it will be responsible for around half of the potential revenues from the processing plant through sales of gas and fertiliser.

The specific levels of separation and approach would depend upon the contents of the waste and total volumes. A detailed assay of the waste stream in the Municipality would be required as a first step in developing this VC. There is potential for the operations in the Municipality to link up with other collection and sorting activities in Makueni and neighbouring counties. By aggregating volumes of waste, transport costs to Mombasa or Nairobi would be reduced, and the potential for local recycling improves.

Figure 4-14– Process flow for Municipal solid waste

Capacity

Municipal Solid Waste Collection and Processing

Other Supplies Shipments of sorted waste from other collection centres in the region for processing and aggregation

Sorting and processing centre

Offices, Hotels and Factories

Scheduled collection: mixed and pre-sorted

Households

Organics Cardboard Wood Bio Medical Plastics

Secondary Sorting and Processing Anaerobic Digestor

Primary Separation

Public Bins

PET

Biogas

Bottled gas for cooking

Compost

Farmers

Bailed

Polyethelene HdPE, LdPE, LldPE

Mixed

Glass/Stone Other

Sale and Dispatch

Crush and grade for aggregates

PETCO Organics Nairobi Washed and shredded

It is estimated that the Municipality generates around 17,000 tonnes of solid waste per year, of which less than 6,000 tonnes is currently collected. Base on this, and to take account of future growth of the Municipality, the processing facility should have a capacity of around 20,000 tonnes per year.

In calculating the potential revenue streams, a collection rate of 80% has been used – this avoids over-estimating the revenue potential. The table below then shows the potential volumes of each type of waste based on the composition of waste from the Baseline Survey.

Organic waste volumes (which account for an estimated 61% of the solid waste stream) could approach 10,000 tonnes per year at full capacity.

Recyclers Export

Building Materials Landfill

Source: SUED Atkins Team

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Table 4-25 – Capacity and volumes for Municipal solid waste Potential volumes of waste

Revenue streams

Waste Generated (Tonnes)

Collected

Per Day

Per Year

Composition

Collection %

Tonnage

Organic

33.4

12,200

61%

80%

9,760

Plastics

6.6

2,400

12%

80%

1,290

Glass

3.3

1,200

6%

80%

960

Paper

6.0

2,200

11%

80%

1,760

Rubber / Leather

0.5

200

1%

80%

160

Metals

1.1

400

2%

80%

320

Textiles

0.5

200

1%

80%

160

Other: Unclassified

3.3

1,200

6%

80%

960

Total

54.8

20,000

100%

16,000

Table 4-26 – Potential output and revenues Potential output and revenues Volume

Unit

Price (KES / unit)

Revenues (KES mn)

Fertiliser

6,832

tonnes

4,000

27

Biogas

40,406

giga joules

1,656

67

Plastics

1,920

tonnes

30,000

58

Metals

320

tonnes

40,000

13

Paper and card

1,760

tonnes

12,000

21

Glass / stone

960

tonnes

0

0

Total

186

Source: SUED Atkins Team

To support commercialisation of the solid waste VC, there are three sources of revenues: > Sales of recyclate > Extended producer responsibility (EPR) payments. > Collection charges for scheduled services The potential volumes and revenues from sales of recyclates are summarised in the table below, and based on the following assumptions: > Fertiliser: output is based on the Gorge Farm AD plant in Naivasha which produces 35,000 tonnes of fertiliser per year from an input of 50,000 of agricultural waste. The sales price is based on Green Tec Irrigation’s price of KES 26,000 for a six-tonne load44, less a discount. > Biogas: output is based on production of 180 Nm3 of biogas (65% methane) per tonne of organics. The sales price is marked to KoKo’s bottled bioethanol price (KES 70 litre), at an equivalent energy content, with a 50% discount to cover bottling refilling costs. > Plastics, card and paper, and metals: these are set in line with average waste export prices net of transport costs. > Glass and stone: no revenues have been assumed, with the expectation that the materials will be free for collection by contractors.

With regard to EPR, these are currently only available for PET plastic under a voluntary scheme operated by PETCO in Nairobi. However, under the draft extended producer responsibility law, other plastics and recyclates could be included. Under EPR, original producers of packaging waste (e.g. bottling companies) are responsible for ensuring that packaging is collected and recycled. Once fully established, the EPR price should raise market prices for plastic recyclate.

44 Green Tec Initiatives Kenya, Organic manure supplier sale Kenya (2022). Available at: https://www.greeninitiativeskenya.com/organic_manure_supplier_sale_kenya.html, (Accessed: 01/03/2022).

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Collection charges have been identified as a central component of the National, County and Municipality solid waste strategies45. In particular, charging levels that reflect volumes collected is seen as crucial in reducing waste generation. However, there is a risk that fees will just result in unmanaged dumping and burning of waste. Care then needs to be taken in developing a charging structure.

Potential fees could be substantial. For example, TakaTaka Solutions in Nairobi have introduced a collection fee of KES 100 per month per household in low income areas, which would be the equivalent of KES 24 million per year for Wote.

However, TakaTaka Solutions have only 12,000 signed up customers and the majority of households in the areas they cover do not pay for collection.

Markets and demand outlook For biogas to be used in domestic cooking there is strong and growing demand. The Kenyan Government has been clamping down on the use of wood and charcoal, both to save forests but also reduce death and illness from indoor domestic pollution46.

A bottled biogas supply and refill network would need to be developed, with the potential volumes of biogas supporting the cooking needs of some 24,000 households (based on average urban household use of 67.6 litres of LPG per year47). Sales of biogas could then just focus on households in and around Wote Municipality. The experience of Vivo Energy and KOKO Networks in delivering bioethanol to households through their refill stations indicates how rapidly this could be done if the fuel is competitively priced.

For the fertiliser there is a strong need for composts, soil improvers and fertilisers across Kenya, especially in the semi-arid zones, such as Makueni, where there is little organic material in the soil48. In such soils nutrient levels are low and water retention is poor. The potential to meet the growing demand for composts and fertilisers and cut the imports of 1.5 million tonnes of fertilisers per year, has been identified as a major benefit of the National Solid Waste Management strategy.

Application rates of fertiliser vary by soil type, but a conservative rate (which would avoid excess ammonia) is 20 to 30 m3 per hectare per year49. The output from the AD could then support the fertiliser needs of 450 to 700 hectares of farmland, and the VC could then focus on deliveries to local farmers. To educate farmers on the benefits of the fertiliser and best management practises, demonstration fields should be developed.

The sorted metals, plastics, paper and card, are all commodity products with established markets. The key is then to aggregate sufficient volumes to obtain good sales prices net of transport costs, with the target markets being processors in Nairobi, and processors and exporters in Mombasa. In the longer term there is potential for local use of recovered plastics, for construction panels and plastic lumber.

Location Specific Analysis Total space required is estimated at up to 8,400 m2, of which the AD and supporting equipment and storage would need about 6,000 m2 50.

A sorting shed (containing the conveyor, shredder, compactor, small office) and offices and ablution block would be the only buildings on site.

45 Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Nationally appropriate mitigation action, supporting a circular economy (2016).

46 Dalberg – SouthSouthNorth, Kenya Ethanol Cooking Fuel Master Plan (2020). Available at: https://southsouthnorth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ECF-Kenya-Masterplan_23June-2020.pdf, (Accessed: 01/03/2022).

47 Ministry of Energy (2019), Kenya Household Cooking Sector Study Source: Dalberg (2018).

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48 Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Nationally appropriate mitigation action: A circular economy solid waste management approach for urban areas in Kenya (2016).

49 Farmers’ Weekly online, Q&A tips on use of digestate fertilisers (2018). Available at: https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/crop-management/nutrition-and-fertiliser/qa-using-anaerobicdigestate-fertiliser, (Accessed: 01/03/2022).

50 Based on the footprint of the AD facility at Gorge Farm in Naivasha.

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Figure 4-15 shows the location proposed by the County for the facilities required to implement the Solid Waste Management VC. Figure 4 15 – Location of the proposed solid waste management facility in Wote

Table 4-27 – Land requirement for MSW VC Land Requirement Truck access

600

Receiving bays

400

Sorting shed

600

Bailing / compacting

100

Storage bays

400

Anaerobic digester Office, etc.

Total Requirement

Source: SUED Atkins Team

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m2

6,000 100 8,200

4.4.2.3. Indicative Costs and Revenues Investment The total investment required is estimated at around KES 800 million, of which around KES 600 million is for the AD and supporting equipment (shredder, gas storage, etc.)

The cost of other equipment and vehicles is estimated at KES 100 million, with a further KES 30 million on buildings and site preparation, with the remaining capex covering working capital.

Operating costs Operating costs are expected to approach KES 50 million at full capacity, with 75% of these costs covering manpower. The remaining costs are divided roughly in equal parts between utilities (electricity, water, sewage and telecoms), and transport (fuel, insurance and maintenance).

Human resources Collection and processing of solid waste is labour intensive, and it is estimated that the VC will require around 124 full-time equivalent (FTE) people in addition to those already working in the sanitation department in the Municipality. This additional employment comprises: > 50 FTE for the collection teams in Wote > 12 FTE drivers covering collection, processing and dispatch

It is expected that the establishment of the collection and processing teams would provide formal employment opportunities for existing informal waste pickers. This would both improve the working conditions of existing informal pickers and reduce “leakages” of some valuable materials from the waste stream.

A budget for training the collection and sorting operatives has been included in the start-up and project operating costs.

The costing of manpower is based on: > Monthly salaries of KES 13,000 to KES 25,000 depending on skills; and > Additional employment costs estimated at 25% of salary.

Revenues Annual revenues are estimated at reaching around KES 186 million by 2026, though this will be dependent on the volumes and composition of the waste collected and commodity market prices.

The organics stream of waste, which accounts for over half the total volume, is expected to provide around half the total revenues (36% from sales of biogas and 15% from fertiliser).

Sales of plastic recyclate is expected to account for just under one third of total revenues.

> 50 FTE in the processing teams, working mainly on waste separation > 12 FTE for management and technical services, including operation of the AD

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Figure 4-16 - Revenues by Source

4.4.2.4. Climate resilience recommendations

Revenues

By Source Paper and Card Metals

There are no direct climate resilience considerations for the project. There is, however, a clear benefit that the reduction in solid waste and wild dumping will reduce the amount of waste which is swept into drainage systems, and which can cause blockages, and localised flooding. As such, a solid waste storage system should help to increase resilience to flooding.

Climate Finance Options Access to climate finance increases the capacity of projects to deliver climate mitigation and adaptation actions. There are a range of specialised funds and instruments available which could provide a source of finance for this project, including: > The Adaptation Fund (AF)

Plastics

> The National Treasury

Biogas

> African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC)

> The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) > The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR)

Biofertiliser

Section 5.5 provides more information about available climate funds in Wote.

4.4.2.5. Social inclusion recommendations

Source: SUED Atkins Team

Improved waste management practices and the discouragement of informal dumping will bring significant benefits to public health. Source segregation reduces costs in waste handling and recycling represents potential revenues. A cleaner environment contributes to the economic development of the area.

The project also presents employment opportunities for SIGs, for example in back-office activities to manage logistics and education campaigns. It is recommended to engage local communities and NGOs in sensitisation campaigns to generate awareness about the importance of source segregation and appropriate waste disposal.

Specific social inclusion recommendations for each link of the value chain are explained on the next page.

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Figure 4-17 – Gender and social inclusion considerations

Diagnostic • Lack of regular waste collection services • Lack of generalised knowledge about waste management and separation at source • Adult and young men dominate the transport sector in Wote, as boda boda (motorcycle taxi) or truck drivers • There are several issues reported in terms of road safety, particularly affecting children, the elderly, PWD and other vulnerable groups

• At a household level, women and youth have an important role in terms of sorting and re-using household organic waste (e.g. feeding livestock and producing compost) • Households sometimes burn waste close to their homes which exposes them to health issues associated with fumes • There are people working in the informal waste sector, mainly as waste pickers. While these groups have specialised knowledge of collecting and sorting waste, they don’t often have adequate tools or equipment (and thus face several health and safety risks)

• This VC represents several opportunities for employment generation (physical and non-physical jobs) within the processing plant. It is possible to infer that the main barriers for participation are related to lack of knowledge and skills, as well as lack of accessible infrastructure.

• FGDs have indicated that SIGS are often engaged in sales or own small-scale businesses (MSMEs) • While this activity offers a flexible schedule, not everyone can engage in sales due to lack of skills (e.g. financial literacy, business skills) and restricted mobility (either due to physical impairments or due to social norms).

• SIGS often face barriers accessing markets due to poor roads, costly transport, or infrastructure that isn’t accessible to them.

• SIGS don’t often own land, impacting their access to finance. Not many funds without collateral reqs.

• Youths are techno-savvy and could engage in sales using ICT based markets

Municipal Solid Waste VC Scheduled Collection

Sorting

Processing (and back-office)

Sales & Dispatch

• There are several employment opportunities for youths, PWD and women. These not only involve physical jobs, but also back-office activities such as managing operations and logistics.

• Ensure workplaces adopt principles of universal design and respect quotas for PWD inclusion.

Provide mothers rooms at processing factories, childcare arrangements, or link women to community day-care facilities.

• Tackle discrimination and harmful social norms through awareness campaigns at a community and regional level that include SIGs, and their parents, spouses, and/or caregivers.

• Provide accessible and inclusive infrastructure and services (i.e. marketplaces/road/transport etc.)

• Offer trainings on soft skills that are available and accessible to SIGs, people with low literacy levels and other vulnerable groups.

• Develop inclusive financing options for SIGs and low-income groups.

• Promote SIGs and their participation in existing cooperatives.

• Develop sensitisation sessions that could progressively contribute to integrating SIGs into leadership positions.

• Encourage the use of digital markets and mobile banking.

Social Inclusion Considerations • This will allow for a more reliable service and represents new job opportunities, particularly for adult and young men who already work in the sector. However, there is a need to provide trainings on road safety and on how to handle waste properly to avoid dropping it on the way from households to the collection point, which negatively affects local communities.

Consider developing a certification system for transport operators.

• It is important to complement these measures with workshops, and sensitisation and education campaigns on how to generate awareness about the importance of source segregation and appropriate solid waste disposal.

These workshops should be targeted at households, schools and institutional stakeholders (e.g. hospitals). For this action, liaise with local communities and NGOs.

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• This link represents several opportunities for SIGs inclusion. However, it would be important to tackle discrimination and harmful social norms (e.g. women’s time poverty, genderbased violence, etc.) through awareness campaigns at a community and regional level that include SIGs and their parents, spouses and/or caregivers.

• Involve actors (and their organisations) who already engage in this activity as informal waste pickers or within their households.

Encourage this association.

• Workers should receive training in health and safety, safe working methods, and receive the adequate PPE.

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Case Study 4-20

Scientist uses mangoes to produce biogas51 Every year, in Burkina Faso 300,000 tons of mangoes are processed with wastes often dumped causing sanitation problems, as it decomposes.

A student at Joseph Kizerbo University has developed a technique to produce biogas from the mango waste; preventing pollution and turning the waste into a resource.

The mango waste is placed in an aerobic digester which produces biogas. The process takes an average of 20 days, with each kilogram of mangoes producing 0.061 m³ of biogas every 24 hours.

This biogas can then be used to replace butane gas.

51 https://www.afrik21.africa/en/burkina-faso-scientist-uses-mangoes-to-producebiogas

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Case Study 4-21

Taka Taka Solutions52 Taka Taka Solutions provides waste management services through collection, sorting, recycling and composting across the Nairobi Metropolitan Area (Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado and Kiambu). They provide waste management services to a variety of waste producers including residential, offices, restaurants, schools, shopping malls, factories and hospitals.

They collect and manage 60 tonnes of waste per day across their sites, which include: > Three sorting sites: > One composting plant; > Two plastic recycling plants; > One incinerator; and > Three buy-back centres.

At these facilities Taka Taka Solutions sorts through more than 40 different waste fractions using conveyor belts and other machinery as well as hand sorting.

As a result of this Taka Taka Solutions recycles 95% of the waste that they manage.

52 Taka Taka Solutions, Home page (2022). Available at: https://takatakasolutions. com/, (Accessed: 01/03/2022).

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Case Study 4-22

Inclusive waste management value chains53 It is estimated that around 2% of the urban population in middle-income and low-income countries works in the informal sector. An important part of this percentage is represented by the work of waste pickers, who work in the informal sector collecting and sorting waste.

Thus, adding value to waste becomes an important source of livelihood and an opportunity for economic survival. Moreover, they become important actors for environmental protection, for example, through the support of formal collection processing, which in turn contributes to boosting recycling rates.

53 SEED, Creating inclusive value chains in plastic waste management is paramount for a green economy (2015). Available at: https://www.seed.uno/articles/blog/ creating-inclusive-value-chains-in-plastic-waste-management-is-paramount-for-agreen-economy, (Accessed: 28/02/2022).

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Membership-based organisations become key to support these workers’ role and to better negotiate with governments to develop more progressive regulations. In South Africa, for example, these types of organisations have supported informal waste pickers’ formalisation and created further employment opportunities for them (which consequently provides safety equipment, protective clothes, and shelter). Waste pickers’ inclusion in waste management can also contribute to better management of landfill sites.

In Colombia, companies have been working directly with waste pickers to obtain higher recycling rates. This means a more stable income for them and enhanced access to health and safety measures. DISECLAR, a Colombian initiative, works with waste picker groups (being 45% of them single mothers) and provides them training and skills development at collection centres. They also develop community talks to encourage recycling at home.

4.4.3 Anchor Projects 4.4.3.1. Project 8: Wote Jua-Kali Market Improvement Project Overview Wote Town has always acted as a focal point within the County as the County Headquarters and a main market town.

It thrives on its market economy and other key trades such as metal works and carpentry. As per the vision for the town, its development priorities include well-planned integrated development, inclusive, sustainable spaces, and upgrade of infrastructure provision.

The development concept responds to the vision and proposes key ideas that form part of the development framework for the town. They include climate resilient rural & urban development, strengthen Wote as a central node for distribution and make Wote an attractive town for future investors and residents. To fulfil this vision, the urban development policies adopt a polycentric approach whereby multiple centres across the county are elevated and qualified in a bid to distribute wealth and enable development opportunities in rural areas.

Wote Town lies 50-60km off the key A8 (A109) Northern Corridor that connects Nairobi and Mombasa. Its remote location, places Wote in a less competitive position compared to the towns along this corridor such as Emali and Machakos.

Key challenges in Wote town include land availability, housing, quality and retail infrastructure (i.e.: markets) and leisure opportunities. This is reflected in the urban dynamics observed on site and highlighted by local stakeholders during consultation stage.

Wote Town’s potential competition with Machakos or emerging towns along the Northern Corridor, calls for an alternative approach where a more diversified economic base serving the surrounding hinterland will help the town establishing itself as the key anchor node in the polycentric regional network of the County.

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With the objective of establishing Wote Town as a key shared service centre of the County network, several urban infrastructure improvements can be implemented.

A combination of newly proposed Agriculture aggregation centre, clustering of selected VCs across the county, a renovated Jua Kali market and a modern CBD bus station, will all help in sparking critical mass and uplift the services quality of Wote.

Jua-Kali marketplace-making In the retail sector, a major challenge was identified in the Jua-Kali Market (Timber and Clothes Market) current physical structure and operations. The improvements proposed to the market will address such challenges (i.e.: poor physical permeability, visual links, lack of civic space) and provide a base for some of these market activities to converge, expand and benefit the wider population.

The Jua-Kali Market, adjacent to the Makueni County Referral Hospital, is a self-contained compounded site spreading over approximately 7,000 sqm. It accommodates mainly clothes retailers and wood workers within the same space, two activities which are, to some extent, at odds. The compound is enclosed by a perimeter wall (not uncommon for such uses), which trade-off safety for the businesses with urban integration and opportunity for more footfall. The facility hosts a clothes market (west) and a carpentry workshop (to the east). There are small retail shops and other similar uses on site as well. The eastern sheds are of recent construction and appear in good condition. The high perimeter wall around the market pushes hawkers and other day traders along the footpath making the street congested and unsafe for pedestrians. Despite such rich variety of uses, the Jua-Kali activities remain severed from the town and hidden behind walls. According to stakeholders, such an arrangement is one of the major issues, it causes a lack of visibility for businesses from the street, poor accessibility to the site, and, to a degree, there is a conflict of incompatible uses. Passers-by can easily miss the market, and this reduces potential footfall and the trade that comes along with it.

