Shop to provide smartphone and fibre experiential zones to cater to increasing adoption of digital services in Nakuru
Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) has opened a second shop in Nakuru town, marking its third strategic investment in the lakeside town. Located at the Westside Mall, the shop has been designed to offer a premium experience to customers from Nakuru and neighbouring Counties. The new shop will provide a smartphone and fibre to the home experience zones, making it the second shop to spot a home experiential zone after the Village Market outlet in Nairobi.
“One and a half years ago, Safaricom chose to expand its presence in Nakuru by opening its first regional headquarters here. This decision has proved right and timely from the fast growth that we have observed in this region. With smartphone and fibre to the home experiential zones, this new shop has been designed to cater to increasing adoption of digital technology in Nakuru and its environs,” said Steve Okeyo, Director – Regional Sales and Operations, Safaricom.
Safaricom’s first presence in Nakuru town was a shop opened in 2002, followed by its first regional headquarters in December 2016. In 2017, Safaricom began rolling out its fibre to the home service to estates around Nakuru. The town becomes the fourth in the country to host more than one Safaricom shop, with Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu being the other towns.
The mall setting of the shop next to the Nairobi-Eldoret Highway will allow the shop to cater to both walk-in customers and customers driving in from Nakuru Town and neighbouring areas.
The opening of the company’s 49th shop is part of Safaricom’s Twaweza Live experience in the Rift Region. For ten days, The Twaweza Live Caravan will visit parts of Nakuru, Kericho and Eldoret, culminating in a free medical camp at the Huruma Ground in Eldoret on 25th May 2018.
Safaricom will also open a Digifarm depot in Burnt Forest to provide farmers in the area with discounted, quality inputs and host an all-day concert on 26th May 2018 at the Eldoret Sports Club, with Mercy Masika, Njugush, Nyashinksi, Redsan and Vivian as key acts.
![The signing ceremony took place in Kisumu, with Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o representing the county government and UN-Habitat Executive Director in Kenya, Anaclaudia Rossbach, signing on behalf of the UN agency. Under the agreement, both parties commit to jointly implementing the housing upgrade project, which Governor Nyong’o said will primarily target vulnerable groups. “The PINUA programme [is] designed to benefit the most vulnerable members of the community,” Nyong’o said, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable neighborhoods equipped with essential services. Beginning November 1, 2025, the county government, working with UN-Habitat, will launch pilot projects in Kibuye Estate and Muhoroni Sub-County, based on designs and models developed through extensive public participation. The programme will focus on upgrading informal settlements by providing essential social infrastructure such as schools, sanitation facilities, affordable rental housing, early childhood development centres, and public open spaces. It also supports incremental housing models, allowing families to progressively build and eventually own decent homes. Rossbach emphasized UN-Habitat’s global commitment to driving transformative change in urban areas: “This partnership is crucial in advancing our new strategy, which focuses on improving housing access and digitally transforming informal settlements for everyone.” According to UN-Habitat housing architect Fred Omenya, the pilot phase will begin in January 2026 with the construction of two blocks of 24 housing units in Kibuye Estate.](https://businessinsights.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/About-us-still-25957706200_7ca2db7e5e_k-80x60.jpg "Kisumu, UN-Habitat sign Ksh2.7bn deal for social housing upgrade")
