Uasin Gishu County

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Uasin Gishu County
County
Great Rift Valley viewed from somewhere near Eldoret

Logo
Location of Uasin Gishu County (Green)
Country  Kenya
Formed March 4th 2013
Capital Eldoret
Government
 • Governor Jackson Mandago
Area
 • Total 2,955.3 km2 (1,141.0 sq mi)
Population (2009)
 • Total 894,179 [1]
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)

Uasin Gishu County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya, located in the former Rift Valley Province. The city of Eldoret (capital and largest town in the county) is the county's administrative and commercial centre.

Uasin Gishu is located on a plateau and has a cool and temperate climate. It borders Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya.

Naming

Its name comes from the Illwuasin-kishu Maasai clan. The land was the grazing area of the clan. They surrendered the land to the colonial government in the Anglo-Maasai agreement of 1911, and were subsequently pushed towards Trans Mara. The plateau that they once occupied was then registered in its Anglicised version, Uasin Gishu.[2]

Local authorities

Town Type Population (2009) Rank in Kenya (Population Size)
Eldoret Municipality 289,380 5
Moi’s Bridge Town 14,596 106
Matunda Town 10,031 119
Burnt Forest Town 4,925 172
Jua Kali Town 3,427 192
Turbo Town 2,831 201
* 2009 census. Source:

Historical

In 1903, the area was proposed as a potential Jewish homeland, as the British Uganda Programme.

In 1908, fifty eight families of Afrikaans-speaking South Africans settled in Uashin Gishu plateau. They were followed by sixty more families in 1911 and more later.[3] The town of Eldoret was established in the midst of the farms they created.

Administrative divisions

Division Population* Urban pop.* Headquarters
Ainabkoi 77,297 18,799 Ainabkoi
Kapsaret 93,162 55,056 Kapsaret
Kesses 84,894 0 Kesses
Moiben 92,717 6,172 Chepkoilel (Moiben)
Soy 165,127 46,338 Eldoret
Turbo 109,508 46,900 Turbo
* 1999 census. Sources: , ,

Constituencies

The district has three constituencies:

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.scribd.com/doc/36672705/Kenya-Census-2009
  2. ↑ MORRIS KIRUGA. Daily Nation. How local dialects influenced naming of west Kenya towns. 23rd July 2013
  3. ↑ Red strangers: the white tribe of Kenya, ISBN 1-85725-206-3, by Christine Stephanie Nicholls

External links

Kenya First- and second-level administrative divisions of Kenya
47 Counties
(since March 2013)
Principal cities
and towns

Coordinates: 0°31′00″N 35°17′00″E / 0.516667°N 35.2833°E / 0.516667; 35.2833

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