Kisumu City

Kisumu is the third largest town in Kenya after Nairobi and Mombasa. It is estimated that Kisumu's population is about half a million, most of whom live in the poor and shanty areas surrounding the lakeside town. In a recent study of Society for International Development, it was revealed that Kisumu ranks among Kenya's worst regions in terms of socio-economic outcomes with 48.2 at the Human Poverty Index and 0.490 at the Human Development Index. Only 4% of Kisumu's population is employed in the formal sector (wage) and 20% in the informal sector. 44% are employed without pay.

Kisumu, evolving from the original foundation of Port Florence into the town Kisumu in 1902, is set within Nyanza District, Western Province of Kenya. Kisumu is found in Winam division, which is 395sq and has the highest population density at 887 persons per km sq. It is the only conurbation in the district with more than 10,000 in population. 32% of the district's population live in Kisumu municipality. Kisumu holds the Provincial and District headquarters and is the largest municipal council in Western Kenya.

It was upgraded a town to a city in 2001 and is the 3rd largest in Kenya. As such, it provides job and business opportunities, colleges and training institutions. There are however substantial pockets of poverty in Kisumu, notably in slum settlements such as Obunga, Nyawita, Bandani, Nyalenda and Manyatta. This has extended pressure on social amenities such as housing, water and sewerage systems. A ready local market exists for agricultural, industrial products and service industries. However this is not always profitable, due to people's overall level of absolute income and disposable income levels are very low indeed.