Governor Susan Kihika has shared her vision for the major Nakuru County urban centres. The Governor shared her vision with the members of the Nakuru City Board and the board members for the three municipalities of Molo, Gilgil and Naivasha during an induction session for the members.
Under the theme, “The Future is Urban,” the Governor expressed her vision for Naivasha to become the premier resort and conference city in Kenya, while Maai Mahiu is developed into an Industrial District. She proposed transforming Njoro and Mau Narok townships into County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIPS) zones, where value-addition facilities for agricultural produce would spur job creation and local processing.
The induction session, which also included the Affordable Housing Board, focused on three core pillars: capacity building in urban and municipal governance; enhancing service delivery across all centres; and forging effective working relationships between the County Government, municipal administrations, and key agencies such as the Affordable Housing Board and development partners.
For Nakuru City, Governor Kihika outlined plans to elevate standards in cleanliness, continuous infrastructure maintenance, including pothole remediation and traffic management, ensuring our county capital offers residents and visitors a top urban environment.
In Gilgil, the board has already begun cabro-paving critical streets with plans for beautifying walkways with trees, flowers, proper lighting and drainage, and actively engaging the private sector in maintenance and service delivery. A comprehensive town replanning exercise is underway, with the Gilgil Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plan (ISUDP) approaching finalisation and an Urban Forum convened this August to gather stakeholder input.
Molo Municipality will benefit from deliberate county funding for infrastructure, most immediately the new “Keep-left” bus park, expanded bus bays and key road upgrades to improve connectivity between its wards and commercial hubs.
In Naivasha, partnerships with resort and conference stakeholders will be fast-tracked, backed by targeted budget allocations and incentive frameworks designed to attract investors and development agencies.
Each municipality now has its own operational and capital budget, reflecting Governor Kihika’s commitment to devolved resources. County-financed infrastructure projects, from cabro paving in Gilgil to the Molo bus park, are complemented by policy measures that create an enabling environment for donors, development partners and public–private partnerships.
Looking ahead, the roll-out of Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plans across all urban centres will provide the blueprints for sustainable growth. After Gilgil’s ISUDP in 2025, other towns will follow suit, ensuring that every Nakuru County municipality benefits from data-driven, community-informed planning.
With these measures in place, Governor Kihika reaffirmed her commitment to building well-planned, vibrant and inclusive urban spaces that meet residents’ needs, nurture economic opportunity and secure a prosperous future for all of Nakuru County.