Nakuru County

About Nakuru County, Kenya

Known as a center for business and trade, “Nakuru is a county of unlimited opportunities”. The County’s headquarter is in Nakuru Town and is divided into 11 Sub-Counties/Constituencies and 55 wards. Nakuru County’s average contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Kenya is second only to Nairobi county. The major economic activities include agriculture, financial services and tourism. Nakuru County covers 7498.8 Km2 and is home to Lake Elmenteita, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Nakuru, known for innumerable flamingoes that nest along its shores. The county has an estimated population of 2.1 million. Electricity is the main source of energy for lighting in the County (55.4%), while firewood and charcoal are the major sources of energy for cooking (42.6% and 30.7% respectively). Demand for wood fuel and other timber products has caused deforestation leading to aridity and increased soil erosion within the County. Efforts will be put in place to encourage use of alternative sources of energy to save forest cover. Electricity coverage in the County stands at 80% with most of these connections in urban areas. Renewable energy sources like wind, solar and biogas account for less than 3%. However, underground hot springs in Olkaria are an important source of geothermal power; the 140MW Olkaria plant is the single largest geothermal plant in Africa.