The City of Kisumu is experiencing rapid economic and population growth, resulting in high rates of urbanization and motorization. Conventional planning solutions have focused more on addressing the needs of motorists and neglecting the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and those taking public transport. Increasing reliance on private motorized mobility is making transport in Kisumu increasingly unaffordable for the majority of the residents. It is also contributing to a range of externalities, including traffic congestion, road fatalities, air pollution, noise pollution, and productivity loss.

To ensure equitable mobility, the city of Kisumu recently launched the ambitious Kisumu Sustainable Mobility Plan with technical support from ITDP and UN-Habitat. The Mobility Plan recommends time-based charges for on-street parking, a reduction of government-subsidies for parking, and maximum parking standards in new private developments to control the supply of parking, especially in areas with good access to public transport, thereby encouraging a shift toward the use of public transport, walking, and cycling.