Rumuruti, the once marginalised town that everyone now wants a piece of

Once upon a time, the roaring of lions and the trumpeting of elephants shattered the serenity of the plains of Rumuruti, the headquarters of Laikipia County.

Not anymore.

Investor's dream

The vast land where these animals once roamed has been taken over by new infrastructure and businesses that have made Rumuruti an investor's dream.

New hotels and houses have been built in the once-sleepy town and its outskirts to meet the growing demand for housing.

A network of new roads leading into the town has made it easier for locals and visitors to get around the equatorial region.

County headquarters

Due to its central location, the town has been gazetted and designated as the county headquarters and is home to some of the most prime and sought-after land in the country.

State-of-the-art buildings are under construction in the town to house both government offices and private investments.

Holiday destination

This has attracted real estate players and other investors to the area who are transforming the town into a real estate and holiday destination.

The development of infrastructure has also led to an almost mad scramble to subdivide land and a frenzy of property sales as real estate companies pitch their tents in the city to meet the growing demand for home ownership.

Those who own large plots of land have been subdividing them out to investors offering attractive prices of Sh500,000 and above.

“Rumuruti is a hidden gem in Kenya’s landscape, offering vast opportunities for anyone looking to invest in land,” Mr Samuel Mburu, a real estate investor, told Nation.Africa.

According to him, the availability of land in the town and a reliable source of energy have been key motivators for investors.

Mr Alex Kaishu, a resident, said land in the town is very valuable and has continued to appreciate as the infrastructure and amenities in the area continue to grow.

“Land buying companies and investors have been flocking to the town because there is all that is required for the industry to thrive, despite the town’s location and distance,” said Mr Kaishu.

Real estate companies that have set up shop in the town include Angaza Real Estate Ltd, Jekmas Services, Maiyan Homes, Country Resorts, Kiloran Developers, Imara Land Investments Limited, Hodari Homes and Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club Resort.

According to Laikipia County Secretary Koinange Wahome, the availability of abundant land in the town makes it a prime investment destination.

“The land in Rumuruti is suitable for a range of agricultural activities, including crop farming, livestock rearing, and horticulture.

The area is also ideal for wildlife conservation and eco-tourism, making it a perfect investment for anyone interested in conservation and sustainable development,” says Mr Wahome.

He added that the town's upgrading to a municipality has also attracted hundreds of investors.
Educational institutions, including Laikipia and PCEA universities, have already approached the government for space in Rumuruti Municipality.

The Laikipia County Government is also racing against time to establish a mortuary at Rumuruti Subcounty Hospital to decongest the mortuary at Nyahururu County Referral Hospital.

The county government has also started upgrading Rumuruti Subcounty Hospital from level 4 to level 5.
“The new morgue at Rumuruti town, which is our county headquarters, would improve safety and also help ease long distances [that] families have been travelling to collect or transport their departed loved ones to [and from] Nyahururu town,” Governor Joshua Irungu told the Nation.

He noted that once the morgue is established, a government pathologist will be posted to the facility to conduct post-mortems.

“The presence of a pathologist at the facility means that some of the cases that were delayed in court awaiting post-mortem reports will now be fast-tracked. By this, we will ease the struggle that families go through as they seek to establish the cause of death of their kin because the services have been brought closer to them,” added Mr Irungu.

Last month, the government launched the construction of the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) in the town as part of efforts to boost manufacturing in the region.

The project, which is the first of its kind in the region, is expected to revolutionise the agricultural and industrial sectors in the agrarian-rich county.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the industrial park, Moses Kuria, the former Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Trade and Industry (now Public Service), said the facility would help meet the growing demand for value addition to the county's agricultural produce and manufacturing while improving efficiency in the agricultural value chain through the provision of modern infrastructure and processing facilities.

The CS said the project, which is being set up by the national and county governments, would see both levels of government contributing Sh25 million each towards its construction.

The project, which will be built on 2,500 acres of land in Rumuruti town, will be completed in 7 months.
The government will equip the facility using funds from development partners, including the African Development Bank (ADB) and others, to make it operational, the CS said.

He added: "We will also look for investors in the private sector who will come in and run the facility.”
This is being hailed as a game changer in efforts to develop the town as an industrial hub, particularly in the manufacturing of agricultural equipment and food processing.

Governor Irungu said: “The establishment of the facility will enable Laikipia to continue attracting more investments, expand and diversify production of goods and services for domestic and export markets, promote value addition in the agriculture sector and promote local entrepreneurship through Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).”

The project will make Rumuruti not only a preferred destination for investment, but also a place to work and live, while at the same time further opening up the town to new investments that will help transform it, according to the county chief.

Inaugurated four years ago, the Rumuruti Municipality Board has been mandated by the County Government to manage, promote and undertake infrastructure development in the town.

Activities undertaken by the board include developing sustainable urban economic plans, attracting investment for critical climate-resilient infrastructure and value chain projects by strengthening rural linkages to larger urban markets, creating climate-resilient jobs; and enabling greater private sector-led growth.

The committee has also overseen the construction and maintenance of community markets, the construction of sewerage and water pipelines, and the implementation of key development projects within the city.

Twenty kilometres of roads in the town have also been resurfaced and upgraded to bitumen, with drainage and street lighting installed.

The improvements to the town were carried out as part of the Sh30 billion infrastructure development fund provided by the World Bank. Each county received a minimum of Sh200 million from the grant, which was channelled through the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing to develop urban areas.

Rumuruti Municipality was allocated Sh47 million to implement the programme. The county government has since moved its main offices from Nanyuki town to Rumuruti, following the completion of the Sh60 million county headquarters in the town.

Although Rumuruti town is the gazetted county headquarters, the county government has been operating from Nanyuki town in Laikipia East.

According to Governor Irungu, moving the county headquarters would help bring services closer to residents.

"Previously, residents of Laikipia West and East constituencies had no option but to travel to Nanyuki town, which is on the edge of the county, to seek government services.

“Our people will now be accessing government services from Rumuruti town which is the central point of our county,” said the county boss.

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