Kiambu towns flourish through World Bank-funded upgrade

The creation of municipalities in Kiambu county has spurred growth through infrastructural upgrade and installation of vital amenities.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration in 2018 created six municipalities in the county, namely,  Kiambu, Limuru, Thika, Ruiru, Kikuyu and Karuri.

The six administrative units receive funds from the World Bank through the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP) for infrastructural development.

Last year, the municipalities received Sh1.9 billion to upgrade road networks and install street lights to ease mobility for a 24-hour economy.

Ruiru municipality chairman Joseph Muritu said creation of the administrative units has triggered massive infrastructural growth and rapid urbanisation of Kiambu. The World Bank support complements the efforts of the Kiambu county government, he said.

Muritu spoke on Wednesday while inspecting the newly rehabilitated Ruiru bus park and a link road connecting Ruiru-Kiambu road to the Eastern Bypass at Wataalam area.

He said that the projects were creating a conducive environment for economic growth, development and investment.

Muritu noted that Sh43 million had been spent to install 156 street lights within Ruiru town, Githunguri-Full Gospel road, Kahawa Wendani, Mutonya-Mashinani road and Fort Jesus bypass.

“We’ve lit up many areas within the municipality for purposes of security and ease of doing business, thereby increasing the number of hours of doing business. We want to have a 24-hour economy,” Muritu said.

The chairman also noted that expansion of the drainage and sewer systems within the municipality was ongoing. He said more people in the area will be connected to the sewer line, thus improving sanitation in most places.

“We’ve also managed to purchase garbage collection trucks and a skip-loader for proper waste management,” he said.

Recently, the municipality purchased a Sh100 million fire engine from Austria to help improve fire services within the municipality as well as other areas within the county.

“The truck will assist a lot in attending to fire incidents within Ruiru on time,” Muritu said.

Biashara ward MCA Elijah Njoroge said the World Bank-funded projects within Ruiru municipality will help it achieve city status.

With such infrastructural upgrade, installation of vital amenities, presence of most government services and the current population of over 600,000 people, Ruiru was on the right track to achieving city status, he said.

“We urge the national and the county governments to ensure that Ruiru gets city status. Amenities such as hospitals, higher learning institutions, government offices and an improved transport system like roads and the railway line and the high population qualify Ruiru to be a city,” Njoroge said.

Ruiru residents and businessmen have welcomed the developments, saying they will change the face of the town and improve trade.

“The street lights have improved security and allowed us to do our business with ease. Roads have improved mobility and transport. This is the kind of developments we want because it’s touching us, the common mwananchi,” said trader Erick Mbugua.

Edited by Henry Makori