Nakuru County

Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads, Airports, Climate & National Monuments in Nakuru County

Geography of Nakuru County

The foremost topographic features in Nakuru County are the Mau Escarpment covering the Western part of the county, the Rift Valley floor, Ol Doinyo Eburru Volcano, Akira Plains, Menengai Crater, its elaborate drainage and relief system and the various inland lakes set on the floor of the Rift Valley – where nearly all the permanent rivers and streams in the county drain into. These rivers include: Njoro and Makalia which drain into Lake Nakuru, Malewa which drains into Lake Naivasha, and Molo River draining into Lake Baringo. These topographic features are an interesting niche for scientific research as well as great touring attractions. The most predominant is the Hell’s Gate National Park in Naivasha, a popular attraction in Nakuru County. The land topography in Naivasha and Gilgil Sub-counties is marked by precipitous ranges with an open savanna flora.

Land Use in Nakuru County

The proportion of households which have title deeds around the County is low, a higher proportion of the non-poor compared to the poor own title deeds. The numbers of parcels held by the poor stands at 1,565 while those of the non-poor stands at 6,944, and 1,565 parcels operated by the poor have no title deed. This situation is partly fueled by biased historical land injustices, land grabbing and a rising influx of unskilled and semi-skilled job seekers from rural areas to the townships. Of these, about 100,000 households thrive in informal settlements.

Highlights of Nakuru County

Nakuru County has three national parks: Mount Longonot National Park, Hell’s Gate National Park and Lake Nakuru National Park. Into that bargain, the hot springs at OlKaria, in Hell’s Gate, are an important source of geothermal power that serves not only the county but also provides power supply to the national grid. Further explorations are underway at Menengai Crater and at Ol Doinyo Eburru with a view to generating more electricity. Nakuru County is estimated to have about 220 tourism-rated hotels with a capacity of 12,000 beds. Tourism is the most important sector in the growth and development of Nakuru County.

View of the stunning Mount Longonot. Image Courtesy of EA Retreats

Population of Nakuru County

Nakuru County’s population projection in 2012 was estimated to be 1,756,950, comprising of 881,674 male and 875,276 females, with a population density of 234 people/km2. With a county population growth rate of 3.05% per annum its population was projected to increase further up to 2,046,395 in 2017 assuming constant mortality and fertility. Nakuru County’s population is predominantly youthful, with about 51.87% aged below 20 years and about 71.63% of the total population aged below 30 years. The labour force was estimated at 968,745 in 2012 comprising 484,378 males and 484,366 females. About 62% of the total population lives in the rural areas. The rate of unemployment is about 24.52%.

Airports in Nakuru County

Nakuru County has two major airstrips, at Naivasha and Nakuru.

Roads in Nakuru County

Nairobi County has about 912 kms of roads under bitumen surface, 1,110 kms are under gravel surface and 2,326 kms of earth surface roads. Nairobi-Uganda Road runs across the county, promoting cross-border interconnections within the three East African countries. Nakuru County has a quality network of roads.

Climate in Nakuru County

Temperatures in Nakuru County range from a high of 29 Degrees C between the months of December to part of early March to low temperatures of up to 12 C during the month of June and July. Molo and Kuresoi are are relatively cooler while Naivasha, Gilgil and parts of Rongai experience comparably hot weather.