Planners feted for urban development

Commissioner Prof Jane Onsongo Chair of Kenya Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission, left, looks on after presenting a certificate of great contribution towards sustainable and better towns, counties and country Award to Wilson Njora during the World Town Planning Day, Town Awards for excellence at the Hotel Intercontinental, Nairobi on November 5th, 2014. [Photo; Jonah Onyango/standard]

Kenya: Kenyan urban planners doing exceptional work will be awarded every year in recognition of their effort.

This follows the launch of the annual Town Award for Excellence to recognise and appreciate individual and corporate efforts in sustainable urban planning and development in Kenya.

The awards were launched last week during the World Town Planning Day held in Nairobi. World Town Planning Day is a day the international community recognises and appreciates towns and cities and promotes sustainable urban planning and development.

It is marked worldwide on November 8, but this year, the World Town Planning Day in Kenya was celebrated on November 5.

It was organised by the Town and County Planners Association of Kenya (TCPAK), in collaboration with Town Planners Chapter (AAK) and the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP - Nairobi Liaison Office).

The event was presided over by Prof Sam Ongeri, Kenya’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat and graced by Mariamu El Maawy, principal Ssecretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

For the awards, TCPAK wished to identify and profile cities, municipalities, towns, institutions and individuals in Kenya that continue to promote sustainable development and the policy agenda through the lenses of urban and regional planning.

The first category of the award went to organisations in the infrastructure sector, including the Lapsset Corridor Development Authority, which took the Town Award for Excellence in the Transport Sector.

Institutions

The National Construction Authority was recognised for its efforts in the building sector; Ecotact took the Town Award for their role in improving sanitation with mobile toilets; Kenya Power for lighting and Housing Finance for their financing role.

In the second category, governance and professional institutions were awarded for their role in planning of Kenyan cities and towns. University of Nairobi, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, which was established in 1971, was recognised as a pioneer that has trained town planners who now manage many of the towns and cities in Kenya, East and Southern Africa. The department has trained about 1,000 town planners at diploma, undergraduate, masters and PhD levels.

The Town Award of Excellence in a Professional Firm was presented to Triad Architects. The iconic architectural firm was hailed for its 1967 initiation and formation of the Architectural Association of Kenya, which is the umbrella association for town planners, architects, engineers and quantity surveyors.

Landmark buildings

It was also recognised for its designs of landmark city buildings in Kenya and East Africa including the Kenya Parliament, Times Tower and Barclays Plaza in Nairobi.

The Town Award for Excellence also went out to Howard Humphreys (East Africa) Ltd owing to its significant contribution to the development of urban infrastructure services in Kenya.

The company has excelled in major town infrastructure works, including carrying out project management, engineering design and construction, supervision of buildings, roads and transportation, water and sewerage projects in Eastern Africa since 1931.

The company has been associated with the design and development of Nairobi’s water supply and other consulting and engineering works including Times Tower, Athi Bridge, the JKIA Terminal and Kisumu Airport renovation, Thika Dam and Blue Bells Apartments for Safaricom Investments.

Commitment

The third round of category winners went out to individuals who have shown commitment in supporting sustainable city planning, development and management.

They included Mariamu El Maawy, principal secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Wilson Kanyoro Njora, a quantity surveyor and chairman of the Nairobi City Planning Technical Committee; Irene Cheptoo Keino, vice-chairperson of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC); Mairura Omwenga chairman of the Town Planners Chapter of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK); and Tom Odongo, who has 33 years experience as assistant director of Planning, in the Department of City Planning.