Eldoret, a town nestled among expansive maize farms in Uasin Gishu County, is preparing to achieve city status. President William Ruto is scheduled to grant the town a city charter on Thursday.
Preparations are in full swing in the North Rift’s largest town and commercial hub. Teams are reinstalling signage destroyed by protesters in late June and completing beautification projects ahead of the ceremony.
The push to elevate Eldoret, known as the ‘City of Champions,’ to Kenya’s fifth city, after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru, began in 2018. This elevation is expected to bring significant changes to President Ruto’s hometown.
Eldoret Municipality Manager Tito Koiyet explained that the town’s spatial plan would be revised to accommodate skyscrapers, as proposed by the Senate Devolution Committee last year. “The planning of the town will be horizontal and vertical. It will encourage tall buildings so that we don’t expand into agricultural areas and lose our status as an agricultural hub,” Koiyet said.
With a projected population of over 500,000, Eldoret has seen increased investments in recent years. According to the 2019 census, the town had 475,716 residents. “The expectations among Uasin Gishu residents are many. We expect more investments, visibility, and an increased number of middle class,” Koiyet added.
Upgrades to stadia, including Kipchoge Keino and 64 Stadium, and other sporting facilities are set to reinforce Eldoret’s status as the City of Champions.
An ad-hoc committee established in May 2022 presented a report that was approved by the Uasin Gishu County Assembly and later adopted by the Senate. Last year, the committee recommended that Eldoret be granted city status.
In August last year, the Senate Committee on Devolution called for expanded sewerage infrastructure and the fast-tracking of the Eldoret Eastern Bypass completion. The committee noted that Eldoret scored highly in indexes such as road infrastructure, emergency response structures, health facilities, and the presence of Eldoret International Airport. The town’s sports heritage was also highlighted as a crucial factor in its elevation to city status.
“The proposed expansion of Eldoret International Airport is part of the process. The town must show that it can facilitate trade if it attains city status,” said Wajir Senator Sheikh Abbas, chairman of the committee.
Abbas praised the town’s road network projects, noting that most transport infrastructure projects were complete. The committee began its tour of Eldoret on Thursday, acting on a county ad-hoc committee’s recommendation for the town’s elevation.
After four years of infrastructure upgrades and the establishment of a municipality board, Eldoret’s journey to city status has had its challenges, including a proposal rejection by the Senate in 2021. If successful, Eldoret will become the second Rift Valley town to achieve city status after Nakuru, which received its charter from retired President Uhuru Kenyatta in December 2021.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka stated that the 2023 assessment of Eldoret’s readiness for city status included reviews of National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) reports, water supply, and sewerage, with recommendations for improvement.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii expressed confidence in the county’s investment in road and sewerage infrastructure, which facilitated the town’s progress towards city status. “I am happy that the process is happening. I can confirm to the Senate committee that we are on the right track,” the Governor said.
