The Eldoret town is now just two steps away from being Kenya’s fifth city.
This is after an Ad Hoc Committee which was set up to review the suitability of the town to be the city recommended for its elevation.
A report recommending the elevation was presented to Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim on April 4, 2023.
“Having reviewed the requirements of the law as provided in the Urban Areas and Cities (Amendment) Act, 2019, listened to the views of the various stakeholders in Eldoret including residents across the social and economic divide with special attention to gender and social inclusion, and having made visits through the width and breadth of the municipality, we, the Ad Hoc Committee, do hereby recommend the elevation of the municipality of Eldoret to city status, having met all the requirements of the law to achieve the said status,” the report recommended.
Addressing the press after formally receiving the report, the governor said it will be adopted by the County Executive Committee after which it will be forwarded to the County Assembly for deliberations.
The Governor also said the elevation to city status received 93 per cent approval from stakeholders who took part in the public participation exercise that the Ad Hoc committee conducted late in 2022.
“We have seen the report, they have handed it to us. The report is very positive. The next step is to move forward. From here, I will move the report to the county assembly which will go through it and later to the senate for scrutiny and approval,” Chelilim said.
Benefits of city status
He further expressed optimism that the elevation will get the green light from the Senate.
According to the governor, the city status will come with many benefits, among them an enhanced market for farmers, improved infrastructure and more investors.
“We’re upbeat; Eldoret should have been a city a long time ago,” the county boss said.
“We have many benefits that will come with city status – a ready market for farm produce, improved infrastructure, many investors will come – just like is the case in Nairobi, Kisumu, as well as Mombasa translating into many job opportunities,” he added.
The Urban Areas and Cities (Amendment) Act lists 8 areas that a town must meet before getting approval for elevation – all of which, Governor Chelilim says Eldoret attained the minimum threshold.
For an urban area to be proclaimed a city, it must have among others infrastructural facilities, disaster management capacity, integrated development plans as well as the capacity to generate sufficient revenue to sustain operations.
