Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo has signed a charter elevating Keroka town to a municipality.
During the Tuesday ceremony in his boardroom, Governor Nyaribo stated that urban areas in the County including Keroka town have been growing and expanding exponentially over the years both by population and amenities necessitating them to be upgraded to municipality as stipulated by law.
“It is therefore my great pleasure and honour to have signed the historic charter for elevating Keroka town to municipality status having demonstrated capacity to deliver essential services to the residents under minimum supervision and financial independence from the County,” Governor Nyaribo said.
He revealed that he formed an ad hoc committee in August last year to review areas and services in Keroka town and its environs for potential upgrading to a municipality status in line with the urban areas and cities Act 2011.
“The ad hoc committee presented a detailed positive report to me and my Executive Committee after a comprehensive assessment of the town based on its physical centrality to other urban areas, robust connectivity and superb transport infrastructure. Further, the town’s population according to the 2019 census is 107,922 surpassing the 50,000-threshold population for a town to be upgraded to a municipality.” Nyaribo explained.
He promised to engage professionals to make a comprehensive integrated geospatial plan which will provide for future expansion decisions because all indicators project Keroka municipality’s capacity for revenue collection which will sustain its operation efficiently.
Nyaribo said that the county departments of lands, public works, housing, and urban development are in consultation with their Kisii counterparts to assess capacity and efficiency of water supply and waste disposal to ensure smooth transition of Keroka town into a municipality.
“I thank the ad hoc committee for their diligent work of assessment, the county executive members and the county assembly members who unanimously adopted the report and recommendations from the ad hoc committee to elevate Keroka and have its headquarters therein. I am very optimistic that this new municipality, second after Nyamira town municipality, is poised to contribute significantly to sustainable economic growth and prosperity of its neighbouring towns and the entire Nyamira County,” the Governor stated.
By Deborah Bochere
