The once beautiful Jacaranda Trees within Nakuru CBD are now posing danger to motorists and pedestrians.
History has it that had it not been for gentleman, Frank Walter Jameson, the beautiful jacaranda trees in Nakuru and other colonial time towns in Kenya would not exist.
Born in Durban, SA, in 1873, his fascination and love for the jacaranda tree was so high that he was nicknamed “Jacaranda Jim.”
Jacaranda Jim was appointed Nairobi’s Town Planning Consultant in 1926. With his great weakness for planting jacaranda trees, he would plant the purple tree wherever no other idea came to mind. As one author has put it, “jacaranda are an exotic blessing that was left behind by the British at the end of their colonial rule.”
After Nairobi, the idea of using Jacaranda for urban beatification spread to Nakuru, Nanyuki, Nyeri, Kiambu, Limuru among other old urban centres in Kenya.
However, the beauty of the Jacaranda has turned into disaster.
With the heavy downpour being experienced, the trees which are now old are now becoming dangerous to motorists and pedestrians.
The Wednesday April 30, 2025 incident where a roadside jacaranda tree fell on a moving vehicle in Nakuru near DND House on during heavy down pour at 5pm is the talk of town.
The incident happened just off Oginga Odinga on west road next to charismata.
The Matatu is said to belong to a Ngata Sacco and had no passengers on board during the incident.
Addressing journalists, Biashara Ward MCA Fadhili Msuri termed the incident as unfortunate.
He at the same time noted that there was need for an overhaul of the drainage system within Nakuru CBD to address the menace of food waters.
“This is unfortunate incident where the tree fell on a Ngata Matatu. We thank God that during the incident there were no passengers on board. But we are saying is that we need to have an overhaul of the drainage system within Nakuru CBD so as to help address the challenges of drainage,” he stated.
This is not the first time such an incident is happening, hence raising a heated debates on whether the old jacaranda trees should now be fell to avert such tragedies in future.
It will be remembered that on March 23, a tree fell on a vehicle on the Nakuru-Kabarak road prompting Kabarak fraternity to cut down the trees along the road that were planted long time ago through the late retired President Daniel Arap Moi.
Some residents in Nakuru are of the opinion that the old jacaranda trees in Nakuru CBD that pose danger to the motorists and pedestrians should be done away with.
Nakuru-based Environmental activist James Wakibia is of the opinion that trees that pose danger to motorists and pedestrians should be pruned or felled.
He suggests that the county government should remove and replant new trees that are urban friendly.
He noted that, “Life is much more precious and should be protected at all costs. But, I’d suggest removal and replanting of new trees that are urban friendly.”
Wakibia is however quick to point out that he does not support cutting down all trees, but only those am only those that pose danger.
According to him, the jacarandas in Nakuru are beautiful and should be maintained.
