Kenya's Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development has appointed ad hoc committees to delineate boundaries for proposed municipalities and urban areas in Embu, Turkana, and Wajir counties. The appointments, published in the Kenya Gazette on December 11, 2025, seek to foster orderly urban expansion and improved governance. This step aligns with the government's national urbanization agenda.
In Embu County, distinct committees have been formed for the proposed Siakago, Runyenjes, and Kiritiri municipalities. Each is chaired by an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) representative and comprises officials from lands, environment, agriculture, planning, and surveying sectors. For example, the Siakago committee is led by Irene Kyatu of IEBC, alongside members like Mutua Mutisya from the Ministry of Lands, Simon Odawa from Environment, Kariuki Peter Kuria from Agriculture, Elizabeth Mutisya from the Kenya Institute of Planners, and Christopher Kinyua from the Institute of Surveyors of Kenya.
In Turkana County, a committee has been tasked with delineating boundaries for Lodwar and Kakuma municipalities. Similarly, Wajir County has a committee addressing urban areas such as Bute, Habaswein, Hadado, Eldas, Tarbaj, Khorof Harar, and Griftu, as part of formalizing their urban status.
Per the gazette notices, these committees are responsible for assessing and recommending boundaries based on legal, planning, and environmental criteria, a crucial phase in establishing and upgrading municipalities and urban zones. The initiative intends to facilitate planned urban growth, improve service provision, and bolster urban administration in the regions.
To achieve municipality status, an urban center requires a minimum of 70,000 residents per the latest census, along with essential infrastructure including roads, markets, and fire stations, plus room for future growth.
This development unfolds amid IEBC scrutiny over 40 constituencies in uncertainty. The IEBC was due to complete its boundary review by March 2024, the constitutional 12-year cap following the 2012 exercise. Delays in IEBC reconstitution stalled progress. During the prior review, 27 underpopulated constituencies were "protected" via political choice, postponing decisions to the next cycle. Such reviews are vital for equitable parliamentary and county assembly representation, as well as balanced national resource distribution, per constitutional mandates.
