Kiambu governor, Kimani Wamatangi, on Friday, March 17, elevated six towns from ordinary boroughs to municipalities.
In a Gazette notice dated March 17, 2023, Wamatangi promoted Juja, Gatundu, Githunguri, Kabete, Lari, and Githurai to municipal status.
The six towns will receive higher budgetary allocations after being elevated from ordinary conurbations to municipalities.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 9 (1) of the Urban Areas and Cities Act, 2011 and all other enabling provisions of law, I, Kimani Wamatangi, Governor, Kiambu County, confer municipal status six towns," the Kiambu Governor declared.
"Done and dusted! Six new municipalities. Increase funding. Improved infrastructure. Better services," Wamatangi declared hours after the publication of the Gazette Notice.
The Kiambu County Assembly will ratify the municipality status, after which relevant administrative appointments will be made accordingly.
"The process towards conferment of the municipalities' charters has today moved to the county assembly for consideration where I am confident it will be ratified," Wamatangi expressed confidence through his social media posts.
Once cleared by the County Assembly, Governor Wamatangi will advertise new employment opportunities in the newly created municipalities.
Ordinarily, the municipalities will be headed by sub-county administrators who will answer directly to Governor Wamatangi.
Thika remains the largest town in Kiambu County, even as local leaders push for its elevation to the level of a fully-fledged city.
The town hopes to join Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru in elevation to city status.
Kiambu is a geographically strategic county bordering Nairobi and Kajiado Counties to the South, Machakos to the East, Murang'a to the North and North East, Nyandarua to the North West, and Nakuru to the West.
According to the 2019 census, Kiambu County boasted of some 2,417,735 people, of which 1,187,146 were males while 1,230,454 were females.
The 2019 census also revealed that Kiambu had 796,241 households with an average household size of 3.0 persons over a population density of 952 people per square kilometre.
