Kisumu city is believed to be one of the oldest settlements in Kenya. It is a port city, the third largest city in Kenya, and the headquarters of Kisumu County. Kisumu (meaning “trading post” or “trading”) is the most Westerly city in Kenya located on the shores of magnificent Lake Victoria. Kisumu is a growing and pivotal centre of trade. It is a gateway to a number of land-locked regions in East and Central Africa since it connects by road, rail and network to Nairobi and Mombasa and has a modern international airport capable of handling large capacity passenger and cargo aircraft.
Lake Victoria provides opportunities for fast and cost effective water transport to neighbouring countries, which are key markets for Kisumu (e.g., Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo). Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh waterbody in the world. It is an important transboundary water resource shared by Tanzania (51%), Kenya (6%) and Uganda (43%). Burundi and Rwanda are not directly located to the lake, but their rivers are part of the Lake Victoria Catchment (LVC). The LVC is home to more than 40 million people with expectations of a 2050 population of more than 65 million. Although Lake Victoria’s ecosystem contains significant resources such as fresh water, fisheries, etc., the communities, infrastructure and utilities of the LVC encounter enormous challenges providing adequate, reliable and safe resources to its citizens. National governments and communities face policy, financial and management issues when considering expansion of water resources exploitation, conservation and restoration to meet current and future demands.