Trans Nzoia County Lights Up Informal Settlements with Floodlights

Five informal settlements in Trans Nzoia County are set to benefit from a new initiative aimed at improving security and livelihoods. The county government, in partnership with the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Program (KISIP), has handed over five sites for the installation of high-mast floodlights.

“Governor George Natembeya, through his manifesto on lands, aims to ensure that all Trans Nzoia residents have land documents, including title deeds,” said County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Lands, Janerose Mutama, during the handover ceremony to the contractor.

Mutama emphasized the ongoing collaboration with the National Land Commission and other stakeholders on land titling programs and KISIP’s various projects in Trans Nzoia. These include tenure regularization in Khalaba, Shimoni la Tewa, and Maridadi, with consultants already deployed.

The floodlight project is part of a broader infrastructure improvement initiative in response to El Niño rain predictions. It will be followed by a second phase encompassing road construction, additional high-mast floodlights, street lighting, and the building of sanitation blocks and water kiosks in Mitume, Tuwan, Matisi, Shanty Town, and Kipsongo informal settlements.

“The construction of these high-mast floodlights is aimed at improving the lives of people in Kitale’s slums,” said Edith Wanyama, KISIP’s Trans Nzoia County Program Coordinator. “These lights will enhance security, allowing residents to continue their daily activities well into the night, unlike the current situation where businesses close by 7:00 pm due to darkness.”

Wanyama added that the placement of the 30-meter-tall floodlights was determined through community forums to ensure they serve the largest populations. These lights will complement the upcoming street lighting project in the second phase of the initiative.