Busia County

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Busia County
Flag of Busia County.svg
Coat of Arms of Busia County.png
Busia County in Kenya.svg
Location in Kenya
CountryFlag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
Formed4 March 2013
Capital and largest town Busia, Kenya
Government
  Type devolved government
   Governor Paul Otuoma
  Member of Kenyan senate Okiya Omutatah
  County commissioner Jacob Narengo
Area
  Total1,628.4 km2 (628.7 sq mi)
Population
 (2019) [1]
  Total893,681
  Density550/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Demonym Busian
Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)
Website busiacounty.go.ke

Busia is a county in the former Western Province of Kenya. It is located directly east of the border town of Busia, Uganda, and borders Lake Victoria to the southwest, Siaya County to the southeast, and Bungoma County and Kakamega County to the east. [2] The county is composed of six sub-counties, [3] and had a population of 893,681 as of the most recent census in 2019. [4]

Contents

Beginning in 1994, Busia became an epicenter of economic research as the location of one of the first successful randomized controlled trials in development economics, [5] evaluating the efficacy of a school-based deworming program in improving health and educational outcomes. [6] [7] The research inspired the Deworm the World Initiative, which since 2014 has provided 1.8 billion deworming treatments to children around the world. [8] Dean Karlan, chief economist of the United States Agency for International Development, has described Busia as the "birthplace for this [the RCT] movement", with more than 27 experiments ongoing as of 2024. [5]

Etymology

Busia County is part of the Western Province of Kenya. It has been commonly inhabited by the Luhya tribe of Kenya the minority tribe of Iteso. Prior to being a county, it was known as Busia district before more districts were created by President Mwai Kibaki. Busia County borders Uganda to the west. The Samia people of Busia are the same community as those of Uganda Busia district. There has been an outcry from the Samia people on why the colonial government decided to cut and separate them placing them in different countries.

Geography

Busia County borders Bungoma County to the north, Kakamega County to the east, Siaya County and Lake Victoria to the south east and south respectively. Busia with approximately 1700 square kilometers is bordered to the south by Lake Victoria with some rivers pouring water into it. the rivers include River Nzoia in Budalangi and River Sio in Samia. There are several hills in Nambuku, Odiado Hills and Funyula. Several swamps are also located across the county with species such as crocodiles, hippos, and multiple types of fish. There are also some leopards and antelopes that are usually spotted across the county.

Climate

The county's climatic conditions are greatly affected by Lake Victoria which borders it to the south western part. We have short and long rains. The main type of rainfall experienced in the county is convectional rainfall. Busia often experiences a hot and wet climate.

Lakes and rivers

Religion

Most residents are Christian with few Muslims and African believers. [10]

Religion (2019 Census)Number
Catholicism 266,299
Protestant 257,869
Evangelical Churches 246,936
African Instituted Churches 59,847
Orthodox 3,070
Other Christian 18,431
Islam 16,909
Hindu 164
Traditionists1,150
Other8,904
No ReligionAtheists 6,537
Don't Know681
Not Stated59

Language

The Kenya national languages are English and Swahili, in Busia county Swahili is commonly used but most residents speak their native mother tongue that is either Luhya or Iteso language

Demographics

Busia county has a total population of 893,681 persons. Of this 426,252 are female, 467,401 are male, and 28 people were reported as intersex. The county has a population density of 527 persons with an average household size of 4.5 persons. [11]

Population Distribution per Sub-county
Sub-CountyPopulation
Bunyala85,977
Matayos142,408
Butula140,334
Nambale111,636
Samia107,176
Teso North138,034
Teso South168,116
Total893,681

Source [12]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1979 297,841    
1989 401,658+34.9%
1999 552,099+37.5%
2009 743,946+34.7%
2019 893,681+20.1%
source: [13]

Though most residents of Busia County are ethnically Luhya, there is also a substantial population of Luo and Iteso residents.

