Uasin Gishu County stands to benefit a lot once Eldoret town is elevated to a city, Deputy Governor Eng. John Barorot has said.
According to the deputy governor, among the key benefits, the county will get from the city status is an increased allocation from the National Government.
Currently, Uasin Gishu gets about Ksh8 billion from the national government, a figure that is likely to hit Ksh10 billion should Eldoret get the city charter.
“With the city, we will have more opportunities for business. We will get more allocation by more than Ksh2 billion, currently, we’re getting Ksh8 billion,” said Eng. Barorot.
He spoke on Friday, November 25, 2022, during the homecoming of Kuinet/Kapsuswa Member of County Assembly Rebbeca Magut.
There have been concerns from landowners over the rise of land rates because of the city’s status, an issue the deputy county boss says should not be a worry.
Eldoret has over the last few years been working on getting the elevation to be the fifth city – after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru.
Drainage system
The process is now at the tail end and Eng. Barorot says within the next few months, it will be complete.
But even as the city status push continues, the county’s second in command admits that there are a number of areas that need to be addressed.
Key among them is the town’s drainage system.
“We have a challenge of collecting stormwater. We are working with the Department of Roads on addressing it. Currently, we are looking at ways we can capture the water, maybe to the dams so that they cannot flood our town and estates,” said Eng Barorot, during an earlier event where he launched a cleanup exercise in the town.
The working environment for traders is another area that the county is also addressing. For the last few days, the county has been cleaning the area around the Eldoret Retail Market, following a clash between enforcement officers that was witnessed last week.
The exercise, Eng. Barorot says has so far been successful.
“We have said the town will be safe for everyone. What we have done for the last week, we have cleaned the town,” he noted.
At least 398 people linked to the skirmishes were arrested during the operation, a majority of which when presented in court pleaded guilty and were sentenced to three months in jail.
However, Eng. Barorot says some of the street children also arrested in the operations who were sick were groomed and treated.