Development strategy There is an opportunity to consider the redevelopment of the site with more complementary and appropriate uses, maximising the available space for commerce, increasing permeability through the site, and providing greater visibility for businesses along the street frontage and beyond. This can be further supported by providing a new bus stop on site and elevating the market to a new civic node comprising of high-quality public realm.

The proposals discussed with local stakeholders and operators, explore the opportunity to provide the community with a new town destination to shop, eat, and relax in one location. The scheme, arranged over 2/3 storey, opens-up the site perimeter by doing away with walls and establishing a series of more permeable and easier to access spaces. Thanks to this, street-side shops benefit from open frontages, whilst the newly created under-croft areas – now made publicly accessible, can accommodate hawkers and day traders.

Perhaps this arrangement offers an opportunity to manage and regulate such trade.

The footpaths are therefore freed and safer to walk on which, in-turn, set the conditions for a more attractive place to go and be in, which is typically conducive to increased footfall and potentially more business opportunities.

The Jua-Kali market is only 5 min walk from the Wote Bus Park and the site regeneration proposal is part of the wider integrated strategy for the town centre, in particular the CBD area acts as an important urban node in the polycentric development approach along the Wote-Makindu Road.

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Conscious of operational and funding challenges, two options have been developed to give the Municipality a range of choices, including a radical re-development of the site or a partial repurposing of some of the existing structures (adaptive re-use) in an attempt to produce a cost-effective yet improved new destination:

Key features include:

> Option 01: Full market upgrade (See Fig 4-18)

> A plastics collection and melting point helps demonstrating potential for reuse and acts as a small income generator as well as a community facility.

> Option 02: Adaptive reuse of existing market (See Fig 4-20) In both cases, the overarching development principles include development and enrichment of current on site uses and, where appropriate, integration in the proposals of County and/or Municipal projects or aspirations. A fundamental step change is the provision of new community spaces that add urban quality to the cluster and enrich the visitor experience.

Option 01: Full market upgrade The full market upgrade looks at reconfiguring the market in its entirety by opening the walled perimeter to the town, providing permeable and easy to access spaces and recreational areas along with the key market uses. The proposal introduces 6 interconnected volumes arranged around a courtyard. To the north, a new plaza is introduced and shares its space with on Posta to Procy Cyber Street. To the south, on Maisha Kamili Street, and on Barclays Street, loading bays and a bus stop complete vehicular access (See Figure 4 18). The two side streets (Posta Street and Barclays Street) give back generous public realm whilst accommodating a limited number of on-street parking bays. The ground floor it is as open as possible, with views penetrating toward the inner plaza and enriched with active frontages.

As an initiative to support the local carpenters and skilled workers a wood-panelled (subject to feasibility) façade is designed. It is proposed that the building of the structure can employ local tradespeople and make use of local materials in some of the areas which will showcase, promote, and create employment opportunities for the local working community.

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Figure 4-18 - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

> Rearranging the core land uses at ground floor such as small fresh produce, carpentry workshops, crafts and demo/showroom workshops by providing dedicated spaces.

It also includes a retail element such as hardware and electrical appliances;

> Ground floor also includes amenity spaces such circulation space, central semi-open bazar, food and beverage, and sitting and relaxing spaces, community piazza; > The first and second floors benefit by an open-plan approach whereby retail pods, prefabricated off-site and installed in the market, accommodate non-perishable items, clothes and other similar items. These can be safely stored and locked away at the end of the business day; > The third floor exclusively used as a food court and amenity space offers indoor and outdoor seating spaces providing the market an additional dimension and interest (elevated views, new type of community space, etc..) and adds character to the skyline of Wote Town;

Barclays Street

> In line with a series of other similar market upgrades across Kenya, these proposals increase capacity of the current market by consolidating uses on multiple storeys (subject to feasibility study and market demand); > The interconnected plazas and new multi-use civic spaces at ground level can be used for pop-up events, and temporary markets as well as day-trade areas;

Procy Street Posta Road

> Enhanced streetscape surrounding the market plot, particularly on the G42163 Junction-Wote Road, are widened and used as shared surfaces; > Hawkers/traders occupying the streets can now access either spaces in the market or use temporary stalls in the plazas thanks to the proposed market upgrade.

Source: Atkins Analysis

Figure 4-18 - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

Barclays Street

Barclays Street

Procy Street

Procy Street

Posta Road

Source: Atkins Analysis

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Posta Road

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Figure 4-19A - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

Source: Atkins analysis

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Figure 4-19A - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

Source: Atkins analysis

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Figure 4-19A - Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 01 – Full Market Upgrade

Source: Atkins analysis

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Option 02: Adaptive reuse of existing market Adaptive reuse of old buildings has become an increasingly common feature of urban regeneration. The traditional design process is linear, and cost driven. New constructions consume an abundance of raw materials and increase carbon footprints. Adaptive and sustainable reuse of old buildings uses interconnections between environmental, economic, and ethical factors within the built environment. It is an integrated process which is comprehensive and inclusive and facilitates a cost efficient and design optimised result. This proposal looks at doing just that.

In this scenario the market site is generally articulated over three larger volumes aligned to the site perimeter.

Along the NE-SW axis. An elongated courtyard framed by the two structures acts as a civic space - highly visible and accessible to all.

The carpentry workshop shed is the seminal item to be upgraded and re-used, it is the anchor of the regeneration scheme. This shed acts as the matrix for the arrangement of the massing on-site. The proposal doubles its size thanks to a sympathetic northern extension in keep with the gable roof profile. The remainder of the site it is re-developed following the site perimeter arrangement.

The ground floor it is entirely open with views penetrating toward the inner, elongated plaza and enriched with active frontages.

Key components include: > Removing the boundary wall of shops opening up the existing site;

> Ground floor also includes amenity spaces including circulation space, central semi-open bazar, food and beverage, and sitting and relaxing spaces, retail; demo/ showroom also complement the ground floor uses by providing dedicated spaces for products display.

Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

> A plastics collection and melting point helps demonstrating potential for reuse and acts as a small income generator as well as a community facility. > Similarly to Option 01, the first and second floors benefit by an open-plan approach whereby retail pods, prefabricated off-site and installed in the market, accommodate non-perishable items, clothes and similar items. Merchandise can then be safely stored away at the end of the business day; > The third floor exclusively used as a food court with indoor and outdoor seating spaces providing the market an additional dimension and interest (elevated views) and adding character to the skyline of Wote Town; > It increases capacity of the current market by consolidating uses on multiple storeys (subject to feasibility study and market demand);

Barclays Street

> The interconnected plazas and new multi-use civic spaces at ground level can be used for pop-up events, and temporary markets. > Enhanced streetscape surrounding the market plot, particularly on the G42163 Junction-Wote Road, are widened and used as shared surfaces. > Hawkers/traders occupying the streets can now access either spaces in the market or use temporary stall in the plazas thanks to the proposed market upgrade.

Procy Street Posta Road

> Retains the current carpentry workshop structure with superficial upgrade and reconfiguring the internal uses to create display spaces and demo workshop areas; > The remaining structures are new builds from sustainable materials;

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Source: Atkins Analysis

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Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

Barclays Street

Barclays Street

Procy Street Procy Street Posta Road

Posta Road

Source: Atkins Analysis

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Source: Atkins Analysis

Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

Source: Atkins analysis

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Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

Source: Atkins analysis

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Figure 4-20 – Diagrams and visuals explaining design for Option 02 - Adaptive reuse of existing market

Source: Atkins analysis

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Location The project is located in Focus Area 1 in the Wote town centre, south of Wote-Makindu Road.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project links to the desire to improve market spaces as stated in the local planning documents; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the streetlighting, accessible public toilet blocks and urban centre transport climate resilient infrastructure projects. The project also links to the solid waste management VC and solid waste segregation and storage project; and

Table 4-28 – Project 8 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Total Built Up Area › Total Built Up Area - Bridge › Green Roof › Public Plaza Green Space › Road Shared Surface › Public Plaza Paved Surface › Trees

› › › › › › › ›

› Improvement of market efficiency and urban fabric › Reduction in car use, - lower emissions and congestion › Support more and safer pedestrian and footfall movements, with widening and improved appeal › Improve visibility › Space for events and activities to encourage visitors and support revenue

› Typically, Public funded projects › Potentially: In partnership with local business › Private sector funding for development and operation of market

› Municipality. › BIDs (Business improvement district): Localized areas, public realm and animation. › Maintenance responsibility of Municipal Government for public areas and owners for private. › Employ local SMEs for waste services. › Light touch maintenance and animation: NGOs and CBO.

KES 593.4 million KES 3.25 million KES 105.3 million KES 5.3 million KES 14.4 million KES 103.4 million KES 201,500 Total cost = KES 825.25 million

> Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency, social inclusion and sustainability.

Category > Design > Capital investment: New and improving existing.

Table 4-29 – Project 8 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Anticipated resistance to proposals - due to disruption to traffic and traders’ temporary relocation

Consult with traders and local groups

Short-term to facilitate early stages of VC projects and enable further development

Sufficient funding available and effective contributions from private sector

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Enhance benefits for the community Pre-feasibility study

Existing trees and public realm may need to be removed

Detail site survey

Suitable parking reduction enforcement will be required

Impact on access to local businesses due to upgrades

SUED principles for implementation

Accessibility

› FGDs have highlighted that lack of accessible infrastructure is one of the main barriers PWD face when accessing markets in Wote. Hence, it is fundamental to adopt principles of universal design to allow easy access and use for everyone: › Ensure market stalls are at a convenient height and that there are pathways with sufficient space for wheelchair users. Provide all-weather shelter (e.g. shade from the sun is an important aspect for the inclusion of persons with albinism). › Footways should consider materials that are firm and non-slippery, particularly during wet weather; › Implement signage that is appropriate to people with hearing and visual impairments or learning disabilities. It is recommended to utilise easy-to-read text or simple symbols; and › Avoid reflective material that could cause confusing glare. Develop a clear wayfinding systems to local hospitality venues that is accessible to PWD both physically and digitally. › Provide public toilets that are accessible for PWD. Consider separate toilets and baby-changing facilities. › Provide designated parking spaces for PWD.

Safety

› Ensure there is good lighting to reduce crime and fear of crime within the market space.

Links with Social Infrastructure

› Ensure the market is connected to inclusive, accessible, safe, convenient and affordable public transport and NMT options and infrastructure. › Ensure the market has good connectivity with local business and industrial areas.

General Considerations

› Communicate to local residents the implementation schedule of the different supporting projects to mitigate the disruption of traffic, everyday life and economic activities. This communication should be timely, and in a format and language that is accessible to all people; › Develop a timely, well-informed, participatory strategy for the implementation of the market and the allocation of stalls to avoid the temporary disruption of traders’ livelihoods due to the market relocation. › Informal street vendors are a key stakeholder of Wote’s economy. Yet, local economic development plans rarely consider their livelihood security and often result in their economic displacement. Moreover, hawkers face several challenges while engaging in this activity. For example, in Wote they face increasing hostility and harassment in their search for public space access. They also face occupational health and safety risks due to sun exposure or heavy rains. Recommendations involve: › Encourage membership-based organisations to strengthen their negotiation capacity; › Work with informal vendors’ and their associations to designate specific spaces for their commercial activity.

This should be done in a participatory manner; › Reserve stalls in existent markets for street vendors to use. Incorporate principles of universal design and provide adequate shading/shelter; › Integrate informal vendors in urban management, whenever possible; and › Build public toilets and well-illuminated shelter. › Considering gendered mobility patterns, the promotion of transport inter-modality is particularly relevant.

Climate resilience recommendations There is an increasing risk of extreme heat events in Wote and so appropriate cooling measures in the market buildings are recommended, such as renewable energy cooling systems.

Where possible, green infrastructure such as green roofs and SuDS should be incorporated to provide cooling through evapotranspiration thereby increasing resilience against high temperature events. Shading should be provided to protect traders operating in the street from heat stress. Green infrastructure will also increase resilience against heavy rainfall events by providing water storage and reduce diffuse pollution. A detailed flood study will be necessary to ensure the site is resilient to flooding.

Social inclusion recommendations Making market spaces more inclusive is fundamental for the economic development and empowerment of SIGs. General recommendations include:

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Case Study 4-23

Femmedina - Inclusive City Program in Tunis (Cities Alliance)54 Femmedina is a participatory gender-focused project that aims at regenerating public spaces within the Medina (the historical centre of Tunis).

The project started in January 20201 and its main aim is to understand the needs and expectations of women living in the area to inform the development of small-scale interventions such as public toilets, market spaces, recreational spaces, etc. In other words, the objective is to integrate these women in decision-making processes to mainstream gender in the planning of public spaces within the area.

Public spaces are fundamental for women’s social and economic empowerment and contribute to fostering belonging and social cohesion within communities. However, this requires making these spaces accessible and safer for women and vulnerable groups. Moreover, the regeneration of these spaces needs to involve local communities, and women in particular, to develop projects that are culturally appropriate and truly reflect their needs.

The participatory project pays particular attention to integrating marginalised women, understanding that they are not a homogeneous group, and that their experiences vary according to their age, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, (dis)ability, etc.

54 Cities Alliance, Femmedina: Inclusive city program in Tunis (2022).

Available at: https://www.citiesalliance.org/femmedina-inclusive-city-programtunis#:~:text=The%20Femmedina%20project%20aims%20to,more%20inclusive%20 towards%20women%27s%20needs., (Accessed: 04/03/2022).

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Case Study 4-24

Seven Dials Market, London55 The CBD Market is imagined as an urban realm upgrade and growth of the existing market utility to a public gathering space while accommodating existing and new traders.

A collective market redesigned of the 19th Thomas Neal’s Warehouse to accommodate 25 independent food, along with a bar and bookshop. The Market has two divisions – the Cucumber Alley - an indoor lane of specialist London producers, and Banana Warehouse which houses renowned street food traders and new restaurants. The spaces in the market are of diverse levels of enclosure with the permanent shops, pop-up stalls, open plan seating areas – all arranged around a courtyard.

Imagery: https://www.kerbfood.com/

55 Seven dials market, About us (2022). Available at: https://www.sevendialsmarket. com/about-us/, (Accessed: 24/02/2022).

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Case Study 4-25

Shopping Market – Mini Mall, Rotterdam56 Developed from regenerating a 19th century viaduct, Mini Mall Rotterdam is a mix between mall, pop-shops, art events and gallery spaces – formed by subdividing into different scale volumes. Its concept functions around a mix of permanent places for people to visit clubbed with opportunity for parts of the space leased out to short term entrepreneurs to come sell their stuff. The courtyard is opened up to make the market accessible and a flow through space for uses from surrounding streets. The roof is used in appropriate weather as gathering space to enjoy music, theatre, film, dance and food with the city as the backdrop.

56 Archilovers, Mini-Mall (2012). Available at: https://www.archilovers.com/ projects/54503/mini-mall.html, (Accessed: 25/02/2022).

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4.4.3.2. Project 9: Kaiti River Park

Figure 4-21 - River Kaiti

Project Overview The Kaiti River runs along the northern fringe of Wote Town and forms a clear divide between the agricultural and urban areas of Wote, see Figure 4-21. However, as the town grows over time the river will act as the central spine to Wote town as the southern development densifies and extends towards north. The rural side of Wote suffers from flash floods along the main tract of the river and its tributaries which destroys crops, infrastructure, and housing. A distinct lack of connectivity across the river is a constraint to agricultural trade between market locations (east side) and the areas of production (west side).

The Municipality has identified the river and river edge as a conservation reserve area within the Wote Township Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan 2021-2030. It has the potential to be an attractive part of the town offering areas for leisure and recreational activities. However, it is currently plagued by the town's inefficient solid waste management system and illegal sand mining activities for construction, which results in soil erosion during flash floods and subsequently low vegetation coverage. Despite this, the southern riverbank is already a leisure and recreation site, used especially by young people.

Source: Atkins site visit

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Future development

Figure 4-22 – County level context of the extents of the Kaiti River Park Proposal

The river-bank waterfront is already a natural destination, and its morphology almost naturally suggests gateways, core-areas, potential crossing, ideal landmark locations and interfaces with the town.

With an indicative area of interest stretching approximately 4 km, between the eastern and western peninsulas, there is a great potential for the river park to accommodate a large variety of experiences and forms of low-key developments.

Starting with a core area around the Machakos-Wote Rd Bridge, the leisure facilities of the park will expand, as a minimum, within the already urbanised areas.

An ambitious expansion of this concept, might also see the Kaiti River becoming a major east-west leisure green corridor equipped with paths, visitor facilities, wayfinding and cycle lanes stretching as a far as the limits of the county, namely 25km East to the Galana River and approximately 42km West (same length as a marathon) to the Kiima-Kiu hill, and further beyond on the Nairobi-Mombasa Rd. A county wide blue-green and leisure network might become an interesting value offering and drive return visits.

As the town grows, Kaiti River has the potential to become the crucial central link that connects the north and south. A linear river park approach is proposed which puts forward the concept of blue-green infrastructure and focusses on addressing multiple challenges of connectivity, conservation, flood protection, and safe crossings by proposing strategic urban interventions.

Source: Atkins analysis

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Figure 4-22A - Municipal level context of the extents of the Kaiti River Park Proposal

Source: Atkins analysis

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The proposal’s primary aim is to develop a linear park along a section of the river which will connect adjacent north-south nodes and revitalise the river. This will be supported by climate resilient infrastructure interventions such as bank stabilization through increased tree planting and bio-retention systems, that combine to improve the riverine habitat. A 2.5 km stretch of river is identified for the proposed interventions. The river further offshoots south into the town2, integrating with a naturally occurring green-link. This forms an interconnected green-blue network that is inclusive of riverfront, public plaza, NMT corridors and creating a town-wide SuDS network.

Figure 4-23 – Diagram showing various proposed nodes in context of the proposed township plan

A key objective of the proposed development is to become new community place which is an inclusive and attractive as both a tourism and leisure destination. To achieve this, the following five main areas of intervention with the river were identified.

Each interface provides prototype proposals which can be then replicated along the rest of the river stretch.

Conservation and Public access 1. Urban Nodes - Urban public plazas, food and beverage outlets, possible connection points across the rivers can be identified.

2. Residential - Mainly natural and with small neighbourhood scale urban zones, community driven, leisure. The residential further divides into active zones which would have some river side sporting areas and calmer wilderness walk zones.

3. Educational - Natural and urban mixed, providing for larger gathering spaces and events.

Conservation, Irrigation 4. Agricultural - Natural, increased flood protection to guard against seasonal flash floods.

Conservation, Anti-pollution 5. Industrial – Any industrial development would need to be sufficiently set back from the river so as to avoid damaging environmental impacts, and on the public realm.

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Source: Atkins analysis

While these have different activity and urbanization levels, the overall intention of the river park, and its in-city offshoot, – Wote City Park, is to be a natural reserve zone, where the growing town can experience the undisturbed natural environment.

The following interventions are proposed at the key points.

A. Educational, Neighbourhood– Event Spaces, Plaza, Walk Loops, Viewing Deck The context for Node A is a proposed mix of residential and ECDC Educational, and a current active riverfront zone for the town. The design intent of the node will be to cater to a diverse age group but predominantly the educational facility users and families creating an active, healthy zone with the scale of spaces that cater for both individual and group experience. Considering that the northern side of the node is a viable future eco-tourism hospitality node, both the sides will in future benefit from visual connectivity but no actual transit connection thus allowing each to its safe privacy limits.

