Nakuru town is now Nakuru City.
Nakuru which becomes the forth city after Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu was awarded the charter on Wednesday, 1st December 2021.
The charter was awarded by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at a ceremony held at the newly beautified Nyayo Gardens in Nakuru CBD.
The ceremony was attended by about 2000 residents and several invited guests including the Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka.
However, out of the 11 Nakuru elected leaders MPs, only two were in attendance. The Senator and the Women Rep also gave the event a wide berth raising suspicion that the Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui intended to take the sole credit for the city status.
At the charter award ceremony, the new Nakuru City logo was unveiled. Unfortunately, it was later to emerge that the logo designer had been short-changed and his design had been used without his prior knowledge and the promised award money had not been given.
“Apparently, Nakuru is receiving its City status. Back in June they released a flyer requesting creatives to participate in the logo design competition. They have never announced the winner nor awarded the winner. The above logo is my creation, that i presented as they had instructed. They have manipulated the logo concept and used it as the official city logo without my consent, I have not received any official communication from the county or any recognition whatsoever. This is wrong, sad and very unfair to the creatives and the industry at large,” wrote Rough Githuka the graphics designer who allegedly did the winning design.
Benefits of Nakuru City
In his speech to during the award ceremony, President Uhuru promised Nakuru residents that they should expect positive changes with the new status.
“A city comes with a lot of benefits,” said President Uhuru.
“It becomes attractive to do business and attracts investors who in turn create jobs for the youths,” added the President on the benefits of Nakuru being granted City status.
Nakuru Governor, Lee Kinyanjui, did not however talk of any particular benefits that residents will enjoy from the new status. His speech mostly focused on the history of Nakuru, Lake Nakuru National park and the projects being undertaken by the National Government.
During his visit in Nakuru, the President also launched the newly constructed Nakuru Disaster Unit which has been constructed by the World Bank. He also “opened” the newly opened matatu termini which is however yet to be occupied by matatus.