A quiet tragedy is unfolding in Nakuru. The county, once celebrated as the "farmer’s capital" of Kenya, is systematically burying its heritage under concrete. In a rush for quick profits, fertile farmlands that once fed the nation are being chopped up into 50x100 plots, replaced by apartments and gated communities. The breadbasket is becoming a bedroom, and the cost will be measured in hunger.

The transformation is visceral. Drive from Nairobi to Nakuru, and the green maize fields of yesteryear are gone, replaced by "Plot for Sale" billboards. The unchecked urbanization is driven by a population explosion and the town’s elevation to City status, which has sent land prices soaring. For a struggling farmer, selling an acre for Sh10 million is far more lucrative than waiting for a harvest that might fail due to drought.

The irreversible Loss

Agricultural experts warn that this land conversion is irreversible. Once topsoil is paved over, it is gone forever. Nakuru’s unique volcanic soil, perfect for grains and dairy, is being wasted on foundations that could have been built on rocky, non-arable land.

• Food Security Threat: Nakuru contributes significantly to Kenya’s supply of potatoes, maize, and milk. As production falls, food prices in urban centers like Nairobi will inevitably rise, punishing the poorest.
• Water Stress: The new concrete jungle disrupts the water table. Lake Nakuru is already suffering from pollution and encroachment; the new estates often lack proper sewerage, turning rivers into open drains.

A Planning Failure

"We are eating our children’s inheritance," warns a local agronomist. The lack of strict zoning laws means there is no protected agricultural land. The market dictates everything, and the market prefers rent to vegetables.

Unless the County Government intervenes to designate "agricultural zones" that are off-limits to developers, Nakuru will soon be a city that cannot feed itself, reliant on imported food while sitting on some of the best soil in Africa.