B. Urban – Vehicular Access Point to the Riverfront Park, food and beverage outlets, Plaza Node B is strategically located adjacent to the Machakos-Wote-Makindu Road, which would be a commercial land use aggregator as Wote Town grows to the north. A site could be identified off the B60 on either side which becomes the vehicular access/ drop off point for the Kaiti River Park, especially for out-of-town visitors driving through. As an urban node, it would include leisure, dining, start of the natural walking trail and a future pedestrian connection to the mirror node to north.

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C. Wote City Park – Community spine and integration with the blue-green infrastructure The Node C changes character across the city’s length – from a natural riverfront zone to an in-city wilderness park, and becomes an urban park surrounded by plaza and urban spaces when it reaches the commercial zone. The intent is to secure the city park as a pleasing riparian reserve and ecological lung of the city instead of letting it get encroached by commercial activity. This seclusion/exclusivity will also foster the adjoining zones to grow commercial value in both residential as well as commercial. It’s essential to note that the Node C specifically enmeshes the natural park with the larger NMT network of the city and connecting it to different natural and public zones.

D. Neighbourhood Park – Residential, Natural, Sensory Different neighbourhood nodes will cater to different levels of activity and urbanization, being closer to the Node D which mainly focuses on natural experience in a residential context, this node is imagined in continuity with the natural edge of the river with activities like walks, natural zones, vegetal regeneration, and seasonal bio-retention ponds, etc. – providing calming eco-driven everyday activities for the town, making it a prototype example for a calm and passive neighbourhood edge.

F. Protection from soil mining, run off pollution.

Node F is currently adjacent to proposed industrial land use. Industrial uses are typically better suited away from the ecological assets like rivers, to avoid issue related to air pollution, water contamination due to dumping/discharge, and thus risk to spoil the riverfront. It has also the potential adverse effect of creating a public realm access gap affecting the connectivity of the river’s edge and could represent a safety concern.

An appropriate alternative would be to allot this parcel to leisure and mixed-use cultural district to achieve a satellite urban node with cultural spaces as part of the city’s land use mix, along with dining, retail and event spaces. Node F’s location is the northern gateway to the urban section of the park and the hinge of the city with the northern headland.

E. Neighbourhood Park – Residential, Active, Urban Node E is a current active riverfront zone for the town accessed specifically by the youth population for picnic, play and enjoying the river. This would be developed with an active character, supporting sports areas, an open-air gym, active excursion trails, etc.

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Figure 4-24 – Diagram showing various nodes and proposed interventions.

Source: Atkins analysis 156

Figure 4-24 – Diagram showing various nodes and proposed interventions.

Source: Atkins analysis W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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Figure 4-24 – Diagram showing various nodes and proposed interventions.

Source: Atkins analysis

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Location The project is located in Focus Area 1 to the north of Wote Town centre along the Kaiti River.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project links to the desire to utilise the River Kaiti as a recreational space as stated in the local planning documents; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the streetlighting, accessible public toilet blocks and urban centre transport climate resilient infrastructure projects. The project also links to the solid waste management VC and solid waste segregation and storage project; and

Table 4-30 – Project 9 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Riverside Regeneration (X2) › Walking Trail › Planned Parks › Sports Zones › Plaza

› › › › › ›

› Opportunity to encourage outdoor activities and link existing recreational nodes › Promotes healthier living for residents and visitors › Can be implemented in stages as more funding becomes available › Opportunities for community participation such as tree planting

› Typically, Public funded projects › Potentially: In partnership with local business › Private sector funding for development and operation of market

› Municipality or Private › BIDs (Business improvement district): Localized areas, public realm and animation. › Maintenance responsibility of Municipal Government for public areas and owners for private. › Employ local SMEs for waste services. › Tree planting, maintenance, environmental education and signage: NGOs and CBOs.

KES 65 million KES 884 million KES 250 million KES 39 million KES 85 million Total cost = KES 1.323 billion

> Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency, social inclusion and sustainability.

Category

Table 4-31 – Project 9 basic analysis and timeline

> Design

Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

> Capital investment: New

Anticipated resistance to proposals from adjacent land owners

Pre-feasibility study

Short to medium-term.

Site survey required

1. River clean-up

Seasonal water flows and flooding

2. Embankment preparation

Detailed hydrology and ecology assessments followed by feasibility studies

3. Installation of leisure facilities and infrastructure

Sanitation and waste dumping are likely to require further education and community participation Installation around the river will require careful planning and management to retain river flows and avoid flooding Funding

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4. Urban Development Proposals supporting economic growth

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SUED principles for implementation

Accessibility

› Adopt inclusive design standards that allow easy access and use for everyone: › Avoid graded routes and when changes in levels are unavoidable, include ramps. Include tactile paving at crosswalks; › Install benches in every circulation route for people with mobility issues to rest. Consider benches that are appropriate for elderly people and people with reduced mobility. Leave space alongside benches for wheelchair users to sit next to their companions; › Consider materials that are firm and non-slippery for footpaths, particularly during wet weather; › Implement wayfinding signage that is appropriate to people with hearing and visual impairments or learning disabilities. It is recommended to utilise easy-to-read text or simple symbols. Avoid reflective material that could cause confusing glare; and › Provide parking spaces that are accessible and specifically designated for PWD.

Safety

› Ensure the area is well-illuminated and that it is well-maintained. Liaise with local cooperatives, local SMEs, or with the National Hygiene Program (NHP) Kazi Mtaani for the maintenance of the park. Liaise with conservation NGOs, SIGs associations or local co-operatives to engage in tree planting. › Related infrastructure will need to incorporate signage to reduce potential accidents. This signage should be accessible to all (e.g. avoid reflective materials, use simple and accessible language, etc.).

Links with Social Infrastructure

› Ensure the park is well-connected and accessible from social infrastructure such as schools, kindergartens and care services.

General Considerations

› Communicate to local residents the implementation schedule of the different supporting projects to mitigate the disruption of traffic, everyday life and economic activities. This communication should be timely, and in a format and language that is accessible to all people. › This initiative has the potential to encourage sustainable mobility. There is usually a gender gap, however; women use bike sharing less than men do57. This relates to gendered mobility patterns, roles and responsibilities, but also to infrastructure-related aspects. It is recommended to accompany this initiative with adequate streetlighting and bike paths to increase safety (and the perception of safety), particularly for female users. Offer options for women travelling with children. › Using ICT-based solutions, like M-Pesa, will facilitate bikes usage, yet this needs to be accompanied with digital skills development to tackle the existent digital gap and make this initiative even more inclusive.

Climate resilience recommendations The river park provides multiple climate resilience benefits and is specifically designed to allow space for flooding, providing an ecologically friendly way of reducing flood risk. Preserving and enhancing a green corridor in the heart of the town also provides a cooler area where residents can escape from higher temperatures. A detailed hydrology and flood risk study will need to be carried to make sure that the design of the park, and the allowances for natural flood storage, take into account future increases in rainfall intensity and flood risk.

Social inclusion recommendations Inclusive public spaces are fundamental for communities’ social cohesion, recreation, civic participation, and sense of belonging. Effective lighting contributes to reducing crime and reducing the fear of crime. Green spaces improve local communities’ mental and physical health and contribute to their general wellbeing. Access to green spaces is particularly relevant for those living in cramped and overcrowded spaces or settlements. General recommendations include:

57 GreenBiz, More people are using bike share programs, but the gender gap persists (2020), Available at: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/more-people-are-using-bike-share-programs-gendergap-persists, (Accessed: 02/03/2022).

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Case Study 4-26: Inclusive Squares in Woolwich Squares, London58 This project has been designed by Gustafson Porter + Bowman as part of the Woolwich Masterplan (Royal Borough of Greenwich). The project’s vision was to create an accessible public space for all, that at the same time, was specific to the historic background of Woolwich.

The squares were designed to enhance the experience of local communities and to respond to their needs.

To ensure the accessibility and usability of the square, the design incorporates terracing with level routes. It also considers best practice for lighting, seating, ramps and planting, and an accessible water feature. The project also incorporates soft landscaping that, while functional, provides a sense of relaxation.

From the design phase, the project team had regular meetings and consultation with key users e.g. PWD organisations, and youth groups, to inform decision-making processes and to accommodate different needs. During the construction, these groups were invited to test the usability of the space.

4.4.3.3. Project 10: Wote Bus Park Relocation & Rationalisation Project Overview As is the case in many Kenyan towns, the bus station (often associated with a local market) is a central element of Wote Town’s economic development. Generally, a bus park is the focal point of access to the CBD and nearby markets and other trade activities. The current site is located along the Wote Makindu Road (B107) corridor within the CBD. It is a prominent gateway for Wote Town and a vital point of access for people visiting and operating businesses across the County. It is a central point of activity on its own and benefits to proximity to Wote market, school, church, innovation centre and various businesses.

The site itself also hosts a variety of small shops, informal ticket offices and eateries. This concentration of activity forms a pinch point in and around the site due to high levels of vehicular traffic as well as pedestrian flows which create traffic and congestion. The site is currently too small to accommodate larger buses. The triangular block within which the bus station is located, is occupied by private businesses (leisure) and Pro-box parking.

Although no definitive initiatives have been taken to improve the bus park the Municipal Spatial Plan (MSP, 2021) defines how space within the Municipality is utilized to ensure optimal use of land and land-based resources. One of the six broad strategies that promote efficiency, growth and sustainability focuses on infrastructure improvement. Recommendations include upgrading main roads in Wote Township, and the construction of bridges across the River Kaiti to link to urban centres such as Kyau, Kilala Nziu and Malivani, provision of NMT facilities in Wote Township and the construction of bus/ matatu terminals in key market centres.

Within the CBD demand has outgrown the site’s capacity and the provision for retail space is basic to low-quality standard and lacks access to modern amenities. The bus station infrastructure and operations are relatively disorganised, and intense congestion within the CBD is cause of concern to pedestrian safety. The school ground across the road to the south, further contributes to the safety issue, with children regularly crossing the Wote-Makindu Road. The surrounding streets need safe pedestrian crossings and street safety measures.

The growth rate of Makueni County is estimated at 1.3% and the rate of urbanisation is approximately 2%. This further suggests the need for good quality basic infrastructure to sustain the town’s healthy development.

Aligning with the MSP directive, addressing some of these issues and as part of a wider strategic urban regeneration approach entailing a longer-term upgrade of the central district, the proposed approach is a phased one. In the initial phases a few activities take place, namely interim rationalisation of the existing bus park as a short term solution and quick win; the assessment of the alternative locations for a new bus park will be object of a specific study. The feasibility studies and local consultations for the alternative locations will be carried out alongside the design and rationalisation of the existing site. In harmony with the existing urban development plans, design and construction of the new bus park and relocation of existing (or part of) services, will happened as the towns develops and grows.

Ultimately, the divested CBD land can potentially be redeveloped into other revenue generating assets for the municipality although retaining the partial function of CBD bus stop.

The following diagram identifies optional locations (as indicated in the existing urban plans) for the potential bus park sites in the context of the CBD and other key elements of the town.

58 Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Woolwich Squares. Available at: http://www.gp-b.com/ woolwich-squares/, (Accessed: 18/02/2022).

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Figure 4-25 – Plan showing alternative locations for Bus Park relocation

Source: Atkins analysis 162

Alternative Bus Park Sites Option A: North of the River Kaiti – site identified by the municipality for the relocation of the bus park. Relocating the bus park to this location would allow the existing plot to be entirely or partially repurposed with complementary uses, however, walkability to the CBD from the site is poor (approximately 30 minutes), it is close to the Kaiti River (attention should be taken to fully future proof for flooding this site), landownership is currently unknown, and traffic would still have to pass through the centre to access the CBD activities. Site A has only a limited number of benefits and can be considered a springboard to kick-off future development north of the river.

Option B: North-east of the existing site – this site has been identified by the municipality for the relocation of the bus park and has been allocated in the proposed Development Plan for Wote. Relocating the bus park to this location would allow the existing plot to be entirely or partially repurposed with complementary uses, would support growth of the town to the east, and it is in a more accessible location (approximately 15 minutes on foot from the CBD). However, this location will still require eastbound buses to pass through the centre to arrive at the bus park.

Option C: South of existing site – this site has been identified by the municipality for the relocation of the bus park and has been allocated in the proposed Development Plan for Wote. Relocating the bus park to this location would allow the existing plot to be entirely or partially repurposed with complementary uses, it would support growth of the town to the south. The site is quite large which would provide the opportunity for additional/complimentary proposals.

Walkability is the poorest for this site, taking approximately 32 minutes to access the CBD. As with the options above, it is expected that the number of buses reaching site C might reduce the volume of traffic crossing town because of alternative approach.

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Similarly, the new bus station will be a modern facility able to accommodate more buses in a higher quality environment.

This facility will also address demand for student trips traveling to the educational facilities.

Generally, any of the three locations will have a positive impact on the town’s growth and local urban fabric development.

Sustainable urban development principles require that each site is to be treated as mixed-use developments which, ultimately, will become local centres. The bus facilities will also benefit from structures conceived as adaptive and flexible able to accommodate future needs (i.e.: reconversion of real estate).

Option A is an exemplar of green field development. For this to be an effective solution, a series of enabling infrastructure and a certain commercial and residential critical mass will need to be established on site and delivered jointly with the bus station – Transit Oriented Development. Careful operational and management studies will be required to understand operations and last mile connectivity with the CBD and its varied destinations, this will ensure a suitable local NMT strategy complements the long-range journeys.

Options B and C, both potentially polarise growth along the two road corridors and, somehow, offer the opportunity to either maintain cross town public transport services or act as gateway to the CBD. Option B, however, is closer to the centre and might be preferable from a walkability perspective.

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Table 4-32 – Pros and Cons of Bus Park options Site A

Site B

Site C

Pros

Pros

Pros

› Vacated plot in centre of town can be re-purposed. › Possibility for the town to grow north › People can be picked up and dropped off enroute to other destinations.

› Vacated plot in centre of town can be re-purposed. › Possibility for the town to grow east › Site is already allocated in proposed development plan › Walkable into town CBD (15min) › People can be picked up and dropped off enroute.

› Vacated plot in centre of town can be re-purposed. › Possibility for the town to grow south › Site already allocated in proposed development plan › People can be picked up and dropped off enroute › Very large site area provides opportunity for alternative/supplementary proposals.

Cons

› North of River Kaiti, potential roadblocks due to flooding › Alternative mode of transport such as Boda Boda needed to get into town. › Longer walking distances (30min) › Landownership unknown › Northbound buses will have to pass through town to arrive at the bus park increasing congestion unless a bypass route is planned.

Source: Atkins analysis

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Cons

› Eastbound buses will have to pass through town to arrive at the bus park increasing congestion unless a bypass route is planned.

Cons

› Southbound buses will have to pass through town to arrive at the bus park increasing congestion unless a bypass route is planned. › Longer walking distances (32min).

Existing Bus Park Rationalisation There is an opportunity to modify the existing bus station so it can operate more efficiently as an interim bus park and support a smooth transition to the new site. The privately owned site to the east is also considered in this proposal. It can support intermediate growth whilst providing modern-day amenities for businesses and people utilising public transit.

Furthermore, a more efficient bus station, has the potential of uplifting further the land value of nearby properties thereby encouraging further capital investments into the CBD. The rationalisation of the existing bus park looks at the following key improvements: > Re-arrangement of the parking and circulation of vehicles; > Consolidating matatu, bus, Probox, Maruti and boda-boda parking spaces; > Minimising and limiting NMT and pedestrian flow mix with vehicular routes; > Potential green link and good quality public realm; > New pickup and drop-off points; > Safe crossing points; > Maintain and re-provide business spaces, higher quality driver facilities, recreational areas (such as pool tables) and ticket offices; > Accommodate formalised market stalls, small shops and make room for day-traders and hawkers across public realm; > Include an operations and maintenance plan for the upkeep of the station.

The proposal explores the possibility of a more rational arrangement of the site, particularly by suggesting dedicated access to certain uses (i.e.: Buses/Matatu and Probox) and limit the shared access points. Currently the publicly owned site is accessed from the north and the south boundaries and the Probox site is accessed from the north. The accesses are not regulated, vehicles and pedestrians use the same points.

The proposal suggests one entry to the north and exit point to the south to better suit the circulation.

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Separating vehicular and pedestrian routes provides safe circulation within the site and generates a new civic public space. The access points boast safe crossings on the adjoining roads which safely connect the neighbourhood to this island. Pick-up and drop-off points are located to the south of the site on the main vehicular corridor B107.

A potential NMT friendly route is proposed in between the public and private site along the tree line connecting both plots with good-quality walking and resting spaces. Food and beverage and small shops are proposed along this route that can benefit from the passing footfall. Good quality, inclusive public realm is proposed on the non-vehicular routes across the site. It is also proposed that the road on the western boundary of the site is upgraded into a shared and pedestrian priority street with a robust cleaning regime (the street is affected by donkey-dung droppings and nicknamed ‘Donkey Street’ because of this). It is proposed to do this along with the bus park proposal as it will improve the setting of the bus park and set a precedent for future improvement and repurposing of the site.

The overall circulation is rearranged. The buses, matatus, marutis, probox taxis and boda bodas, all have allocated parking spaces. This allows the bus park to operate in a more efficient manner. Facilities such as purpose-built ticket offices, and separate driver and visitor toilet facilities are provided. It is proposed that a well thought out operations and maintenance plan is put in place. This will need to be supported by evidence such as traffic flows, pedestrian counts and other feasibility studies. The east site is proposed to have a multi-storey structure to accommodate commercial uses on the upper floors and recreational/entertainment uses such as pool tables and food and beverages outlets on the ground floor and roofs.

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Figure 4-26 – Zoning map showing the proposed bus park rationalisation

Source: Atkins analysis

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Figure 4-26 – Zoning map showing the proposed bus park rationalisation

Source: Atkins analysis

After the relocation, it is proposed that the divested land could undergo some feasibility and market studies to determine the best proposed uses of the site. A small portion of the land is recommended to be maintained as a short stop bus stop so it can still operate as a central landing point for the CBD district.

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Figure 4-27 – Visualisations showing the proposed design for the bus park

Source: Atkins analysis

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Figure 4-27 – Visualisations showing the proposed design for the bus park

Source: Atkins analysis

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Location The project is located in Focus Area 1 in Wote Town centre, off the A104 road.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project links the current desire to move the bus park out of the CBD in the planning documents; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the streetlighting, accessible public toilet blocks and urban centre transport climate resilient infrastructure projects. The project also links to the solid waste management VC and solid waste segregation and storage project; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency, social inclusion and sustainability.

Table 4-33 – Project 10 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› › › ›

› › › › › › › ›

› Support intermediate operations and transition of public transport › Increased footfall to support adjacent businesses › Increase revenue for businesses adjacent to the bus park › Better setting for existing bus park

› Typically, Public funded projects › Potentially: In partnership with local business › Private sector funding for development and operation of market

› Municipality. › BID (Business improvement district): Localized areas, public realm and animation. › Maintenance responsibility of Municipal Government for public areas and owners for private. › Employ local SMEs for waste services. › Light touch maintenance and animation: NGOs and CBO.

Shade structure Bus Circulation Bus Parking Built up Space Mixed Use Blocks › Green space › Shops › Paved Surface (Footpaths / Permeable Pavin

KES 81.9 million KES 33.9 million KES 41.5 million KES127.4 million KES 8.8 million KES 27.3 million KES 68 million Total cost = KES 338.8 million

Table 4-34 – Project 10 basic analysis and timeline

Category

Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

> Design

Anticipated resistance to proposals - due to disruption to traffic

Consult current land-owners

Short, medium and long-term.

Pre-feasibility study

Phase 1 (immediate) – alternative site selection and intermediate design for rationalisation of existing site

> Capital investment: New

Sufficient funding available and effective contributions from private sector Existing trees and public realm may need to be removed

Detail site survey required and land ownership information Impact on access to local businesses due to upgrades

Phase 2 (2-3 years) – Implementation of intermediate design for site and public consultation/feasibility studies for new site.

Phase 3 – (3-4 years) – Design and build of new bus park. Transition to new bus park Phase 4 – (long term) Repurposing the existing site.

