Eldoret town is gearing up towards being elevated to be the fifth city in Kenya.
The elevation process is now at the tail-end, with the matter already before the Senate which will have a final say on whether Eldoret deserves to be awarded the city charter or not.
While the legal process continues, the county government of Uasin Gishu is working on ensuring the city is up to its standards.
Part of the ongoing facelift process is the creation of walkways for pedestrians within the central business district.
Tito Kioyet, the Eldoret Town Manager says their target is to be one of the most walkable cities in the world.
With speed limits of just 30 km/h, Amsterdam prioritises people and active transport, making it one of the most walkable cities in the world.
It is a city that has long been synonymous with cycling and also has its fair share of hidden gems that can be explored on foot.
Pave frontages
Eldoret is already one of the most walkable towns in Kenya, and it has now set its eye to be on the global map in terms of having the best environment for pedestrians.
“We want to ensure pedestrian walkways are available within the town which will soon be a city,” Koiyet told Uasin Gishu News on Thursday.
As part of the effort to make Eldoret among the most walkable cities in the world, building owners have since been asked to pave their frontages.
The county is also removing all unnecessary structures in front of the buildings to create space for pedestrians.
“Part of what we have required landlords to do is to pave the frontages and allow for access by people with disabilities, the aged and even children to be able to freely access buildings and walk on the pavements,” noted the Eldoret Town Manager.
“We want to create a city for pedestrians not a city for motorists,” he added.
Koiyet notes that they have already created sufficient spaces for car owners by marking the parking lots.
This and many other initiatives are all aimed at raising the Eldoret standards “so that when we call ourselves a city, we’re not just a city by name but even a mindset portray that we’re a city.”
Should Eldoret get the city charter, it will be the fifth in Kenya after the country’s capital Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru.
