Nakuru is a city in the Rift Valley region of the republic of Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County, and was formerly the capital of Rift Valley Province. As of 2019, Nakuru had an urban and rural population of 570,674 inhabitants, making it the largest urban center in the Rift Valley, with Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County following closely behind. The city lies along the Nairobi Nakuru Highway, a distance of 160 kilometers from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It is the third largest city and fourth largest urban center by metropolitan area in Kenya, behind Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu respectively. It lies about 1,850 m above sea level. History Archaeological discoveries located about 8 km from the Central Business District at the Hyrax Hill reserve have been dated to the prehistoric period. The city was created on January 28, 1904 when an area within a circle having a radius of one mile from the main entrance to the railway station was proclaimed to be a township. The name of the town was derived from the Maasai-speaking people of Kenya. During the colonial era, the British established Nakuru as part of the White highlands during the colonial era, and Nakuru became a municipality in 1952. Following the founding of the Republic of Kenya the first and second presidents of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi, had their semi-official residences within the city. The city for a long time has been a hotbed of Kenyan politics and has been a home to politicians such as the late Kariuki Chotara, Kihika Kimani, the late Mirugi Kariuki and Koigi Wamwere. During the 2007 post-election violence dozens of buildings in Nakuru were burnt to the ground. On 3 June 2021, Nakuru was officially endorsed for city status after the Kenyan Senate voted for its elevation from a municipality. Following the approval of the Senate of Kenya in June, the President of the Republic of Kenya gave a city charter for official transformation of Nakuru to a city status in December 1, 2021, making it the fourth urban center in Kenya to be declared a city after Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu. Geography The city of Nakuru is situated in Nakuru County, Kenya. It lies 1850 meters above sea level. Climate Nakuru has a temperate climate throughout the year but temperatures fall significantly at night and during the cold season of June to