Eldoret officially becomes Kenya’s fifth city

Eldoret city was filled with celebrations as President William Ruto declared it a city, marking a new era. With this charter, Eldoret becomes the fifth city in Kenya, following Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nakuru. Statues representing agriculture and sports were among the key highlights.

The event was attended by several athletes from the recently concluded Paris Olympics, where Kenya secured 11 medals, highlighting Eldoret’s status as a city of champions. President Ruto and Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii formalized the town’s city status by signing the charter.

In his speech, the President emphasized that Eldoret had successfully fulfilled the requirements to be classified as a city.

“Now therefore in exercise of the powers conferred on the head of state under section 7 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act, I Kipchirchir William Samoei Ruto, president of Kenya and commander in chief of Kenya’s Defence Forces do hereby ordain, declare and direct that the municipality of Eldoret has been conferred with city status,” President Ruto declared.

President Ruto awarded the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS) to distinguished men and women who made significant contributions in representing Eldoret within their respective roles. They include KANU politician Paul Boit, athlete Vivian Cheruiyot, former mayor Joseph Lesiew and nominated MP Ezekiel Barngetuny.

The city status comes in line with recommendations from the Senate’s Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations, acknowledging Eldoret’s adherence to the Urban Areas and Cities Act of 2011.

In his speech, Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii thanked President William Ruto, emphasizing that the city status was a victory for the residents of Eldoret, neighboring communities, and the entire nation.

“We are looking at opportunities that the city will bring to us. We know we will attract investors from all over the world. We need to package ourselves in a way that the whole world knows we are here,” said the governor.

The city fulfilled key requirements, including a minimum population of 250,000, an integrated urban development plan, adequate revenue generation capacity and the provision of essential services.