Njoro
Encyclopedia
Njoro is an agricultural town 18 km west south west of Nakuru
, Kenya
. Njoro is the divisional headquarters of Njoro Division of Nakuru District
. It houses the divisional headquarters of the provincial administration and the police.
-speaking people before the arrival of British
settlers to the Kenya highlands. Over the years the town grew to be an important center in agricultural research, education and development. The town is home to a campus of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and Egerton University
is situated 5 km south from the town center.
Njoro is currently a district on its own in Rift Valley province. The population is rising due to the fact that peace is prevailing, unlike the neighbouring towns like Molo
; Mau Narok, and Likia. It is near the Mau Forest
, which has become a global issue on environment.
Tourism has a minor but important role in the local economy. The town is part of the south Rift tourist circuit as it is on the way to the famed Masai Mara National Park. Tourists can visit the Lord Maurice Tatton castle, which is run and maintained as a visitor and conference center by Egerton University. The town also boasts of a top golf club.
regime to maintain law and order. Issues arising from the displacement of local residents and their desired resettlement have continued to cause friction.
Nakuru
Nakuru, the provincial capital of Kenya's Rift Valley province, with roughly 300,000 inhabitants, and currently the fourth largest urban centre in the country, lies about 1850 m above sea level...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Njoro is the divisional headquarters of Njoro Division of Nakuru District
Nakuru District
Nakuru District is a district in the Rift Valley Province, Kenya. The district capital is Nakuru. With a population of 1,187,039 , it is the second largest district in Kenya after Nairobi. Nakuru District has an area of 7,242 km²....
. It houses the divisional headquarters of the provincial administration and the police.
Brief history
The town was first settled by the MaasaiMaasai language
The Maasai language is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania by the Maasai people, numbering about 800,000...
-speaking people before the arrival of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
settlers to the Kenya highlands. Over the years the town grew to be an important center in agricultural research, education and development. The town is home to a campus of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and Egerton University
Egerton University
Egerton University is a public university; the main campus is in Njoro, near the city of Nakuru, Kenya. The chancellor is Ambassador Bethuel K Kiplagat and the vice chancellor is Professor J. K. Tuitoek.-History:...
is situated 5 km south from the town center.
Njoro is currently a district on its own in Rift Valley province. The population is rising due to the fact that peace is prevailing, unlike the neighbouring towns like Molo
Molo, Kenya
Molo is a town in western Kenya. It is served by a branch of Kenya Railways, formerly the Uganda Railway, East African Railways Corporation until 1977. Molo hosts a town council and an administrative division in the Nakuru District of Rift Valley Province...
; Mau Narok, and Likia. It is near the Mau Forest
Mau Forest
Mau Forest is a forest complex in the Rift Valley of Kenya. It is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa. The Mau Forest complex has an area of ....
, which has become a global issue on environment.
Economy
The main economic activities are agribased industries including vegetable and milk processing, large-scale wheat and barley farming. Light manufacturing industries such as timber milling and quarrying are also a mainstay of the local economy. The economic growth of the town has been slowed due to its proximity to the provincial capital, Nakuru.Tourism has a minor but important role in the local economy. The town is part of the south Rift tourist circuit as it is on the way to the famed Masai Mara National Park. Tourists can visit the Lord Maurice Tatton castle, which is run and maintained as a visitor and conference center by Egerton University. The town also boasts of a top golf club.
People
Njoro is populated by people from all ethnic groups in Kenya. However, the Kikuyu are the predominant people, and thus have greatly influenced the culture of the area. Residents of Njoro lived peacefully until the politically instigated tribal clashes of the 1990s. Several people were killed and many displaced due to the laxity of the MoiDaniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
regime to maintain law and order. Issues arising from the displacement of local residents and their desired resettlement have continued to cause friction.