The Machakos County Assembly on Tuesday held a charged Special Plenary Sitting marked by both transition and progress, as Hon. Kisoi Antony was officially sworn in as the new MCA for Mumbuni North Ward. The ceremony, presided over by the Speaker, followed the November 27 by-election and ushers Hon. Kisoi into office to complete the term of the late Hon. Gideon Kavuu, who passed away in August 2023 after years of dedicated service to the ward.
Hon. Kisoi’s entry into the Assembly set the stage for a Sitting that would later see the adoption of a significant report impacting thousands of residents living in informal settlements across Machakos. The Lands Committee, chaired by Hon. Daniel Ndwiki of Mlolongo Ward, successfully tabled its report on the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project Phase Two (KISIP 2) together with the Local Physical and Land Use Development Plans (LP&LUDPs) for settlements in Mutituni, Muumandu, Makutano ma Mwala, and Masinga.
KISIP 2, a national flagship programme funded by the International Development Association (IDA) in partnership with the Government of Kenya, is designed to overhaul the face of informal settlements through a coordinated strategy that focuses on integrated infrastructure upgrades, improved access to essential services, and security of land tenure. The project places strong emphasis on community inclusion, promoting public participation at every stage—from planning to monitoring—while fostering citizen capability and empowerment in development decision-making.
By adopting the report, the Assembly unlocked a crucial step toward delivering better roads, electricity connections, schools, health facilities, and other public amenities for thousands of households. The approved development plans also pave the way for the processing and issuance of title deeds, a milestone expected to not only secure tenure for residents but also catalyze investment, dignity, and long-term stability in some of the county’s fastest-growing informal settlements.
The Sitting, which blended democratic renewal through Hon. Kisoi’s swearing-in with the advancement of transformative development policy, was widely described within the Assembly as a strong signal of Machakos’ commitment to inclusive urban growth and improved quality of life for all residents.
