Chaka Shopping Centre in Kieni constituency is being planned by the Lands and Physical Planning ministry while Othaya town will be re-planned to expand it.
Urban planner Karuru Chege said this is the first phase, with the main idea being getting to understand Chaka and Othaya towns.
This will help planners understand how much the two will be expanded.
Chege spoke at Chaka when the officials visited to determine its boundaries.
“We are working with the local leadership including MPs, MCAs, subcounty administrators and all the relevant county government officers,” he said.
The team is composed of planners from both the Ministry of Lands and Nyeri county counterparts.
Othaya MP Gichuki Mugambi said Othaya town is on a major growth trajectory following the openig of Othaya Level 6 Hospital, the expected setting up of a 1,000-student capacity KMTC, ongoing road construction and sewerage expansion.
The ongoing projects have increased the number of people in the town leading to high demand for houses, which has necessitated the need for expansion.
“We have, as a result, been given a team from the ministry and those from the county government to help in replanning the town,” Mugambi said.
“The re-planning will involve drawing new boundaries so that we open up new areas. It is projected that Othaya town will require up to 5,000 new homes in the next 20 years,” he said.
Othaya, he said, is currently planned to hold a population of 4,000 adding that the population is expect to grow to 10,000 by 2030.
The ministry experts, he said, are expected to be in the town for the next three weeks.
Kieni MP Kanini Kega said after the planning, Chaka will be recognised as a town and will be considered even in terms of revenue and budgetary allocations from the county and national governments.
“We also appreciate that Chaka has never been planned and most of the land we have here doesn’t have titles. Even the tall buildings that you see in Chaka are standing on grounds that do not have title deeds,” he said.
He said planning of the town will make it formal and ensure all investors have valid documents.
This will also bring to an end to haphazard development in Chaka, he added.
Kega expressed hope that Chaka will experience exponential growth as the government is at an advanced stage of reviving the metre gauge railway and a railway station, tamarcking of roads and the upgrading of the Kenol - Isiolo road to a dual carriageway.
Other major ongoing projects include the construction of the Sh0.8 billion modern market by the national government.
“Chaka is in a very strategic place so we have to plan early enough so that we guide investors."
He said the map will help the area get a sewer, roads, electricity and other amenities provided by the government.
Land CO Hannah Maranga said the boundaries review will help determine areas for town and agricultural activities.
Maranga said going by the 2019 Population Census, Chaka has a population of 6,000 people and the number is projected to increase.
Edited by R.Wamochie
