Isiolo Resort City inches closer to reality as new site is identified

The construction of a multi-billion-shilling resort city in Isiolo is inching closer to reality following the latest move by the State to settle on Kula Mawe as the site for the project.

The Lapsset Corridor Development Authority (LCDA), which is coordinating the project, has directed the Isiolo County to set aside 10,000 acres of land in the area to allow the commencement of the Master Plan later this month – a critical process in the development of the city.

In a May 12 letter that was addressed to the County Speaker Mohammed Tupi, Lapsset director general Silvester Kasuku Isiolo said that stakeholders had identified Kula Mawe as the best site for the project since it would take care of the urban facilities which are envisaged in the resort city.

In a past LCDA consultative forum in Isiolo, Governor Godana Doyo disclosed that the county was ready to allocate land for the project in Kula Mawe, which is located 70 kilometres from Isiolo town.

Isiolo will be Kenya’s first resort city under Vision 2030, aimed to boost growth in the tourism industry. The construction of the city will be funded through a Public, Private Partnership (PPP) to the tune of Sh15 billion of which Sh6.8 billion will be raised from the private sector.

Isiolo resort city will be located in close proximity to major tourist attractions including Mt Kenya National Park, Samburu National Park, Meru National Park, Shaba National Park and Buffalo Springs.

It will include high-end tourist facilities including accommodation facilities, amusement parks, water sport facilities, art exhibition, theatres for international festivals, as well as skiing and golf courses.

Similar resort cities will be built in Lamu, Diani, Kilifi and Lokichoggio near Lake Turkana, aimed to help the government increase expenditure per tourist to Sh75,000 up from Sh60,000.

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