Launch Edition APRIL 2016 Kenya Urban The new buzzword Council of Governors Taking the lead In urban development How to become a SymbioCity Pilot County LAUNCH EDITION 3 Sister organisations partnering 6 council of governors – 9 REFLECTION: Devolution for sustainability taking the lead in Urban and Sustainable Urban Development Development The intention of this publication is to make information available on the partners, process and progress of the SymbioCity Kenya Programme. The programme is hosted by Council of Governors, in partnership with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions and with funding 12 Harnessing Kenya´s Urban 16 Zeros and ones from Embassy of Sweden. Potential TEXTS: SymbioCity Kenya Team (Nicodemus Mbwika, Maureen Njoga, Everlyne Otieno, Julius C’Oredo, Anna Backmann) unless otherwise specifi ed. PHOTOS: Isabella Gomes, andobsyourunclephotography, unless otherwise specifi ed. DESIGN: Infestation (www.infestation.co.za) PUBLISHER: The contents of this publication is the 19 SymbioCity 101 28 partnerships – what are they sole responsibility of good for the SymbioCity Kenya Programme. Any mistakes or oversights are unintentional and the responsibility of the 4 What is SymbioCity Kenya 21 What is a pilot? Programme. The contents 5 Take the lead! 22 HOW TO: Become a Symbio Pilot cannot be regarded as County refl ecting the position of the 7 Paving the way for Habitat III Embassy of Sweden. You are 23 FAQ: Pilots welcome to copy, distribute 8 Governors front runners for 30 Q&A: Ask Everlyne and present material, provided Urban Development that you attribute the work to 32 TOP TIPS: For the beginner SymbioCity Kenya. 15 EDGE: “urban” – the new buzzword 33 Contact details SYMBIOCITY KENYA SISTER ORGANISATIONS partnering for sustainability BY NICODEMUS MBWIKA, PROJECT MANAGER FOR SYMBIOCITY KENYA AT COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS A FIRST JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING FOR SALAR AND COG support to CoG at organizational level, TOOK PLACE LATE FEBRUARY 2016, WITH EMBASSY OF SWEDEN PRESENT. policy development, advocacy, and networking and information provision. HE Governor Munya, Chairman of Council of Governors concluded at a recent Joint Steering Committee meeting between CoG and SALAR; “This partnership will enable Council of Governors to grow as an institution and perform its role more effectively. We can benefit from the experience of over 150 years of local government coordination that SALAR has had with Swedish municipalities.” The SymbioCity Kenya Programme The programme is mainly funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Kenya, which is responsible for Swedish development Council of Governors (CoG) The Council of Governors provides cooperation in Kenya. It is a formal agreement between Embassy of Sweden and The Swedish Association a framework for consultation and cooperation between the national and of Local Authorities and county governments, and amongst Regions (SALAR) and its county governments. The Swedish subsidiary SKL International Association of Local Authorities and have partnered to work Regions is the body that represents towards a more sustainable and supports all local governments in development in the counties Sweden. of Kenya. SALAR is a large organization with a long history of supporting Swedish municipalities to provide better and more efficient service delivery to its citizens. Like the CoG, it is a politically governed organization with a similar structure as CoG and can VISITING SWEDEN; GOVERNOR AHMED therefore provide interesting models ABDULLAHI OF WAJIR AND GOVERNOR and experiences for the institutional DAVID NKEDIANYE OF KAJIADO. SYMBIOCITY KENYA 1 LAUNCH EDITION JERKER STATTIN, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AT SALAR HE GOVERNOR MALOMBE AND COG VISITING HAMMARBY SJÖSTAD, AN EXAMPLE OF HOLISTIC URBAN PLANNING IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. Focus on learning and sharing – “This partnership will for all 47 counties enable Council of Governors All project activities will primarily be to grow as an institution driven by local actors, with the support HE GOVERNOR MUNYA, CHAIRMAN of national and international experts OF COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS and perform its role more effectively. We can benefit in order to ensure that all knowledge from the experience of and experience obtained through (Government of Sweden) and the over 150 years of local the programme is maintained and Ministry of Finance (Government of government coordination institutionalised locally. Kenya). A Joint Steering Committee, that SALAR has had with The SymbioCity Kenya programme will consisting of representatives from Swedish municipalities.” generally leave strong and functioning the two sister organisations has been urban governance platforms in which