The African Development Bank this month approved a USD 110 million grant to extend a UN-HABITAT’s urban improvement programme to another 15 towns in five countries in central Africa’s the Lake Victoria region. The grant was approved at a two-day meeting in Mombasa arranged by UN-HABITAT and the East African Community. Under conditions set by the Bank, UN-HABITAT will provide technical assistance and capacity building for national and town level institutions, with a focus on implementation management, policy reform, environmental monitoring and capacity development for water utilities and municipal councils. In view of the critical role of capacity development for the effective implementation and sustainability of the programme, the EAC and the five countries involved have asked UN-HABITAT to commence the capacity development programme by March 2011. |
