Factors Affecting the Growth of the Industrial Sector in Nakuru Town

Abstract

Despite the fact that. theoretically. Nakuru town has all the ingredients of an excellent industrial centre. the performance of its industrial sector seems to defy theory. Several firms in the town are merely hanging on to survival and have had to cut down on production or layoff workers in a bid to remain in business. As presented in Chapter One. this study sought an answer to one question - to what extent can constraints to industrial development in Nakuru town be attributed to location characteristics. or do extraneous factors also playa significant ro.le? It .was the hypothesis of the study that the influence of government has a more significant impact on industrial development than any other location factor. To test this hypothesis the primary objective was to identify factors that are significant to industrial development in Nakuru town and the role played by the state in this development. A second objective was to come up with suggestions on how to promote and encourage industrial development in the town. Literature review. contained in Chapter Two, comprises theories of industrial location and regional development, factors of industrial . location in practice. a guide through industrial development in Kenya and the policies and strategies that have helped shape the process. Chapter Three presents an overview of the physical aspects of the study area i.e. geographical features. socio-economic factors, and . infrastructure. The rest of the chapter is devoted to introducing the sample of industries in Nakuru town as listed by the Registrar of Industries, and their various activities.