The Senate’s Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations has approved the conferment of City Status to Thika Municipality.
In its report filed at the Senate on Thursday for tabling before the House, the committee recommended that its resolution be transmitted to the President for the issuance of a Charter pursuant to section 7 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act, Cap275.
Once the President has signed the Charter, Thika will become the 6th city in the Republic of Kenya after Eldoret, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nairobi.
According to the committee, the application by the County Government of Kiambu for the conferment of City status to Thika Municipality was comprehensive and well supported by documentation, stakeholder engagement and physical verification.
The Senate committee notes that the application received strong support from a wide cross-section of stakeholders during the public participation process.
At the same time, it found that Thika Municipality has the requisite infrastructural facilities and adequate capacity for disaster management and has the potential for expansion, and that the requirement under section 5(1)(g) of the Act is met.
The committee, however, raises some issues as needing further attention and clear implementation timelines; they include the need for a fully operational public museum or interpretive centre, both of which are yet to be established.
It noted that the Mugo wa Kibiru Shrine is under rehabilitation in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya, and the Thika War Cemetery serves an important historical function.
However, the County Government, in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya, would be required to set out a clear plan and timeline for the establishment of a fully operational museum or interpretive centre within the proposed City.
On that note it further observes that the County Government has undertaken to fully operationalise the facilities and services within the proposed city including; the public theatre and the museum or interpretive centre, enhance infrastructure and services within the residential estates including road networks, drainage systems, flood mitigation, water supply coverage and solid waste management in line with matters raised by residents during the public participation process and the transition to a Smart Waste Management framework, including the full operalisation of the Kang’oki sanitary engineered landfill.
Solid waste management in Thika Municipality is anchored on the Kang'oki disposal site, a 126-acre facility in Kamenu Ward that has served the Municipality and the wider Kiambu County since 2018, receiving between 1,200 and 1,500 tonnes of commingled waste daily and supporting the livelihood ecosystem of over 800 waste pickers.
The report notes that the County Government has initiated the transition from open dumping to a sanitary engineered landfill using the Fukuoka Semi-Aerobic Landfill Technology, in line with international best practice.
At the same time, the Committee further notes the County's plans to modernise waste management through the deployment of IoT-enabled smart bins with fill-level sensors, GIS-based route optimisation, and the eventual introduction of AI and robotics for waste is a sorting.
These initiatives are intended to improve collection efficiency, traceability, and accountability in the waste value chain.
The County has also outlined plans for the restoration and landscaping of the Chania and Thika Rivers, including the development of riparian green corridors and strengthened ecological buffers.
“The Committee observes that the conferment of city status to Thika Municipality will provide an important platform for accelerated development, improved service delivery and enhanced local economic growth, anchored on sustainable commitment to good governance, prudent financial management and responsive urban planning,” the document notes.
Regarding access to an airport/airstrip, the committee said that although Thika has no airport, Thika’s closeness to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and the good road network mean there is no immediate need for one, even as plans for a local airstrip continue on the land previously held by Del Monte.
Regarding delivery of health, emergency and education services, the committee found that Thika Municipality has 202 health facilities across public, private and faith-based sectors. Thika Level 5 Hospital is a regional referral and teaching facility serving Kiambu, Murang'a, Machakos and Kitui counties, with a 300-bed capacity, an Intensive Care Unit, a Renal Unit with five dialysis machines, a Cancer Centre, an Eye Unit, an Advanced Radiology Department, a Dental and Maxillofacial Unit, and specialised Reproductive Health and Neonatal Services Unit.
“The Hospital reports a maternal mortality rate of 5.1 per 100,000 live births, which is significantly lower than Kenya's national rate of 355 per 100,000 live births and well within the World Health Organization’s global target of less than 70 per 100,000 live births,” the report notes.
The Thika Fire Station operates on a 24- hour, 7-day basis with 40 trained personnel and is equipped with modern firefighting and specialised technical rescue assets. These include fire engines of 10,000-litre and 5,000-litre capacities, a pump truck, a rescue van, and a backup water bowser, as well as specialised equipment such as life detector units and laser/theodolite sets for collapsed structure search and rescue, rope rescue systems for high-angle and confined space operations, extrication tools for road traffic accidents, and diving equipment for water rescue.
Other notable findings were the ability of the municipality to raise its own revenue, it is served by multiple markets, over 10 universities, 57 tertiary institutions, seven public cemeteries and crematoria facilities, the Thika Superhighway and railway line with plans for bus park upgrades, and upgraded recreational spaces including Mama Ngina Park.
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