- Nakuru District
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Nakuru District is a district in the Rift Valley Province, Kenya. The district capital is Nakuru. With a population of 1,187,039 (1999 census), it is the second largest district in Kenya after Nairobi. Nakuru District has an area of 7,242 km².[1]
Nakuru is an agriculturally oriented area and is home to Lake Nakuru (est. 1961), one of the Rift Valley soda lakes. Lake Nakuru is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingoes nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognizable due to the continually shifting mass of pink. The number of flamingoes on the lake varies with water and food conditions and the best vantage point is from Baboon cliff. Also of interest, an area of 188 km around the lake fenced off as a sanctuary to protect Rothschild giraffe and black rhinos.
Other sites of interest around Nakuru include Menengai Crater, an extinct volcano 2,490m (8,167 ft) high. The views of the crater itself, as well as the surrounding countryside, are spectacular.
Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site, discovered by the Leakeys in 1926, is considered a major Neolithic and Iron Age site. The adjoining museum features finds from various nearby excavations.
The second largest surviving volcanic crater in the world, the Menengai Crater is 2,242 meters above sea level at its highest point. The crater plunges 483 m down from the rim and the summit is accessible by foot or vehicle 8 km from the main road. The mountain is also surrounded by a nature reserve.
Surrounding towns include Lanet, which lies approximately 10 km from Nakuru is predominantly a residential town and is home to an army base. Njoro lies 20 km from Nakuru and is a small agricultural town with a local university aimed at promoting agricultural development in Kenya, namely Egerton university (est. 1934).
District subdivisions
Local authorities (councils) Authority Type Population* Urban pop.* Nakuru Municipality 230,515 219,366 Naivasha Municipality 115,670 32,222 Molo Town 89,594 20,944 Nakuru County County 751,260 80,475 Total - 1 ,187,039 353,007 * 1999 census. Source: [1] Administrative divisions Division Population* Urban pop.* Headquarters Bahati 143,714 6,018 Dundori Elburgon 65,314 23,881 Elburgon Gilgil 91,929 18,805 Gilgil Kamara 42,281 1,452 Mau Summit Keringet 59,863 953 Keringet Kuresoi 40,924 0 Lare 27,727 0 Mauche 15,391 0 Mau Narok 29,916 3,321 Mau Narok Mbogoini 59,510 228 Subukia Molo 31,935 17,188 Molo Naivasha 158,679 36,023 Naivasha Nakuru Municipal 231,262 212,162 Nakuru Njoro 79,123 15,635 Njoro Olenguruone 32,030 509 Olenguruone Rongai 77,441 2,163 Rongai Total 1,187,039 338,338 - * 1999 census. Sources: [2], [3], The district has six constituencies:
- Naivasha Constituency
- Nakuru Town Constituency
- Kuresoi Constituency
- Molo Constituency
- Rongai Constituency
- Subukia Constituency
References
External links
Coordinates: 0°30′S 36°0′E / 0.5°S 36°E
Categories:- Nakuru District
- Districts of Kenya
- Rift Valley Province, Kenya geography stubs
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