County employees spruce up a monument on Oginga Odinga Street in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County on September 04, 2024.
The upgrade of Eldoret town to a city elicited celebrations but four months later residents are paying the price for the prestige with rising cost of living.
For example, Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (Eldowas) has already increased water tariffs by 300 per cent meaning the residents will now pay three times more than what they did before even as they cope with poor solid management and sewage system.
The residents have consequently moved to court to challenge the new charges which the Eldowas management have defended citing permission by the regulator, Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb).
Expected increase in property values due to anticipated investments and reclassification of the region will also lead to higher land rates payable to authorities.
Also on the rise is the cost of garbage collection.
“As much as the residents might rejoice being in a city, they should be ready to fund provision of such services through increased taxes and other levies,” said Ezekiel Too, an economist.
According to Eldoret Municipality Manager Tito Koiyet the value of property is expected to skyrocket as commercial developers set up businesses in the country’s fifth city.
“Land owners will pay rates as per the value of the property. The same applies to other businesses since we have to deliver quality services that befits a city,” explained Mr Koiyet.
He disclosed plans to map out city boundaries which will be subjected to public participation for approval or dismissal.
“Such areas like Kapsaret are expected to form integral part of the town which will trigger socio- economic growth and development with expected high consumer base and attractive income generation,” said Mr Koiyet.
Members of the public take photographs next to a monument on Oginga Odinga Street in Eldoret City on August 20, 2024.
The review of Eldoret boundary was last done in 1988 and with its elevation to city it is expected to have a wider coverage.
“The city is strategically placed in terms of road and rail network, airport services and it is our responsibility to ensure that there is adequate land, power and steady water supply to woo local and international investors to set up businesses in the new city,” added Mr Koiyet.
Concerns are emerging over heavy pollution of River Sosiani despite the government allocating Sh15 million to rehabilitate and restore the river.
The Uasin Gishu County government in its 2022/2023 Development plan allocated Sh665.5 million for solid waste management.
“We expected the devolved unit to provide desired policy guidance, technical support and monitoring to save the river the forms economic livelihood to many city residents from rapid pollution,” said James Kosgei, Eldoret based environmentalist.
The Uasin Gishu County department of environment and natural resources allocated Sh15 million last financial year to plant over 200,000 trees to rehabilitate the river.
“A study by a local university declared the River as dead as the water cannot support the survival of any organism. Both the carbon and biological oxygen demand at the River is too high while the quantity of the water has kept declining in the recent past,” added Mr Kosgei.
According to the environmentalist, the river is contaminated with raw wastes from industries, garages, hotels and learning institutions making the water unsafe for consumption.
The Municipality has undertaken several programs aimed at enhancing the growth of businesses and service delivery in the new city that is the industrial hub of agriculturally rich North Rift region.
It has fixed the road infrastructure, storm water drainages, erection of high masts, paving of Eldoret Central Business District (CBD) services, back lanes and putting up Non-Motorized Transport (NMT)services.
A monument of a maize cob on Kenyatta Street in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County on September 04, 2024.
The NMT project is funded by the World Bank and offers clean and safe walk paths along highways to assure of safety of pedestrians.
"We have to make sure that there are mechanisms and programs that support economic growth and development in our city. Promoting development of requisite infrastructure and services, and sorting out traffic is among them,” said Governor Bii.
"The Kenya Informal Settlements Improvements Programs, and Kenya Urban Support Program have been key transformational programs in Uasin Gishu. we now have clear road connectivity, footpaths and enhanced security through street lighting and provision of high masts in areas previously deemed as insecure positioning the Town for the city status,” added the administrator.
The county in collaboration with Central Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency (CRVWWDA) through Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (ELDOWAS), is undertaking a Sh400 million major project dubbed the last mile connectivity of extension of sewer lengths up to 45,857m in Elgon view/Upper Elgon view, Kipkorgot, Annex, Sugunanga, Hillside, Kenmosa, Eldoret ASK Showground, Racecourse and Plateau.
It is emerging that the city is still faced with some challenges that might slow down its socio-economic expansion. They include the transport and sewage system that need to be upgraded.
“Sewerage system is still a big challenge. There is still a discharge of raw wastes to River Sosiani that cuts across the Town. Some of the residential areas especially informal ones are not connected to the sewage system. These are some of the issues that need to be fixed before the town attains city status,” said David Maina, environmental expert, and planner.
Previous administrators, including the immediate former Governor and now Senator Jackson Mandago pledged to fix the problem but in vain.
Governor Bii’s administration is struggling with the challenge of garbage collection despite relocating to the new site in the Kipkenyo area.
“The Central Business District (CBD) still is littered with garbage. There is a lot to be done in weeding out hawkers and clearing street urchins, an issue the current needs to prioritize,” said Mary Kemboi, one of the entrepreneurs.
An monument on Kago Street-Moi Street roundabout in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County in this picture taken on September 4, 2024.
According to interviewed residents, the city lacks ample recreational facilities including public parks and arboretums.
“The recreational facilities need to be rehabilitated and upgraded to promote the tourism sector and enable the devolved unit to generate additional revenue as it remodels to city status,” said Wilson Kosgei, an investor in the hotel and hospitality industry.
Other activities that need to be done by the county government in collaboration with other stakeholders include painting buildings for aesthetic appeal, marketing cultural memorabilia to promote heritage, climate change through reforestation, and providing more space for expansion from side lanes to provide spaces for business establishment.
Investors in real estate want the devolved unit to enter into Public-private partnership to offer affordable housing facilities equating city status.
