Nakuru is County number 32 out of the 47 Kenyan Counties. With an area of 7,496.5 KM², it is the 19th largest County in size. However, it has the third-largest population after Nairobi and Kiambu. Nakuru County has a population on 2,162,000 as per the 2019 census.
Nakuru County is subdivided into 11 Sub-counties (Constituencies) which are in turn subdivided into 55 wards. Naivasha Sub-county has the highest population in Nakuru County and also the largest in size.
The first Governor for Nakuru was Kinuthia Mbugua (2013-2017) who joined Statehouse as comptroller after dropping out of the 2017 elections. After Kinuthia Mbugua, Lee Kinyanjui a former Nakuru Town MP was elected as Governor in 2017.
James Kiarie Mungai was the first Senator for Nakuru County (2013 – 2017). Susan Kihika the first speaker of the County Assembly of Nakuru was elected Senator in 2017.
With the established of devolved units in 2010, the National Government reorganized the Provincial administration. The positions of PC were scrapped and instead we have Regional Commissioners who are in-charge of several common counties.
At the County level, we have County Commissioners representing the Government and the Deputy County Commissioners (DCC) are in-charge of sub-counties representing the national government. Below them, we have Assistant County Commissioners, Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs.
The first Regional Commissioner based in Nakuru from 2013 was Wanyama Musimabo. He was replaced by Mongo Chimwanga who served only briefly before George Natembeya took over.
The first County Commissioner for Nakuru County was Mohammed Birik (2013-2015). Joshua Nkanatha (2015-2019) was replaced by Erastus Mbui in early 2019 as the County Commissioner.
Naivasha Constituency was established during the 1997 elections. The MPs who have represented Naivasha since then include;
1. Paul Samuel Kihara – (1997 2003) (Died in office in 2003)
2. Jayne Wanjiru Kihara – (2003 – 2007) and (2017 to date)
3. John Njenga Mututho – (2007 – 2012)
4. John Karanja Kihagi – (2012 – 2017)
Before then, Naivasha was known as Nakuru East and it included both the current Naivasha and Gilgil Constituencies. The previous MPs were;
1963 – 1968 – Fred Kubai
1968 – 1973 – Fred Kubai
1973 – 1978 – S. T. Kairo
1978 – 1983 – James Wagara
1983 – 1988 – Gitahi Ngaruro
1988 – 1992 – John Wanyange