Transport Minister James Macharia on Friday gazetted a nine-member ad-hoc committee to oversee the delineation of boundaries of the four urban centers in Bungoma County.
This is after Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati wrote to him.
Wangamati suggested that Webuye and Chwele Towns become municipalities and boundaries of the already established Bungoma and Kimilili Municipalities expanded to cover more wards.
In the letter, Governor Wangamati proposed to spin off two more municipalities; Webuye and Chwele and expand Bungoma Municipality to cover Musikoma, Kabula, Tuuti Marakaru, Bukembe West, Sang’alo West, South Bukusu and West Bukusu.
Currently, Bungoma Municipality only covers Township and Khalaba Wards.
The committee will also look into the possibility of expanding Kimilili Municipality boundaries to cover Kibingei, Maeni and Kamukuywa Wards besides Kimilili ward.
The committee comprises of Mathew Thiga from IEBC as Chair, Thomas Ogutu of State Department for Housing and Urban Development as Secretary and members Geoffrey Kituyi from State Department of Agriculture, Dr Lucy Nganga from State Department of Environment and Boniface Wanyama from Kenya Institute of Planners.
Others are Alfred Eshitiera from Institute of Surveyors, Wellington Sindani from Department of Lands, Housing and Urban Planning (Bungoma County) and Onesmus Makhanu from Department of Agriculture (Bungoma County).
Governor Wangamati said as a result of the expanded boundaries, Bungoma County will receive more donor funds to develop its infrastructure in municipalities on the strength of its increasing urban population.
“With our municipalities covering more wards, we can allocate some of the funds to improve infrastructure in satellite wards like Kabula, Musikoma among others within the Municipality,” he said.
He added that his Government will continue engaging donors and entities keen on urban infrastructure and linking the same to rural areas.
Wangamati has kicked off massive projects to upgrade several earth roads in Kimilili and Bungoma Municipalities to bitumen standards under the World Bank-funded Kenya Urban Support Program (KUSP).
Already Kimilili Municipality has received Sh190 million while Bungoma Municipality bagged Sh110 million to go towards upgrading infrastructure, improving markets, roads, lighting, drainage and health centres.