County seeks to decongest Nakuru town

By Steve Mkawale

Nakuru, Kenya: The County Government of Nakuru has moved to address the congestion crisis in the town occasioned by rapid urban migration.

According to Governor Kinuthia Mbugua, the county administration is currently in talks with Rift Valley Railways to either acquire or lease huge parcels of land it owns in the town for expansion of public amenities.

Rift Valley Railways owns 30 per cent of land within the town which has buildings and other installations that are not in use.

The Standard has learnt that the organisation owes the county government a whopping Sh300 million in land rates that has accumulated over the years.

Mbugua said talks were in an advanced stage to have RVR lease out some of its land to the county for construction of markets and bus termini to ease congestion in the town.

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No room

“We are faced with a crisis in the expansion of Nakuru town. You realise the town is sandwiched between Menengai Crater on the north and Lake Nakuru on the south and we cannot expand it in either direction,” said the governor.

Mbugua further observed that the town has no room for expansion on the northern side as the area is an agricultural zone.

“Subdivision of such farms will be suicidal for the county. We need food and I am afraid that a population boom in Nakuru will result in fragmentation of large agricultural farms that have been producing food for the country and beyond,” said the governor.

Nakuru is one of Kenya’s bread baskets renowned for growing of potatoes, cabbages, carrots, wheat and maize.

Master plan

The county is one of the four main maize-growing areas according to CYMMIT, an international research centre. The other major maize growers are Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu and Bungoma.

Mbugua said he would soon launch a new master plan for development of the county that would address challenges that have come with the population explosion.

He said the town requires proper planning especially after Nakuru was ranked by UN Habitat as the fastest growing town in East and Central Africa and the fourth globally.

“It is good news that we are ranked high and we have to ensure that the growth is positive.” Recently, the county announced it was seeking alternative land for expansion.