Thika Town in Kiambu County may be Kenya's sixth City if Senators adopt a recommendation by Kiambu County Assembly that the municipality be elevated to city status.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 16, the Speaker of the Senate, Amason Kingi, informed the House that he had received communication from the county assembly that they had approved the elevation.
The Speaker then tasked the Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, chaired by Wajir Senator Mohamed Abass, to expedite consideration of the report marking the formal commencement of the conferment process at the Senate.
In June, the Kiambu County Assembly approved the elevation of Thika Town to a city, taking into consideration the recommendation of the Assembly’s sectoral committee on Planning and Urbanisation in its report, which now stands before the Senate.
“I direct that the committee expedites consideration of this matter and table the report for the Senate’s consideration,” Kingi said.
If the Senate adopts the report by the county and upholds the recommendation to confirm Thika as a City, the Senate will then forward the resolution to President William Ruto.
President Ruto will then officially confer city status on Thika Municipality by awarding a Charter.
If awarded, Thika City will be the sixth city in the country, joining Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and the most recent one, Eldoret.
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, who led a delegation of county executives and assembly members to present the resolution, expressed optimism that the Senate would approve the request.
The governor also revealed that the municipality is ready and perfectly poised for the conferment.
"The county government of Kiambu is already working on the town's infrastructure and other facilities that will give it a major facelift," Wamatangi said as he led a delegation of county executives and assembly members to present the resolution.
To be elevated from a municipality to a city in Kenya, an urban area must meet several strict criteria outlined in the Urban Areas and Cities Act, 2011, and its amendments.
Some of the requirements include having at least 250,000 residents, a comprehensive and an approved city development plan that aligns with national and county planning frameworks.
The municipality must also demonstrate the ability to generate sustainable income, show evidence of effective governance, and be capable of delivering essential services such as water, sanitation, health, education, and security efficiently.