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SUED principles for implementation

Accessibility

› Adopt inclusive design standards that allow easy access and use for everyone: › Avoid graded routes and when changes in levels are unavoidable, include ramps. Include tactile paving at crosswalks; › Consider shelter for the rain/sun exposure at the bus park and market; › Consider materials that are firm and non-slippery for footpaths, particularly during wet weather; › Implement wayfinding signage that is appropriate to people with hearing and visual impairments or learning disabilities. It is recommended to utilise easy-to-read text or simple symbols. Avoid reflective material that could cause confusing glare; and › Provide public PWD-friendly toilet facilities with adequate space for caregivers. It is also recommended to install baby-changing facilities.

Safety

› Ensure there is easy access from public transport stops, that the area is well-illuminated and that it is well-maintained. Liaise with local cooperatives, local SMEs, or with the National Hygiene Program (NHP) Kazi Mtaani (a programme that employs informal settlement dwellers, particularly the youth, whose economic activities were interrupted/severely affected by the global pandemic) for the maintenance of the park.

Links with Social Infrastructure

› Ensure the bus park is well-connected to social infrastructure such as education and health facilities, as well as markets.

General Considerations

› Consult and involve matatus operators in the development of the project to understand their preferences and needs for the new bus park. › Communicate to local residents the implementation schedule of the different supporting projects to mitigate the disruption of traffic, everyday life and economic activities. This communication should be timely, and in a format and language that is accessible to all people; › Within the bus park, promote transport inter-modality, that is, the connection between different means of transport to enhance positive benefits from this intervention (such as improved access to employment and economic opportunities, and social infrastructure). This has a particularly gendered impact since women rely more on public transport and non-motorised transport means than men; and › Ensure there are transport means accessible for PWD and elderly persons, and regulate transport fees to avoid differential amounts for PWD, as it has been reported in other Kenyan towns. › The regularisation/certification of boda bodas should be considered. This would benefit operators with access to credit and welfare options.

Climate resilience recommendations Rationalisation and improved management of the existing bus station will reduce congestion in Town, with benefits both for air pollution and human health, as well as reducing transport emissions.

We note that trees may need to be removed as part of the proposal, which will reduce natural shading, and could lead to an increase in temperatures locally. We recommend that wherever possible trees are retained, and if there is a need for their removal there are plans to replace them as the site transitions from a bus park to other use.

Consideration of flood risk at the potential sites for the relocation of the bus station should form part of the criteria for assessing feasibility of the different sites; both in terms of the sites themselves, as well as key access roads.

Social inclusion recommendations The urban development of the area and its supporting projects will contribute to local communities’ social cohesion and increased sense of belonging. Better management of matatus will improve safety and comfort of pedestrians and road users.

Better management of boda boda at the bus parks will resolve conflict between boda boda operators and town council law enforcers. The project will also support job creation with the enhanced space for retail at the bus park, and with an increased capacity for matatus and new routes.

General recommendations include:

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Case Study 4-27: ‘Safe Bus Stops’ (Paradas Seguras) in Buenos Aires, Argentina59 60 A recent report from the World Bank, for example, shows that women have a strong preference for travelling on public transport when there are female drivers, particularly when travelling alone or at night, due to the fear of experiencing GBVH.

Urban and transport infrastructure design has often been gender-blind, ignoring the specific mobility patterns and needs of women and men emerging from gender roles and social norms. For example, women rely more on public transport and non-motorised transport means than men (mainly due to lower income levels and possibly less access to credit) and women are more likely to engage in shorter/more frequent trips. Similarly, women are usually accompanied by children and elderly people due to their disproportionate care responsibilities.

Road transport is unfortunately associated with a high risk (and fear of) gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH), particularly for some users such as women travelling alone or at night.

59 The World Bank, Global roadmap of action towards sustainable mobility (2019). Available at: https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/229591571411011551-0090022019/original/ GenderGlobalRoadmapofAction.pdf, (Accessed: 17/02/2022).

60 1Media, El Municipio de Morón instalará 60 Paradas Seguras y 30 tótems de monitoreo en puntos estratégicos del distrito (2020). Available at: https://unmedioenmoron.com. ar/2021/12/29/el-municipio-de-moron-instalara-60-paradas-seguras-y-30-totems-demonitoreo-en-puntos-estrategicos-del-distrito/, (Accessed: 17/02/2022).

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For these reasons local governments in Argentina have worked towards safer bus stops by incorporating ‘panic/ anti-harassment buttons’, phones, and security cameras for women (and other vulnerable groups) to feel safer (see picture below). Other general design considerations for gender and social inclusion normally comprise easy access to and from locations, easy movement within locations, good lighting and visibility, easy-to-read wayfinding, well-maintained and clear footpaths, mixed uses whenever possible, shelter from cold/hot weather (refuge from rain/ shade for the sun), infrastructure provisions for children and elderly people and accessibility considerations.

Case Study 4-28: Ubungo Bus Terminal, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania61 The existing bus terminal at Ubungo is at the heart of Dar es Salaam. The terminal will be moved to the new terminal at Mbezi. The construction of the upcountry modern bus terminal at Mbezi began in 2019. The preparation of the project took a long time, due to the various government procedures involved, including land acquisition and compensation. The new terminal is expected to accommodate the intercity bus services which currently travel through the city centre. The cost of the project is estimated to be US $22 million (KES 2.3 billion).

Lublin Bus Station, Poland: environmentally friendly, tackles air-pollution, public realm, upgrading proposed project63

Ubungo Bus Terminal

Tilburg Central Bus Station, Netherlands: self-sufficient, energy production, completed62

61 Construction review online, Mbezi bus terminal project (20121). Available at: https:// constructionreviewonline.com/news/tanzania/mbezi-bus-terminal-project/, (Accessed: 18/02/2022).

62 Arch daily, bus station tilbury/architectenbureau cepezed (2019). Available at: https:// www.archdaily.com/926342/bus-station-tilburg-architectenbureau-cepezed, (Accessed: 18/02/2022).

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63 Eurobuild, Lublin approves bus station design (2018). Available at: https://eurobuildcee. com/en/news/24622-lublin-approves-bus-station-design, (Accessed: 18/02/2022).

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4.4.4 Climate Resilient Infrastructure Projects 4.4.4.1. Project 11: Urban Centre Transport Network Improvements and Management Project Overview Public transport provides an essential mobility service in Wote, supporting access to markets, jobs and education among many other services. This is largely met by paratransit system, a weakly regulated and informal sector-dominated by private transport with numerous shortcomings which present a barrier to the town’s structural transformation. One of the critical challenges is the Wote bus park, an old, congested park in poor condition. Investment is required to upgrade, expand and regularly maintain as detailed in proforma in section 4.4.3.3.

The project also presents an opportunity to better regulate and coordinate matatu and taxi routes and stops, and possibly formalize the sector which would lead to less congestion and better traffic management. However, the bus park project is likely to cause anxiety among existing operators about the future of their businesses and implementation will require a step-by-step approach, including consultation with the current operators to understand the organizational capacity of their informal transit industry and development of a town wide paratransit operational plan.

As part of the new bus park concept redesign proposals, the SUED team engaged a number of representatives of existing operators and stakeholders. Through the engagement, information on the immediate designs and long-term planning particularly regarding the relocation to new bus park areas was widely shared so that concerns could be discussed and addressed. The feedback from the session was incorporated in the bus park proposal but more importantly the outreach identified those owners who are likely to be impacted by the first phases. By bringing together the stakeholders, buy-in from local leaders who have a more favourable disposition toward the project was received and this will be useful towards helping to bring along others who are less in favour.

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Moving forward a clearer understanding of the existing structure of power and control on services to be impacted by the redesign and relocation is required. This can be achieved through a detailed paratransit study that outlines the operational and management aspects that need to come into play to support the new bus park design and relocated route services. As the bus park is intended to accommodate only town services, a complete and gradual phasing out of inter-county matatus from the Wote bus park would be required. This would mean the county would require some control over route operation and the ability to authorize public transport providers to operate routes in accordance with a formal route network defined by paratransit operational plan.

The plan would also specify the standards of service delivery, the quality of vehicles to be used, the stops to be observed and the times and frequency of operations. Such a transition would need to be well-managed, and should broadly aim to achieve the following: > Involve impacted operators: In order to ensure that the existing industry is involved and is being provided with improved opportunities, every effort should be made to involve as many of the impacted operators of the matatu and taxi industry as possible. > Rationalise and formalise public transport routes: Existing routes would need to be formalised, and operators authorised to run services based only on a formalised route.

Those who operate in parallel with formal services would need to be removed or redirected, in order to maximize ridership of the formal routes and help ensure profitability of the authorised service. > Avoid violence: The transition process can be delicate and may be viewed by some in the existing industry as a threat to their businesses. This sometimes results in violence which has the potential to stall a project. > Improve working conditions: As the new operational plan provides an opportunity to create jobs and formalize working environments, one objective of the plan should be to expand employment and improve the conditions of the public transport labour force.

A crucial element of improving Wote’s accessibility and streetscape would also involve the provision of an enabling non-motorised transport (NMT) network. A significant proportion of trips below 2km are on foot, and all public transport and some private vehicle trips start and end their trips as pedestrians. The relocation of matatu services would also lead to need for transfers between services. The integration of an NMT network connecting the new bus parks would be necessary to allow for the continued connectivity between the bus parks and surrounding attraction nodes such as the referral hospital and the market area. Increasing the convenience, accessibility, comfort and safety of the facilities would also encourage the uptake of walking for healthier travel behaviour among the residents and support decongestion.

Already improvements to the pedestrian network are being made courtesy of Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP) under the World Bank, which can be expanded upon to realise a more comprehensive network. A target of 6km of critical streets within the CBD and market access routes are identified as crucial to improve in the first phase, which can ultimately be expanded in line with the paratransit study proposals to provide a network of walking spaces that promote active transport, support business growth and general accessibility within the town. Continuity, comfort and safety should be the governing principles. Covering drains to maximise on-space; marking of vending spaces to manage the activity; traffic calming through pedestrian islands; junction improvements and safe crossings would form part of this interventions.

Figure 4-28 – NMT network to connect old and new bus park as well as key attraction points in CBD

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Location Focus Area 1

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project does not link to any existing projects; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the CBD anchor projects in Focus Area 1; and streetlighting > Links to SUED principles: social inclusion and sustainability.

Table 4-35 – Project 11 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Paratransit operational and management plan to support new bus parks › Improvements to NMT network to enhance access

› KES 30 – 50 million for operational plan study › Initial 6km of NMT network to be developed and expanded based on paratransit study assessment KES 65 million › Total cost = KES 115 million

› Reduced public transport journey times › Improved public transport reliability › Improved CBD accessibility

› County budget allocations and relevant road authorities › Development partners

› Bus park operators, matatus, taxis, retailers › Formal business in the surrounding park

Category > Capital investment: improving existing

Table 4-36 – Project 11 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Divisive competition between matatus and taxi industry.

Both sectors would want to be accommodated in separate facilities

Number of SACCOS to be affected

An operational plan that indicates phasing and implementation time frames should be developed in the short term.

Resistance to reforms needs to be mitigated through negotiations with the sector Cooperation between matatu operators and county government needed A dedicated urban transport authority is needed to oversee public transport management

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Lack of public transport demand data.

A demand assessment is required to outline services and operations of the network Service plan for new bus park

Network interventions to support the operational plan should follow in the medium term.

SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations This project provides an opportunity to encourage a shift towards a low carbon paratransit sector through the deployment and promotion of low-carbon fuels and technology (e.g. biofuel and renewable energy) and legislative changes to regulate emissions in the centre. NMT transportation should be given high priority throughout the design process to ensure it is resilient to high temperatures and heavy rainfall events, for example shade should be provided to protect pedestrians and cyclists against heat stress. It is recommended that SuDS are included where possible to provide flood and pollution management benefits, in addition to providing attractive community spaces and recreational services.

Social inclusion recommendations Good quality, accessible public transport support access to jobs, education, and health for all residents irrespective of gender, age, or (dis)ability. More reliable services allow visitors and residents to be more informed about transport services and consequently, to achieve independent and safe mobility, especially benefiting vulnerable groups.

Provision of a safe, accessible NMT and public transport facilities will enable equitable access for all by addressing inequalities associated with motorised transport. Good quality NMT provides basic mobility, is affordable and has health and recreation benefits.

These interventions can have important benefits particularly for women since, due to gendered-mobility patterns, women tend to use NMT and public transport more than men.

> It is recommended that NMT and transport facilities follow principles of inclusive design and ensure accessibility for PWD (i.e.: install ramps, consider non-slippery surfaces, include tactile paving at crossings, etc.) > To avoid conflict, consult and involve SACCOs, boda boda and matatu operators in the development of the project to understand their preferences and needs. > Timely communicate the implementation schedule of the different projects to local residents and adjacent businesses to mitigate the disruption of traffic, everyday life, and economic activities. This communication should be in formats and languages that are accessible for all.

Case Study 4-29: Bus Reforms in Kigali64 In 2011, the Ministry of Infrastructure initiated the development of the first public transport policy and strategy for Rwanda. Rural public transport in Rwanda faced many challenges and was generally characterized by the following: • Minibuses were run by individuals, and owners that could independently decide at what time and in which routes to operate • Minibuses were often overcrowded, and at times the rush led to chaos at bus stops and terminals.

• Women, children, disabled people, and elderly people could not adequately access public transport.

• Since most of the roads in rural areas are unpaved and inaccessible during rainy season, initial investments and operating costs for providing bus services are relatively high. The private operators are therefore generally not interested to provide bus services in remote rural areas.

• Passenger demands were relatively lower.

The strategy looked to address these challenges through a series of measures aimed at reforming the industry by encouraging minibus owners to form cooperatives which later united to form the Rwanda Federation of Transport Cooperatives (RFTC), the largest formal bus operating companies which would be contracted through competitive tendering processes, to operate the Kigali public transport system. Key strategies developed involved • The introduction of Quality Bus Service on 11 major corridors linking important cities and nodes within Rwanda providing a faster and more convenient service that would successfully compete with the private car; • A scheduled bus service to provide feeder services in low demand areas; The strategy was approved in 2012, becoming the guiding document for the formalization of public transport in the city of Kigali. It was implemented actively by the City of Kigali Council and Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), and has seen more than 60 public transport providers allocated specific routes under a contract. The contract terms range from ending passenger queues and waiting times at bus stops and terminals and complying with fares set by RURA. Working conditions for drivers and conductors have also improved through guaranteed salaried contracts, standard working hours, access to finance, universal medical insurance and the expansion of job opportunities in stations, bus depots, and garages owned by the RFTC. Other reforms include an expansion of the bus fleet by the contracted bus companies to cater for latent demand; provision of dedicated infrastructure to ease the movement of public transport vehicles; and restricting of the circulation of motorcycle taxis along major public transport corridors.

64 Rwanda National Policy, Rura moves to introduce new public transport reforms in Kigali (2019). Available at: http://197.243.22.137/police8/media-archives/news-detail/?tx_news_ pi1%5Bnews%5D=14198&cHash=31af7d0d354cc342b9bc6ede2e57df1d, (Accessed: 07/03/2022).

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4.4.4.2. Project 12: Streetlighting Project Overview Streetlighting is present in many areas of Wote Town, primarily along the main roads, via traditional fittings connected to KPLC poles but coverage is limited, and maintenance has been a long-standing issue.

The main issues, typical to most municipalities, have been the high cost of the operation and maintenance of traditional grid-powered lights provided by KPLC. The purpose of this project is to increase the coverage of areas covered by streetlighting, and also to optimise the technology solution and implementation model for Wote Municipality to ensure climate resilience, and financial and operational sustainability.

This project has several components: > Review of the technology choices for streetlighting to find suitable products for the environment, i.e. use of solar and robust construction; > Review of current streetlighting plans to ensure coordination with proposed urban development plans and augment the plans to ensure coverage of all main streets in Wote municipality, markets and areas of public congregation; > Review maintenance equipment and staff training levels and ensure staff and equipment are sufficient to meet the long term requirements > Review and update Wote’s current financial arrangements for streetlighting, with the aspiration to improve the economic situation for the Municipality and ensure long-term maintenance of installed streetlights. > Deploy new lighting solutions and remove redundant fittings from key areas (primarily the waterfront)

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Location This project will target Focus Areas 1, 2 and 3, with an aspiration to provide streetlighting to 100% of the main roads and in particular the public toilets, markets and roads mentioned in Projects 5, 8, 9, 10, 13 and 14 of this UEP.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): The project does not link with any current projects; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the CBD anchor projects in Focus Area 1, 2 and 3 as well as the Urban Centre Transport Network Improvements and Management project; and > Links to SUED principles: social inclusion and sustainability.

Category > Development policy > Feasibility study > Capital investment: new

Table 4-37 – Project 12 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Review current implementation plan › Review current commercial and technical arrangements › Design study to ensure suitable coverage of target area › Equipment review and selection › Development of new commercial plan (procurement, deployment, implementation, maintenance)

› Benchmark: KES 150,000 per pole65, KES 4–5 m per km depending on spacing › Estimated total based on part coverage to new areas, part reworking of existing areas › Actual total: KES 40 50 m based on 10km of road covered › Total cost = KES 50 million

› Improved finances for municipalities › Improved safety and security › Longer operational hours at commercial centres

› Financing can be sourced from a number of options, including World Bank funded Kenya Urban Support Programme, which has funded streetlighting in Thika, Ruiru and Limuru66 › The World Bank also offers advice, sample legal documents and further reading on using a Public Private Partnership route for streetlighting, detailing projects completed in Brazil, Mexico and India67

› Site selection – Wote Municipality › Equipment selection – streetlighting design specialist › Construction and implementation – Wote Municipality › Operation and maintenance – responsibility of Wote Municipality

Table 4-38 – Project 12 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Finding robust streetlighting technology

Detailed maps showing current street lit areas;

Short to medium-term.

Achieving buy-in from Wote Municipality, KPLC

Detailed implementation schedule for new streetlighting; Currently selected technology

In the short-term the focus should be on implementing new streetlights and coordinate implementation and management efforts. In the medium-term current streetlighting should be assessed and improved.

Current commercial arrangements between Wote Municipality, KPLC

65 EnGo Planet, Africa and solar powered streetlights (2022), Available at: https://www.engoplanet.com/single-post/2019/07/22/Africa-and-Solar-powered-Street-lights, (Accessed: 15/02/2022).

66 Kiambu, Municipality streetlighting projects (2022), Available at: https://kiambu.go.ke/2020/06/municipality-streetlighting-projects/, (Accessed: 15/02/2022).

67 The World Bank, Energy-efficient streetlighting PPPs (2021), Available at: https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/energy-and-power/energy-efficient-streetlighting-ppps, (Accessed: 15/02/2022).

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SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations The potential to use solar-powered light fittings will reduce the use of grid electricity and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Increases in extreme temperatures, and potential increases in solar radiation, may cause the streetlight assets to decay more rapidly, requiring more regular maintenance. This should be considered when planning operational maintenance for the project.

Social inclusion recommendations Streetlighting reduces street harassment, crime, and fear of crime, contributing to the safety of women, elderly persons, PWD and vulnerable groups. Better lighting allows markets and businesses to operate for longer hours, improving the economic outlook of vendors and market traders.

Case Study 4-30: Quezon City, Public Lighting Delivery Models, Philippines68 Quezon City (QC) had been actively exploring and implementing upgrades to its streetlighting system.

Many streets and roads were not lit at night, so public safety was an ongoing concern. The Mayor created a Task Force to look at installation, repair and maintenance of streetlighting. This body was charged with overseeing an initiative to expand night-time lighting coverage across the city. QC subsequently embarked on a city-wide streetlighting programme to illuminate 80 percent of the public road network. It involved installing 3,000 new streetlights, with an additional 1,000 streetlights retrofitted by Meralco, a private electricity utility.

In the past, QC had relied on traditional lighting technologies. However, the emergence of the first generation of LED streetlights prompted a rethinking, since any improvements in energy efficiency would translate into desirable budget savings.

