Murang’a Assembly wants services extended to new settlements

Urbanization,

The County Assembly of Murang’a has called for expansion of existing infrastructure to cater for increasing urbanization in the Municipality. In a report tabled in the House, the Members of County Assembly (MCAs) observed that the towns within the municipality are experiencing rapid urbanization as more agricultural land was converted into settlements.

Tabling the report on Murang’a Municipality Integrated Development Plan 2023-2027, Vice-Chairperson for Lands, Housing, Physical Planning and Settlement Committee Chefman Njoroge, said the rapid rate of urbanization needs to be effectively managed to ensure that the potential economic and social development arising from urbanization is well controlled.

“More people are settling in urban areas with resultant pressure on infrastructure and available services,” said Njoroge adding that urbanization within the municipality is optimized to reduce poverty, improve the quality of life and protect the environment.

Njoroge, also MCA Kihumbuini ward said with the current rate of urban development versus fixed land resources, the municipality has to be spatially planned to ensure sanity. He explained that Integrated Development Planning (IDeP) is one of the tools that assist county governments in coping with new urban developmental roles, which will play a central role in guiding and controlling future development.

“IDeP seeks to address the municipality’s development challenges by improving urban service delivery and proper frameworks of urban governance, municipality restructuring, financing and strengthening of the urban planning mechanism,” he said.

He noted the municipality needs to bridge the supply and demand gap on infrastructure services in order to ensure that infrastructure services are available to all residents. “There exists an enormous gap between demand for infrastructure services such as water and sewerage, and capacity to finance urban development,” said Njoroge.

“Transportation services within the municipality play a key role in development. Currently, the transportation within town is average. The town is congested with tuktuks, motorcycles and matatus operating the town – Mukuyu route,” he said.

The motion was seconded by Hillary Mwigai, a member of the Assembly’s lands, housing, physical planning and settlement committee. Gladys Wambui, supported the motion pointing out the need to consider the drainage system in towns to avoid sewage water finding its way into water sources like rivers.

“As a fervent supporter for environmental conservation, there is need for proper ways in which waste is managed and disposed to avoid contamination of our water bodies and the environment,” she said Wambui, who is a nominated MCA, also proposed the establishment of a leisure park named Migingo park in the municipality.

The report recommended that municipalities in the county have distinct financial autonomy from the county government since it has the ability to manage its own financial affairs independently. It also recommended planning for urban areas in the municipality be fast tracked and presented to the public through various forums for debate so as to provide a sound spatial framework to guide the growth of human urban settlement.

The report also recommended that the county take advantage of public private partnership which provides for the participation of the private sector in financing, construction, operation or maintenance of infrastructure through contractual agreements.

Further, the report recommended that the capacity of Murang’a municipality, needs to be strengthened to manage urban growth and development, including preparedness to respond to disasters