Eldoret boundaries to be expanded for city status

Eldoret municipality's boundaries will be expanded to include the Eldoret International Airport as a pre-condition for upgrading to city status.

Uasin Gishu county has launched the process that seeks to develop an integrated development plan for the Eldoret municipality that proposes to expand the town, which currently covers about 12km square.

Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno launched the process in the town, saying it will be re-planned to ensure that all development programmes are in line with the city status.

He said the plan seeks to address current and future challenges for municipality dwellers even as it also provides solutions to the problems.

Speaking during the event held at the municipality headquarters on Friday, Chemno named infrastructure, environment, housing, social amenities and education among the key areas that the plan will focus on.

“We want to ensure that our city grows in tandem with time and provides improved services to the locals,” Chemno said.

He also pointed out that the process will involve all Eldoret municipality residents whom he asked to give their views on the areas they would wish to be addressed in the plan.

The tender for the development of the plan was won by GeoDev Kenya, a consultancy firm led by Prof George Ngugi of the University of Nairobi.

Lands Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development executive Nelson Maritim who also attended the event said citizen and stakeholder participating in the process is key to ensure all their needs are put into consideration

Maritim said municipality boundary was one of the main challenges the plan would seek to address.

“This IDeP will open up other plans that will be used in project implementation,” he said.

Eldoret municipality chairman Julius Kitur said the development of an IDeP was a key element as they seek to have Eldoret confirmed to city status.

Kitur said for town to be elevated into a city, it needs to have an airport yet the Eldoret International Airport is currently not under the municipality. The airport is located about 15 kilometres from the town along Kisumu road

“The issue of boundaries is one area we need to address because we need the airport to be within the municipality and this is one area we are hoping the IDeP will address as already our population is even higher than that of Kisumu city,” Kitur said.

Professor Ngugi who will be taking up the task of developing the plan said the process will be participatory and they hope to get information from the public and other stakeholders on what they would wish to see Eldoret become in future.

“ Eldoret is a regional hub and we are looking at what the trajectory is for the next 100 years . We will look at how to harmonise resources available to the people,” he said.

The event was attended by executives Mary Njogu (Water), Esther Mutai (Cooperative) Barnabas Tarus (Devolution), chief officer for Physical and Urban Planning Kenneth Mbeka and Eldoret municipality manager Tito Koiyet.