Is lack of street lights fuelling insecurity in Nakuru estates?

As darkness falls in some of Nakuru's estates, so does fear.

For many residents, the absence of light has become more than a matter of visibility, it has become a matter of survival.

The recent unfortunate brutal killing of William Nyabera, a 64-year-old retired public servant from the Ministry of Information, has once again forced the city to confront a difficult question: Are we truly safe in our own neighbourhoods?

Nyabera was found dead in Kapsoton, Nakuru West, after being stabbed eight times, a horrifying end that has left his family and neighbours shaken.

The community now lives in fear, with many saying his death is part of a rising trend of insecurity.

“The area is often in total darkness at night. It’s unsafe even to walk home from work. We need police patrols intensified and proper street lighting. People are being attacked, and nothing much seems to change,” says Leonida Bogonko, a neighbour to the late Nyabera who lamented the increased attacks in their area. 

In Njoro, similar fears linger. Dickson Ogamba, a resident of Piave, says the community has endured several violent incidents in just two months.

“In that period between August and September, three people have been killed with two of the victims having their bodies retrieved from river Ndarugu,” he says. 

Ogamba adds that residents have repeatedly appealed to the county government to have street lights installed in Piave and Kenyatta areas, but no action has been taken.

“It has been a month since we called upon the relevant authorities to help us install street lights. However, till today we have not seen anyone take action,” he tells Mtaa Wangu. 

Additionally, he notes that other than the murder incidents, the larger Njoro is grappling with cases of missing persons.

An elderly man has been missing for a month and a missing child was found dead in river Ndarugu with police still investigating circumstances under which the child died.. 

“Much as people would want to take the issue of lighting lightly, for us in Piave, this would change everything.” he remarks.

For some, technology has already proven effective. Charles Maina, a Nyumba Kumi elder in Kapsoton, recalls how a road once notorious for attacks saw crime drop sharply after CCTV cameras were installed.

 “Light and surveillance has changed everything,” Maina says.

Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara acknowledged that many of the reported attacks occur in dark, poorly lit areas.

“The call for street lights is valid. Lighting could complement police patrols and prevent crimes before they happen,” he says.

However, Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama downplayed the claims, saying the insecurity issue is being politicized. Asked about the push for street lights, Arama says the Kapsoton incident is an isolated case.

 “This was a case where people were stealing a motorcycle and someone ended up being stabbed. This can happen even in areas with security lights. I can assure people there is no security concern in that estate.  It is just a few people politicizing the matter,” Arama says. 

When contacted, Nakuru County Infrastructure CECM Eng. Michael Kamau says he is not aware of specific areas where insecurity had spiked due to lack of lighting but promised the county would assess the situation. 

According to Eng. Kamau the proper way to request such infrastructure is through public participation so that it can be factored into the budget.

“However, this is not to say that the county will not step in to help areas that are greatly affected, especially where insecurity cases are high,” he concludes.