Landmarks spruced up as Kisumu gets new look

Landmarks in Kisumu city are undergoing a major facelift in a beautification project that is changing the face of the lakeside city.

The infamous age-old clock tower –a towering peeling white stone pillar in Kisumu city CBD - is among key landmarks affected in the ongoing elaborate beautification project.

The project is being undertaken with support from the World Bank Group through the Kenya Urban Support Programme and Kisumu Urban Project under the slogan ‘My City, My Place’.

The city transformation project is a collaboration between the City of Kisumu and the corporate sector, and aims to enhance aesthetics through the beautification of roundabouts, gardens, parks and open spaces. It also includes urban afforestation and streetscaping.

Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, while launching the 12-month transformative initiative said his government had identified seven key focus areas as quick-win projects to improve the city’s economy and services to the citizenry.

“The projects include drainage, integrated solid waste management, environmental conservation and stewardship, development and management of city markets, public health and sanitation, design of Dunga waterfront and a Marina, as well as street lighting and beautification,” said Nyong’o.

The street lighting and beautification has roped in corporate organisations relying on the public-private partnership model and has seen several private entities picking on key installations in the CBD and outskirts mainly roundabouts in a bid to spruce up the outlook of the lakeside city.

For renovation, one of the key partners in the project- Kisumu Concrete Products (KCP) Limited picked the eight-decade Clock Tower that has continued to stand out as a heritage site in the city.

It is the older of perhaps the only two landmarks in the city, the other being the Kisumu Gate next to Naivas Supermarket along Jomo Kenyatta Highway.

In the bright lakeside city daylight, the Kisumu clock tower could easily pass as any other city clock.

Standing at approximately 10 meters high with an almost chisel-shaped structure, it mimics the over century-old Elizabeth Tower also known as the Big Ben in London.

As of 1938 when the clock pillar was constructed, it stood tall among the springing buildings few that have survived to see the new millennium.

Fast-forward to 2021 and the tower that sits at Kisumu’s prominent Oginga Odinga roundabout, on the intersection of Kampala road and Mosque road, is dwarfed by skyscrapers fighting for space in the booming real estate in the city.

KCP Director Lalji Kasam says transforming Kisumu as a regional beautiful lakeside city is a timely idea, given that experts have described landmarks as conspicuous historical and heritage sites that define a city the world over.

Examples include the Big Ben Clock in London, the Statue of Liberty in New York, Opera House in Sydney, Eiffel Tower in Paris, among others.

Closer home we have KICC in Nairobi, and The Tusks in Mombasa.

Kisumu city has therefore struggled to find an identity and the two – the tower and the monument - have been the closest structures to act as its landmarks.

The ambitious beautification programme covers a few more sites that inch closer to landmarks, if not, attractive sites for tourists.

“The business community has adopted most of the roundabouts and major parks to aggressively beautify the city to make it a better place to visit and live in,” said Kasam who chairs the Kisumu city beautification and cleaning of the city committee.

Kisumu City Director of Environment Benard Ojwang’, who is charged with overseeing the projects, says the roundabouts' artistic designs have been approved by the city.

“The city tower will be renamed to Kisumu tower in imitation of an almost similar tower in Dubai,” said Ojwang’.

“The old age analogue clock will be phased out and a digital clock introduced. The four-faced peak will be adjusted to include logos of the county and the national flag,” he said.

Occasionally restored by the city department, the four-faced clock tower overlooking the sunken car park famously referred to as city square and home to tens of banks, previously had two metal grilled gates at the foot of the stone that led to a hollow space.

In the dead of the night, menacing street urchins had turned it into their hangout spot, lighting bonfires to ward off the chilly night cold and scaring away passersby.

A marble plaque atop one of the gates reveals the stone was unveiled by Air Chief Marshall Sir Robert Brooke-Pophan Governor and Commander in Chief of Kenya on August 19, 1938.

Brooke, who was the Governor of Kenya in late 1930s, unveiled the clock tower in memory of an explorer and entrepreneur Kassim Lakha who arrived in East Africa in 1871.

Businessperson Hayer Bishan Singh who led the efforts to mobilise resources for the construction of Kisumu Gate said it took just over two weeks to put up the structure.

Bearing the words “20 years of Independence,” the Kisumu gate ushers visitors into the CBD.
Singh, who runs a civil and construction engineering company Hayer Bishan Singh and Sons Limited, says they named it Kisumu Gate to signify a momentous entrance to the town whose CBD.

“I was responsible for the design, resource mobilisation and building supervision of the structure by the Asian Business Community in Kisumu to mark two decades of independence in 1983,” said Singh.

The Kisumu Gate has undergone periodic facelifts over the years, including a major makeover in the beginning of the millennium to mark the centennial celebrations of Kisumu town that saw its elevation to city status.

The underpass-like structure bearing bold writings Waruaki Dala, loosely translating to “welcome home”, has since been adopted by telecommunication giant Safaricom and is set to undergo minor adjustments to maintain its original allure.

Another site that is coming up is the former KCB roundabout adopted by Stima Sacco, with a water fountain flowing from a large basin-like round pool at the base.

The fountain waters would then converge at the centre making a landing on a conspicuous boat-like structure placed on a marble-like near-hollow structure at the centre of the basin.

Branded MV Kisumu, the boat will embody the fishing folk of the lakeside city. Four floodlights will be installed to illuminate the site at night.

Kisumu being a former provincial headquarters and a transit town, arguably the most noticeable of the upcoming sites will be the Kisumu Boys roundabout adopted by the Sky Lark Creative Products.

The intersection of Kakamega Road and Kisumu-Busia Highway, completed ahead of the Madaraka Celebrations held in Kisumu on June 1 already has heads turning and visitors posing for pictures.

The four-layered receding platform from the epicentre has a white and charcoal grey fish sculpture hoisted at the centre raised area- a clear trademark that you have arrived at the city most associated with ngege (tilapia) in Kenya.

Conspicuously engraved large metal are writings ‘Dala’ to mean Home- ‘Kisumu Dala’, a phrase that the city has acquired over the years.

Another site will include the Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company (Kiwasco)-adopted roundabout at the intersection of Jomo Kenyatta Highway and Ang’awa Avenue.

Needless to say, the water supply agency could not resist putting up a water fountain.

The site, according to the Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication Eldah Odongo, will have the fountain stemming from a pool that will blend with the sunny city to ooze refreshing site that goes along with their tagline ‘Refresh Life’.

“The centrepiece will be pot-shaped. Traditionally people fetched water using the pot, the item was also very essential in the Luo society and was used for various roles including cooking, storing food, drinking your local brew,” states Odongo.

Summing up the beautiful sites is the airport roundabout adopted by the Ciala Resort, strategically placed just metres from the entrance to the Kisumu International Airport along Busia highway.

The sight hoisted on a concrete platform is what meets the eye of all local and international guests arriving by plane to the beautiful city.

Road users along the highway are also treated to the scrap-metal sculpture, a combo of the famous ‘Mumi’ (catfish) and a plane sitting on the star-like elevation.

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