Senate committee has urged Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii to increase Eldoret City’s own-source revenue to help fund infrastructure and essential services.
The Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations raised concerns about the city’s financial sustainability during a meeting with county officials at Parliament Buildings on Monday.
Committee chairman Mohamed Abbas, the senator for Wajir, questioned whether the city’s reported annual revenue of about KSh1.2bn was enough to meet its growing needs.
“This is a new city, and your revenue streams are still limited. You are collecting annually Sh1.2 billion. Will this amount of money sustain the city?” Senator Abbas asked.
He said Eldoret’s rapid growth meant it needed significant investment in infrastructure and public services.
The committee said the city’s revenue-raising capacity remained a major challenge, particularly as more functions, including infrastructure, waste management and public amenities, are transferred to the city administration.
Senator Margaret Kamar also questioned whether the county’s revenue collection system was fully automated and covered all parts of Eldoret.
Senator Chute said county revenue collections had declined from KSh1.1bn in the 2020-21 financial year to KSh1.058bn in 2025-26.
He warned that continued weakness in revenue collection could undermine Eldoret’s status as a city.
Governor Bii disputed the figures presented to the committee, saying they did not include revenue collected by health facilities because of accounting rules on appropriations in aid.
He said the city’s actual own-source revenue was about Sh1.7bn when hospital collections were included.
Bii said the city administration was also developing a strategy to increase revenue by capitalising on Eldoret’s strengths in sports, healthcare, agriculture, logistics and education.
He cited international partnerships, including a newly established sister-city relationship with Minneapolis in the United States, as part of efforts to attract investment.
Diversity concerns
The committee also raised concerns about the composition of the Eldoret City Board and its workforce.
Senators said about 90 percent of the city’s employees came from one community, raising questions about compliance with constitutional requirements on inclusivity and representation.
Committee vice-chair Catherine Mumma warned that failure to comply with the requirements could expose the board to legal challenges.
Senator Hezena Lemaletian said Eldoret was an important urban centre for the wider Rift Valley region and should reflect the diversity of Kenya.
In response, Governor Bii said his administration would review the legal framework governing the city board and its recruitment procedures.
The committee gave the county government time to review the board’s membership, reorganise its human resource structures and submit a plan for increasing revenue.
The measures are intended to strengthen Eldoret’s financial position and support its continued development as a city.
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