The Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations held a session with the Governor of Kiambu County earlier today to deliberate on the municipality of Thika’s application for elevation to city status. 

During the session, Governor Kimani Wamatangi outlined the County’s justification for the application, emphasizing Thika’s financial viability, governance structures, and the capacity to deliver services required of a city.

“As a municipality, Thika has made tremendous progress in revenue generation and service delivery. We have met the legal thresholds as provided by law,” the Governor stated in his submission.

According to the documents tabled before the Committee, Thika Municipality meets key requirements including the ability to generate sufficient revenue, existence of prudent financial systems, and provision of essential city services such as water, sanitation, health, and firefighting, in line with the Urban Areas and Cities Act, Cap 275.

“The municipality has demonstrated the capacity to fund its operations, meet budgeted expenses, and support long-term development plans. We believe we have the foundation to sustain city-level demands,” Governor Wamatangi added.

The Committee was informed that institutions such as Thika Level 5 Hospital, Thika Water and Sewerage Company, and Thika Fire Station are already providing services at the scale required for a city.

However, the Members of the Senator Mohamed Abbas-led Committee raised concerns regarding some gaps in the documentation provided. Notably, the omission of governance structures and audit records was flagged as a critical issue that could affect verification of compliance.

“This is a matter of national interest, and proper documentation is key. We shall request additional records for a comprehensive review,” noted Sen. Onyonka.

Senators acknowledged the Governor’s appearance and the efforts by the County Government in seeking to upgrade Thika’s status, promising to assess the submissions carefully and involve other stakeholders in the evaluation process.

“As a committee, we appreciate your presentation and the work your county has done so far. We shall scrutinize the documents submitted and invite supplementary information where necessary before making a final determination,” said Wajir Senator Mohamed Abass, the Chairperson of the Committee. 

Other Senators present included Sen. Catherine Mumma, Sen. (Prof) Margaret Kamar, Sen. (Dr.) Oburu Odinga, Sen Peris Tobiko, Sen. Karungo Thangwa, Sen. Mohamed Chute, Sen. Hezena Lemaletian while Sen. Betty Montet and Sen. Samson Cherargei appeared as friends to the committee. 

The Committee will subsequently continue receiving presentations and conduct site verification visits as necessary before tabling a report with recommendations to the Senate for further consideration.