Law and government

Administrative units

Busia County is made up of seven administrative sub-counties, thirty-five county ward assemblies, sixty locations and one hundred and eighty-one sub-locations.

Sub-Counties

County government

Sospeter Ojaamong has been governor since being first elected in 2013 and he will finish his second term in 2022 and thus not eligible to run for the seat. [14] [15] He was deputised by Kizito Osore Wangalwa in his first term and now he is deputised by Moses Okhoba Mulomi. Amos Wako Sitswila has been Busia senator since 2013 after being elected as the first senator. [16] Florence Mwikali Mutua is the current women representative after taking office in 2013. [17] [18] The legislation in the county is done by the county assembly, it plays the oversight role of the executive, It comprises 53 members (35 elected representing 35 wards of Busia county and 18 nominated members mostly women). It is chaired by the speaker who is elected by the assembly currently Bernard Wamalwa.

Executive

County governor, deputy county governor and Busia county departments headed by county executive committee members and chief officers.

Legislature

Busia county assembly comprises 35 elected MCA and nominated MCA the assembly is chaired by county assembly speaker, currently Bernard Wamalwa.

Judiciary

The judiciary of Busia is exercised by Kenyan judiciary. There is Busia law court located in the town of Busia.

Health

Busia County has a total of 81 health facilities, out of this 1 county referral hospital, 6 sub-county hospitals, 12 health centres, 49 dispensaries, 10 Medical Clinics, 6 Nursing Homes and 1 in the other categories. [19]

Common diseases in the county include Malaria, Respiratory Diseases, and diarrhoea. [20]

Education

Busia county has a total of 735 pre-primary schools, 551 primary schools, 152 secondary schools. [9] As at 2014 the county had an enrolment 255,008 students in primary schools and 41,332 students in secondary schools. [21]

Alupe University College is the only public university in Busia County. [22] [23]

Transport and infrastructure

The county has 470 km of earth roads, 740 km of murram roads and 312 km of bitumen roads. [24] [25] A total of seven postal offices are spread across the county with 3,200 letter boxes installed, 2,284 letter boxes rented and 916 letter boxes vacant. [9]

Services and urbanisation

Stats for Busia County
County
Stats for the County (Per cent)
Urbanisation
16.4
Literacy
56.7
Attending School (15-18 Yrs)
78.1
Paved Roads
4.9
Good Roads
58.6
Electricity Access
6
Poverty Rate
66.7

Stats for the County

Source: USAid Kenya

Villages and settlements

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Nzoia County</span> County of Kenya

Trans-Nzoia County is a county in the former Rift Valley Province, Kenya, located between the Nzoia River and Mount Elgon, 380 km northwest of Nairobi. At its centre is the town of Kitale which is the capital and largest town. The county borders Bungoma to the west, Uasin Gishu and Kakamega to the south, Elgeyo-Marakwet to the east, West Pokot to the north and the Republic of Uganda to the Northwest. Trans Nzoia covers an area of 2495.5 square kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luhya people</span> Number of ethnic groups in Kenya

The Luhya are a Bantu people and the second largest ethnic group in Kenya. The Luhya belong to the larger linguistic stock known as the Bantu. The Luhya are located in western Kenya and Uganda. They are divided into 20 culturally and linguistically united clans. Once known as the Kavirondo, multiple small tribes in North Nyanza came together under the new name Baluhya between 1950 and 1960. The Bukusu are the largest Luhya subtribe and account for almost 50% of the entire Luhya population, dominating other Luhya subtribes. They live in both Bungoma and Trans-Nzoia counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bukusu</span> Tribe living in Kenya

The Bukusu people are one of the 17 Kenyan tribes of the Luhya Bantu people of East Africa residing mainly in the counties of Bungoma and Trans Nzoia. They are the largest tribe of the Luhya nation, with 1,188,963 identifying as Bukusu in the 2019 Kenyan census. They speak the Bukusu dialect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Province (Kenya)</span> Province of Kenya

