Factors affecting growth of designated service centres (a comparative study of Matuu and Kithimani Centres)
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Date
1986Author
Kariuki, James Ngugi
Type
ThesisLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This study examines the factors that may have
influenced the unprecedented fast growth of Matuu and
inhibited the growth of Kithimani. At a higher level
of designation, Kithimani is a rural center whilst Matuu
is a market center and of a lower designation in the
hierarchy of service centers. After an appraisal of
some of the indices of growth that the physical
planning department used in the designation of service
centers, the study evaluates and analyses possible
factors that have caused the anamolly which has hindered
the growth of Kithimani on one hand and those that have
propelled Matuu's growth on the other. These centers are
about 17 miles apart and serve the same hinterland.
Kithimani's designation as a rural center appears
to have been influenced heavily by the fact that it was
the divisional headquarters, and had a high concentration
of infrastructural services for that reason , unlike Matuu.
The study goes on to evaluate the historical, agricultural
and transportation developments in the Yatta region as
possible factors that have led to the present state of
these centers in terms of physical social and economic
functions.
The study confirms that transportation re-alignment
of Thika, Garissa road caused an increased accessibility
for Matuu and by-passed Kithimani inhibiting its reach
adversely to other important centers in the region.
It therefore appears that~when Kithimani was designated
as a rural center, little emphasis was given to its
location relative to, other vital centers in the region
except for Machakos which is the district headquarters.
It does not seem that the physical planners considered the
locations and the influence of other important centers
close by like Nairobi, Thika, Machakos, Embu and Kitui
which had already been generating their own momentum
of growth and their effects on Kithimani.
Results from the study also show that Matuu's
central location and good accessibility to the mentioned
complimenting centers has attracted the farmers in the
highly productive agricultural schemes to market their
produce in it and a conducive collection point for produce
destined elsewhere in the region.
Lastly, increased traffic flow has been confirmed
around Matuu mainly due to the re-alignment of Thika-
Garissa road and improvements of Embu and Machakos
roads. This flow of traffic generation rose insignificantly around Kithimani.The above major findings have thus reduced the
effectiveness of Kithimani as a rural service center in
yatta area. Other minor findings of relevance to the
study tells us that the historical development of centers
are important indices of growth. Centers that have
evolved as traditional market centers have better chances
of growth and should be selected as service centers like
Matuu whilst those that have evolved through administration
reasons are not likely to gather momentum for self-generating growth like in Kithimani.
Citation
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts, in the department of Uban and regional planning, faculty of architecture, design and development, > university of NairobiPublisher
Uban and regional planning, University of Nairobi