President William Ruto has announced his intention to make Meru town Kenya’s fifth city after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru.
The Head of State, while addressing a roadside rally at Makutano Junction, Meru town, on Saturday afternoon, said he was ready to elevate the municipality to city status due to its rapid growth.
In his speech, the President revealed the government’s plan to disburse Ksh2 billion for the construction of 16 additional modern markets to boost trade.
"The governor has said he wants Meru to become Kenya's next city. Do you want Meru to become the next city? So, do you think I did not know that? I already had that idea in mind," Ruto said.
During the rally, Ruto also ordered Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa to ensure the county's sewer system was rectified by December this year.
He noted the market and sewer projects were part of the broader plan to enhance Meru's ability to attract investment and spur further development in the region.
Ruto's promise follows a request by Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma, who called on the president to consider making the populous region a city as an appreciation of the town's growth.
Mutuma, in his request to the Head of State, revealed that several development projects had already been completed and that elevating Meru to city status would be an added advantage.
"Our big problem, which was the sewer system in Meru, will be completed so that the next city in Kenya becomes Meru. We want the next city to be clean once the sewer system has been rectified," Mutuma told the President.
Meanwhile, Ruto's plan to make Meru the next city comes four years after the government made Nakuru a city following a vote by the Senate to elevate it from municipality.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, in November 2021, formally awarded a city charter to Nakuru, making it Kenya's fourth city. It was made a city mainly because of its population growth and economic development.
For a town to become a city, it must have a population of at least 250,000 residents, have a city development plan and prove its ability to generate revenue to sustain its operations.
