Thirteen leaders have issued at least 10 conditions they want met before Nakuru Municipality attains city status.
The leaders, among them Senator Susan Kihika and 12 MPs, Monday called for suspension of the elevation of Nakuru Town to a city for at least 10 years to allow for adequate preparations.
“Whereas we support city status, we cannot wake up one day and say we want Nakuru to be a city. Nakuru is not prepared to earn city status and time is needed to put the house in order,” said Ms Kihika while presenting the 12-page memorandum before the ad hoc committee on elevation of Nakuru Municipality to city status at Alps Hotel, in Nakuru Town.
MEMORANDUM
The memorandum presented before the committee led by former mayor John Kitilit, was signed by the MPs representing Nakuru’s 11 constituencies, Woman Rep Liza Chelule and the senator.
Ms Kihika further said that the issues contained in the memorandum are requirements as per the law.
Among issues they want addressed include the town’s drainage system, which has been in a poor state for six years since the advent of devolution.
“The current plan of storm drainage system was established in the 1990s and a lot has changed since then. Nakuru should not attain city status without a concrete and practical storm drainage system,” added the politician.
They also want the county government to upgrade and expand the sewerage system, already reeling under the pressure occasioned by population growth.
NOT READY
“Clearly, Nakuru is not ready for city status and it will be great disservice if residents’ contributions are not incorporated,” said Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria.
Other issues the leaders want Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s administration to tackle include the planning of the town, traffic congestion, garbage collection and solid waste management and the housing challenge among other issues they termed key to a city.
The call to suspend the journey to city status comes a week after manufacturers and residents opposed the plans and termed the move premature.
But Governor Kinyanjui, in an interview with the Nation, maintained that Nakuru town is ripe for city status, saying that the issues raised had been noted by his administration and would be addressed after the elevation.