Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga has signed four charters to establish four new municipalities within the devolved unit.
The towns of Kendu Bay, Ndhiwa, Mbita, and Oyugis are now municipalities and are expected to grow rapidly in the coming months.
The signing of the charters brings the county’s municipality count to five.
The other municipality is Homa Bay, which was established during the previous administration.
Some towns have seen population growth as people move from rural to urban areas.
However, a failure to expand infrastructure such as water supply, roads, and sewerage has resulted in a slew of problems.
Ms Wanga stated that the increased population in towns makes it difficult for people to live there with limited resources.
Homa Bay, according to the governor, has positioned itself as a county that can attract investors to promote urbanization.
“I proudly signed and sealed charters this morning establishing Mbita, Ndhiwa, Kendu Bay, and Oyugis as full municipalities, joining Homa Bay Town. We are positioning them as economic hubs to attract investments, development partner support, and enhance service delivery,” Wanga stated.
Ms Wanga stated that the new municipalities were established in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Towns and Urban Act.
The formation of a committee at the county assembly, which conducted public participation on the formation of the new boundaries, was part of the process.
Before drafting the charter and presenting it to the House, a classification committee was formed to conduct delineation.
The catter was then approved by the house and signed by the governor on Monday morning.
