NAKURU SECONDARY DATA REVIEW
Area profile
Introduction
This document is a baseline for humanitarian needs
assessment in Nakuru County with an aim of providing
information that would aid in decision making. The
information presented has been gathered through a review of
pre-crisis, studies and secondary data lessons learnt. Available
indicator information is by County, Sub County, and National
(where there is no available sub-county/county information).
This desk review is to help in the process of assessment
planning for humanitarian needs assessment.
Purpose of the Desk review
This desk review is not a comprehensive survey on food
security, livelihoods, WASH, protection e.t.c nor is it an interagency needs assessment. It is a process in which a secondary
literature and data has been used to uncover any relevant
information of use and guidance for the preparation of the incrisis primary data collection.
Information Gaps
Demography of Population
 Nakuru
County constitutes 4.15% of the national population
ranked 5/47. 50% of the population are male while 50% are
female
 The county shares 45.8% of the national urban population
ranked 6/47 CRA 2012
 Nakuru town is the largest urban population taking 19.2% of
the county’s population, followed by Naivasha 10.5%, Molo
2.5%, GilGil 2.2% Njoro 1.46% and Mai Mahiu 0.7 CRA 2012
 The disabled population; 0.72% have visual disability, 0.35%
hearing disability, 0.48% speech disability, 0.95% physical
and self-care disability, 0.28 mental disability and 0.35%
with other disabilities. (Population with disability census
2009)Nakuru County has a population density of 214 km2,
lower than the national population density of 401.1Km2 see
Table 1 The average household size in Nakuru is 4.7, high
than the national household size of 4.4. See Table 1
Content List
Summary
Demography
Sector updates
Partners (3W)
 In
2011, the national birth rate per 1,000 was 37.6 (World
Bank, 2011), and the annual population growth rate was
2.67% (World bank, 2012)
1 (As at February 2015)
County
#
Household
s
Area
in
Sq.Km
Populatio
n Density
Male
Femal
e
Total
Populati
on
Nakuru
***
409836
7495*
*
214****
804582
79874
3
160332
5
Kenya
8,767,104
401.1
19,192,
458
19,417
,639
38,610,
097
96,252
.0
Table 1 Population statistics Nakuru (Source: KNBS 2012,
Source 2009 Census, **** CRA 2012)1 **CRECO 2012
Area Profile
Geography, climate and economy
 Nakuru County is situated on the floor of Rift Valley Province
and shares borders with Baringo, Laikipia and Nyandarua
Counties to the North and North East respectively; it borders
Narok County to the South and Bomet and Kericho Counties
to the South West; and Kiambu and Kajiado Counties to its
South Eastern tip. Currently the County has six
constituencies Naivasha, Nakuru Town, Molo, Kuresoi,
Subukia, and Rongai CRECO 2012
 The economic activities are farming, Tourism in Menengai
and Longonot mountains, Lake Nakuru, Lake Nakuru
National Park, Hell’s Gate reserve, Lakes Elementaita and
Lake Naivasha. The County also has private ranches and
hospitality centres. These bring in a lot of money to the
1
County contributing to making it one of the richest in Kenya.
(CRECO 2012,)
 Moreover, there is extensive dairy farming, commercial
wheat, horticultural, and maize farming. The County also has
major road transport carriers which take advantage of the
highway to carry out the lucrative business. (CRECO 2012,)
Environmental conditions
 Parts of Nakuru County are semi-arid and as such do not
receive sufficient rainfall. In dry seasons, these parts also
suffer disproportionately in the rain season as they flood due
to the flat nature of land and poor drainage soils. This threat
has two effects; one it destroys the infrastructure such as the
Mai Mahiu road to Nairobi; and it may reduce the number of
wild animals available in the parks through natural attrition
accentuated by severe semi-arid conditions.
 The gross national income per capita was $2780 World
Bank,2014
 Kenya’s inflation rate stood at 3.25% in November 2013
(www.worldbank.org)
Socio-cultural characteristics
The various communities in the County are Kalenjin (Kipsigis,
Turgen and Maasai), the Kikuyu and other communities
represented by migrant workers. CRECO 2012
Governance and coordination
 The County has a High Court based in Nakuru and has
Magistrates’ courts in Nakuru, Naivasha, and Molo among
others. Given that the County has both a very high urban and
http://knbs.or.ke/countydata.php
2 (As at February 2015)
rural population, and is among the biggest in size, the
number of people who can avail themselves of the judicial
services could be limited. CRECO 2012
Nakuru County, a serious threat to security may arise CRECO
2012
 Inter-communal rivalry on political powers CRECO 2012.