The city funded a study to determine the feasibility of upgrading their streetlighting to more efficient technology.

The study compared the potential costs and benefits of three technologies: ceramic metal-halide lamps, induction lamps, and LEDs. It concluded that ceramic induction lamps would be a suitable replacement for existing streetlighting, while LED luminaires, which were quite expensive at the time of the study, would only be suitable for new installations.

68 ESMAP, Proven delivery models for LED public lighting: Municipal financing delivery model, Quezon City Case Study (2016), Available at: https://www.esmap.org/sites/esmap.org/ files/DocumentLibrary/Quezon%20City%20-%20Proven%20LED%20Delivery%20Models8_ Optimized_Final.pdf, (Accessed: 15/02/2022).

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A constraint arising from the conversion of QC’s streetlights to LEDs was the split ownership of the assets and the flat rate charged by Meralco on a portion of the assets, as identified in the study. To solve this, the Mayor signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Meralco that turned over the nearly 3,000 ornamental streetlights owned by the utility to the QC government for a price of PHP 5.7 million (KES12.6m).

Meanwhile, the City installed meters on all of the ornamental streetlights so that savings from the retrofit of LEDs would yield energy cost savings. For the remaining pole-mounted streetlights that are owned by Meralco, the utility on its own authority has undertaken a project to convert the streetlights in its ownership to LEDs. Since QC continues to pay Meralco a flat rate per pole, the LED retrofit undertaken by Meralco increases their profit, and the city benefits from better lighting.

4.4.4.3. Project 13: Accessible Public Toilet Blocks Project Overview Public toilets in the County typically do not meet the requirements of women and girls, nor people living with disability (PWD)69. Failing to plan, design or manage public toilets to ensure they are female-friendly and accessible to all users restricts the movement of women and girls, as well as older people and PWD, and limits their ability to participate in public life70.

The Bus Park Relocation, Wote Jua-Kali Market Improvement and Kaiti River Park provide an opportunity to ensure that accessible public toilets are constructed to meet the sanitation needs of the people using the CBD and its markets as well as those who travel into the area for business and leisure activities. The toilets must be safe and private, be accessible to all users, be affordable and available when needed, be well maintained and managed, and meet the requirements of caregivers and parents.

There are currently plans to build a sewer network and sewer treatment plant in Wote Municipality, however, in the short term the toilet blocks should be connected to a septic tank with a view to connect them to the sewer network once it has been built. In the meantime, the wastewater and sludge from the septic tanks should be treated at the decentralised wastewater/sludge treatment facility.

Figure 4-29 - Typical features of an accessible toilet block

Given the shortage of water supply in the Municipality, especially during the dry seasons, the toilet blocks should seek to employ water efficiency measures such as water-saving flushes and recycling handwashing water to flush toilets.

There is an opportunity for the toilets to be run by a small business whereby an operator is appointed and collects an affordable fee per use, and pays for running costs such as the water, the sewerage fees and maintenance. This means the toilets have funds to continue functioning and providing a service to the community. The County may want to further subsidise particularly vulnerable or low-income people or give them a free pass.

Source: WaterAid, Female-friendly public and community toilets: a guide for planners and decision makers (2018).

69 UNICEF, WaterAid and WSUP (2018). Female-friendly public and community toilets: a guide for planners and decision makers. WaterAid: London, UK. Available at: https://www.wateraid. org/us/sites/g/files/jkxoof291/files/Female_friendly_toilet_guide.pdf, (Accessed: 07/02/2022).

70 UNICEF, WaterAid and WSUP (2018). Female-friendly public and community toilets: a guide for planners and decision makers. WaterAid: London, UK. Available at: https://www.wateraid. org/us/sites/g/files/jkxoof291/files/Female_friendly_toilet_guide.pdf, (Accessed: 07/02/2022).

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Location The project will be located in Focus Area 1, with one accessible public toilet block at each of the anchor projects.

Linkages

Table 4-39 – Project 13 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› 3 accessible public toilet blocks.

› KES 8.5 million each › Total cost = KES 25.5 million

› Enables women and girls, as well as older people and PWDs to participate in public life by providing them with access improved sanitation. › Contributes to improved sanitation environment for the people of Wote. › Improved the attractiveness of Wote to potential business investors.

› Public sector and Donor/IFI. › WOWASCO water company through the Water Sector Trust Fund.

› The implementation agent would be WOWASCO water company whereas the stakeholders would be local businesses, women and girls, elderly people and PWD’s. › The toilet blocks could be run as a small business therefore a private sector partner could also be considered as a stakeholder.

> Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project links with the current design and development of the WWTP and sewer trunk mains in Wote Town by the National Government; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links to the CBD anchor projects in Focus Area 1 and the decentralised wastewater/sludge treatment facility; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience and social inclusion.

Category > Capital investment: new

Table 4-40 – Project 13 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Establishing ownership and maintenance of the accessible toilet blocks.

Information on the current provisions of public toilets in the CBD.

Short to medium-term.

The construction of the accessible toilet blocks should be completed in unison with the other anchor projects to provide immediate access to toilet blocks to visitors and users of the sites once they are operational.

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SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations Provision of accessible toilet blocks would improve the sanitation of the surrounding area and reduce negative effects on the environment and public health. The key risks from climate change are changes in temperature (heatwaves) and precipitation (drought events and flash flooding). The toilet blocks should be designed to withstand increased rainfall and risk of flooding. Allowances for increased rainfall should be included in the design of associated sewer lines and connections to reduce the risk of overburdening the systems during extreme precipitation events or flooding.

Climate Finance Options Access to climate finance increases the capacity of projects to deliver climate mitigation and adaptation actions. There are a range of specialised funds and instruments available which could provide a source of finance for this project, including: > The Adaptation Fund (AF) > The National Treasury > The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) > African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC) Section 5.5 provides more information about available climate funds in Wote.

Social inclusion recommendations Well-designed, affordable, and accessible public toilets will improve access to the public space to all, particularly for women, the elderly, and PWDs. This project also represents employment opportunities for small businesses as toilet facilities’ operators, and for local NGOs or community groups for the toilets’ maintenance. > Ensure toilet facilities have a baby-changing station and hangers, and that PWDs toilets have enough space for them and their caregivers. Facilities should be well-illuminated. > Develop a participatory process to establish opening times, user fees and special needs from SIGs3. > Ensure toilet facilities are well managed and maintained.

Liaise with local NGOs or programmes such as Kazi Mtaani for toilets’ maintenance.

To maximise benefits on SIGs and in line with the national policy on menstrual hygiene management (MHM)4, it is recommended to develop awareness sessions to improve menstrual education and wellbeing and reduce girls’ stigmatisation and infection risks.

Case Study 4-31: Accessible toilets in Dhaka, Bangladesh71 A 2011 study of public toilets in Dhaka, Bangladesh, showed that the city had only 47 public toilet blocks serving around 7 million people. 75% of the blocks did not have female-friendly and child-friendly features, and more than 30% were in very unsafe locations. Furthermore, almost 60% of the blocks did not have a reliable water supply, and more than 80% had no lighting, making them impractical, undesirable and unsafe for women and girls.

The city municipalities decided to start reversing this problem by increasing the number and quality of public toilets to meet the requirements of all, especially women, girls and people with disabilities. They committed to build 100 new public toilets in partnership with WaterAid and other NGOs. As part of the Sunrise project, WaterAid has helped build dozens of female-friendly and accessible public toilets. They have separate male and female sections and features, including handwashing facilities, showers, safe drinking water, reliable water and electricity supplies, CCTV cameras and professional male and female caretakers.

Users pay 5 taka (KES 6.60) for defecation and urination, 10 taka (KES 13.20) for a shower and 10 taka (KES 13.20) to buy a sanitary pad. The toilet use fee is waived for people who say that they cannot pay.

71 Water Aid, Female-friendly public and community toilets (2018), Available at: https://www. wateraid.org/us/sites/g/files/jkxoof291/files/Female_friendly_toilet_guide.pdf, (Accessed: 07/02/2022).

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4.5 Cross-sectoral (Wotewide) infrastructure projects

The rough roads damage produce during transit increasing post-harvest losses. The road also lacks storm drains leading to water logging, accelerating deterioration during the rainy seasons. There are also inadequate crossings over the River Kaiti, further interrupting connectivity.

4.5.1

There have been initiatives to improve the surface condition on some sections of the road. In 2020, Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) awarded a contract to construct 6km of bitumen ‘low volume seal’ of the road from Emali. In 2021, Kenya Roads Board (KRB) upgraded the road from a ‘C class, C99’ to a ‘B class, B107’ road and transferred its jurisdiction to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA)72. In the same year, KeNHA awarded an 18-month detailed engineering design contract for the road, but it is unclear when and if the road construction will take place.

Project 14: Improved Linkage to Northern corridor and Key Urban/Market Centres

Project Overview The Emali – Ukia – Wote road (B107) formerly C99 is a critical road that supports the economic and sustainable development of Wote. It is an important connection between the Wote – Makindu road and the Northern Corridor, A8 (Figure 4 30). It provides the shortest and most economical link between local markets and urban centres along it such as Kalamba, Matiliku, Nziu and Kilala and larger county markets in Emali and Wote, and the national markets in Nairobi and Mombasa, for trading internationally. Despite its importance, the road remains largely in a poor state and is difficult for goods vehicles to navigate during the rainy seasons when it becomes muddy and causes significant delays in transportation of goods and services between Wote and the surrounding hinterlands, and Emali and the Northern corridor. The inadequate road conditions force residents and visitors to commute for longer distance through Makindu town.

The poor state of the road has been attributed to the slowed urban development of market centres along it. For instance, Kalamba market centre, where Makueni Fruit Processing Plant is located, has remained a rural town despite, the industrial investment in its vicinity. What’s more, the poor road condition affects the quality of farm produce transported along it to markets like Emali, Kilala and Matiliku and processing plants like the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant.

The B107 has immense potential to improve accessibility of Wote Municipality and the market centres surrounding it to the northern corridor and the logistical and transport hub of Emali and improve trade and commerce of the commercial areas along the A8. This would have multiple benefits including improved access to markets for farm produce, access to farm inputs by farmers, reduced travel time and cost of travel. It will also play a crucial role in linking the central aggregation hub to Emali.

The project aims to improve a total of 35km to bitumen standards, 10km of NMT facilities and storm water drains along the road stretch. Earmarking dedicated construction funding, can support the County accelerate the development of this critical road.

72 https://mwenenthi.com/emali-ukia-road-upgraded-to-class-b-mutula-jnr-reveals/

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Figure 4-30 - Current alignment of Wote (Ukia) – Emali B107/C99 road in relation to Northern corridor and Machakos – Wote – Makindu road (B60)

Source: Atkins analysis

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Location Municipality/County wide

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project links to the current efforts to improve conditions along the road by KeNHA. > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project links with the climate smart aggregation centre, the juice bottling/canning VC as well as the industrial access road upgrade climate resilient infrastructure project; > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency and sustainability.

Table 4-41 – Project 14 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Upgrade of 2.2 km of roads from earth to all weather bitumen surface with storm water drains, NMT facilities and junction improvements › Development of truck parking centre

› Upgrading 35 km of road, installing storm water drains, NMT provision and missing link improvements KES 5.64 billion › Total cost = KES 5.64 billion

› Eased access to the northern corridor and markets along it › Improved land value

› Funding through Development Partners and/ or through County budget allocation in partnership with Highway Authority › Maintenance through KRB’s road maintenance fuel levy (RMLF)

› Partnership between Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) and County Government of Makueni to improve the road condition › Provision of NMT facilities could be done by County Government of Makueni in partnership with different development partners i.e., World Bank

Table 4-42 – Project 14 basic analysis and timeline

Category

Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

> Capital investment: improving existing

Political interference

Prefeasibility studies

Short-term.

Increased air and noise pollution due to increased vehicular volumes Lack of funding

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Could be achieved in the short-term through timely provision of funding.

SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations Road surface upgrades and provision of appropriate storm water drainage will increase the resilience of the road network to increased temperatures and high rainfall events.

NMT facilities should include consideration of the impact of high temperatures on pedestrians and cyclists and could incorporate measures such as shading to protect against heat stress. Where possible, SuDS should be incorporated to provide flood and pollution management benefits, in addition to providing improved amenity and biodiversity.

Case Study 4-32: Low-cost rural roads74 Investing in low-cost rural roads has been found to generate larger marginal returns, raise more people out of poverty per dollar invested, and reduce regional development disparity more sharply than investing in urban roads. For instance, in China, investment in rural roads have been found to have benefit–cost ratios for national GDP that are about four times greater than the benefit– cost ratios for high-quality urban roads and yield 1.57-yuan worth of agricultural GDP for every yuan invested. This implies investments in rural roads fosters more broadly distributed economic growth.

Social inclusion recommendations Good transport infrastructure improves access to markets for traders, residents and vehicles, as well as agricultural productivity. Enhancing road quality improves road safety (which will benefit young men who are particularly affected by road accidents73) and reduces costs of vehicle and motorbike maintenance. > Considering climate resilience recommendations for the design of roads is fundamental to ensuring the security of local communities’ livelihoods and access to social infrastructure. > It is recommended that NMT and transport facilities follow principles of inclusive design and ensure accessibility for PWD (i.e.: install ramps, consider non-slippery surfaces, include tactile paving at crossings, etc.) > Prioritise the employment of local communities for the construction and maintenance of roads.

73 WHO (N/D) Youth and roads safety. Available at: https://www.who.int/management/ programme/ncd/Youth%20and%20Road%20Safety.pdf (Accessed on 19/01/2022)

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4.5.2 Project 15: Decentralised Wastewater/ Sludge Treatment Facility Project Overview Wote Municipality does not have a piped sewerage system so residents must rely on septic tanks and pit latrines. Currently the Municipality generates 1,340 m3/day of wastewater, however, this is predicted to increase to 1,980 m3/day by 2030 due to the influx of people to the Municipality75. The detailed design for a 2,180m3/day wastewater treatment system, including a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and trunk mains, has been completed and it is designed to cater up to the year 2040 population needs. Funding is being sought from the National Government for implementation. There is also a proposal to construct a 1,500m3/day treatment works as part of phase 3 works at Thwake Dam which would serve Wote Town. A new sewage system would be costly to implement and to operate and maybe unaffordable for low-income groups to connect. Sewerage systems also require significant water to function. Given the water stress in the areas it is recommended that the water company improve on-site sanitation and provide facilities for safe sludge disposal.

Furthermore, these proposals must be well integrated and aligned in order to reduce the duplication of efforts, mismanagement of funds and inadequate benefits for the people of Wote Municipality.

Desludging of septic tanks is currently done by private exhauster trucks which are required to empty to the nearest WWTP in Machakos which is 75Km away. Due to this distance wastewater from Wote is frequently dumped into rivers and open ditches which poses major health and environmental risks.

A decentralised treatment facility (DTF) for sludge is proposed to be constructed at the confluence of Kamunyolo stream and Kaiti River which is the location of the proposed WWTP found approximately 5 Km Northeast of Wote town. Sewage from septic tanks can be delivered to the facility through exhauster trucks at an appropriate fee charged for operation and maintenance. A feasibility study for the facility should look at options for reuse of the waste such as solid fuel briquettes, which can be used as an alternative to charcoal.

Furthermore, the feasibility study should assess the transport infrastructure leading up to the proposed WWTP site in order to facilitate the movement of exhauster trucks to and from the site. When funding has been secured for a standard WWTP, the sludge facility can be incorporated to provide additional capacity and cater to a larger future population.

It is also advised to look at smaller scale desludging vehicles that can access narrow streets and can be used for emptying pit latrines. These services can be run as small business thus providing jobs and income streams. However, there is a requirement for transfer stations to be located in towns.

The smaller vehicles can discharge their waste at these transfer stations and larger truck would pick up waste and take to the DTF.

74 Road Development, Economic Growth, and Poverty Reduction in China, IFPRI (2005).

75 Wote Municipality, IDeP (draft) (2021).

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Location The project will be located near the confluence of Kamunyolo stream and Kaiti River approximately 5km Northeast of Wote Town.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project links with the proposed development of the WWTP and sewer trunk mains in Wote Town by the National Government and any future proposals as part of Thwake Dam; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project does not directly link to any of the other infrastructure proposals.

However, it would treat wastewater and sludge from the accessible public toilet blocks as well as other facilities built as part of the anchor projects; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience and sustainability.

Category > Capital investment: new and improving existing

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Table 4-43 – Project 15 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Feasibility study for the facility, transport infrastructure and potential future integration with the WWTP. › Decentralised treatment facility, capacity of 25m3/day.

› KES 10 million

› Reduce cost of sewage transportation for treatment to Machakos. › Improve public health and reduce environmental pollution by providing a solution to treatment of wastewater rather than dumping it into rivers and open channels.

› The project should be financed through Donors/IFI.

› The implementation agent would be Wote Water and Sanitation Company (WOWASCO). › The stakeholders would include WOWASCO as well as the people who utilise the services provided by the STF.

› KES 10 million › Total cost = KES 20 million

Table 4-44 – Project 15 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

The transport infrastructure leading up to the site where the proposed STF and WWTP will be located will need to be assessed and potentially upgraded.

How soon the works to the sewer network and WWTP will begin.

Short-term.

The market for solid fuel briquettes.

Do not know the social acceptance/ possible uptake of solid fuel briquettes.

The project should be implemented and construction in the short-term in order to provide a solution for treatment of wastewater from septic tanks before the sewer network and WWTP is constructed.

SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations Decentralised WWTPs encourage recovery, reuse, and recycling of resources (e.g. water, bio-energy and nutrients) which provide climate resilience benefits for the surrounding area and communities. Effective and efficient treatment of wastewater and sewage contributes to improved water quality and supports local water supplies by retaining water in the local watershed and making it easier to implement water reuse schemes, thereby providing resilience against drought events.

The proposal means that there is a reduced risk of pit latrines and septic tanks being inundated and overflowing during storm events (flash flooding) reducing the risk of contamination of the local environment and water supplies and improving public health. Flood risk assessments should be carried out for the WWTP to ensure it is not located in an area at risk of flooding.

High temperatures increase the risk of heat stroke which can impact workers’ health and productivity. Measures such as heat stroke awareness raising schemes can be implemented to manage the risk.

Climate Finance Options Access to climate finance increases the capacity of projects to deliver climate mitigation and adaptation actions. There are a range of specialised funds and instruments available which could provide a source of finance for this project, including: > The Adaptation Fund (AF) > The National Treasury > The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) > African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC) Section 5.5 provides more information about available climate funds in Wote.

Social inclusion recommendations Improved sanitation improves public health and reduces healthcare-associated costs, which is often a significant burden on low-income groups. Access to toilets protects the dignity of those who previously did not have a private and clean place to go.

Case Study 4-33: Construction of Decentralised Treatment Facility in Chuka, Kenya76 In Kenya, a donor funded project by the Water Services Trust Fund called Up-scaling Basic Sanitation for the Urban Poor (UBSUP), has been implemented in several towns like Chuka, Kerugoya, Nakuru, Homa Bay, Machakos.

In Chuka, where there is no sewage treatment facility, a Decentralised Treatment Facility was established at a convenient distance from the town area. Sludge and wastewater is delivered through exhauster trucks/ tankers.

The treatment process is physical and biological and does not require electricity or chemical additives. The treated effluent can be safely disposed to the environment.

The sludge can be reused for as fertiliser when processed correctly.

Chuka decentralised treatment facility77

It is recommended to implement a subsidies scheme (see case studies below) or link low-income communities with existent instrument, to make the connection to the sewer systems affordable.

76 SuSanA Website, Key document for category 1 “Design and Technology” (Decentralised Treatment Facilities) (2022), Available at: https://forum.susana.org/280-faecal-sludgetreatment/17075-documents-for-design-and-technologies-decentralised-treatment-facilities, (Accessed: 21/02/2022).

77 Sustainable Sanitation Alliance, Up-scaling basic sanitation for the urban poor (UBSUP) in Kenya (2017), Available at: http://www.susana.org/_resources/documents/ default/3-2861-7-1505304698.pdf, (Accessed: 21/02/2022).

