Application of GIS to monitor infrastructural development in Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

The Government of Kenya, under its Vision 2030 Agenda, highlighted the need for decent and high-quality livelihoods for its citizens, by ensuring that sustainable provision be made for the necessary infrastructure required to meet their socio-economic needs. Thus, the government invested in an Electronic Development Application Management System (e-DAMS). It allows the Built Environment professionals to register and apply for planning certificates, construction permits, building inspection permits, and occupation permits. However, this system can only regulate and monitor the existing infrastructure projects in the database and has to exclude unauthorised developments. This GIS approach, which was built upon the recording and tracking of several types of electricity applications made by customers, could also be used to monitor new and existing infrastructure developments. Data were sourced from multiple government agencies in Mombasa County. A comparative analysis approach was subsequently employed to investigate the relationship between the trends in electricity supply applications, the respective types of urban land-use development, and the permits issued in approving the respective types of construction in Mombasa County. A direct relationship was found between the permits used to approve the respective types of construction and the Urban Development Master Plan. Also, a direct relationship was found between the applications for the respective types of electricity that were being made and the issuing of construction approval permits. The conclusion was reached that the applications for the prevailing types of electricity supply could be used as a proxy for identifying and assessing infrastructural development in Mombasa County. This GIS approach could provide the authorities with insights into unauthorised construction initiatives.