City status craze should translate into tangible benefits for regions

Kenya now boasts five cities. Nairobi is no longer lonely at the top.

But does attaining city status matter? Should more towns aspire to be cities? 

It is assumed that attaining city status attracts investors. That calls for more than a change in status.

Have the amenities like roads, schools, parks, hospitals and sewerage improved? What about bureaucracy?  

I understand attaining city status also loosens the purse strings by external funders like the World Bank. 

Cities ought to be magnets because of their quality of life, perceived or real. Would you believe that over 60 per cent of Nairobians live in slums despite the prestige Nairobi enjoys?

Many rural folks live a better and more fulfilling life than urban folks, but the mystery and mysticism of the city and its lights endure. 

Has rural electrification reduced the allure of the cities? 

There is also popular belief that cities should have high-rise buildings, skyscrapers and overcrowding.

Empty spaces are seen as a waste and should be turned into “money.”  Do rural folks realise how rich they are?

They live in leafy neighbourhoods, something that only a few can dream of in the city. Cities are also tourist sites. Can we preserve historic buildings? 

The quality of life in the cities improves through public or private investment. Governments invest in public goods like roads, schools or parks and also provide jobs.

The private sector is attracted by the public goods and amenities. This creates a cycle, the reason cities keep growing.

Cities that are also national capitals enjoy more benefits because of government workers and other facilities. How big would Nairobi be without being the capital? Landowners also benefit because, with city status, land prices go up. Do rates also go up? I have noted that the pride over city status quickly mutes. How often do locals talk of Nakuru city or Mombasa city in their conversations? Reality quickly set in.  How have the new cities fared in attracting investments?  Nairobi is doing well; just look at the number of cranes.

Nairobi attracts money from the counties and abroad. Its cosmopolitan nature makes it more attractive and homely. How much capital does Nairobi attract because of hosting the UNEP headquarters?  

Nairobi has been mystified, unlike other cities. Have you noted popular terms like “Nairobi businessman, and “food for Nairobians” at funerals?”  Add the melting pot of races, nationalities and tribes.  

Mombasa lacks Nairobi’s international audience. It has a transient crowd. It’s a much older town than Nairobi but that seems to be its soft underbelly.

Few have broken through the facade of its long history and links to the Middle East. That is changing due to gentrification, particularly in the old town.

Mombasa has not marketed itself like Zanzibar and its stone city. Beyond raha (fun), Mombasa does not have an enduring identity.  

Kisumu has refused to be international except for the researchers and tourists who visit the city. What’s its identity? Like Mombasa, nearness to water is not enough to identify. It’s a pot that has not melted.

Twining Kisumu to Kakamega would awaken it. The city feels too defended by its “owners.” 

Nakuru is the closest to Nairobi in character. It has a deeper feeling of a city than Mombasa and Kisumu despite being newer. It is very cosmopolitan and has a huge hinterland for expansion. It was the capital of settlers. Like Kisumu and Mombasa, Nakuru’s identity is loose. What happened to the flamingos, being the cleanest and the most romantic city? 

What of Eldoret? It was the settler’s capital for the Boers, while Nakuru was for Britons.

Just visit the Nakuru North Cemetery. Why has Eldoret not exploited that history?  Its identity is being defined by athletics and agriculture. And it was always seen as a counterweight to Nakuru. Guess why.  

Except for Nairobi and Mombasa, which have been defined more by the market than the government, the other cities are “forced.” Could that explain why they have not leveraged their city status? Is the market efficient in urban economics? 

What of “private cities” like Tatu City and New City, off the Nyahururu-Nyeri Road? What next after cities? 

Cities should have mayors and should not be lumped together with the rest of the counties.

Governors should not fear losing their power and revenues. That is the global practice. New York and London have mayors. We used to have mayors in the old constitution, never mind their comic diction like, “I am the mayor, the rest are mere kanjoras (councillors).” 

Two, how do we ensure that cities keep a symbiotic relationship with the hinterland or rural areas? Today, it’s parasitic with cities draining rural areas of their brains, talents and ambition. It is the least talked about brain drain. 

Three, with the proposal to make Homa Bay a city, do not be surprised if the proposal is extrapolated to, “a city for each county.” Next one, please...   

Cities should enrich our lives by unleashing competition and innovation. We should not forget our cultural life too.

Hopefully, the new cities will live up to that expectation.  Do you live in any of the new cities? How has life changed for you?