Nakuru County

Not to be confused with Nakuru.
Nakuru County
County

Flamingos at Lake Nakuru

Location of Nakuru County in Kenya
Coordinates: 0°30′S 36°0′E / 0.500°S 36.000°E / -0.500; 36.000Coordinates: 0°30′S 36°0′E / 0.500°S 36.000°E / -0.500; 36.000
Country  Kenya
Formed 4 March 2013
Capital and largest town Nakuru
Other towns Naivasha
Government
 • Governor Kinuthia Mbugua
Area
 • Total 7,509.5 km2 (2,899.4 sq mi)
Population (2009)
 • Total 1,603,325[1]
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)
Website nakuru.go.ke

Nakuru County is a county in Kenya. The capital and largest town is Nakuru, although Naivasha is another major significant urban centre. With a population of 1,603,325[2] (2009 census), it is the fourth largest county in Kenya after Nairobi, Kakamega and Kiambu in that order in terms of population. Nakuru County has an area of 2,325.8 km².

Sites of Interest

Nakuru County is home to Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha some of the Rift Valley soda lakes. Lake Nakuru is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingoes nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognisable due to the continually shifting mass of pink. The number of flamingoes on the lake varies with water and food conditions and the best vantage point is from Baboon cliff. Also of interest, an area of 188 km around the lake fenced off as a sanctuary to protect Rothschild giraffe and black rhinos.

Other sites of interest around Nakuru include Menengai Crater, an extinct volcano 2,490m (8,167 ft) high. The views of the crater itself, as well as the surrounding countryside, are spectacular.

Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site, discovered by the Leakeys in 1926, is considered a major Neolithic and Iron Age site. The adjoining museum features finds from various nearby excavations.

The second largest surviving volcanic crater in the world, the Menengai Crater is 2,242 meters above sea level at its highest point. The crater plunges 483 m down from the rim and the summit is accessible by foot or vehicle 8 km from the main road. The mountain is also surrounded by a nature reserve.

RVIST is a tourist attraction.

Urban Areas

Surrounding towns include Lanet, which lies approximately 10 km from Nakuru is predominantly a residential town and is home to an army base. Njoro lies 20 km from Nakuru and is a small agricultural town with a local university aimed at promoting agricultural development in Kenya, namely Egerton University (est. 1934).

Urban Centres

Town Type Population (2009) Rank in Kenya (Population Size)
Nakuru Municipality 307,990 4
Naivasha Municipality 169,142 9
Molo Town 40,651 60
Gilgil Town 35,293 69
Njoro Town 23,551 82
Mai Mahiu Town 11,230 112
Subukia Town 7,309 139
Dundori Town 5,221 166
Salgaa Town 4,740 174
Mau Narok Town 4,357 178
Bahati Town 3,833 184
Rongai Town 2,215 213
Olenguruone Town 2,119 214

* 2009 census. Source:[3]

Nakuru Municipality panorama with Lake Nakuru in the background
Sunset at Lake Naivasha
Dusk at Lake Naivasha
 Administrative divisions
Division Population* Urban pop.* Headquarters
Bahati 143,714 6,018 Dundori
Elburgon 65,314 23,881 Elburgon
Gilgil 91,929 18,805 Gilgil
Kamara 42,281 1,452 Mau Summit
Keringet 59,863 953 Keringet
Kuresoi 40,924 0
Lare 27,727 0
Mauche 15,391 0
Mau Narok 29,916 3,321 Mau Narok
Mbogoini 59,510 228 Subukia
Molo 31,935 17,188 Molo
Naivasha 158,679 36,023 Naivasha
Nakuru Municipal 231,262 212,162 Nakuru
Njoro 79,123 15,635 Njoro
Olenguruone 32,030 509 Olenguruone
Rongai 77,441 2,163 Rongai
Total 1,187,039 338,338 -
* 1999 census. Sources:[4][5]

The county has Eleven constituencies:


Nakuru County was seen as the epicenter of violence in the aftermath of the disputed 2007 Presidential Elections which left over 1,100 people dead and over 350,000 displaced nationwide


Nakuru County Peace Accord

The Nakuru County Peace Accord (or “Rift Valley Peace Accord”) refers to the peace agreement signed on 19 August 2012 between elders of the Agikuyu (see also Kikuyu) and Kalenjin communities as well as other ethnic groups of Kenya.[6]


The agreement was designed to address sources of ethnic conflict and a history of violence in the rift valley region of Kenya.[7] It was signed following a 16 month-long peace process led by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission and the National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nakuru County.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.scribd.com/doc/36672705/Kenya-Census-2009
  2. ↑ http://www.scribd.com/doc/36672705/Kenya-Census-2009
  3. ↑ http://kenya.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/profiles/Uasin%20Gishu%20County%2023%20Jan%202012.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.cck.go.ke/html/final_annex1_cover_status.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.ilri.cgiar.org/html/Urban%20Poverty%20all%20Kenya%20Province%20through%20Location%20Final.xls
  6. ↑ "Media Breakfast Meeting on Nakuru Peace Accord - Speech by NCIC Chairman, Dr. Mzalendo Kibunjia". National Cohesion and Integration Commission. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  7. ↑ Wairimu Nderitu, Alice (2014). From the Nakuru County Peace Accord to Lasting Peace (PDF). Centre for Humanitiarian Dialogue.
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