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| An architectural impression model of the New Machakos City during the launch of the New Machakos city and investment program on November 8, 2013 at Machakos county. Photo/FILE |
The Machakos City project has ignited the imagination of the Kenyan public, with reviewers saying that, if it takes off well, it would easily become one of the best Kenya has ever witnessed.
And the reason for those platitudes is there for all to see: The project is ambitious, bold and, most importantly, could result in a complete change of the county from a rural economy to a city that is light years ahead of its peers.
The man with the dream is one Dr Alfred Mutua, the Machakos County governor.
Touted as “the only working governor” in the country, Dr Mutua has said he plans to change Machakos into the epitome of beauty and development by transforming it into “a Kenyan Dubai”.
Among the sectors that the governor is banking on to improve the welfare of the people of Machakos are real estate, tourism, hotels, health, water, transport, aviation, trade, industry, communication, ICT, banking, and agriculture.
And the buzz is already there, created and reinforced by the colourful, out-of-this-world images of skyscrapers, modern rail, air and road networks, and green, open spaces that were beamed to the green-eyed thousands gathered in the county recently to launch its development blueprint, and the millions of others watching the event live across the country on TV.
But how feasible is this grand project? How practical is it?
Can it fly, or is Governor Mutua taking the public on a flight of fancy?
THE TRUTH ABOUT MACHAKOS CITY
To answer those questions, we knocked on the door of Dr Fred Ogola, an urban planner and economist who gave a hot-and-cold review of this massive project.
Dr Ogola, also a lecturer at Strathmore Business School, first looked at the investors Dr Mutua and his army of planners hope will troop to the proposed city and grouped them into two categories: Local and foreign.
Then, after much thought, dropped the bombshell: The project is grand but delicate, meaning that in his assessment, it was still too early to gauge the overall value of the new Machakos.
But even at this early stage, Dr Ogola advises that there are things Dr Mutua will have to work on, particularly the legal licence to go on with the project (which, by virtue of his office, he already has), and the social licence (which comes out of the goodwill of the people and other stakeholders).
Targeted investors, both local and foreign, will only conduct their own risk analyses if there is some positive vibe on the ground before they make a beeline for the county, Dr Ogola argues, adding that if the project is to be driven largely by foreign investors, then there is a high likelihood of direct foreign investment clashing with the political policies of the moment, especially owing to the ICC factor.
“The foreign investors that Dr Mutua has in mind are individuals working under the umbrella of their home countries,” he says.
“As such, they will listen not only to their business intuition, but also to the political trends between Kenya and those individual countries.”
What Dr Ogola suggests is that, if the plan is to pull through unencumbered, Dr Mutua will have to move from having good intentions to making a proper business case of the Machakos City project.
That means focusing on the value proposition when meeting and pitching to investors.
VALUE ADD
How much return on investment will the investors have, for instance, and what quantifiable opportunities does the project hold for them?
Answering such questions during investor meetings and conferences will do more in boosting confidence than outlining how well- intentioned the project is.
With a population of about 1.2 million people, Machakos, whose capital lies about 65 kilometres from Nairobi, is set to benefit from this proximity.
Add that to the fact that the county sits close to the Northern Corridor — the main transport artery in the country — and the prospects of this local Dubai begin to get quite rosy.
If these advantages are harnessed well and the development blueprint gets the right support, this new economy could generate close to half a million direct jobs.
For now, the sentiments have been positive, with many praising Machakos for being the first county to really get off the devolution blocks.
The plan, on paper, seems simple enough: Throw enough incentives at investors to make the county hard to ignore, then sit back and watch as the earthmovers and cranes roll in to put up residential areas, medical centres, a university, and an industrial zone.
Other additions include an international airport, a specialised area for a solar and wind farm, and golf and leisure parks.
Also, as many as 50 acres have been devoted to film and music studios, with the Machakos Entertainment Centre for Film, Music, Media and the Arts (Machawood) already set up.
It may look as though this would be a lot to achieve in just a few years, given that it will all start from scratch, but the governor has reportedly secured up to about Sh2 trillion from interested investors.
STRUCTURAL DISCREPANCIES
But, while Dr Mutua says the dream of a county that is well connected in terms of infrastructure will be realised in Machakos soon, some say his approach to development leans too much on infrastructure at the expense of other equally important areas.
Dr Ogola is one such critic: “The focus on infrastructure is good,” he says, “but superstructure is even more important.
We need to hear discussions on the people behind the infrastructure, what investments can be made in the city, which economic activities are available... and such.”
Still, the plan is so enticing that it has drawn the interest of President Uhuru Kenyatta, who also offered the governor his support on the project in the form of goodies that will see Machakos linked to Nairobi and Mombasa.
“We will soon be tendering for the dualling of the Nairobi-Mombasa highway from Athi River all the way to Konza and Machakos so as to speed up transportation of goods and people between Nairobi and Machakos,” said President Kenyatta at the launch ceremony last month.
According to Dr Mutua, the city’s skyline should be dotted with buildings in four years, something that many have chosen to take with a pinch of salt.
However, construction of a recreational park and an amphitheatre near Maruba Dam is already underway, and the two are expected to be complete before December 12.
A SECOND OPINION
Urban planner Joachim Nyarangi of Nairobi-based Matrix Development Consultants says Dr Mutua’s project attracts a lot of bouquets, but also a number of barbs.
On the bad, he says that Machakos City does not appear to have a theme, which would have helped define it as a city, and charges this to the planning methodology used, which, he argues, was more of a master plan than a strategic plan.
“In a master plan the authorities have complete say on how the plan should appear,” explains Mr Nyarangi.
“The public and other stakeholders are rarely consulted.
But in strategic planning all stakeholders are involved and their views are fully taken into account.
In short, the stakeholders own the project in strategic planning while the same is not true for master planning.”
He says that the problem with this approach is already visible in the plans of Machakos City; a Formula 1 racing track and a CBD anchored on skyscrapers kind of reminds one of Wall Street, he argues.
In his view, the new Machakos seems to be targeted at non-locals, maybe Arab sheikhs or white rubbernecks, or very wealthy Kenyans.
As such, Mr Nyarangi foresees a city with a halo of informal settlement immediately around it.
ON THE PLUS SIDE...
On the good aspects of the city, the planner says the use of smart structures is a definite leap.
Green buildings that will make use of natural energy from the sun are definitely the right way forward, while the zoning of housing where structures will be erected in a pre-planned and controlled manner — going by type and height — is “quite admirable”.
Other thumbs-ups include the fact that, in the plan, developers actually worked on water recycling structures, proper landscaping, how the transport system is networked, and enhanced security structures.
Even after all the criticism, Dr Ogola has kind words for Dr Mutua, saying the project is workable and that it can be replicated in other counties.
Do you agree? Does Machakos have the right social and economic support to take off?
What kind of planning does Dr Alfred Mutua need to actualise this grand dream?
Send your comments to dn2@ke.nationmedia.com. Blog them at www.nation.co.ke.
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