Eldoret town, popularly known as the city of champions, is undergoing a significant facelift in readiness for the 1st biannual devolution conference. The event, which kicks off on 15th August 2023 and concludes on 19th, is set to attract over 10,000 delegates, including governors from the 47 counties and other officials.
According to Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, the county government is ready for the event. He says that the County Government is working with the Council of Governors, the National Government, security teams, and other stakeholders to ensure the event succeeds.
Eldoret Sports Club, the event’s main venue, has been the center of all preparations. Besides preparing the venue, roads leading to the grounds have been paved. The Sports Club – Bishop Muge road is the latest to be inaugurated by the Governor and his deputy, Eng. John Barorot.
Approximately 2KM away from Eldoret Sports Club is the Eldoret Central Business District (CBD). The CBD is another hive of activity as a significant upgrade is underway. From paving the roads within the town to renovating the central bus park, the town’s overall look has changed tremendously.
In addition, the County Government has replaced old shoe-shining shades on roadsides with new and modern ones. The street lighting has also been enhanced to give North Rift’s most significant commercial hub a new look. These upgrades will showcase the region’s potential during and after this important event.
Another critical venue, approximately 2KM from the CBD, is Kipchoge Keino Stadium. This venue is set to host several sporting events lined up to take place during the conference. For instance, there’s a much-awaited football match between the Council of Governors and the Senate.
Besides, the North Rift is famous for producing renowned athletics champions. Eliud Kipchoge,
“If you concentrate on the rear mirror, you’ll crash and cause an accident.”
Eliud Kipchoge
Ezekiel Kemboi, and Faith Kipyegon are some of the athletics stars from the region. In the spirit of promoting the sport adored by locals, the conference will feature a 5KM fun run with many prizes to be won.
Kipchoge Keino Stadium is being upgraded in readiness for these and other sporting events. Governor Bii, who visited the facility a few weeks ago, assured the public that it would be ready for the event. Some areas spruced up are the playing surface, surrounding terraces, and the main pavilion.
The conference has undoubtedly brought so many goodies to the locals. It will transform the economic status of Eldoret, especially now that the town is eyeing city status. That’s why the County Government is investing a lot of time and resources to ensure the 1st biannual devolution conference succeeds.
Businesses within Eldoret town and Uasin Gishu are set to benefit greatly. In events like this, the biggest beneficiary is usually the hospitality industry. Eldoret Town has a buzzing hospitality industry with restaurants, hotels, air-bnbs, resorts, night clubs offering different services within the town.
Hospitality business owners are getting ready to benefit from this event. As urged by Governor Bii recently, the business community needs to prepare to provide business-class services to the high-level guests expected in the town. This will help them make huge profits that will help them grow.
A spot check around hotels in town has shown that the industry is ready for the conference. The guest rooms within and outside town are selling like hotcakes. Most hotels are currently selling spaces at early bird rates. The plan is to increase the rates and profit more as the event draws closer.
The youth are included in the preparations going on in Uasin Gishu County. The town boasts a youthful population of people working in various industries. The youths will therefore be among the beneficiaries of the goodies that this year’s devolution conference will bring to the town.
A few days ago, youths from different parts of the county participated in a clean-up exercise. The exercise aimed at making the town clean in readiness for the upcoming event. Furthermore, the youths took part in tree planting in the Eldoret Arboretum to make their city and county cleaner and greener.
As the devolution conference draws closer, youths are urged to be active before, during, and after. The event which will move on to other counties afterwards is a golden chance that should be leveraged maximumly.
