Nakuru will host the national Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, 2027, at Afraha Stadium, and Governor Susan Kihika says work to get the city ready has already begun.

Kihika announced on Tuesday that she had met regional engineers from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) to review road expansion projects under way across Nakuru city ahead of the event, The Star and Kenyans.co.ke reported.

What is planned

According to the governor, the preparations will include:

  • Non-motorised transport facilities such as walkways for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Modern drainage channels along city roads.
  • New streetlights.
  • Tree planting along Oginga Odinga Avenue and four spur roads.

The tree planting comes after residents complained about trees being cut down in the city. A technical committee made up of county officials, KURA representatives and officers from the County Commissioner's office will oversee the works. The same team is expected to coordinate closely with national government agencies handling security and logistics for the event.

Second time for Afraha

Under a rotational policy adopted in 2015, national holidays are hosted in different counties each year. Madaraka Day was held in Homa Bay in 2025 and in Wajir this year. Afraha Stadium hosted the 53rd Madaraka Day in 2016, when the national celebrations were held outside Nairobi for the first time.

The stadium is currently being redeveloped by the Kenya Defence Forces as a venue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania. Officials have said the current phase will lift capacity from about 8,200 to between 13,000 and 15,000 seats, with an all-weather track, a new pitch, floodlights and a VIP pavilion.

Deadline for the Rironi-Mau Summit road

The 2027 celebrations are also tied to the Rironi-Mau Summit highway. President William Ruto said last year that the expanded road should be ready by June 1, 2027, so guests could use it to travel to Nakuru for Madaraka Day.

County officials did not give a budget for the preparations. Hosting national celebrations usually brings a burst of public spending on roads, lighting and beautification, and traders in Nakuru will be hoping it also brings a boost in business.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke (Governor Susan Kihika; Afraha Stadium). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.