The Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations (DEVIR) Programme has toured Uasin Gishu County for inspection of the eligibility of the conferment of City Status to the Municipality of Eldoret Town.
The Committee Chaired by Wajir Senator Mohamed Abbas Sheikh, expressed satisfaction with the extent to which the municipality has done in terms of fulfilling the prerequisites to be elevated into Kenya’s fifth city like infrastructural facilities including roads, water services, sewerage, markets, street lighting among others.
Under the Kenyan law, The Urban Areas and Cities Act, before elevation into a City, the urban areas under consideration must have infrastructural facilities like roads, street lighting, markets, fire stations, waste disposal and disaster management capacity.
The Committee which is in the County from 23rd to 26th August held meetings with the County administration led by Governor Jonathan Chelilim and the AD Hoc Committee that Considered the Recommendation of Conferment of City Status to Municipality of Eldoret.
They also held meetings with the Board of the Municipality of Eldoret and the County Assembly’s Joint Committees on Lands & Physical Planning and the Committee on Housing and Urban Development to deliberate on their joint report.
In an interview with KNA after a tour to the Municipality’s key facilities and amenities like roads and streets, cemeteries and crematoria, hospitals, sport facilities, rehabilitation and child care facilities among others, the Standing Committee Chair commended the County leadership and the Ad Hoc Committee for a job well done, noting that the Municipality is all set to be a City.
“We have come to inspect the facilities here and to our view, everything shows that Eldoret is ready to become a city,” he said. On his part, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka who is a member of the Committee, affirmed that the Town has met the major requirements in terms of infrastructural facilities to become a City as he called on the County leadership to speed up the completion of other key things so as to speed up the process of conferment.
“We have assessed and our Chair will prepare a report on that. As for us committee members, upon completion of the report we will present it to the National Assembly for approval. According to how we have seen, Eldoret has met all the requisites to attain City status,” he said.
“We urge the leaders of Uasin Gishu, especially the Governor, to speed up the completion of the small things that have remained and I believe in 6 months’ time, Eldoret will be a city,” added Senator Onyonka.
Others present were Senators Oburu Odinga (Siaya), George Mbugua (Nominated), Catherine Muma (Nominated), and Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu).
Also present were the Ad Hoc Committee Members led by Mr Willy Kenei, Members of the County Assembly, led by MCA Amos Kiptanui (Racecourse Ward) as well as Mr. Julius Kitur, the Chairperson of the Municipality and other County officials.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
