How KDF restored Nakuru's hope for completion of projects that stalled for years

Nakuru County’s latest attempt to revive its long-stalled flagship projects has taken a decisive turn, with the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) now taking charge of their implementation.

This comes after three major county projects - the Nakuru PGH Trauma Centre, Olenguruone Stadium, and Afraha Stadium - remained stalled for years despite repeated attempts to restart them.

Now, with KDF stepping in, the county is betting on an institution whose reputation for discipline and timely execution could restore public confidence where years of delays have eroded it.

Their intervention also comes after Governor Susan Kihika led a delegation of Nakuru leaders to Nairobi in the meeting where President William Ruto pledged to deploy the KDF to complete the named projects.

This was in addition to restarting works at Lanet Airport, fast-track the revival of the Itare Dam, support the establishment of a Special Economic Zone in Pipeline, and offer infrastructural support for the Naivasha Economic Zone, promises yet to be seen.

These initiatives, alongside other long-delayed projects, highlight a pattern of stalled development in Nakuru.

Among them, the Afraha Stadium, whose renovation started in April 2021, the county’s most prominent sports and central events venue, is perhaps a relatively recent addition to the county’s list of stalled projects.

Despite this, early this year, residents protested its stagnation and pushed for its reopening after years, arguing that its closure disrupted sporting activities and cut off small businesses that thrived around major events, making Afraha Stadium the latest of Nakuru’s stalled projects to face mounting public pressure despite being relatively young.

Yet even with the commencement of Phase II, which had promised to expand seating capacity from 8,000 to 13,000 and integrate modern mechanical and electrical systems, progress has been slow and uneven.

In Kuresoi South, Olenguruone Stadium has seen worse. Launched in 2012 as a Sh. 290 million project, the facility stalled almost immediately, despite the initial contractor receiving Sh. 73 million.

For more than a decade, the incomplete structure has stuck out as a sore thumb, showing failed oversight and dashed expectations in a region known for producing some of Kenya’s finest athletes.

Similarly, the planned Trauma Centre at the Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital, now dormant for thirteen years, has long been viewed as critical for a county that handles high volumes of road traffic injuries.

Despite this urgency, the project halted, leaving a significant gap in emergency care capacity.

It is against this backdrop that the engagement of KDF in civilian projects is expected to be fast-tracked, with an emphasis on efficiency and minimal wastage of public funds.

The military’s entry offers not just new supervision, but a reset that aligns the county with national trends where KDF has been deployed to rescue troubled civilian projects.

Their track record in infrastructure delivery is well established from refurbishing Uhuru Gardens National Monument to revamping the Kenya Meat Commission, the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), and the Shipyard in Kisumu.

For Nakuru, KDF represents the final viable option, offering a rare sense of optimism, as continued stagnation is no longer politically or socially tenable.

Should they fail to deliver, the county may have exhausted its most credible alternative to county-led implementation, leaving leaders with few explanations and even fewer options.