• In 2011, the United Nations (UN) recognized Nakuru as the cleanest city in East Africa. When the town was elevated to city status in December 2021, leaders pledged to reclaim and institutionalize this legacy.

Nakuru Railway Station was the first to be modernised, and that is why people used to say it was the cleanest railway station during the days of East Africa Railways and Harbours—how many remember those days?

Known as “Kilometre 0” in the Rift Valley, the station stood out in the 1950s and 1960s for its spotless platforms and state‑of‑the‑art facilities. It quickly earned a reputation as one of the most modern and cleanest stations in East and Central Africa.

For many, those memories remain vivid. “This will always remain the best of the old railway stations…the restaurant with the heavy gauge cutlery…watu wa scrap huku ingekuwa paradise yao,” recalls Adalla Hassan, evoking the station’s unique character and atmosphere. Ali Ouma adds, “What a clean and one of the best railway stations in East and Central Africa,” underscoring the pride Nakuru carried in its infrastructure.

That spirit of order and pride did not stop at the railway. Nakuru itself grew into a town celebrated for its cleanliness and civic discipline. Elevated to city status in 2021, Nakuru had already been recognised as the cleanest town in East Africa in the 1990s and again by the UN in 2011.

Its well‑planned grid, tree‑lined streets, and active community clean‑up efforts mirrored the station’s legacy of modernity. Today, with refurbishment of the railway and renewed city clean‑up campaigns, Nakuru is reclaiming its past glory—proving once again that its identity rests on modern infrastructure, civic pride, and a commitment to cleanliness.

When the current Nakuru Railway Station opened on June 14, 1957, Governor Sir Evelyn Baring hailed it as a model of progress. Built during the state of emergency, the station featured state‑of‑the‑art facilities, an 80‑pillared platform, and a design meant to impress. It quickly earned a reputation as the cleanest and most modern station in East and Central Africa.

For decades, Nakuru Railway Station stood as a hub of movement and commerce, serving settlers and agricultural exporters while symbolizing the town’s embrace of modern infrastructure. Even today, after its 2021 refurbishment, the station remains a central node in the Nakuru–Kisumu Meter Gauge Railway, carrying forward its heritage of excellence.

Nakuru’s reputation extended beyond the station. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the town was celebrated as the cleanest in East and Central Africa. Its well‑planned grid, tree‑lined streets, and active community clean‑up efforts made it a model of urban order.

In 2011, the United Nations (UN) recognized Nakuru as the cleanest city in East Africa. When the town was elevated to city status in December 2021, leaders pledged to reclaim and institutionalize this legacy.

Today, Nakuru is working to restore its past glory. The county government has launched regular clean‑up exercises and partnered with stakeholders to improve waste management and green initiatives.

Civic champions like Noel Meshack, popularly known as Mwenyekiti wa Mazingira, embody this spirit.

Noel is a grassroots environmental champion leading citywide cleanliness and greening efforts. Since 2022, he has planted over 30,000 trees and is working toward a goal of 60,000, positioning tree‑planting as both an environmental and civic pride initiative.

His work demonstrates that Nakuru’s clean legacy is not just history—it is a living mission being carried forward today.

And so, as Nakuru works to reclaim its clean legacy through refurbished railways, tree‑lined streets, and civic champions like Noel Meshack, one question lingers for all who lived through its golden years: do you remember when spotless platforms and orderly streets made Nakuru the pride of East Africa?

Share your memories, your stories, and your hopes.

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