Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika meets Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) regional engineers and county officials to review road expansion and infrastructure projects as the county prepares to host the 2027 Madaraka Day celebrations./ HANDOUT

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has stepped up preparations for next year's Madaraka Day celebrations, with road expansion and infrastructure upgrades in Nakuru City forming part of the plans ahead of the national event at Afraha Stadium.

Kihika said she had convened a meeting with regional engineers from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), led by Eng. Stephen Korir, to evaluate progress on ongoing road expansion projects.

The meeting reviewed implementation progress and challenges affecting the works, including illegal encroachment on road reserves, blocked drainage systems and faulty street lighting.

Kihika said a technical committee comprising county officials, KURA and representatives from the County Commissioner's office had been established last month to oversee the upgrades and address bottlenecks.

“I received a comprehensive progress briefing from the technical committee … which I established just last month to oversee these upgrades and resolve critical bottlenecks, including illegal road reserve encroachment, blocked drainage systems, and faulty street lighting,” she said in a social media post.

The governor said the meeting had also reached agreements on additional infrastructure measures to improve safety and the city's appearance.

“We finalized agreements to integrate Non-Motorized Transport facilities to ensure pedestrian safety, construct modern drainage channels, install streetlights to bolster public security, and plant trees along Oginga Odinga Avenue and the four spur roads,” she said.

She said the county had also initiated strategic preparations for the national celebrations, which Afraha Stadium is expected to host in 2027.

“Once completed, these extensive expansion and modernization efforts will deliver true world-class infrastructure to Nakuru City,” Kihika said.

She appealed to residents to cooperate with KURA and county teams as the projects progress.

“Consequently, I appeal to all residents to cooperate fully with KURA and our dedicated teams during this transformative journey,” she said.

In February, President William Ruto announced that Nakuru would host the 2027 Madaraka Day celebrations. The announcement followed the 2026 national celebrations held on June 1 at Wajir Stadium in Wajir County, marking the first time the event was hosted in Northern Kenya.

Nakuru previously hosted the celebrations in 2016 at Afraha Stadium, as the government continued rotating national events across counties.

The planned upgrades are expected to address infrastructure challenges in the city as it prepares to receive national leaders and visitors for the 2027 celebrations.