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Case Study 4-34: Solid Fuel Briquettes as a Reuse Product in Kakuma, Kenya78 Sanivation has developed a briquette production system for human waste and it is used in Kakuma, Kenya. Treated faeces has a high energy content and can be utilized as a biomass fuel like charcoal and wood. In the Sanivation system the faeces act as a binder for other biomass waste streams such as charcoal dust, agricultural residues, and carbonized prosopis (a woody invasive weed in East Africa).

Figure: Small-scale treatment and reuse system comprising of treatment tank, mixer, roller press, drying beds and burning briquettes.

Treated faeces mixed with crushed high-carbon co-waste (other bio-mass as above) at a ratio of around 10-30% wet faecal sludge by mass. Water is added as required to produce the required consistency for mixing and pressing. When it reaches the required consistency, it is transferred to a roller press, which presses the mixture into briquettes. Pressed briquettes are spread onto drying racks and dried in the sun for 3 days. The briquettes are checked in quality control process for burn time, water boiling time, and resistance to breaking when dropped from a height of 1 meter.

Sanivation briquettes have been shown to have a calorific value higher than wood and with less smoke emissions than charcoal.

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Charcoal

Wood

Sanivation briquettes

Calorific value

29 MJ/kg

15 MJ/kg

22 MJ/kg

Burning time

3 Hours

1 Hour

4.5 Hours

Emissions (CO ppm)

118 ppm

N/A

82 ppm

Emissions (PM2.5 ppm)

213 ppm

N/A

196 ppm

In Kakuma briquettes are sold for US$0.20 per kg which is equvilent to the cost of charcoal. The cost per year was estaimated at US$172 per year per houshold and revenue at US$210.

Figure: Small-scale treatment and reuse system comprising of treatment tank, mixer, roller press, drying beds and burning briquettes.

78 Sanivation and UNHCR. Container-based Toilets with Solid Fuel Briquettes as a Reuse Product, Best Practice Guidelines for Refugee Camps (2018). Available at: https://data2.unhcr. org/en/documents/download/64297 (Accessed: 12/02/2022).

Table: Comparison of Sanivation briquettes to wood and charcoal.

Case Study 4-35: Small-scale desludging equipment

4.5.3 Project 16: Water Supply for Low-income Households and Rural Communities Project Overview There is a considerable water shortage in Wote. Currently the average distance to water sources across the County is around 5km, this distance is greater in many rural communities. It is often the role of the women or girls to collect water, taking up time that could be spend on school, family or income generation.

Droughts are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change and urbanisation. Unreliability of water sources has led to rationing and interruptions to the public water supply, resulting in many people having to rely on water vendors who supply expensive and untreated water.

Compact Vacutug carts were introduced into multiple low-income communities around Africa and South East Asia in the early 2000’s by UN Habitat79. The Vacutug technology can be implemented in high-density communities and informal settlements where roads are narrow; the carts are highly manoeuvrable and can be used to access hard-to-reach septic tanks and pit latrines which can often be inaccessible to large desludging machines80.

Vacutugs implemented in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, emptied 877 pits with an average of four per day during the first 12 months of operation; this generated a profit of US $700 during the same period. Prior to their implementation a field survey found that residents were willing to pay up to KES 250 per extraction.

An ongoing AfDB funded water supply project will supply 800 m3/day to the piped water system in Wote Municipality and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. The project scope includes the construction of river intake, treatment works, 30 km pipe network within Wote Town, 1,000 consumer connections and a solar farm to provide operational power.

This project proposes that the water company considers subsidising last-mile connections or developing a loan system to support low-income households to connect to the piped water supply system. This will ensure that low-income households benefit from the AfDB Project described above.

This will provide increased water capacity in Wote Town, as well as increased connections to the network, in the short term before the development of the water supply from Thwake dam is complete.

In addition to this, it is recommended that the water company also provides additional water kiosks in rural communities where distances to sources of water is often greater then in urban areas. In this type of kiosk system, the water company supplies bulk water (at a reduced cost) to the kiosk owner, who then sells it on at an agreed affordable rate to consumers in the area. This creates employment for the kiosk operator and provides a clean water supply close to people’s homes.

The kiosk owner could also sell other goods, such as sanitary products, household and cleaning supplies as well as food and beverage. Careful consideration should be given to the location of the proposed new kiosks in order to maximise their benefits for low income and underserved communities particularly in rural areas. Furthermore, supplies of water to the kiosks will need to be carefully managed during the dry season in order to ensure there is a sustainable supply of water available to people who need it the most. The kiosks should be metered to reduce wastage of water.

The proposed water kiosks should incorporate streetlighting, step free access, visual contract to increase visibility of structures and services for the visually impaired, well-designed, legible signage and benches to allow elderly people and women to rest before traveling back home with water canisters. These measures will increase accessibility of the water kiosks at different times of day for women, elderly people and PWDs. However, in some cases PWDs will experience challenges accessing and carrying water back to their homes, therefore, the water company should consider alternative initiatives such as greatly subsiding home connections for PWDs.

79 UN Habitat, Sanitation – Vacutug (2021), Available at : https://mirror.unhabitat.org/ categories.asp?catid=548, (Accessed: 02/12/2021).

80 Engineering for change, The Vacutug (2021), Available at: https://www. engineeringforchange.org/solutions/product/the-vacutug/ , (Accessed: 02/12/2021).

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Location The proposed last mile connection loan scheme should be targeted around low-income communities in Wote Town whereas the proposed accessible water kiosks should be located in appropriate rural locations determined by a feasibility study prior to the implementation of the kiosks.

One of the accessible water kiosks should be located near Kalamba, Focus Area 2, in order to support the rural community around the proposed juice bottling/canning VC.

Linkages > Which existing projects/proposals (if any): the project links with the AfDB funded project currently underway in Wote Municipality as well as with the Makueni County Vision 2025 and other local planning documents; > Other SUED infrastructure/urban projects: the project does not directly link to any of the other infrastructure proposals; and > Links to SUED principles: resilience, resource efficiency, social inclusion and sustainability.

Category > Capital investment: new and improving existing.

Table 4-45 – Project 16 summary information Sub-components

Estimated cost (KES range)

Benefits and impacts

Financing options and delivery mechanisms

Implementation agency and stakeholders

› Household connections for 1,000 households › Rolling loan fund to support the connection for 1,000 low-income households. › 5 accessible water kiosks.

› KES 19 million › KES 11 million › KES 23.5 million, KES 4.7 million per accessible water kiosk81. › Total cost = KES 53.5 million

› Improve public and environmental health and ensure that low-income areas have access to water. › Improves access to water for rural communities, specifically women, elderly people and PWDs with the provision of accessible water kiosks.

› Donor/IFI through the Water Sector Trust Fund. › The accessible water kiosks could be run by private businesses.

› The implementation agent would be WOWASCO with the support of Wote Municipality to help identify the most appropriate sites for the accessible water kiosks. › The stakeholders would include WOWASCO, Wote Municipality, low-income households, and private accessible water kiosk business owners.

Table 4-46 – Project 16 basic analysis and timeline Challenges

Data gaps

Time frame, key dependencies

Low rural population density.

Location of current water kiosks.

Short to medium-term.

Semi-arid region, therefore, need to monitor abstraction of water from ground or river sources.

Locations where there is the largest need for water kiosks.

The proposal would need to be implemented after the completion of the AfDB water supply project.

However, the accessible water kiosks could be implemented in the short-term in order to support local rural communities who will not directly benefit from the AfDB project.

Obtaining funding.

81 Based on the cost of an E-Madzi automated water kiosk system priced at US$ 41,500. Source: The World Bank, Automated water kiosks provided continuous water for Malawians during COVID-19 (2020), Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2020/09/09/automated-water-kiosks-provide-continuous-water-for-malawians-during-covid-19, (Accessed: 09/02/2021).

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SUED principles for implementation Climate resilience recommendations This proposal enables greater access to clean water and associated health benefits. Water technologies can provide cost-effective and sustainable means of accelerating national and global strategies (e.g. the Sustainable Development Goals) to provide access to safe drinking water without the substantial investment typically needed for conventional centralised water infrastructure. Decentralised treatment has lower energy requirements which can allow off-grid operation and alternative energy sources. Decentralised systems are also less likely to be impacted by large scale events and natural disasters so can help maintain a clean water supply to communities during such events. The key risks from climate change are changes in temperature (heatwaves) and precipitation (drought events and flash flooding) which impact water supply and demand. There can be challenges in supplying water to rural areas however sustainable solutions for water reuse and treatment can aid the management of limited supply alongside demand management education/ awareness raising schemes.

Social inclusion recommendations Access to water is critical for socio-economic development and the improvement of public health. Provision of clean water will reduce incidences of water borne diseases within the community and consequently reduce money spent on healthcare and time away from productive activities.

Case Study 4-36: Société Nationale d’Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux (SONEDE)82

Household connections improve accessibility to water for PWD and other consumers. This will also reduce time spent by women fetching water for the household, contributing to their wellbeing, and freeing-up time for income generation and other activities. > Small-scale desalination plants have the potential to generate employment within the local community, particularly for PWD, youth, and women; > It is recommended to ensure there are strategies such as instalments, subsidies, or loans support low-income populations with the connection to the water system; and > To ensure there are employment opportunities for SIGs and local NGOs during implementation of the project on available casual labour.

In Tunisia the water company, SONEDE, has managed to expand by around 70,000 connections a year through the use of a connection loan scheme. Customers can pay the cost of the connection on a quarterly basis over five years. New customers, who opt for a credit connection, receive a bill each quarter that includes the tariff for consumption during the previous quarter, and a loan repayment instalment.

Climate Finance Options Access to climate finance increases the capacity of projects to deliver climate mitigation and adaptation actions. There are a range of specialised funds and instruments available which could provide a source of finance for this project, including: > The Adaptation Fund (AF) > The National Treasury > The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) > African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC) Section 5.5 provides more information about available climate funds in Wote.

82 Center Blog, Creation of the new water company (Sonede) (2019), Available at: Creation of the new water company (Sonede) (centerblog.net), (Accessed: 09/02/2022).

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5. Implementation Plan 5.1

Introduction

Effective urban and economic planning by strong, empowered municipal governments is critical to the success of cities in responding to current and future challenges.

The Municipal government’s central role in the coordination of actors that shape urban development and economic growth is becoming even more important as devolved governments are required to address increasingly complex challenges. Planning plays a critical role in directing and controlling land use, urban form, infrastructure, and service delivery as well as ensuring resilience of the urban system.

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A number of other factors also have an impact on the ability of cities to respond to risks and development needs. These include the skills available in the workforce and within the local authorities, an effective and transparent governance structure, issues shaped by national and regional economic policies and dynamics, as well as access to global financial markets and the global governance of environmental issues.

The following sections discuss relevant considerations across partnerships, funding and scheduling for the proposed VC and climate resilient infrastructure projects and the wider economic development plan. Crucial aspects to the implementation of these are capacity-building, and recommendations for social inclusion, and climate resilience, which are provided further below.

It will be critical to identify potential risks to the implementation of the UEP, including risks and impacts from the current COVID-19 crisis or other external shocks, as well as increasing stresses from the effects of climate change. This will need to be a continuous process of reviewing identified risks starting from planning and design to implementation stages. The proposed UEP and projects within the Economic Development Framework have considered the existing and emerging economic and urban context including institutional and financial capacity of the County and Municipality.

The UEP is an advisory document aligned with the existing regulations and planning policy framework and is built upon the priorities of both the County and Municipality to boost development. The UEP will then support the realisation of benefits, including:

The draft Wote Municipality Integrated Development Plan 2021-2025 is the guiding instrument to deliver basic services, promote investment with greater socio-economic impact and endorse environmental protection. However, this plan needs to be aligned with a long-term spatial strategy to ensure optimisation of limited developable land, well-coordinated infrastructure delivery and economic development.

This long-term plan is in the Makueni County Spatial Plan 2019-2029 and aims to guide future growth, providing an integrated physical development by setting out the zoning and proposed land uses.

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> Improve resilience to climate change: the UEP has understood the main climate risks and has integrated resilience building into the VCs, the Economic development framework and SAPs and its individual climate resilient infrastructure proformas; > Value uplift of the agricultural sector and better income security for farmers, with training centres for additional skills and diversification of produce, access to shared resources and service groups with optimal machinery, and best practice techniques that enhanced production, better storage facilities and collection centres, to increase shelf life of perishable products;

> Value uplift to the commerce, markets, and cross border trade through better market infrastructure in the CBD, better planning around the future of trade, greater integration between the key sectors of Wote, targeted training and business support; > Supporting Wote’s role as a commercial, service, and administrative, hub for the County and the wider region, through developing the sectors that pull people in, attracting new businesses to Wote, and supporting the existing businesses through the VCs and SAPs; > Increase in the variety of formal employment in the sectors of industrial/agricultural processing, retail and trade, and services. Improve socio-economic opportunities across society, providing employment opportunities and accessibility to facilities to those from SIGs who currently face a lack of income security, in particular Wote’s youth; and > Improved access to the constrained resources. The climate resilient infrastructure proformas look to support existing provision, meet the current demand, and expand to provide for the future demand for resources in Wote. This includes Water, Waste, Energy, and Transport.

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5.2 Partners and Institutional Structures The strength of urban governance is one of the biggest issues affecting the ability of cities to respond to major economic and environmental challenges. There are two different aspects of multi-level governance: 1. Vertical governance which refers to the strength of coordination across multiple levels of government at national, regional, and local levels; and 2. Horizontal governance referring to the coordination of activities across different sectors of society from local governments to the private sector, civil society, academia, and grassroots organisations.

Vertical governance recommendations Devolution is the backbone of Kenya’s planning policy to transfer power, funds, and resources to accountable, transparent, and inclusive local governments. Makueni County is one of the two-tier governance systems with granted powers in terms of overarching planning and development within the County territory and in relation to management and governance of Wote Municipality. The municipal board administers and manages the Municipality on behalf of the County government. The Municipal Manager is the secretary to the board, and he/she oversees day-to-day management of the municipality and implements decisions made by the board in accordance with Urban Areas and Cities Act 2011 (Rev 2017).

Wote Municipality and its departments maintain good relations with the County Government and various communication channels exist vertically and horizontally since the Municipality is a department on its own and works closely with other departments. Nonetheless, it is imperative for the Municipality to use the good working relationship it enjoys to keep the County Government appraised of progress and developments on SUED projects and to ensure that efforts are coordinated across the County.

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Failure to put such structures and processes in place will cause significant delays in project formulation and implementation, along with direct impacts on the future roll-out of supporting climate-resilient and inclusive infrastructure and their associated costs.

There are a number of Agricultural funds that can be tapped in to support cooperative and other key actors in Wote’s agriculture and livestock sector, including: > National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) > Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme Phase Three (ASDSP III) > Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) > Agri-Fi Kenya Challenge Fund - implemented by Self Help Africa (SHA) > Kenya Investment Mechanism (KIM) Program implemented by Palladium International > GIZ Farmer Equipment (support for formation of Coop Union and Training) > Heifer International Funding through Chicken Basket Ltd > NURU International (USAID Fund) on Upscaling

Horizontal governance recommendations The following are likely to support the effective implementation of the UEP: > Involvement of stakeholders in steering committees and working groups: the Municipal Board and a continued PSG should involve a broad range of stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of any SUED VC and climate resilient infrastructure projects, sharing information and monitoring progress on intended outcomes for different stakeholders; > Other thematic working groups or project teams could be established, drawn from representatives from the government and community stakeholders to develop particular actions and track its implementation. These groups could be formed around the key sectors and urban elements, such as: markets and trade, waste management, sustainable transport, land use and planning permissions, environmental protection. These working groups and project teams should report back to the Municipality; > The Municipality should engage with key organisations such as the Kenya Investment Authority and others to ensure investments are focused on areas where Wote has a competitive advantage; > To support the delivery of training, the County Government and Municipal Government should partner with the existing training institutes in the County including South-eastern Kenyan University (SEKU) and ICT innovation hub; and > A mapping exercise should also be undertaken to identify the relationships and partnerships that exist at both Municipality and County level. Existing relationships with multilateral institutions, bilateral institutions, NGOs and think tanks can all be leveraged to support SUED projects.

The mapping exercise will also be conducive to building greater coordination between the existing partnerships as well as identification of opportunities for partnerships with new and emerging entities.

Synergies with other development programmes FCDO, the World Bank, the AfDB, UNIDO and other multilateral institutions have ongoing programmes within the County which will provide synergy with the SUED programme and potential for partnerships.

Examples include the World Bank’s Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP), which could provide an important partnership, supporting proposed urban improvements.

The KUSP has already supported roads upgrade to tarmac standards and parking lots within Wote Municipality.

Value chain partners The success of the value chain opportunities outlined in sections 4.3.3 and 4.4.2, depends on building strong connections along the supply chains, establishing close partnerships with suppliers of the required inputs to each of the VCs. The recommended approach to developing these partnerships has been outlined in detail in sections 4.2.1, 4.3.1 and 4.4.1.

The model for the Climate Smart Aggregation and Service Centres is to build on, and collaborate with, a number of successful programmes which already exist in the County.

The Juice bottling/canning VC would further benefit from establishing partnerships with: > Farming cooperatives, private farms, Makueni fruit processing plant, the aggregation centre and other smaller aggregation hubs, and local and international markets.

The Solid waste management VC would further benefit from establishing partnerships with: > Existing small/informal waste collection services and pickers, and existing industrial and commercial enterprises such as Makueni fruit processing plant.

There is also a need to further consider the role of local and international business networks and relationships, which have a significant impact in Wote.

There is a clear need for organisation of the different actors and businesses involved in Wote’s key supply chains as well as the creation of a robust aggregation network to facilitate the transfer of raw products from suppliers to processing centres and consumers. This will be integral to the success of the proposed VCs. The proposed climate smart aggregation centre and climate smart supporting services, detailed in section 4.2.1, are key to establishing collection networks within the County and would support both VCs facilitating and formalising the relationship between VC facilities and those supply inputs to the VCs.

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5.3 Implementation Costs and Potential Funding Sources The UEP is an advisory document owned and administered by the Municipality and the main responsible authority for its future implementation. Similarly, the Municipality is responsible for agreeing appropriate funding from the County budget, as well as seeking any additional funding from IFI, donors, and/or private sector to support the implementation of the VC and climate-resilient infrastructure projects.

Table 5-1 summarises the implementation costs and delivery for the VCs, and infrastructure projects across the main sectors and the Municipality. Each project is considered by its sub-components, delivery partners and funding sources, capital costs and key cost elements, expected benefits to be realised, and timescale. This brings together the project information set out in section 4.

It is important to note that these costs do not include various cost items including land acquisition, design and planning (unless stated, where this could reflect 10% to 30% of the CAPEX costs). Inflation and optimism bias have not been included at this stage, where this would uplift the cost estimates. There will also often be sizeable operational expenditure which will need to be factored-in. At a development concept level, the project implementation is summarised below.

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Table 5-1 – Summary of Project Information and Costs Total estimated CAPEX for the UEP:

15.771 billion

Agriculture and Livestock Sector:

CAPEX: KES 5.961 billion

Agri-processing and Manufacturing Sector:

CAPEX: KES 469 million

Markets, Trade and Services Sector:

CAPEX: KES 2.677 billion

Cross–sector projects:

CAPEX: KES 5.714 billion

VC projects:

CAPEX: KES 950 million

In terms of the funding scale between private (PPP), public and other sources, the following is provisionally estimated: 40% public sector led (County, GoK, providers and donors), 16% private and PPP, 44% IFI and donor funding.

