From breadbasket to brick and mortar: The death of Nakuru farmlands

For a long time, Nakuru County was recognised as an agricultural hub due to its rich, fertile soils, which are suitable for growing a wide variety of agricultural products.

Suitable crops in the region included grains, vegetables, and fruits.

The majority of the city’s agricultural products were produced on Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) farms, which were abandoned by subsequent administrations to politically correct individuals who then sold them.

These ADC farms produced immense amounts of dairy products, green and dry maize, beans, potatoes, and various vegetables including spinach, kale (sukuma wiki), and cabbage, as well as traditional vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, all grown through small- or large-scale farming.

Although farming remains the backbone of the county’s economy, hundreds of acres of farmland have been subdivided into smaller plots and sold to private developers for commercial and residential use.

Consequently, commercial buildings like malls and shops have sprouted alongside maisonettes, apartments, and houses. This has forced the city to source its food supplies from fertile sub-counties like Molo, Subukia, Kuresoi, Njoro, and Bahati, and neighbouring counties like Narok, Kericho, Nyandarua, and Laikipia.

Isaac Makokha, managing director of Kwoba Commercial Agencies, noted that the population explosion is a key driver of this development.

“Population explosion arose from several factors, which is why this land was sold to private individuals,” stated Makokha, who has four decades of experience in the real estate industry.

He explained that a large portion of the population was affected by post-election violence in Eldoret and other parts of the country between 1992 and 2007. “These were people uprooted from their original farms, fleeing to safer areas due to politically instigated violence. Many settled in Nakuru city, making it a prime location. This is why the city is so heavily populated today,” said Makokha.

Besides post-election violence, he noted that residents’ desire to transition from tenants to homeowners contributed to a rush for land and mortgages. “This is a regular practice globally and in several Kenyan cities; Nakuru was no exception,” he stated.

Furthermore, some who inherited large tracts of land found them difficult to manage after the death of the original proprietors, leading them to sell large parcels.

“Management problems were key to dependents selling land to retain smaller, manageable parcels while investing in other businesses across the city and country,” said Makokha.

He stated that beneficiaries of large tracts now prefer smaller plots that are easier to manage than expansive farms. Margaret Kinyanjui, a resident of Ngata Estate, is happy to have settled here after buying her land at affordable rates in the early nineties.

“It brings great pride to build a permanent home in such a cosmopolitan area when land was still affordable,” she said.

In the early nineties, an acre of land near the tarmac in Ngata or Kiamunyi sold for Sh20,000 to Sh30,000; today, those pieces sell for between Sh50 million and Sh60 million.

In Kiamunyi, an acre located kilometres away from the tarmac sells for Sh10 million to Sh12 million.

According to Makokha, a quarter-acre roadside plot in Kiamunyi currently sells for Sh10 million to Sh15 million. Away from the tarmacked road, that same size sells for Sh4 million to Sh6 million.

Elly Ogutu, Managing Director of De-Negotiator Commercial Agencies, admitted that land prices in the city have skyrocketed.

“Prices have risen sharply and will keep rising now that the town has been elevated to city status,” he said.

Ogutu added that this development has attracted even more investors.

Although she did not state her current land value, Kinyanjui regretted not buying more land earlier.

“I wish I had bought a full acre then, as prices were so affordable,” said the teacher-turned-farmer.

Makokha added that pressure from successive governments forced former colonial settlers to sell large tracts within the county.

“Government pressure on former colonial settlers with long-term leases also resulted in sales after their leases expired,” said the property consultant.

However, Makokha noted that this development has bolstered the city’s economic status by creating jobs and opportunities, resulting in higher tax collection.