ACCOUNTING FOR THE C/CITY: ANALYZING KISUMU’S FISCAL CONFIGURATIONS LIZA ROSE CIROLIA THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES, FACULTY OF SCIENCE SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR SUSAN PARNELL SUBMITTED: FEBRUARY 2, 2019 DECLARATION I, Liza Rose Cirolia, declare that this thesis is my own unaided work. It is being submitted to the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the University of Cape Town. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination to any other University. ------------------ II TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ............................................................................................................................................. II List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ V List of Tables ........................................................................................................................................ VI Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. VII Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. IX Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................. XI Chapter 1 | Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The approach ....................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Structure of the thesis .......................................................................................................... 7 Part 1 | Into Focus ................................................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 2 | Urban Public Finance in Africa ...................................................................................... 12 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Defining ‘urban public finance’ and ‘Africa’ ................................................................... 13 2.3 Public finance policy ......................................................................................................... 14 2.4 Public finance management .............................................................................................. 17 2.5 Contemporary themes in African urban public finance .................................................... 24 2.6 Reflections and conclusions .............................................................................................. 30 Chapter 3 | The Urban Infrastructure Turn ....................................................................................... 31 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 31 3.2 A structural perspective on urban infrastructure ............................................................... 34 3.3 A technological transitions perspective on urban infrastructure ....................................... 37 3.4 A relational perspective on urban infrastructure ............................................................... 38 3.5 Reflections and conclusions .............................................................................................. 41 Chapter 4 | Conceptual and Methodological Framework.................................................................. 44 4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 44 4.2 Four conceptual and methodological propositions............................................................ 45 4.3 Data collection .................................................................................................................. 54 4.4 Data analysis ..................................................................................................................... 57 4.5 Challenges and limitations in the research process ........................................................... 60 4.6 Reflections and conclusions .............................................................................................. 62 Part 2 | The Development of Kisumu ‘City’ ......................................................................................... 63 Chapter 5 | The Historical Development of Kisumu City ................................................................ 64 5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 64 5.2 Colonial development of the town .................................................................................... 66 5.3 Post-colonial Kisumu City ................................................................................................ 72 5.4 A new deal for Kisumu: the County is born ..................................................................... 77 III 5.5 Reflections and conclusions .............................................................................................. 83 Chapter 6 | Financing the City .......................................................................................................... 85 6.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 85 6.2 Mapping the ‘big-C’ City in Kisumu ................................................................................ 86 6.3 How does the City shape public finance? ......................................................................... 90 6.4 How does public finance shape the City? ......................................................................... 97 6.5 Explanations for urban/city disadvantage ....................................................................... 105 6.6 Reflections and conclusions ............................................................................................ 108 Part 3 | Fiscal Configurations of the C/city ......................................................................................... 110 Chapter 7 | Land’s Fiscal Configurations........................................................................................ 111 7.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 111 7.2 The rating system in Kisumu .......................................................................................... 113 7.3 Rates collection ............................................................................................................... 117 7.4 Extending/enhancing the rating system .......................................................................... 122 7.5 Reflections and conclusions ............................................................................................ 124 Chapter 8 | Water’s Fiscal Configurations ...................................................................................... 126 8.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 126 8.2 The urban water system in Kisumu city .......................................................................... 128 8.3 KIWASCO’s financial limits to network expansion ....................................................... 130 8.4 Confronting the water paradox ....................................................................................... 134 8.5 Reflections and conclusions ............................................................................................ 142 Chapter 9 | Transport’s Fiscal Configurations ................................................................................ 144 9.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 144 9.2 Investment in Kisumu’s transport system ....................................................................... 145 9.3 Contested devolution....................................................................................................... 149 9.4 Paratransit fill the fiscal gaps .......................................................................................... 153 9.5 Reflections and conclusions ............................................................................................ 162 Chapter 10 | Accounts of the Fiscal C/city...................................................................................... 164 10.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 164 10.2 Key arguments related to the fiscal C/city ...................................................................... 166 10.3