KISIP is a Government project whose main objective is to improve the living conditions of people in selected informal settlements.

The project commenced in 2011 as a project under the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. It was initially a five-year project. However, there were project extensions and phase 1 officially closed in December, 2020. Due to the major strides realized, the Government got financing to implement a second phase of the project, referred to us the Second Kenya Informal Settlements improvement Project (KISIP 2). The second phase become effective in 2021 and is expected to close in 2026.

KISIP is financed by the Government of Kenya (GOK) and the International Development Association (IDA). IDA is providing US$ 150Million and GoK will provide counter-part funding of US$15Million.

KISIP interventions will be implemented thirty-three (33) counties that have settlements that met the selection criteria. These are; Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Wajir, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Turkana, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Baringo, Nakuru, Kajiado, Kakamega, Bungoma, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Nyamira and Nairobi.

Participation in KISIP2 is voluntary and open to any of the 47 counties that meet the county readiness criteria and the settlement eligibility criteria. To arrive at the participating settlements and counties, all counties were invited to submit lists of informal settlements. The lists provided by the counties were then subjected to the under listed settlement eligibility criteria. -Located on public land or land that is regularized through a GoK program (including KISIP). Infrastructure activities to be on land where the regularization process is already complete until survey stage. -No court case or other legal encumbrances on part or all of the land on which the settlement sits -Community readiness ensuring that the voice of women is clearly noted (e.g. a community meeting, signing of a community participation agreement) -Population density no less than 30 people/ha -Settlement sits on a maximum 30ha -Settlement lies within a 10km radius of the nearest city, municipality or town -Structures are: (i) temporary or semi-permanent; (ii) single-storey; (iii) distance between structures not more than 50m -Settlement morphology allows for adoptive planning with minimal displacement. Physical upgrading of the settlement should not entail large-scale displacement (and, thereby, relocation) of residents Additional criteria for infrastructure upgrading -Evidence of regularization up to surveying stage through an approved Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan (LPLUDP) and approved survey plan -Evidence of settlement readiness for infrastructure upgrading, such as availability of detailed designs, bidding documents, ESIAS, and RAPs. -Proximity to trunk infrastructure (cost of connecting to trunk is not more than 15% of total infrastructure cost; settlement should be no greater than 0.6km away from trunk) -Infrastructure has been designed and will be built and operated in a way that anticipates, prepares for and adapts to changing climate conditions -County has provided an O&M plan to maintain the infrastructure to be upgraded -(where applicable) KISIP1 infrastructure is well maintained.

KISIP 2 is being implemented at both National and County Levels. National Level: Responsible for overall implementation of the project. The following implementation units have been established; -Project Steering Committee -National Project Coordination Team (NPCT) County Level: Responsible for the day-to-day coordination of county level Project activities through the County Project Coordination Team (CPCT). CPCTs have been established in all the 33 participating counties. The Council of Governors – Linking the two levels of Government Settlement Level: Settlement Executive Committees (SEC) and Grievance Redress Committee (GRC).

KISIP 2 is projected to benefit 1,700,000 people from enhanced security of tenure (500,000) and 1,200.000 will be people provided with improved urban living conditions.

The project objective will be achieved through four interventions/ components namely; a)Component 1: Integrated settlement upgrading, which has two subcomponents namely, -Sub-Component 1.1: Land Tenure Regularization -Sub-Component 1.2: Infrastructure Upgrading b)Component 2: Socio-economic inclusion planning c)Component 3: Institutional capacity development for slum upgrading Component 4: Program management and coordination