established as the decision making body for the programme. The Kenya SymbioCity programme is LAMU COUNTY EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT, MS AMINA implemented by a dedicated team at the MASOOD, HE GOVERNOR DAVID NKEDIANYE AND PRINCIPAL PLANNER OF TYRESÖ MUNICIPALITY IN SWEDEN, MS CAROLINA FINTLING RUE Urban Development Secretariat of the Council of Governors. It is composed of staff from CoG as well as technical assistance staff provided by SKL International. The main cooperation areas within the programme are; ÆÆInstitutional development of Council of Governors ÆÆApplication of the SymbioCity Approach in seven pilot counties ÆÆIntergovernmental cooperation on urban development ÆÆSharing of experiences and networking 2 SYMBIOCITY KENYA A DELEGATION FROM COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS LED BY THE FORMER CHAIRMAN HE GOVERNOR RUTTO VISITED SWEDEN DURING THE SALAR ELECTION CONGRESS IN MARCH 2015. The knowledge gained through Civil society organisations will be implementation and experience involved to share best practices sharing will enable counties plan and and lessons deemed relevant to implement strategies and solutions all 47 counties. The program also based on local realities. provides options for collaboration with the private sector and academic county governments and urban Pertinent to this will be the generation institutions will actively engage to citizens as well as other interest of urban visions that will be nested in explore on-going urban development groups demonstrate transparent and to the prevailing planning frameworks processes. participatory decision-making tradition such as the integrated urban for sustainable growth and equitable development plans, county spatial development. plans and sectoral plans. ABOUT THE WRITER Nicodemus Mbwika has a background in planning and project management. he has over five years’ experience in planning, design and execution of development projects in different counties of Kenya. He has previously worked for DSW Kenya and Fintrac Inc. Besides his background and experience, he has highly developed communication and socio-interaction skills that are adaptable to different settings and key to sustaining positive interpersonal relations, a skill that will be key in putting the SymbioCity Kenya team together as the Project Manager. SYMBIOCITY KENYA 3 LAUNCH EDITION What is SymbioCity Kenya? The SymbioCity Approach is a concept for sustainable urban development which has been developed in Sweden. It has been applied in several urban development projects globally and the 50 approach will now be adapted to Kenyan conditions through the Kenya SymbioCity Kenya 50 Programme. At the highest level, the program is expected to contribute to a more sustainable development in Kenya. The approach to how to do this, is to strengthen Council of Governors as an organisation to deliver on its constitutional mandate, to apply the SymbioCity Approach in seven pilot counties, to support intergovernmental urban cooperation experiences from the pilots and practice and stories – from the Pilots and to share learnings across a wide stronger intergovernmental but also from scoping studies and net of stakeholders. cooperation. reality checks produced to support a strong intergovernmental urban The seven pilot counties will see SymbioCity Kenya does not have a understanding. primary focus on infrastructure and transformation in terms of changes in investments, but rather on processes practices, relationships and routines, The timeframes having access to facts and evidence and cooperation. SymbioCity Kenya is currently being on which to base critical decisions, established at Council of Governors What to expect? but also tangible change through seed and by July 2016, all components are funds available to implement parts of Council of Governors will have expected to be initiated. a more strategic role in Urban the plans developed. Development in Kenya, through ÆÆPilots will run from July 2016 to Urban stakeholders in general a mix of technical expertise, December 2018, other compon- will have access to learnings, good ents concurrently. 4 SYMBIOCITY KENYA TAKE THE lead! Mayors, city managers, governors, wherever you are … It is time to take the lead! Positive change does not happen by is necessary, but in order for solutions itself. Creating change means being to be implemented and have an impact, bold. Leadership and development is broader involvement is needed. about taking uncomfortable decisions, Cities that have managed to reverse ‘thinking outside the box’, and proposing negative trends have succeeded in innovative ideas that challenge people making citizens the drivers and owners to move out of their comfort zones. of the change process. This happens In order to realise a bold vision, you through innovative and visionary sometimes need to challenge not only