In terms of the cost scale over time, the following breakdown is estimated given the individual project schedules: Total estimated CAPEX for the UEP:

15.771 billion

Short-term CAPEX:

KES 8.554 billion

Medium-term CAPEX:

KES 1.743 billion

Long-term CAPEX:

KES 5.474 billion

Table 5-1 – Summary of Project Information and Costs

#

Project title

Project Location

Project sub-components

Implementation agency and stakeholders

Potential sources of financing/funding and delivery mechanisms

Total Estimated Costs (KES)

Timescale

Priority VCs VC1

Juice bottling/ canning VC

Focus area 2

This VC project is for a mixed fruit juice and pulp facility, sourcing fresh produce across the County and neighbouring region and supplying both the bulks and retail markets. The VC could build on the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant at Kalamba, expanding the range of produce and developing the marketing and sales capabilities, or be a separate additional processing facility.

Makueni County

SUED programme with potential for other public and private funding involvement.

150,000,000

Short-term

VC2

Solid waste management VC

Municipality/ County wide

This VC aims is for the establishment of a commercialised solid waste collection and processing service, that improves collection across the municipality, maximises the recovery and production of useful materials and minimises disposal.

Makueni County

SUED programme with potential for other public and private funding involvement.

800,000,000

Short-term

Agriculture and Livestock Sector 1

Aggregation Accessibility Network Model

Focus area 3 and County wide

› Improvement of network to provide all weather access. › Improvement of 100 km of earth roads. › Improvement of 50 km of paved roads. › Upgrade of 100 km of earth roads to low volume sealed roads.

› Assessment performed based on spatial analysis of network, and would need to be validated through community prioritization. › Key stakeholders impacted by road improvements that need to be consulted include. › Farmers and farmer cooperatives, businesses and local communities.

› IFI/Donor and Public Sector › Funding through development partners › County budget allocations and relevant road authorities. › Maintenance through Kenya Road Board – Road Maintenance Fuel Levy Fund (RMLF).

5,135,000,000

Short, medium and long-term

2

Targeted Rural Access Interventions - River Kaiti Crossing

Municipality/ County wide

› Construction of two bridge crossings (each 100m long) over Kaiti River.

› Assessment performed based on spatial analysis of network, and would need to be validated through community prioritization. › Key stakeholders impacted by road improvements that need to be consulted include. › Farmers and farmer cooperatives, businesses and local communities.

› IFI/Donor and Public Sector › Funding through development partners › County budget allocations and relevant road authorities. › Maintenance through Kenya Road Board – Road. › Maintenance Fuel Levy Fund (RMLF).

650,000,000

Short to medium-term

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199

Potential sources of financing/funding and delivery mechanisms

Total Estimated Costs (KES)

› Site selection – Municipality with assistance from national agricultural specialists. › Equipment selection – Municipality with assistance from cold chain specialists. › Construction and implementation - Municipality. › Operation and maintenance – responsibility of Municipality.

› IFI/Donor and Public sector › Donor funding is available from numerous sources, including Self Help Africa and AGRA. › Public sector funding may be available from the central government via the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries

26,250,000

Short to medium-term

› Mapping of ownership of all local agricultural and livestock holdings and their irrigation needs, current status of their irrigation facilities. › Review of abstraction volumes from each borehole to ensure sustainability of water resources. › Establishment of needs for solar irrigation and borehole systems. › Preparation of design brief for boreholes/sand dam/irrigation systems. › Development of procurement and deployment plan. › Preparation of a Maintenance plan.

› Site selection – Wote Municipality with assistance from national agricultural specialists. › Equipment selection, construction and implementation – Wote Municipality with assistance from irrigation specialists. › Operation and maintenance – responsibility of the smallholder recipients.

› IFI/Donor and Public sector › Donor funding is available from numerous sources, including small-scale irrigation and value addition project run by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program. › Public sector funding may be available from the central government via funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation

150,000,000

Short to medium-term

› Upgrade of 2.2 km of roads from earth to all weather bitumen surface. › Provide for storm water drains along the road. › NMT facilities provisions i.e., walkways. › Junction improvements at the intersection with C99.

› Partnership between Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) and County Government of Makueni to improve the road condition. › Provision of NMT facilities could be done

by County Government of Makueni in partnership with different development partners i.e., World Bank.

› IFI/Donor and Public Sector › Funding through Development Partners and/ or through County budget allocation. › Maintenance by the County Government.

364,000,000

Short-term

#

Project title

Project Location

Project sub-components

Implementation agency and stakeholders

3

Solar Refrigeration Systems

Municipality/ County wide

› Establishment of needs for solar refrigeration systems. › Preparation of design brief for refrigeration systems. › Development of procurement and deployment plan. › Develop training plan, for management, operation and maintenance.

4

Solar Irrigation

Municipality/ County wide

Timescale

Agri-processing and Manufacturing Sector 5

200

Industrial Access Road Upgrade: Road Upgrade and Junction Improvements

Focus area 2

Potential sources of financing/funding and delivery mechanisms

Total Estimated Costs (KES)

Timescale

› The implementation agent would be Municipality with the aid of the SUED programme. › The stakeholders would include local businesses and SMEs for the operation and maintenance of services and employees of the industrial zone.

› IFI/Donor › Funding through development partners like World Bank or Water Sector Trust Fund. › Or local government for capital investment.

25,400,000

Short-term

› A pre-feasibility study to determine preferred potential locations, required size including phasing, technical arrangements including preferred technology, and local network connections, commercial arrangement options › Outline design of solar park. › Development of procurement and deployment plan. This will include: › Procurement route – best options or engagement with solution providers/ contractors. › Deployment plan – upskilling of local marginalised groups to work as contractors. › Development of maintenance plan, focusing on upskilling of local marginalised groups to work as maintenance staff.

› Implementing agency will be the Municipality. › They will complete the pre-feasibility study and provide the land to the developer.

› Private sector › Solar power plants are typically financed using a Build, Own Operate model. › Companies such as Globeleq provide finance and construct utility scale projects, whereas specialist impact investors such as Empower can finance smaller scale projects.

80,000,000

Short-term

› › › › › › ›

› Municipality. › BID (Business improvement district): Localized areas, public realm and animation. › Maintenance responsibility of Municipal Government for public areas and owners for private. › Employ local SMEs for waste services. › Light touch maintenance and animation: NGOs and CBO.

› Public-Private Partnership › Typically, Public funded projects. › Potentially: In partnership with local business. › Private sector funding for development and operation of market.

825,250,000

Short-term

#

Project title

Project Location

Project sub-components

Implementation agency and stakeholders

6

Improved Water, Wastewater and Drainage for Agri-processing at Kalamba

Focus area 2

› Water supply: Borehole, pump and treatment system › Wastewater treatment plant › ESIA including hydro-geotechnical investigation

7

Solar Power for Agri-processing at Kalamba

Focus area 2

Markets, Trade and Services Sector 8

Wote JuaKali Market Improvements

Focus area 1

Total Built Up Area Total Built Up Area - Bridge Green Roof Public Plaza - Green Space Road Shared Surface Public Plaza - Paved Surface Trees

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201

Potential sources of financing/funding and delivery mechanisms

Total Estimated Costs (KES)

› Municipality or Private. › BID (Business improvement district): Localized areas, public realm and animation. › Maintenance responsibility of Municipal Government for public areas and owners for private. › Employ local SMEs for waste services. › Tree planting, maintenance, environmental education and signage: NGOs and CBOs.

› Public-Private Partnership › Typically, Public funded projects. › Potentially: In partnership with local business. › Private sector funding for development and operation of market.

1,323,000,000

Short to medium-term

› Municipality or Private. › BID (Business improvement district): Localized areas, public realm and animation. › Maintenance responsibility of Municipal Government for public areas and owners for private. › Employ local SMEs for waste services. › Light touch maintenance and animation: NGOs and CBO.

› Public-Private Partnership › Typically, Public funded projects. › Potentially: In partnership with local business. › Private sector funding for development and operation of market.

338,800,000

Short, medium and long-term

› Paratransit operational and management plan to support new bus parks. › Improvements to NMT network to enhance access.

› Bus park operators, matatus, taxis, retailers. › Formal business in the surrounding park.

› IFI/Donor and Public Sector › County budget allocations and relevant road authorities. › Development partners.

115,000,000

Short to medium-term

› Review current implementation plan. › Review current commercial and technical arrangements. › Design study to ensure suitable coverage of target area. › Equipment review and selection. › Development of new commercial plan (procurement, deployment, implementation, maintenance).

› Site selection – Wote Municipality. › Equipment selection – streetlighting design specialist. › Construction and implementation – Wote Municipality. › Operation and maintenance – responsibility of Wote Municipality.

› IFI/Donor and Public Sector › Financing can be sourced from a number of options, including World Bank funded Kenya Urban Support Programme, which has funded streetlighting in Thika, Ruiru and Limuru. › The World Bank also offers advice, sample legal documents and further reading on using a Public Private Partnership route for streetlighting, detailing projects completed in Brazil, Mexico and India.

50,000,000

Short to medium-term

#

Project title

Project Location

Project sub-components

Implementation agency and stakeholders

9

Kaiti River Linear Park

Focus area 1

› › › › ›

Riverside Regeneration (X2) Walking Trail Planned Parks Sports Zones Plaza

10

Wote Bus Park Rationalisation and Relocation Options

Focus area 1

› › › › › › ›

Shade structure Bus Circulation Bus Parking Built up Space - Mixed Use Blocks Green space Shops Paved Surface (Footpaths/Permeable Paving)

11

Urban Centre Transport Network Improvements and Management

Focus area 1

12

Streetlighting

Focus area 1 and Municipality wide

202

Timescale

Potential sources of financing/funding and delivery mechanisms

Total Estimated Costs (KES)

› The implementation agent would be WOWASCO water company whereas the stakeholders would be local businesses, women and girls, elderly people and PWD’s. › The toilet blocks could be run as a small business therefore a private sector partner could also be considered as a stakeholder.

› IFI/Donor and Public Sector › WOWASCO water company through the Water Sector Trust Fund.

25,500,000

Short to medium-term

#

Project title

Project Location

Project sub-components

Implementation agency and stakeholders

13

Accessible Public Toilet Blocks

Focus area 1

› 3 accessible public toilet blocks.

Timescale

Cross Sectoral / Wote-wide 14

Improved Linkage to Northern Corridor and Key Urban/Market Centres

Municipality/ County wide

› Upgrade of 35km of road to bitumen (factors upgrade of missing links). › Drainage facilities provision. › Provision of safe NMT considerations along the corridor.

› Partnership between Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) and County Government of Makueni to improve the road condition. › Provision of NMT facilities could be done

by County Government of Makueni in partnership with different development partners i.e., World Bank.

› IFI/Donor and Public Sector › Funding through Development Partners and/ or through County budget allocation in partnership with Highway Authority › Maintenance through KRB’s road maintenance fuel levy (RMLF).

5,640,000,000

Short-term

15

Decentralised Wastewater/ Sludge Treatment Facility

Municipality wide

› Feasibility study for the facility, transport infrastructure and potential future integration with the WWTP. › Decentralised treatment facility, capacity of 25m3/day.

› The implementation agent would be Wote Water and Sanitation Company (WOWASCO). › The stakeholders would include WOWASCO as well as the people who utilise the services provided by the STF.

› IFI/Donor › The project should be financed through IFI/Donor.

20,000,000

Short-term

16

Water Supply for Low-income Households and Rural Communities

Municipality wide

› Household connections for 1,000 households. › Rolling loan fund to support the connection for 1,000 low-income households. › 5 accessible water kiosks.

› The implementation agent would be WOWASCO with the support of Wote Municipality to help identify the most appropriate sites for the accessible water kiosks. › The stakeholders would include WOWASCO, Wote Municipality, low-income households, and private accessible water kiosk business owners.

› IFI/Donor › IFI/Donor through the Water Sector Trust Fund. › The accessible water kiosks could be run by private businesses.

53,500,000

Short to medium-term

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5.4 Scheduling This section sets out the timeframe for the delivery of each climate resilient infrastructure project for the respective sector action plans. The synergies for each sector action plan are also described in relation the whole development framework.

The priority VCs for both the Agriculture and Livestock, and Agri-processing and Manufacturing sectors are scheduled to be delivered in the short-term (0-3 years), in order to support the economic growth of the Municipality through the implementation of the remainder of the sector action plans, anchor projects and climate resilient infrastructure projects discussed in the UEP. These VCs should be supported by the development of the aggregation centre and any supporting climate resilient infrastructure, including the improvement of water, wastewater and drainage services, and solar power for agri-processing at the Makueni fruit processing site. This will enable the VC activities to operate at high efficiency and build resilience into the systems. Due to the strong interlinkages between the priority VCs and the aggregation centre, whereby primary resources are collected at the aggregation centre, later these are sent for processing at the juice bottling/canning VC and any waste produced during this processing can be dealt with under the solid waste management VC; the in-unison development of these will be beneficial to improving their individual success.

The climate resilient infrastructure projects under the Agriculture and Livestock sector should be implemented over the short to medium-term with the aggregation accessibility network model running into the long-term as expansion of the aggregation network occurs over time. The delivery of the aggregation centre will be supported by the targeted rural access interventions which will help to move agricultural product to and from the aggregation centre. Furthermore, the implementation of solar refrigeration on the site will help to extend the shelf life of products before they are sent off for further processing at the Makueni fruit processing facility, solar refrigeration should then be implemented in other sites across the municipality in the short to medium-term.

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Finally solar irrigation should be implemented over the short to medium-term in order to improve the output of the agricultural hinterlands and farmers who may not feel the benefits of the sand dams along the river Kaiti or the 4th phase of the Thwake dam once it is fully funded and completed. This will improve the volumes of agricultural products that would be available for processing via the juice bottling/canning VC. The juice bottling/canning VC and associated climate resilient infrastructure projects under the Agri-processing and Manufacturing sector would be implemented in the short-term. As stated previously, the juice bottling/canning VC would be supported by implementation of climate resilient infrastructure projects for improvements to water, wastewater and drainage, and solar power for agri-processing at Kalamba.

Therefore, these should be delivered in the short-term alongside the VC. An upgrade to the industrial access road as well as link to the northern corridor will help to improve the transport infrastructure provisions to the site. The sector would also be supported by the solar refrigeration and solar irrigation climate resilient infrastructure projects as these will help to improve the productivity of the hinterlands in the Municipality and the County. Finally, the sector would be supported by the solid waste management VC which would deal with any waste produced as part of the juice bottling/canning VC. The solid waste management VC, anchor projects and climate resilient infrastructure projects under the Market, Trade and Services Sector would mainly be delivered in the short to medium-term with some phases of the Bus Park relocation occurring in the long-term. The solid waste management VC should be delivered in the short-term in order to reduce the amount of litter present in and around the Municipality as well as reduce the amount of dumping and burring of waste. This will also support the juice bottling/canning VC as well as the anchor projects found under the sector.

The Wote jua-kali market improvement should be implemented in the short-term in order to alleviate some of the issues facing traders and market users.

The Kaiti River linear park should be implemented over the short and medium-term with activities such as design and feasibility occurring immediately and implementation soon after. The Park would be implemented in phases due to its size.

The final anchor project, Wote bus park rationalisation and relocation options, would be split into 4 main phases and spread over the short, medium and long-term, with activities such as site selection, design and land aquation occurring immediately with construction beginning soon after. In the long term the current Bus Park site should be repurposed to provide other needed facilities and services in the CBD. The climate resilient infrastructure projects under this sector should be completed in unison with the anchor projects in order to support their development and improve the quality of the public realm and public service provisions through the upgrade and improved of transport infrastructure, and the implementation of streetlighting and accessible public toilets at each of the anchor project sites.

The cross-sectoral/Wote wide climate resilient infrastructure projects should all be implemented in the short-term with the water supply for low-income households and rural communities extending into the medium-term as an ongoing project to support the water company with increasing the number of water connections in the Municipality. The link to the northern corridor should be implemented in the short-term to support the movement of products to and from the aggregation centre, Kalamba and Wote Town as well as improve the travel time and conditions for people using the link. Finally, the decentralised wastewater/sludge treatment facility should be implemented in the short-term to improve the sanitation in Wote Municipality before the work on the bulk sewer and WWTP begins, the decentralised facility can be incorporated into the WWTP to provide further capacity and resilience for the future.

Figure 5-1 demonstrates the full set of proposed VCs and climate resilient infrastructure projects, and how projects are linked, showing where implementation would suitably begin.

Figure 5-1 – UEP Development framework schedule

Short Term 0-3

Medium Term 4-9

Long Term (10+ Years)

Agriculture and Livestock Sector

Climate Smart Aggregation Centre Aggregation Accessibility Network Model Targeted Rural Access Interventions: River Kaiti Crossings Solar Refrigeration Systems

Agri-processing and Manufacturing Sector

Solar Irrigation VC1 - Juice Bottling / Canning Industrial Access Road Upgrade: Road Upgrade and Junction Improvements Improved Water, Wastewater and Drainage for Agri-processing at Kalamba Solar Power for Agri-processing at Kalamba VC2 - Solid Waste Management Solid Waste Segregation and Storage

Markets, Trade and Services Sector

Wote Jua-Kali Market Improvements Kaiti River Linear Park Wote Bus Park Rationalisation and Relocation Options Phase 1 & 2: Site selection, feasibility study and initial design

Phase 3: Detailed design and construction

Phase 4: Repurposing the existing site

Urban Centre Transport Network Improvements Streetlighting

Cross-sectoral / Wote-wide Infrastructure Projects

Focusing on new areas and policy management

Upgrade of existing streetlighting

Accessible Public Toilet Blocks Improved Linkage to Northern Corridor and Key Urban / Market Centres Decentralised Wastewater / Sludge Treatment Facility Water Supply for Low-income Households and Rural Communities

Source: Atkins analysis W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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5.5 Funding The investment experts, as part of the SUED programme, will develop feasibility studies for the proposed projects which will include estimated capital expenditure and operating expenditure requirements. It will likely be necessary to blend and combine a range of different sources of financial and non-financial support to meet the projects’ expenditure requirements. Careful consideration will have to be given to the differing eligibility criteria of the various sources in order to successfully structure blended finance arrangements.

The County has a number of infrastructure funds. These are highlighted in the CIDP 2018 – 2022 , which provides estimated budgets for sector programmes. It is possible to get an indication of the quantum of funding up until the end of the financial year 2022 from the plan. Those that are relevant to the climate resilient infrastructure projects highlighted in this UEP, include: > Agriculture, Rural & Urban Development KES 6.315 billion > Energy, Infrastructure and ICT - KES 17.121 billion > Environmental Protection, Water and Natural Resources - KES 18.325 billion The County expects that the projected revenue sources above will be derived from equitable share, own source revenue, conditional allocations, with revenue gaps being bridged by donor funding, loans & grants, community engagement and public private partnerships. These sources are explored in further detail below.

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Grant funding can help improve the financial viability of projects which have significant, upfront capital expenditures, improving the overall investment appeal of a project and attracting additional private investment as a result. The proportion of grant finance of the total project finance amount should be carefully justified, as simply seeking a maximised grant finance proportion can seed doubts in the private sector about the long-term financial sustainability of the project. Grant funding is also available to less commercially-viable projects with significant socio-economic or environmental benefits, particularly relating to climate change and resilience. They may also be focused on certain activities such as technical assistance in project preparation or capacity development.

Philanthropic and NGO grant funding could also be leveraged through initiatives such as businesses dedicating 1% of profits to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The World Bank’s Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP) has also been identified as a source of potential funding support for some of the UEP projects, including public realm improvements and urban drainage solutions.

Private sector finance for a range of sectors is available in East Africa from both local and international sources. Existing investors in the region include impact investors, venture capitalists and private equity funds who are able to provide relevant instruments for the value chain projects such as equity, quasi-equity (mezzanine finance) or concessionary debt. Access to private finance will be contingent on the concrete demonstration of viable business models and strong governance structures.

Projects will also benefit from blending in non-financial support in the form of social capital, such as volunteer efforts from the community. Actions to build social capital include mobilising community organisations and volunteers to be involved with the development and implementation of projects. The most successful mobilisation of human and social capital resources occurs in projects where there is a demonstrated, direct and visible relationship between the project and the future benefits for community and volunteer stakeholders. Examples of projects could include raising awareness campaigns for more efficient use of water and solid waste collection and management.

