| Kerio Valley | |
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Tree Nursery in the Kerio Valley |
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Kerio Valley
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| Floor elevation | 1,000 m (3,281 ft) |
| Long-axis length | 80 kilometres (50 mi) |
| Width | 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) |
| Population Centers | Kimwarer |
Kerio Valley lies between the Tugen Hills and the Elgeyo Escarpment at an elevation of 1,000 m. in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya.[1]
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The isolated Kerio Valley lies in a narrow, long strip approximately 80 km by 10 km wide at its widest, through which the Kerio River flows. The valley lies between the Cherangani Hills and the Tugen Hills.[2] The Elgeyo Escarpment rises more than 1,830 metres (6,000 ft) above the valley in places.[3] The valley is 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep. It has semi-tropical vegetation on the slopes, while the floor of the valley is covered by dry thorn bush.[4] The most comfortable time of the year is in July and August when the rains have ended and the temperatures are not excessive.[5] The Kerio Valley National Reserve has been established since 1983 along the Kerio River to the north of Lake Kamnarok.[4]
In Kimwarer in the southern part of the valley fluoride is mined by the Kenya Fluorspar Company. The southern parts of the valley are settled by the Elgeyo people and the northern part by the Marakwet people. Tugen people live on the slopes of the Tugen Hills. These three groups together with the Nandi and the Kipsigis belong to the Kalenjin people.[1]