
What is Nakuru city known for?
What is Nakuru city known for? Kenya’s fourth-biggest city, Nakuru city serves as both the county seat and the previous provincial capital of the Rift Valley. With a height of 1850 metres above sea level, Nakuru City is located in Kenya’s Nakuru County, which accounts for its chilly climate.
Located in the Rift Valley, Nakuru enjoys mild year-round weather. The city’s nights are often cooler than its summer months, with June through August marking the start of the cold season.
History of Nakuru city
The history of Nakuru, the fourth-largest metropolitan hub in Kenya, dates back to the ancient era. This is due of archaeological finds made at Hyrax Hill Reserve, an 8-kilometer drive from the city’s central business sector. Nakuru City was founded as a part of the White Highlands during the colonial era, when Kenya was governed by the British colonial overlords. Nakuru began to develop gradually from being merely a portion of the White Mountains to being a thriving metropolis; in 1904, it was recognised as a township, and in 1952, it was elevated to the status of a municipality. In summary, Nakuru expanded from a town to a metropolis and then a county as a district.
Nakuru has experienced a number of political events. For instance, in 2006, while travelling to a peace conference in Marsabit, Mirugi Kariuki, a member of the parliament at the time, and other lawmakers perished in an aircraft crash. By-elections were held to fill the seat left by the late member of parliament. William Mirugi Kariuki, the late member’s son, was one of the candidates and emerged victorious. Honourable William Mirugi Kariuki, who was elected at the age of 27, became the first and youngest member of parliament to represent Nakuru town consistently. However, as the saying goes, good things come to an end, and Lee Kinyanjui defeated William Mirugi Kariuki in the 2007 general elections. A large number of buildings were set on fire by protestors who were against Lee Kinyanjui’s election victory during the violent post-election period that heavily impacted Nakuru.
Pillars of Nakuru City
Economy
The main pillars of the Nakuru City economy are manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture. Nakuru is well-known for its agricultural potential, as evidenced by the large number of large farms and small farms that dot the city’s landscape. The city is fed by a variety of crops that are grown nearby, including coffee, wheat, barley, maize, beans, and potatoes, all of which are kept in enormous silos that are located outside the city limits. Lesiolo Grain Handlers Limited and the National Cereals and Produce Board are the two organisations in charge of managing the harvest storage.
Nakuru’s manufacturing industries, including flour milling and grain ginneries, use the stored crops as raw materials. Some of Nairobi’s most well-known manufacturing establishments are milk processing plants, Menengai soap factories, Car & General Motorcycle plants, Eveready Battery plants, Fertiplant East Africa, and numerous others. The majority of Kenya’s major retail supermarket chains, including Nakumatt, Naivas, Tuskys, and Gilanis supermarkets, which were first established in Nakuru, are proudly based in Nakuru. Nakuru boasts a sizable public market located in the western part of the town, catering to both regular residents and traders. The city is also home to a variety of retail businesses that provide goods and services to the manufacturing and agricultural industries.
According to a UN assessment, Nakuru’s economic strength allowed it to be named the first growing city in Africa and the fourth in the world.
Means of Transport in Nakuru city
People in Nakuru use a variety of kinds of transportation to get to different parts of the city as well as to connect to other cities and districts in Kenya. These modes of transportation include road, rail, and air.
Air travel: Nakuru is home to two airstrips: Kabarak, located 20 kilometres from the city centre, and Lanet, which will soon be developed to an international airport.
Road transportation: There are several, well-maintained roads in Naguru Town that make driving a car, motorcycle, or matatu easier. The town is made up of roads and highways such the Eldoret-Nairobi highway, which connects Nakuru to Nairobi, Usain Gishu country, and Dondori route C08, which connects Nakuru city to central Kenya.
Train: Nakuru has a train station on the fringe of the central business area that is available for travellers to connect to towns like Nairobi and Mombasa in the east and Kisumu and Eldoret in the west. The city is served by the Rift Valley Railways, which have a small gauge track that passes through it.
Tourist Attractions in Nakuru city
Nakuru is a well-known travel destination with a variety of noteworthy tourist attractions, including
As part of the Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Nakuru is a rift valley soda lake that is home to millions of flamingos that can be seen from its ends. It is a popular tourist destination.
National Park of Lake Nakuru: One of the most notable tourist destinations in Nagpur is Lake Nakuru National Park, which gets its name from the lake that fills a large portion of the park. Numerous animal and bird species can be easily observed in the Lake Nakuru National Park.

Volcanoes
Nakuru City is surrounded by volcanoes, such as Menengai Crater, the second-largest surviving volcanic crater in the world. Inside the forested caldera, the crater is home to tiny fumaroles and steam vents that may be seen from above.
Lake Bogoria and Lake Baringo, as well as the Hyrax Hill prehistoric site—discovered by the Leakey family in 1926 and regarded as a significant Neolithic and Iron Age site—are among the other attractions in Naguru City.
Social life of Nakuru City
The social life of its citizens is given more attention in Nakuru, a city with a large number of hotels and entertainment venues, such the Casa Tulia hotel, Gees in, and Legacy Hotel and Suites, among many more. Nakuru City is home to numerous clubs and sports arenas, including
Afraha Stadium is a multipurpose venue primarily utilised for football games. The city’s centre is home to the Rift Valley Sports Club, which is used for a variety of sporting events. The Great 10-a-side rugby festivals are held yearly by the Nakuru Athletics Club. Lake of motor vehicles A motorbike racking track is run on the Lake View Estate in Nakuru.
Kenyatta Avenue is home to the Nyayo Gardens.
Learning Institutions found in Nakuru city
An important hub for education in Kenya, Nakuru is home to numerous educational institutions, including branches of The Kenya Institute of Management (KIM), Egerton University, Kabarak University, Moi Academy (primary and secondary), and Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI). Prominent universities including the University of Nairobi, Kenya Methodist University, Mount Kenya University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, Laikipia University, and Kenyatta University have campuses in Nakuru.
