Thika Municipality is set to become Kenya’s sixth city following approval by the Senate Devolution Committee, which has recommended forwarding the resolution to the President for the official signing of its Charter.
Once the President grants this Charter under the Urban Areas and Cities Act, Thika will officially join Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Eldoret as the nation’s newest city.
In a report tabled before the House on Thursday, the committee recommended forwarding the resolution to the President to issue a Charter under Section 7 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act. Upon the President’s signature, Thika will officially become Kenya’s sixth city.
The Committee highly commended Kiambu County’s application, noting it was comprehensive, backed by physical verification, and met all legal requirements. During public participation, the bid received overwhelming stakeholder support, while the committee’s assessment confirmed that Thika Municipality possesses the necessary infrastructure, strong disaster management capabilities, and strong expansion potential to justify its elevation.
While supporting the elevation, the committee highlighted a few gaps that require clear implementation timelines, notably the lack of a fully operational public museum or interpretive center.
While the Mugo wa Kibiru Shrine is currently being rehabilitated and the Thika War Cemetery remains a key historical landmark, the Kiambu County Government, alongside the National Museums of Kenya, must now establish a concrete plan to deliver a functional museum within the proposed city limits.
To address resident concerns raised during public participation, the Kiambu County Government has pledged to fully operationalize essential services within the proposed city, including a public theater, an interpretive center, and critical estate upgrades to roads, drainage, and water supply.
Central to this commitment is a transition to a smart waste management framework, which hinges on fully transforming the one-hundred-and twenty-six-acre Kang’oki disposal site in Kamenu Ward into a sanitary engineered landfill. Since 2018, this massive facility has managed one thousand to one thousand five hundred tonnes of daily waste for the region while supporting the livelihoods of over eight hundred local waste pickers.
According to the report, the County Government has initiated a transition from open dumping to a sanitary engineered landfill using the internationally acclaimed Fukuoka Semi-Aerobic Landfill Technology. Furthermore, the committee highlighted the County’s plans to modernize its waste management through cutting-edge tech, which includes deploying smart bins with fill-level sensors, utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) based route optimization, and eventually introducing artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics for automated waste sorting. These modernization efforts are designed to make waste collection more efficient, transparent, and highly accountable from start to finish.
To protect the local environment, the County plans to revive the Chania and Thika rivers by landscaping their waterfronts, creating green corridors, and building stronger ecological buffers along the riverbanks.
Although Thika lacks its own airport, the committee noted that its close proximity to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport together with an excellent road network nullifies any immediate need for one. Meanwhile, plans to develop a local airstrip on land formerly owned by Del Monte are still moving forward.
When assessing healthcare, emergency, and education services, the committee highlighted Thika Municipality’s strong healthcare network that is well-equipped to handle high-level medical needs with 202 health facilities, anchored by the Thika Level 5 Hospital.
As a regional referral hub for four counties, the three hundred bed facility provides advanced specialized care, including oncology, radiology, and intensive care. Impressively, the hospital reports a maternal mortality rate of just 5.1 per 100,000 live births, far below the national average of 355 and well within the World Health Organization’s global safety target of under 70.
For emergency response, the Thika Fire Station operates twenty-four-seven with forty trained personnel and a strong fleet, including 10,000-liter and 5,000-liter fire engines, a pump truck, and specialized rescue gear for collapsed structures, high-angle rope rescues, road accidents, and deep-water diving.
Beyond emergency readiness, the committee highlighted Thika’s strong economic and social foundation, pointing to its self-sustaining revenue-raising capacity. The municipality is well served by multiple markets, over ten universities, fifty-seven tertiary institutions, and seven public cemeteries. Additionally, its robust transport network features the Thika Superhighway and a railway line with plans already underway for major bus park upgrades alongside revitalized recreational spaces like Mama Ngina Park.
In its final assessment, the committee concluded that granting city status to Thika is a crucial step toward unlocking the region’s full economic and developmental potential. The move promises to transform local service delivery and accelerate commerce, provided the new city administration maintains its focus on prudent financial management, responsive planning, and good governance.
By Hellen Lunalo
