Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) is a £70 million five-year programme by the UK Government’s. The programme is supporting 12 fast growing municipalities in Kenya to develop urban economic plans, capacity building, investment climate reform, support investment attractions for critical infrastructure and value chain projects. The programme also provides seed funding on a demand driven basis for bankable, climate resilient infrastructure and value chain projects that have been collaboratively identified through the urban economic planning process.

From 2018 to 2022, Howard Humphreys (East Africa) Limited (former Atkins Consulting Engineers) in partnership with WS Atkins International, successfully prepared and delivered 12No. climate smart Urban Economic Plans (UEPs) for Kitui, Isiolo, Malindi, Iten, Kisii, Kathwana, Kerugoya-Kutus, Mandera, Eldoret, Wote, Bungoma and Lamu. The UEPs are ‘first of their kind’ municipal-level advisory plans that provide actionable economic strategies that merge climate mitigation and adaption with economic growth and development. The Plans built upon existing work and priorities identified under the county development plans and work by respective donors to identify and prioritize economic activities and climate resilient infrastructure that support value chain activities to ensure sustainable economic future of the municipalities. The process of developing UEPs was anchored in four pillars; resilience, resource efficiency, sustainability, and socially inclusive. It brought together stakeholders to decide the economic future of their towns through a blend of local and international best practice and innovation. The plans were deliberate on the preparation of implementation strategies that secure long-term growth.