The County Government of Homa Bay has upgraded four urban centers into municipalities to enhance service delivery to residents.
Governor Gladys Wanga on Monday signed charters and sealed out charters for the four urban centers actualizing the deal.
These upgraded towns are Mbita, Ndhiwa, Kendu Bay and Oyugis bringing municipalities to a total of five including Homa Bay Town that had been upgraded earlier.
Wanga said the move will enhance development in the area. She lauded the County Assembly together with the Department of Lands for the selfless sacrifice they made to ensure that the municipality charters were ready for signing.
“Signing this charter today is a great deal to the people of Homa Bay as it will address urbanization challenges and speed up development in the county,” Wanga said.
The Governor said that the county’s urban centres require services like water, sewage systems, streetlights, and tarmac roads to match with the population growth.
She said that it is through upgrading of urban centers that the county can attract both financial funding and investments from private sector and donors.
“The presence of these municipalities will facilitate the spread of devolution to other parts of the county which will in turn create development at the lower levels,” said the Governor.
She urged residents to support the upgraded urban centers by engaging in lucrative economic ventures to stir development. “We will move to all regions to present the charter to the people whose areas have been mentioned,” Wanga said.
She said that the county will advertise for the positions of the board members and municipal managers to run the urban centres. She in turn urged those who qualify for the positions to apply once advertised.
The Governor said the delineation of the urban centers had undergone public participation and the charters approved by the County Assembly. “The process has gone thorough scrutiny and will be guided by the Urban Areas and Cities Act as well the constitution of Kenya, “said the Governor.
Homa Bay County Assembly Speaker Julius Gaya on his part said that the Assembly will ensure that they pass laws that will help the Governor in developing the county.
By Brian Odhiambo and Langat Davis
