Residents and leaders in Thika will have to wait longer for the municipality’s long-awaited elevation to city status after the Senate cancelled a key public participation exercise that was scheduled to consider the proposal.
The Senate Standing Committee on Devolution had earlier invited members of the public to submit memoranda and attend a public hearing to discuss whether Thika should be granted city status. However, a notice announcing the exercise was abruptly withdrawn on Thursday, effectively halting the process for now.
The public hearing had been planned to take place in Thika and was intended to gather views from residents, local leaders and other stakeholders on the municipality’s proposed elevation. The process was expected to run up to March 9, after which the committee would review submissions before making recommendations.
Public participation is a mandatory requirement under the Urban Areas and Cities Act, which outlines the legal process that municipalities must undergo before being granted city status. The law requires the Senate to confirm that an area has met all the statutory conditions before forwarding its recommendation.
If approved, the President would then formally confer city status.
Should the process eventually resume and succeed, Thika would become one of Kenya’s cities alongside Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret.
The push to elevate Thika has been gathering momentum over the past few years, with residents and leaders arguing that the town has grown significantly in population, infrastructure and economic activity.
Supporters of the proposal say Thika’s strong industrial base, growing urban population and strategic location near Nairobi make it suitable for city status.
In early 2025, Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi moved the process forward by submitting an ad hoc committee report together with a proposed city charter to the Kiambu County Assembly. Members of the assembly unanimously approved the report and forwarded it to the Senate for consideration.
Thika is also believed to have met key legal requirements for elevation, including surpassing the population threshold of 250,000 residents as required by law.
Infrastructure developments have also strengthened the town’s case. The 52-kilometre Thika Superhighway has significantly improved connectivity to Nairobi, while plans for the proposed Thika Expressway are expected to further boost the town’s growth.
Despite these developments, some concerns remain about Thika’s proximity to Nairobi and how its elevation could affect urban planning and economic activities in the capital.
For now, residents and leaders will have to wait as the Senate determines the next steps in the process.