Western Province was one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi. It is inhabited mainly by the Luhya people. Quakerism is widely practised here. Kenya's second highest mountain, Mount Elgon is located in Bungoma District. The Kakamega Forest rainforest is part of the area. The province capital was Kakamega. After the 2013 general election, and the coming into effect of the new constitution, provinces became defunct and the country is currently divided into 47 counties. Each county has its own government and therefore there is no central regional capital. Western Province became the Western region, comprising four counties: Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga, and Busia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teso people</span> Nilotic ethnic group native to eastern Uganda and western Kenya

The Iteso are a Nilotic ethnic group in eastern Uganda and western Kenya. Teso refers to the traditional homeland of the Iteso, and Ateso is their language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kisumu County</span> County in Kenya

Kisumu County is one of 47 counties in the Republic of Kenya. Its borders follow those of the original Kisumu District, one of the former administrative districts of the former Nyanza Province in western Kenya. Its headquarters is Kisumu City which is the third largest city in Kenya after the capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa. It has a population of 1,155,574. The land area of Kisumu County totals 2085.9 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamu County</span> County in Kenya

Lamu County is a county in Kenya located along the North Coast of the country and is one of the six Coastal Counties in Kenya. Its capital is the town of Lamu. It borders Tana River County to the southwest, Garissa County to the north, Somalia to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nyamira County</span> County in Kenya

Nyamira County is a county in the former Nyanza Province of Kenya. Formally a district, Nyamira was hived off Kisii District in 1989, and it shares common boundaries with what was known as Nyamira District. The main cash crops grown are bananas and tea. The county has a population of 605,576. Its capital and largest town is Nyamira, with an urban population of around 41,668 The county is also referred to as North Kisii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local authorities of Kenya</span> Bodies controlling local governance in urban areas in Kenya

Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling local governance in urban areas in Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homa Bay County</span> County in Kenya

Homa Bay County is a county in the former Nyanza Province of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Homa Bay. The county has a population of 1,131,950 and an area of 3,154.7 km2. Lake Victoria is a major source of livelihood for Homa Bay County. It has 40 wards, each represented by an MCA in the Homa Bay county assembly located in Homa Bay town, which is the county headquarters.

Namboboto is small rural village in Busia County, Kenya. It is 35 km north of Lake Victoria. The Namboboto-Nambuku ward is the largest of the four wards in the Samia sub-county of Busia County. The people are of the Samia sub-tribe, a part of the Luhya tribe. They are predominantly subsistence farmers, growing maize, sorghum and cassava and by grazing animals.

Samia may refer to:

Budalangi Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of seven constituencies in Busia County. The constituency was established for the 1997 elections. The physical setting of Budalangi at the floodplain of River Nzoia and increased runoff from degraded catchments has been contributory factors to flooding disasters experienced in the region every year, destroying thousands of crop fields and leaving thousands of families homeless. In most cases, River Nzoia breaks its banks due to the backflow of Lake Victoria, flooding the entire filed within days. The most recent catastrophic disaster was caused by Lake Kanyaboli which broke all of its dykes and drained more than 50% of its volume to the region, sweeping away everything on its way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kisii County</span> County in Kenya

Kisii County is a county in the former Nyanza Province in southwestern Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Kisii. The county has a population of 1,266,860 people. It borders Nyamira County to the North East, Narok County to the South, and Homa bay and Migori Counties to the West. The county covers an area of 1,318 km2.

Bunyore is a locality in the Vihiga County in the western province of Kenya. It is largely inhabited by Luhya, who speak the OLunyole dialect of the Luhya language. In the local language, the place is known as Ebunyore and its people as the Abanyore. It is divided into eight locations namely Central Bunyore, West Bunyore, South Bunyore, South-West Bunyore, East Bunyore, North Bunyore, North East Bunyore, and Wekhomo. Prior to 1990, Bunyore was under Kakamega District, divided into East and West Bunyore locations. As population increased, the former West Bunyore was split into Central, West, South and South West locations while the former East Bunyore was split into North, North East, Wekhomo and East Bunyore locations in order to better serve the people.

