Molo strives to shake off ethnic-clashes baggage

Nearly 14 years after Molo was rocked by the 2007 post-election violence, the town has slowly picked itself up and grown in leaps and bounds, as residents strive to put the horrific past behind them.

The town, about 50km northwest of Nakuru town, off the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, was the epicentre of the 2007/2008 chaos in which thousands died, property worth millions of shillings was destroyed and hundreds of thousands were displaced.

But that was not the only time Molo experienced chaos. In 1992 it was at the locus of one of Kenya’s bloodiest conflicts that left thousands dead.

Fast-forward to 2021, and Molo, which was unattractive to many investors because of its ethnic-clashes tag, has shaken off the bad reputation and is becoming a key business hub and investment destination in Nakuru County.

Supported by the agriculturally rich neighbourhoods of Njoro and Kuresoi, the town has risen to become a preferred business destination and everyone wants a piece of the cake.

Even though, just like in other towns across the country, business in Molo has been slowed down by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the town is one of the fastest-growing in Nakuru County after Nakuru and Naivasha.

Read: Nakuru eyes markets facelift to boost trade

Also read: In Nakuru, grazing land gives way to posh estate

Business booming

Commercial banks, telecommunications and other companies are seeking a share of the booming business hub.

For instance, Co-operative Bank, Equity, Post Bank, Family Bank, National Bank and KCB Bank have branches in Molo, with more seeking to move in.

Resident Charles Momanyi, a teacher at a primary school on the outskirts of Molo, said the economy of the town was shattered by the waves of political violence in 2007/2008, leading to stagnation for over five years before residents began picking up the pieces.

“I came here in 2005 and at the time, people were migrating to Molo in search of jobs and business opportunities that were plentiful. Business people started putting up storey buildings but construction stalled and businesses worth millions destroyed in the wake of the violence,” he recalled.

Some of the only learning institutions at the time, such Mugunda and Molo Township, were forced to close down after residents fled the town and businesses shut down, he said.

“However, the town started picking up around 2013 and since then, life has slowly returned to the town, which has become one of the busiest commercial hubs in Nakuru County,” he noted.

Communities in Molo and the neighbouring areas of Kuresoi North, Kuresoi South and Njoro constituencies enjoyed peace, especially following the political marriage between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto in 2013, he said.

“Shortly after 2013, most of the buildings whose construction had stopped started again and were completed soon after,” he said.

Molo, a cosmopolitan sub-county, has huge pockets of Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kisii, Kamba, Maasai and other communities.

Many investors

Another resident, Mary Wanjir, said that unlike in the past when many feared investing in the town due to its negative history, investors now are competing to start businesses in the town.

"The high appetite among investors flocking to Molo is driven by its business potential. The town is a growing business hub for Nakuru County,” she said.

All kinds of businesses, from bars and restaurants to wholesale outlets, M-Pesa outlets, salons, barbershops, apparel shops and mini-supermarkets, are competing for space in the town.

Activities in the area and its environs have also raised the demand for housing.

As a result, private developers have flocked the town to quench the thirst for residential houses and business premises.

Learning institutions have also sprouted as students and employees of various companies compete in the quest for knowledge.

The ever-growing population has led to a housing shortage, leading to a sharp rise in rents in the past five years as the demand for better housing grows.

Most of the modern buildings that have rental space for businesses like shops and banks are less than ten years old.

Zachariah Kamanda, who opened a Bata depot in Molo last year, agrees that faith was slowly returning among investors from within and outside the town.

“Previously, many feared investing in Molo and its surrounding areas due to the ethnic-clashes tag. Confidence among residents has built up and people from all tribes are now investing in the area,” he said.

"I opened this shop because the business environment in this town is conducive and more people are investing here as compared to other years in the past.”

Mr Kamanda, however, said the road network needs to be improved.

“If the Molo-Njoro road, for instance  is repaired, it would boost business and cut down the transport costs that we incur. Roads within the town are also in a wanting state.”

Several other residents interviewed by the Nation said the lack of a continuous supply of water and interrupted electricity were also problems that they were grappling with.

“If our leaders took development seriously and specifically repaired roads, Molo is a potential economic hub, able to compete with towns like Nakuru, Kericho and Naivasha,” said Beatrice Mwema, another resident.

Population rising

Population growth and rising demand for commercial and residential houses are pushing up the prices of land.

For instance, in 2015 an eighth of an acre in Molo would sell for about Sh350,000. The same plot now fetches Sh1 million.

A 50 by 100 plot in the most remote parts of the town sells for Sh600,000 while a similar piece in areas closer to the main tarmac that connects Molo to the interior parts of Kuresoi, Elburgon and Njoro are selling for about Sh800,000 to Sh1 million.

Economic expert John Kimani said the availability of land for expansion in Molo and accessibility to the Nairobi-Nakuru -Eldoret highway have contributed to the influx of investors.

“Molo is also an agricultural town, basically supported by the rich agricultural areas of Molo, Kuresoi South and North, as well as Njoro. The town has grown purely because of the agricultural base,” Mr Kimani said, adding that the coming years will see businesses and companies relocate from Nairobi, Thika, Mombasa, Eldoret and Naivasha to Molo.

Vast and affordable land around Molo has also worked to its advantage, as many other towns are already running out of expansion space.

Also read: Senate team's approval pushes Nakuru a step closer to city status

Possible upgrade

The growth of the town has prompted some leaders, led by Molo MP Kuria Kimani, to begin rooting for the upgrading of Molo to a municipality.

The MP said the town has grown into a metropolitan business hub.

“I’m optimistic of the economic growth of the town and I urge investors to invest in the town. The ghost of 2007 should not be held above our heads all the time. Residents are hardworking people who have moved on from the past and are ready to work with other Kenyans for the good of our country,” he said.

He also said he was pushing for the dilapidated busy Molo-Njoro road to be repaired. The road had been allocated Sh400 million by the national government.

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui, in an interview with the Nation, revealed that his administration was keen to support investors seeking to establish businesses in Molo and described the town as the next frontier of commerce in the region.

“We want to draw our industries out of town to this area. They should take advantage of this friendly business environment,” he said.

Molo was served by a branch of Kenya Railways, formerly the East African Railways Corporation, until 1977.

The town has a population of about 200,000 per the 2019 census. And with the revamping of the Nakuru-Kisumu metre-gauge railway line, the town is bound to grow even more.

Supported by the agriculturally rich neighbourhoods of Njoro, Kuresoi and Molo, the town has risen to become a preferred business destination and everyone wants a piece of the cake.

[email protected]