Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. [Photo/Buzzkenya]
Cabinet has approved elevation of two more towns in Kenya into cities totaling to five. This is according to a statement released by Statehouse on Thursday
It is not yet clear the cities that will be elevated but there is the likelihood of Nakuru and Eldoret being elevated as they came 4th and 5th respectively behind Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu.
The government is also planning to reduce the number of townships which is currently 130 to 66.
“Under the proposed amendments there would be five cities, 64 municipalities, 66 townships and 80 market centers,” read part of the State House statement.
According to Urban areas and cities act of 2011, a town will qualify to be a city if it has a population of at least 250,000 residents basing the last population census data.The town must also have a city development plan and should demonstrate the ability to generate enough revenue that can sustain its operations.
“The bill is aimed at amending the Urban Areas and Cities Act, 2011 in order to harmonise and cater for the classification of urban centers in the country in a more realistic and viable manner that is provided for in the current law.” read the statement.
The approved amending bill will be submitted to the parliament for scrutiny and approval.