The Governor of Kiambu, Kimani Wamatangi, has commissioned the committee for the Thika smart city conferment project.
The project seeks to upgrade Thika municipality to city status with an ad hoc committee consisting of 7 members from a multisectoral background to be supported by a technical team from the department of land, housing, physical planning, municipal planning and urban development.
As part of Governor Kimani Wamatangi 5 pillars for socio economic transformation from his manifesto he said that the goal was to transform the municipality to a modern information and technological based city with a number of projects ongoing.
“We are setting the standard and as a county government we have already laid the groundwork and so moving forward we can work as a team with the necessary support to realize this task.” He said
Wamatangi urged the members of the committee to work together with the people of Thika municipality in order to secure their support for the project by encouraging them to develop their businesses as the area expands in order to incentivize them and also allow them to be part of the public participation of the project.
“This can become the first city in Central Kenya and it is high time that it did with the support of the people, through rigorous processes from the committee and serious public engagement the potential for transformation is there.” He added
CECM for Land, Housing, Physical Planning and Development Salome Muthoni pointed out that the acquisition of a parcel of land from Del Monte by the government will potentially be used for development specifically, transferring the Thika prison from the city environs to the free land through the smart city project.
“Through the expert lobbying of the governor we may have the opportunity to transfer the prison outside the CBD of Thika and to then use that land for development for this smart city project, we are aiming to continue deliberations with the committee on the details. “She said
She also encouraged the committee members to remember that the project will be a testament to the work of the government of Kiambu, as Thika is a crucial hub in the area for agriculture and industry the need for a city within a close proximity to Nairobi is key to boosting business as well as catering to the expanding population.
For towns to attain city status in Kenya they must meet certain requirements such as having a population of more than 250,000 people, having capacity for proper waste disposal and key infrastructural facilities including but not limited to roads, street lighting, markets, and fire stations, and an adequate capacity for disaster management.
By Cedric Karungaru
