Planning is a critical stage in any government and society, paving the way for the implementation of various projects.
In line with this, the County Government of Isiolo, under the leadership of H.E. Ibrahim Hassan, has commenced the preparation of the development of the 10-year Oldonyiro Town Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan (2023-2033).
The plan aims to ensure proper sustainable land use in the location and promote coexistence between nature, humans, and the environment.
The county government, through the Department of Lands and Physical Planning, is partnering with development partners including WYSS Academy, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Save the Elephants to expedite the process.
Currently, the county lands and physical planning department is in the visioning stage of the exercise, engaging different stakeholders to outline their prospective visions across various sectors to enrich the Oldonyiro Town Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan.
Speaking during the stakeholders’ visioning workshop over the plan, Isiolo County Executive Committee Member for Lands and Physical Planning Yussuf Dahir emphasized the administration’s commitment to proper planning.
“Planning process is very critical in any government to accommodate the implementation of any development projects which would not interfere with the residents’ priorities and also to ensure public utilities like hospitals, cemeteries, schools, and health centers among others have been assigned space for the benefit of the locals,” Yussuf said.
He further noted that with proper planning, the town will be upgraded to a municipality, which will greatly contribute to the economic growth of the area and benefit residents through job creation.
Yussuf added that the state department for land and planning will monitor the process to ensure that the planning exercise meets national standards as per the Kenyan Constitution and Physical Planning Act.
During the process, Isiolo County Chief Officer in Charge of Lands and Physical Planning, Francis Lekalasime, clarified that the sector will start with developing the Oldonyiro Town Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan before extending to other wards.
“We have to duplicate the same to other wards but the office started with Oldonyiro since most of the land is community land which is registered, and it is easier to plan such an area unlike in other wards where land adjudication has not yet been done,” Lekalasime said.
At the visioning workshop in Isiolo Town, the chief officer appealed to all stakeholders engaged, including the Water Resources Management Authority, KERRA, NDMA, Kenya Meteorological Department, and the National Bureau of Statistics, among others, to provide any required data to the department to enrich the plan as they are all serving the common mwananchi.
Planners from the state department of land and physical planning affirmed that they will be monitoring the exercise to ensure comprehensive and quality work is done during the development of the ten-year plan for Oldonyiro, which has a population of 8,326 people according to the 2019 Kenya Bureau of Statistics Report, and to ensure the plan integrates nature, environment, and human beings.
During the visioning workshop, the sector also included technical officers from key departments who deliberated on the current situation, challenges, opportunities, and future vision across seven thematic areas: Governance, Water and Sanitation, Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Trade, Cooperative and Industrialization, and Tourism.