As Kenyans celebrate Mashujaa Day Saturday, residents of Kakamega are marvelling at how preparations for the event have transformed the town.
From Shirere, just after the Isiukhu bridge on the Kakamega-Kisumu Road, a carnival mood is palpable as one drives into the county headquarters.
The town is fast transforming into a 24-hour business hub in western Kenya. The Kakamega-Kisumu highway has been festooned with the national and county flags as residents prepare to mark the Heroes Day.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is scheduled to preside over today's celebrations at the revamped Bukhungu Stadium. During the Madaraka Day celebrations in Meru in June, he announced that this year's celebrations would be held in Kakamega.
Street lights have been erected along key roads and the town centre. The estates in Amalemba, Maraba, Scheme, Lurambi, Lutonyi and Murrum have been lit by high mast lights installed by the county government.
And for the first time, Kakamega town has a roundabout, a short distance from the county headquarters, with a water fountain.
In the last one month, officials from the national government and their counterparts in the county have been working closely to improve infrastructure in the town and clean up the streets in preparation for the event expected to attract thousands of people from different parts of the country.
The county government has tarmacked 600 kilometres of roads across the region, covering 10 kilometres in each of the 60 wards in the run-up to today's celebrations, giving wananchi a reason to smile.
Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who is also the chairman of the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) comprising 14 counties, is hoping to cash in on today's celebrations. He also hopes the event will be used to market the region's economic potential.
"We have focused on improving infrastructure in the county, including roads and health facilities, to transform Kakamega into a thriving economy," he said in an interview with the Nation.
As part of the drive to clean up Kakamega Town, county enforcement officers pulled down kiosks along various roads and moved the traders out of the CBD. In recent weeks, workers hired by the county government have been busy clearing bushes along the roads and planting flowers as part of beautification.
The road leading to Kakamega airstrip has also been rehabilitated and there are plans to tarmacs it in future.
Hoteliers led by their chairman, the Rev William Ouya, said cultural and tourist sites had been identified and plans made to ensure visitors enjoy the sights and sounds.
Popular spots include the crying stone at Ilesi on the Kakamega-Kisumu Road, bullfighting at Malinya in Ikolomani constituency and the Nabongo Cultural Centre at Elureko, the burial place of the Wanga King, Nabongo Mumia, in Matungu constituency.
For those who have not made accommodation arrangements, however, a manager at Friends Hotel on the Kakamega-Mumias Road, yesterday said the establishment was fully booked for Friday and Saturday.
