Quarter of Kenyans live in towns, World Bank report says

By the end of 2050, half the country's population will be living in urban centres.

Motorists held up in a traffic jam on Thika Road, Nairobi. With a World Bank report showing that one in every four Kenyans lives in a town, housing and transport are likely to hamper the growth of the city. PHOTO | WILLIAM OERI | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• The report surveys urban trends in Kenya and Africa.
• For Kenya to achieve its urban potential, the country must focus on formulating and implementing finance, land and governance policies.
• Among the biggest problems facing Nairobi and which are likely to hamper its growth are housing and transport

By JACQUELINE KUBANIA
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One in every four Kenyans lives in a town but that number is expected to rise to 37 per cent by 2030, a World Bank report says.
The report, which surveys urban trends in Kenya and Africa, says towns are growing so fast that by the end of 2050, half the number of Kenyans would be living in urban centres.
“No country has ever developed without urbanisation, so the growth of cities and towns must be encouraged,” said Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez, the World Bank director for Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice.
He, however, added that for Kenya to achieve its urban potential, the country must focus on formulating and implementing finance, land and governance policies.
According to the Kenya Urbanisation Review report, among the biggest problems facing Nairobi and which are likely to hamper its growth are housing and transport.
“Cities are growing at lower income levels, which means there is inadequate infrastructure.
“The manufacturing industry is decreasing in capacity and service cannot keep up,” said Mr Ijjasz-Vasquez.