Matayos is a settlement in the Busia County of Kenya's former Western Province. Matayos is a small township of about two thousand inhabitants along the B1 road, sixteen kilometres from the Busia border point, and about two kilometres east of the Sio River bridge. Matayos Division, whose seat is at Matayos centre is a very small borough covering the stretch of about twenty-two kilometres from Korinda junction near Busia town at its extreme west-point to the Rakite stream depression near Bumala junction to the east. The division is home to about eighty-thousand people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiriki</span> Clan in Western Kenya

Tiriki is one of sixteen clans and dialects of the Abaluyia people of Western Kenya. The word Tiriki is also used to refer to their Geographical Location in Hamisi Division, Vihiga County, in the Western province of Kenya. Hamisi Constituency now Hamisi Sub County is one of the longest in Kenya stretching from kiboswa(Ny'angori) to Shiru which borders Kapsabet and Musunji which borders Kakamega Forest. Some also moved to nandi county and occupied aldai and other parts of nandi county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khayo</span>

The Khayo is a sub tribe of the Luhya people of Kenya. They reside in Busia County, by the Kenya-Uganda border. Their Luhya neighbors are the Samia, Marachi, Wanga and Bukusu. The Bakhayo border the Bukusu on the East, the Republic of Uganda and Samias on the West, the Marachi on the South and the Wanga on the South East. On their north, they are bordered by the Iteso, a non-Luhya Nilotic people of Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samia tribe</span> Kenyan and Ugandan tribe

Samia speaking people live in Western Kenya and Eastern Uganda. They are composed of several clans and their ancient economic activities include fishing in Lake Victoria and other rivers such as River Sio, crop farming (obulimi), and animal farming (obutuki). The Samia speaking people, as widely known by other tribes, predominantly live in Busia districts and speak a dialect similar to the Luhya tribe in Kenya. However, on the Ugandan side there is a slight variation in the dialect spoken by the Samia of Southern Busia on the fringe of Lake Victoria and those of North Busia district closer to Tororo District. The former speak Olusamia while the latter speak Olugwe. The two dialects are difficult to differentiate by non Samia speaking people but easily discernible by the natives. and in Uganda mainly found inbusia and Namayingo district.

Busia District was an administrative district in the Western Province of Kenya. It bordered Kakamega District to the east, Bungoma District and Teso district to the north, Busia District, Uganda to the west, and Lake Victoria to the south.

References

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  2. "Busia County" (PDF). European Union in Kenya. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  3. "Sub Counties In Busia County". County Government of Busia. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  4. "Busia (County, Kenya) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". City Population. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  5. 1 2 Kinstler, Linda (1 March 2024). "How poor Kenyans became economists' guinea pigs". The Economist . Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  6. Miguel, Edward; Kremer, Michael (10 December 2003). "Worms: Identifying Impacts on Education and Health in the Presence of Treatment Externalities". Econometrica. 72 (1): 159–217. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0262.2004.00481.x. ISSN   0012-9682.
  7. Hamory, Joan; Miguel, Edward; Walker, Michael; Kremer, Michael; Baird, Sarah (6 April 2021). "Twenty-year economic impacts of deworming". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118 (14). Bibcode:2021PNAS..11823185H. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2023185118 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   8040658 . PMID   33790017.
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  20. Kaggikah, Don (15 December 2017). "Busia County - 040 -" . Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  21. "Home". www.education.go.ke. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  22. "Moi university gets land to set up Alupe campus". alupe university. 3 February 2014.
  23. "Alupe University College". the standard media. 19 November 2020.
  24. "Home". www.kerra.go.ke. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  25. "Home". kura.go.ke. Retrieved 26 May 2020.

0°26′N34°9′E / 0.433°N 34.150°E / 0.433; 34.150