Hazards and Historic Sources of Conflict
Shocks and Hazards
 Upredictable
Livelihoods and Food Security
weather partens resulting to drought and Food
insecurity.
Historic triggers/Sources of tentions
 The county is prone to politicaly motivated violence
CRECO 2012.
Security Issues
Nakuru County suffers serious historical, physical and psychological
security problems. Some of these are rooted in contested land claims,
which are partly based on the fear that the other community will take
over all the land of the other (at least eventually).
Livelihoods
There is extensive dairy farming, commercial wheat
Horticulture, and maize farming CRECO 2012
Main Economic Activities/industries:
The economic activities are farming, Tourism in Menengai and
Longonot mountains, Lake Nakuru, Lake Nakuru National Park,
Hell’s Gate reserve, Lakes Elementaita and Lake Naivasha. The
County also has private ranches and hospitality centres. These
bring in a lot of money to the County contributing to making it
one of the richest in Kenya.
The other possible trigger for security concerns is the high number of
unemployed youth in the County. It is a well-known fact that
unemployed youth are useful to factional fighting as they can
very easily be mobilized as foot soldiers
There is also the issue of insecurity arising from the fact that
Nakuru County borders Baringo and Laikipia (which in turn
border West Pokot, Turkana and Samburu) which have access
to small arms. Should these small arms find their way into
Health and Nutrition
Health
 46.8(%) of births are delivered at health facility as compared
to the national level 44% ( Table 2)
 87.8% Fully-immunized pop <1yr (2012) below the national
83.0% See Table 2
3 (As at February 2015)
 Malaria cases (per 100,000 people) is 20 639 lower than the
national 21,945 See Table 2
 Tuberculosis Prevalence (per 100,000 people) 237, which is
higher than the national level 223(2)
 Underweight (weight for age) (%) is 13.3 lower than the national
level 15.0%
 Stunted (height for age) (%) 25.9 is lower than the national 30.0
 The national life expectancy at birth is 57.5% for males and
56.3 for females (World bank, 2012)
 The national literacy rate for adults is 87.4% (90.6% for
males, 84.2% for females), and the youth literacy rate is 92%
(91.7% for males, 93.7% for females World Bank, 2010
Table 2: MOH – Kenya health information system 2012
Figures shown are percentage of population, figure in brackets indicates
the rank compared across all 47 counties. * indicates Kenya county
average
WASH
Access to water
Improved sanitation at household 97% ranked 16/47 2009
Improved water accessibility at household level 66.4% the year 2009 (CRA,
2011)
Education
 74.7% of those attending Schools are between15-18 years this is higher
compared to national 70.9 %, and is ranked 22/47 counties
 Those who can read & write are 83.2% lower than the national level
66.4% and is ranked10/47 counties
Health coverage
Nakuru
Kenya *
Malaria test positivity (%)
28.0
30.0
Can read & write (10-14 years)
Attending School, 15-18 years
TB prevalent 100,000 (people 2012)
237
223
Mother to child transmission of HIV
7.3
8.5
Delivered in a health centre (%)
46.8
44
Table 2: County Education coverage (CRA, 2011)
Figures shown are percentage of population, figure in brackets indicates
the rank compared across all 47 counties. * indicates Kenya county
average
Doctors (per 100,000 people)
8
7
Full immunization coverage (%)
87.0
83.0
2
Existing Partners (3W)
MOH - Kenya Health Information System 2012
4 (As at February 2015)
Nakuru
Kenya
83.2 (10)
74.7 (22)
66.4
70.9
Figure 2: Nakuru county map (population density) Source:
Background Resources
http://data.worldbank.org/country/kenya?display=default
http://www.healthpolicyproject.com/
http://www.kenyampya.com/
http://www.nakuru.go.ke/
Figure 1: Nakuru Livelihood map
5 (As at February 2015)