Climate resilient infrastructure and VCs funding It is now widely recognised that there is an urgent need to scale up investment in climate change adaptation and low carbon development in Africa, and the assessments carried out in the development of this UEP highlights that sustainable urban development can only occur if there is significant investment in climate resilience.

There is an increasing focus on how to finance activities related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, with a range of specialised funds and financial instruments available.

This includes a significant number of donor and IFI-led initiatives, but the field of private sector sustainable finance is also growing rapidly, and many investors are starting to look for investments which demonstrate clear environmental, social and climate benefits. The growing appetite to invest in projects which are aligned with low carbon and climate resilient development outcomes provides a new potential source of finance to bring to bear to finance adaptation, resilience, and climate mitigation in East Africa.

Successfully accessing resources to support adaptation, and low carbon development, depends on a good understanding of the investor’s perspective and procedures. The IFI and MDBs for example, have adopted the following principles for a project to be classified as contributing to adaptation:

Climate action funds

> Include a statement of purpose or intent to address or improve climate resilience in order to differentiate between adaptation to current and future climate change and good development;

Green Climate Fund (GCF): The GCF seeks to promote a paradigm shift to low emission and climate-resilient development, taking into account the needs of nations that are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts including African nations and Small Island Developing States (SIDs). The GCF aims to deliver equal amounts of funding to mitigation and adaptation measures. Its activities are aligned with the priorities of partner countries through the principle of country-led programmes and implementation. The financial delivery mechanism for the GCF is grants, loans, equity or guarantees.

> Set out a context of climate vulnerability (climate data, exposure and sensitivity), considering both the impacts from climate change as well as climate variability related risks; and > Link project activities to the context of climate vulnerability (e.g., socio-economic conditions and geographical location), reflecting only direct contributions to climate resilience.

Private sector financiers, on the other hand, are looking for clear metrics through which they can demonstrate the sustainability and impact of their investments. This is more closely aligned to existing impact investing and guidelines for demonstrating environmental, social and governance elements of an investment, or emerging criteria for sustainable finance, such as those outlined in the EU Taxonomy on Sustainable Finance. International climate funds have more stringent eligibility requirements, and a comprehensive grasp of eligibility criteria, as well as the different financial mechanisms and the extent to which they can be combined, is important.

The VCs and infrastructure projects have had climate change resilience actions embedded in their proposals, and further recommendations have been made. This will aid the projects in accessing funding by demonstrating their significant contribution to climate change actions. The section below provides a brief overview of some of the main sources of funding available for projects, and to support low-carbon and climate-resilient development.

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Presented below is a snapshot of the available climate change funds that cover climate adaptation and mitigation, and the climate-resilient infrastructure projects in this UEP they could be applicable to.

In addition, two specific GCF investments provide further opportunities: The ACUMEN Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF).

The ARAF, which is currently operational, and is scheduled to end in 2031, provides finance to support innovative private sector businesses that enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers in Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria.

There is a specific focus on providing innovative MSMEs with the finance they need to adopt longer-term approaches to adapting to climate change, including increased use of digital approaches and climate-smart agriculture. Given the needs outlined through the UEP development process, there is a potential opportunity to attract finance for innovation, developing models and approaches that could then be replicated more widely.

The Global Sub-National Climate Fund (SnCF Global).

The SnCF Global uses GCF backing to overcome the barriers to the financing of smaller-scale adaptation and mitigation projects at a sub-national level. The fund is managed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and was approved in November 2020.

It will operate in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, and will attract private finance to projects previously not deemed to be investible on a commercial finance basis. There is a focus in the fund on nature-based solutions, and it represents a possible avenue for investment in some of the project opportunities identified.

The National Treasury: This is the Kenyan National Designated Authority (NDA) for the GCF in Kenya. It has developed the Kenya National Green Climate Fund (GCF) Strategy, with a vision to channel investment from the GCF for a climate-resilient society and low-carbon economy.

The Strategy identifies County governments as critical co-financiers who can take the role of executing entities and/or implementing entities of climate-resilient and low-carbon initiatives. The Strategy provides a roadmap for stakeholders in harnessing resources from the GCF. The Adaptation Fund (AF): The AF finances projects and programmes that help vulnerable communities in developing countries adapt to climate change. Initiatives are based on country needs, views and priorities. The financial instrument/delivery mechanism used by the Adaptation Fund is grants. NEMA is the National Implementing Entity (NIE) for the Adaptation Fund in Kenya. The AF raised USD $35,6 million at COP26, which will be used to continue supporting developing countries in their adaptation measures, as well as encouraging climate-resilient economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic83.

The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF): The LDCF was established to meet the adaptation needs of least-developed countries (LDCs). Specifically, the LDCF has financed the preparation and implementation of National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) to identify priority adaptation actions for a country. The financial instrument/ delivery mechanism used by the LDCF is grants.

83 Adaptat Fund, Adaptation Fund raises record US$ 36 million in new pledges at COP26 for its concrete actions to most vulnerable (2021), Available at: Adaptation Fund Raises Record US$ 356 Million in New Pledges at COP26 for its Concrete Actions to Most Vulnerable Adaptation Fund (adaptation-fund.org), (Accessed:15/12/2021).

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The Global Environment Facility (GEF) administers the LDCF and Operational Focal Points (OFPs) are responsible for coordination in country. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is Kenya’s GEF Operational Focal Point.

The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF): The SCCF was established to address the specific needs of developing countries to cover the incremental costs of interventions to address climate change relative to a development baseline. Adaptation to climate change is the top priority of the SCCF and in addition to this, it finances projects relating to technology transfer and capacity-building in the energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forestry, and waste management sectors. The SCCF is administered by the GEF and its financial instrument/delivery mechanism is grants.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is Kenya’s GEF Operational Focal Point.

Clean Technology Fund (CTF): A multi-donor fund and part of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF). The CTF promotes financing for the implementation of renewable energy technologies with potential to reduce emissions, with the aim of making these more attractive to public and private sector investors. The fund can be accessed via the African Development Bank, and uses a variety of financial instruments including grants, loans, equity and guarantees.

The Africa Climate Change Fund (ACCF): This aims to support African countries’ transition to climate-resilient and low-carbon modes of development, as well as scaling-up their access to climate finance. The fund offers grants for projects related to the following themes: supporting small-scale or pilot adaptation initiatives to build resilience of vulnerable communities and supporting direct access to climate finance.

The secretariat is housed at the African Development Bank.

The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR): The PPCR provides funding for climate change adaptation and resilience-building. It aims to demonstrate ways in which climate risk and resilience may be integrated into core development planning and implementation by providing incentives for scaled-up action and initiating transformational change. This may include technical assistance to integrate climate resilience into national development plans, or funding for public and private sectors when implementing climate resilience initiatives. It is a targeted program of the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF), which is one of two funds within the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) framework. The financial instrument/delivery mechanism for the PPCR is grants and loans. The CIF Secretariat is housed at the World Bank.

The Kenya County Climate Change Fund (CCCF) Mechanism: The expansion of the CCCF across the country is one of the priorities in the Kenya National Climate Change Action Plan (NAP), 2018-2022. The CCCF improves a county’s readiness to access and distribute national and global climate finance to support community-prioritised investments to build climate resilience. The CCCFs are aligned with national priorities set out in the NAP and enable county governments to strengthen and reinforce national climate change policies while delivering on local adaptation priorities. Post COP26, the Kisumu County government has pledged to allocate 2% of its annual budget towards climate change mitigation measures, in line with Kenya’s commitments outlined in its NDC, with other counties set to make similar pledges.

Following on from the PPCR the CIF is supporting four thematic programme areas aiming to support the transition to a low carbon, climate-resilient economy. There may be particular opportunities to access funding under the Climate Smart Urbanisation programme, and the Nature, People and Climate Investment programme.

African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC): AFAC was established with the aim of increasing financial sector participation to drive climate change initiatives across Africa. Bringing together key financial players, including private banks, multilaterals and sovereign funds, and the pan-African alliance will help to mobilise private capital investment towards a climate-resilient development path.

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AFAC’s main aim is to engage in knowledge-sharing and increase private sector participation in climate action, as well as attracting climate investment into national and regional climate projects84.

Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP): Endorsed by the African Union, the AAAP was established to raise USD $25 million for adaptation of the impacts of climate change85. The program focuses on four pillars: the creation of climate technologies to combat agricultural losses and food security, building resilient infrastructure, and empowering youth through green job creation. The fourth focus is on the mobilisation of funding for climate action, with consideration given to promoting green growth post-COVID-19.

Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA): This is a multi-donor fund managed by the African Development Bank. The fund was set up with the aim of contributing to the development of sustainable energy services across Africa.

The fund supports initiatives through technical assistance grants, combined with concessional investment, via loans and equity instruments86.

Africa Regional Climate and Nature Programme (ARCAN): A newly established programme supported by ODA funding and by the World Bank, ARCAN will offer support for adaptation measures including water management and resource, and technical assistance to African partners to integrate climate action into policy-making. The programme also offers access to climate finance for adaptation projects and received new funding for relevant projects at COP26.

84 African Development Bank, African Investment Forum 2018: African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC) unveiled guiding principles (2018), Available at: Africa Investment Forum 2018: African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC) unveils guiding principles | African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow (afdb.org), (Accessed: 15/12/2021).

85 African Development Bank, Africa adaptation acceleration program (2021), Available at: https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/2021/10/19/africa_adaptation_acceleration_program. pdf, (Accessed: 15/12/2021).

86 African Development Bank, Sustainable Energy fund for Africa (2021), Available at: Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa | African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow (afdb.org), (Accessed: 15/12/2021).

5.6 Recommendations for Capacity Building Several areas are recommended for capacity building for the UEP implementation, capacity building is essential to the success of the VCs and the delivery of the SUED interventions.

The following capacity building recommendations would support the effective and integrated approach to sustainable and inclusive economic sector development; infrastructure delivery, operation and maintenance; and climate resilience future proofing development.

Project implementation Capacity building in project preparation, project management and delivery and maintenance from the Municipality, and County, particularly when it comes to revenue generating activities and how to ensure revenue is received and used, is recommended. Working with the private sector for the delivery of urban services and projects is increasing in importance and requires knowledge and skills to support effective implementation of market driven solutions including the PPP mechanism. The UEP promotes an integrated approach to development and there is a need to ensure silo thinking is removed from planning and delivery. This enables understanding of what needs to come first in the development process, and the wider dependencies and synergies.

COVID-19 lessons Strengthening preparedness and emergency response capacity is critical. This means better preparedness in terms of financing, service delivery and business continuity including budgeting for future crises, emergency operations centres, capacity building, drills, and human resources redeployment plans. This capacity building is recommended for Wote Municipality and Makueni County, where a cross-sector taskforce would be a recommended structure.

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Data and digital tools

Social inclusion

Effective data gathering and analysis will support the monitoring of strategic objectives for the Municipality, and County, including UEP project implementation, where capturing stakeholder information can be a key element of this. Data management of Municipality and County services, such as waste management, public transport service and open space and SuDS maintenance, will support the Municipality and County in responding to the resident and business needs as well as monitor impact of these services. The development of an integrated spatial development plan would be supported with registries on land use and ownership, infrastructure assets and service provision, to better plan and respond both in normal times and during future shocks.

It is recommended that the Municipality, and County, departments are supported in their understanding and upskilling around social inclusion, including Social Inclusion Awareness Creation for the Municipality and its stakeholders to embed a shift in attitudes and reduce discrimination.

This is important to open up socio-economic opportunities and infrastructure and services to all groups, improving social cohesion and addressing the significant outcomes of exclusion.

This capacity building with the Municipality and County would suitably support the better application of inclusive contracts such as the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) policy.

It is also recommended that digital platforms be developed, with business and community involvement, to better coordinate and deliver in the first instance public transport services. Digital platforms to support online trading and supply chain linkages are recommended as part of the sector action plans including an online marketplace for farmers including SIGs access. Bridging the digital skills and access gaps is an important element of capacity building for Wote and in upskilling for the implementation of the UEP and the sector action plans.

Economic opportunities and Value Chains The soft initiatives (Sections 4.2.1, 4.3.1 and 4.4.1) present a series of recommendations around institutional structures and capacity to successfully develop the key sectors and realise the opportunity from the VC projects.

Capacity building for the sector action plans incorporates the County’s educational facilities, the County Government and Municipality, the business community, local community, and sectoral partners. Further, business incubators are aspired to as local capacity is built.

Climate resilience It will be important for the Municipality to develop its understanding of climate change impacts across different sectors, and exposure to risks and vulnerabilities. Such knowledge should be mainstreamed throughout services and projects to ensure resilience is embedded. The capacity and capability to access available funds should be improved.

With all proposed projects being climate resilient and having specific recommendations, the Municipality and delivery partners will need to be versed in this and include the right expertise as projects are planned, implemented, and operated to manage and monitor outcomes with relevant metrics.

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5.7 Recommendations for Social Inclusion Considerations for social inclusion have been embedded into the development, design, prioritisation and proposed implementation of the Development Framework and the Economic Development Plan and VC projects. Apart from the specific recommendations for the different projects, key recommendations include: > Ensure participation of all in the UEP planning, development, implementation, monitoring and decision-making processes. Stakeholder engagement should be a live process of the programme; > Commit to always engage SIGs, local communities and community-based organisations and give them a chance to be informed, to contribute to decision-making, and to actively give views on, and participate in, different matters associated with the programme, especially those that affect them; > When developing measures that target SIGs, take into consideration that they are not homogenous groups and that they have different needs and face differentiated challenges according to their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, education levels, (dis)ability, etc.

> Ensure all communication is timely, and in formats and languages that are accessible for all. This may include material for visually-impaired people (audio, Braille), for people with learning disabilities and literacy difficulties (audio, easy-to-read written material), for people with hearing impairments (written material, sign language), and for people with co-ordination difficulties (easy-to-read written material, audio). The material should also consider people with low-literacy levels;

> Mainstream gender into all stages of the programme and its interventions. This will contribute to better understanding and addressing the programme’s implications for men and women, and to better-integrate them to minimise negative impacts over them and maximise the programme’s benefits.

Always accompany women’s economic empowerment measures with awareness sessions targeting women and men at both household and community levels to reduce gender-based violence (GBV) risks;

> The UEP represents an opportunity for working towards a more inclusive agro-industrial sector. Ensure quotas for PWD (established by the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2003) are implemented in all employment opportunities and prioritise SIGs for the programmes’ employment and capacity-building opportunities. If possible, determine target participation of SIGs in the different components of the programme. Ensure all new infrastructure and services adopt inclusive design standards;

> Accompany ICT-based measures with strategies to close the digital gap (i.e. digital skills development, increased access to technology and the internet), particularly for women87. A gender-sensitive approach is required to understand different needs, access, and control of ICTs;

> The introduction of new climate-resilient approaches and technologies that support income generation should be accessible to low-income groups. Prioritise culturally-appropriate and affordable options, and provide financial and technical support to these groups. Green jobs should also be available to SIGs by providing them with adequate training;

> Establish a Gender and Social Inclusion Implementation Unit, which will work under the leadership of the UEP implementation manager to ensure inclusivity proposals in the UEP are implemented and monitored.

The full GeSI Report is provided in Appendix C.

> Always communicate to local residents and adjacent businesses about the implementation schedule of different infrastructure and urban development projects to mitigate the disruption of livelihoods and everyday socio-economic activities. Provide accessible channels to receive and address complaints that might emerge from the development and implementation of the programme;

87 FAO, Gender and ICTs: Mainstreaming gender in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for agriculture and rural development (2018).

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5.8 Recommendations for Climate Change and Resilience The projects and recommendations outlined in this report will help to strengthen the resilience of Wote Municipality to climate change. While the projects and interventions outlined represent strong foundations on which to build, much more will be needed, both in terms of infrastructure investment, and strengthening institutional capacity, to ensure that Wote can reach its goals despite the challenging climate conditions.

Key to increasing the resilience of Wote is the ability to attract funding to implement climate adaptation projects, alongside overcoming barriers to implementation.

Makueni is one of the five county governments (alongside Garissa, Isiolo, Kitui and Wajir) to have developed a County-level climate change fund designed to be used to finance key climate change activities in the County and deliver locally on the priorities of Kenya’s National Adaptation Plan.

Initial evidence shows that these funds are effective not only in terms of finance, but also for the coordination of climate resilience programmes among different actors, and there are important lessons that could be applied from their experience.

Scaling up resources for the county climate fund, through a resource mobilisation plan, would enhance its impact and allow it to scale-up its activities to reach a greater number of communities.

Wote already has a hot climate and experiences extremes of temperature and drought. Recent events around the world have demonstrated that there is a significant risk of unprecedented temperature extremes, which may well be more severe than climate models currently capture. There is a risk of extreme heat events that can have severe impacts on human health, and it is therefore important to develop an emergency heat response plan, with clearly identified roles, and measures to reduce the risk of heat-related mortality during possible extreme events.

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Insurance can play an important role in building climate resilience, in particular in the Agriculture sector. Supporting pilots of weather-based index insurance, for both crops and livestock, could help to overcome some of the barriers to adoption of insurance, and support livelihoods. Convening insurers, local finance institutions, and farmer groups or cooperatives could also help to overcome common barriers to insurance uptake.

This report has highlighted important linkages between poverty, exclusion, climate change, and conflict.

There is a need to establish the mechanisms so that traditionally-marginalised groups are included in decisions about both the development and implementation of the development framework, the development concept and the wider decision-making processes on climate risk and resilience.

Climate-resilient Agriculture and Livestock sector, Agri-Processing and Manufacturing sector, and Markets, Trade and Services sectors will be essential both for driving growth in the County, as well as for improving livelihoods and reducing poverty. Initiatives such as the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Programme provide important learning opportunities and can start to lay the foundations for a resilient agricultural sector. Scaling-up the lessons from this and similar programmes will require a coordinated programme of investment.

Ensuring that there is representation from groups particularly vulnerable to climate change will reduce the risk that activities designed to increase resilience have unintended consequences and exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and inequalities.

In summary, key recommendations include: > Improved access to finance for farmers;

There are a range of VCs that have been selected across Agri-Processing and Manufacturing, and Markets, Trade and Services. Individually some of these VCs are vulnerable to climate change, however the diversity across these VCs will in itself be a source of resilience for Wote. Further to this, there are opportunities to integrate appropriate adaptation measures, as detailed for each prioritised VC in section 4.3.3 and 4.4.2.

> Increased awareness of appropriate insurance products (e.g. weather-based index insurance); > Promotion of sustainable land management techniques (e.g. land restoration and agroforestry); > Adopting soil and water conservation measures (including water use efficient irrigation methods); > Training programmes on Climate Smart Agriculture; > Improved access to seasonal and ten-day forecasts; > Planting drought and pest/disease resistant cultivars; > Reducing post-harvest losses; > The design of the processing facilities to include water harvesting, increasing the resilience of the plants to drought; and > The design of buildings to take into account higher maximum temperatures to ensure thermal comfort.

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5.9 Next Steps Following the completion of the UEP, during the next phase of the SUED Programme the proposed projects will be Step One developed further by: Figure 5-2 – Next steps Step One

Capacity building specialists to help Capacity building specialists to help

• Enhance municipal and local capacity to implement the identified projects; and; • Enhance municipal and localtocapacity Enable revenue generation ensure to implement the identified projects; financial sustainability beyond theand; programme • Enable revenue generation to ensure financial sustainability beyond the programme

Step Two Step Two

Investment experts to help Investment experts to help

• Develop feasibility studies and business cases for specific projects to establish their • bankibility, Develop feasibility studies and business cases and; for specific projects establishstrategies their • Develop investment to promotion to bankibility, and; draw in investment (including seed financing • Develop investment promotion strategies to through the programme) draw in investment (including seed financing through the programme) W O T E M U N I C I PA L I T Y U R B A N EC O N O M I C P L A N ( U E P )

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6. Appendices

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Appendix A: Diagnostics Report Appendix B: Technical Briefing Paper Appendix C: Social Inclusion Study Appendix D: Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

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Wote Municipality Urban Economic Plan Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme SUED May 2022