Uasin Gishu County

Uasin Gishu County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya located in the former Rift Valley Province. Eldoret has the county's largest population centre as well as its administrative and commercial centre.[1] “It lies between longitudes 34 degrees 50’ east and 35 degrees 37’ West and latitudes 0 degrees 03’ South and 0 degrees 55’ North. It is a highland plateau with altitudes falling gently from 2,700 meters above sea level to about 1,500 meters above sea level. The topography is higher to the east and declines gently towards the western border”.[2]

Uasin Gishu County
County
Coat of arms of Uasin Gishu County
Coat of arms
Location in Kenya
Location in Kenya
Country Kenya
Formed4 March 2013
County governmentEldoret
Government
 • GovernorJonathan Bii
Area
 • Total2,955.3 km2 (1,141.0 sq mi)
Elevation
2,200 m (7,200 ft)
Population
 (2019)
 • Total1,163,186
 • Density390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Websitewww.uasingishu.go.ke

Uasin Gishu is located on a plateau and has a cool and temperate climate. The county borders Trans-Nzoia County to the north, Elgeyo-Marakwet and Baringo counties to the east, Kericho county to the south, Nandi county to the south, south-west and Kakamega county to the west.

Etymology

The county's name comes from the Maasai word Illwuasin-kishu. 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 District. The plateau that they once occupied was then registered in its Anglicised version, Uasin Gishu.[3]

History

In 1903, the area was proposed as a potential Jewish homeland, as the British Uganda Programme, which was rejected by the Jewish community leades in the Sixth Zionist Congress

In 1908, fifty eight families of Afrikaans-speaking South Africans settled in Uasin Gishu plateau. They were followed by sixty more families in 1911 and more later.[4] The town of Eldoret was established in the midst of the farms they created.

Population
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1979 300,766—    
1989 445,530+48.1%
1999 622,705+39.8%
2009 894,179+43.6%
2019 1,163,186+30.1%
source:[5]

Religion

Religion in Uasin Gishu County [6]

Religion (2019 Census) Number
Catholic250,572
Protestant521,093
Evangelical Churches222,364
African instituted Churches68,784
Orthodox3,537
Other Cristian39,428
Islam18,805
Hindu1,600
Traditionists1,193
Other9,523
No ReligionAtheists14,289
Don't Know1,362
Not Stated121

Government

Urban areas
TownTypePopulation (2009)[7]Rank in Kenya (Population Size)
EldoretMunicipality289,3805
Moi's BridgeTown14,596106
MatundaTown10,031119
Burnt ForestTown4,925172
Jua KaliTown3,427192
TurboTown2,831201

Constituencies
Division Population* Urban pop.* Headquarters
Ainabkoi Constituency77,29018,799Kapsoya
Kapseret Constituency93,16255,056Kapseret
Kesses Constituency84,8940Kesses
Moiben Constituency92,7176,172Moiben
Soy Constituency165,12746,338Eldoret
Turbo Constituency109,50846,900Turbo
* 1999 census.[8][9]

Uasin Gishu Sub-counties

Uasin Gishu is divided into six sub-counties namely: Turbo - with a Total of six wards; Kesses - With a Total of four wards; Moiben - With a Total of Five wards; Kapseret - with a total of five wards; Ainabkoi and Soy - With a Total of Seven wards. The sub-counties boundaries also correspond with the electoral constituencies in the counties.

Uasin Gishu Sub Counties
Sub County Wards Sub County Wards Sub County Wards
Turbo Huruma Moiben Karuna/Meibeki Soy Kipsomba
Kamagut Kimumu Kunet/Kapsuswa
Kapsaos Moiben Soy
Kiplombe Sergoit Ziwa
Ngenyilel Tembelio Kapkures
Tapsagoi Mois Bridge
Segero/Barsombe
Kesses Tulwet/Chuiyat Kapseret Ngeria Ainabkoi Ainabkoi/Olare
Tarakwa Simat/Kapseret Kaptagat
Cheptiret/Kipchamo Kipkenyo Kapsoya
Racecourse Langas
Megun

Each Sub County has an administrative office in charge of it from the county Government. Wards administrators are in charge of wards and Sub County administrators admin the sub Counties.

Economy

Agriculture
Cherangani hills as viewed from farmlands near Karuna,Moiben, Uasin Gishu
Kesses Reservoir

Uasin Gishu along with neighbouring Trans-Nzoia, are considered Kenya's breadbasket due to their large-scale maize and wheat farms which produce the bulk of the country's total harvest.[10]

The National Cereals Board has a cereal storage depot located at Moi's Bridge town located in the north of the county, which consists of eight large silos with a capacity of approximately 5 million tonnes of grain.[11] It is one of the largest in the country and plays a significant role in Kenya's food security.

The county also produces sizable quantities of milk and horticultural produce. A wide variety of crops and animals are produced in smaller quantities.

Aquaculture

The county has 1,728 operational fish ponds covering 486,000 m2 with annual fish production of 593,000 kg worth KShs 285,900,000. The county also has many private and public dams suitable for capture fisheries with an annual production of 33,048 kg worth KShs 9,914,400.[12]

Industry

The county capital, Eldoret, is home to a vibrant textile industry as well as East Africa's only manufacturer of small arms and ammunition. There is also a substantial agribusiness sector that makes use of the produce from the county and surrounding regions.[13]

Services

Eldoret is a major commercial centre in western Kenya. Service industries like wholesale & retail trade, auto repair, entertainment centres and various IT services abound within and outside the town. Almost all Kenyan banks have a presence in the town and these act to service the region.[14]

Tourism

Tourism, sports tourism in particular, is a growing sub-sector in the county - the result of long term performances by athletes from the region.[15]

Transport

Uasin Gishu has 300 kilometers of tarmac roads, 549 kilometers of murram roads and 377 kilometers of earth roads. It also has 17 kilometers of railway line with 8 railway stations in addition to an inland container depot. The Eldoret International Airport and two airstrips are also located in the county, all combining to make it the regions service hub.[16]

Education

The county has several universities including Moi University and the University of Eldoret, which have their main campuses in the county. Several technical and vocational institutes are also located in the county, including Eldoret National Polytechnic, Rift Valley Technical Training Institute, Kipkabus Technical Training Institute, Moiben Technical Training Institute, Kosyin Technical Training Institute, Chebororwa Agricultural Training Centre, Tumaini and Technical Training Institute, amongst others.

Notable people

References
  1. "Uasin Gishu County overview – Uasin Gishu County". Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  2. "KIPPRA PPR Home". repository.kippra.or.ke. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  3. MORRIS KIRUGA. Daily Nation. How local dialects influenced naming of west Kenya towns. 23 July 2013
  4. Red strangers: the white tribe of Kenya, ISBN 1-85725-206-3, by Christine Stephanie Nicholls
  5. Kenya: Administrative Division population statistics
  6. "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV: Distribution of Population by Socio-Economic Characteristics" (PDF). Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  7. "Kenya" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2013.
  8. "1999 census" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007.
  9. 1999 census Archived 28 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Kenya Information Guide online
  11. Zakenya online
  12. Uasin Gishu County online
  13. Kenya Information Guide online
  14. "Eldoret, Kenya". Meet Minneapolis. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  15. Kenya Information Guide online
  16. Uasin Gishu County Government online

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