Salgaa to get facelift as Nakuru readies for city status

For a long time, Salgaa town, situated along the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway has been choking under poor, creaky drainage system.

Whenever it rains in Nakuru, the drainage system in Salgaa town gets overwhelmed and leaves business premises flooded.

But now there is a ray of hope after the Nakuru County Government embarked on rehabilitating the drainage system and storm waterways in various parts of Salgaa Town.

On Saturday, County Trade and Tourism Executive Raymond Komen revealed that the county seeks to address the challenge of poor drainage in the fast-rising town.

“The county government has embarked on unclogging of blocked drainages and construction of proper waterways in Salgaa town. Governor

Lee Kinyanjui's administration is determined to obtain a lasting solution of drainage in Salgaa town and other parts,” pledged Mr Komen.

Revamping drainage systems

He revealed that the exercise of revamping drainage systems will be conducted in 29 other urban centres in the county. The move comes as Nakuru town, the county headquarters, readies itself for city status.

Nakuru County requires at least Sh1.5billion to revamp drainage systems in some of its major towns.

According to the county’s integrated development plan for the next two years, the county requires the amount to overhaul its drainage system.

Residents of Salgaa town have for long had to bear with bad roads, a dilapidated drainage system and inadequate social amenities, in what residents say has been as a result of neglect.

"Salgaa was totally neglected by the Kinuthia Mbugua regime and has been in a deplorable condition. Poor drainage and inaccessible roads," lamented a resident Julius Chepkwony.

Residents say the bustling business centre has been neglected by authorities and has become an eyesore to passersby and truckers.

However, Governor Kinyanjui's administration seeks to improve the road network and address poor drainage in the area.

“We want to draw our industries out of town to this area. They should take advantage of this friendly business environment. We want to upgrade the drainage system, “said Mr Kinyanjui.

In June 2015, the county government lost a fire engine in Salgaa after residents torched it.

The engine, worth over Sh40 million, was set ablaze by locals, protesting against then administration's failure to develop the region.

The protesters said the area had been neglected, leading to poor living conditions due to poor drainage systems.

They complained that lack of modern parking for trucks had denied them business opportunities as lorries are parked on the sides of the highway.

They also complained that lack of street lights had contributed to rising insecurity in the area.

Salgaa sits on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, part of the Northern Corridor, the artery that connects Mombasa-Western Kenya and the landlocked countries of Uganda, Southern Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi.

The road is used for transporting Western Kenya-bound cargo from the Port of Mombasa and Nairobi and also to DR Congo.

Located on the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway, about 27 kilometres from Nakuru Town, Salgaa sprouted around 1994 with only two kiosks before it grew to what it is today.

Praising one’s home

The town derives its name from the Kipsigis's words Sal, which means praise, and Gaa referring to home. So, Salgaa in Kalenjin means praising one’s home.

Many long-distance truck drivers, operating on the Northern corridor, stop at this point to re-energize and refresh before proceeding with their long journeys.

This comes at a time when Salgaa, which has been known for all the wrong reasons, has been identified by the county government as an industrial hub.

Governor Kinyanjui has asked investors to set their industries and businesses in the fast-growing locality.

Billionaire Narendra Naval owned multi-billion Simba Cement factory, is located in Salgaa.

Mega Paper and Boards company, which produces corrugated cartons and various types of paper used in packaging different products, is also located in Salgaa.

The Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Limited, owned by billionaire businessman Naushad Merali, is already operating at Sachangwan areas, about a kilometre from Salgaa town.

The mention of the name Salgaa easily sends a chill down the spine of every motorist and traveller along the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway because of the numerous fatal accidents that have in the past been recorded along the Salgaa-Sachangwan stretch.

Besides the accidents, other vices associated with Salgaa include prostitution, robberies as well as being a flashpoint during tribal clashes.

Quietly, though, Salgaa town is fast becoming a key business hub in Nakuru County, shedding off its bad name.

Salgaa’s busy nightlife is also fast giving way to bustling day life as commercial banks, telecommunication, and other corporates seek a share of the town.

For long, bars and lodgings have been the most lucrative businesses in the town.

However, these are being replaced by restaurants, wholesale outlets, M-Pesa outlets, Salons, Barbershops, clothes’ shops, mini-supermarkets among other facilities.