Gilgil

Gilgil, Kenya, is a town in Nakuru County, Kenya. The town is located between Naivasha and Nakuru and along the Nairobi - Nakuru highway. It is to the west of the Gilgil River, which flows south to feed Lake Naivasha.

Gilgil has a population of 18,805 according to the 1999 census.

Gilgil is the centre of the Gilgil Division in Nakuru County.

During the 1920s - 1940s, some members of the Happy Valley set lived in Gilgil. From 1944 to 1948, it also contained a British internment camp for Irgun and Lehi members.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Gilgil was used as a base for the rotation of British infantry units who, typically, would progress from the United Kingdom to BAOR in Germany, to Kenya (with detachments left en route in the nascent Gulf states) and then on to Hong Kong.

Agriculture is the main local industry. While Gilgil Telecommunications Industries was a notable employer, it is now closed down as it was sold by the government. There are a few industries within the outskirts of the town, namely the Gilgil Diatomite Industries which is located further to the west along the Gilgil-Nakuru main road. The industry mines diatomite which is used for various industrial purposes. The other industry is the Ndume Farm Machineries, which manufactures farm equipment, especially maize milling machines and ploughs.

The towns population has grown considerably since 2007 as many of the internally displaced people fleeing post-election violence after the 2007 presidential election opted to settle in GilGil and Naivasha. These populations have significantly expanded the farming activities in the towns outskirts.

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