Homa Bay | |
---|---|
![]() Homa Bay Skyline captured from a pier in Lake Victoria, 2023 | |
Coordinates: 0°31′S34°27′E / 0.517°S 34.450°E | |
Country | ![]() |
County | Homa Bay County |
Population (2019) | |
• Total | 44,949 |
Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Climate | Aw |
Homa Bay is a town (and eponymous bay) on the south shore of Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, in western Kenya. It lies near Mount Homa (in the Luo language Got Marahuma or God Uma ["famous mountain"]) and Ruma National Park, the latter noted for Jackson's hartebeests and roan antelope (the government has also released reticulated giraffes into the park).
Homa Bay was once the District Headquarters for all of South Nyanza District, Nyanza Province, but has now been divided into at least three districts. Homa Bay is now the capital of Homa Bay County per the new constitution. The town of Homa Bay hosts a Municipal Council. The municipality had a population of 44,949 in 2019. [1]
Homa Bay municipality has six wards: Central, Kalanya, Kanyabala, Kanyadier/Kothidha, Katuma, and Posta/Bonde. All of them belong to the Rangwe Constituency, which has a total of fourteen wards. The remaining eight are located within Homa Bay County Council, the rural council of Homa Bay District. [2]
Kisii is a municipality and urban centre in south-western Kenya and the capital city of Kisii County. Kisii Town also serves as a major urban and commercial centre in the Gusii Highlands—Kisii and Nyamira counties—and the South Nyanza region and is the second largest town in formerly greater Nyanza after Kisumu City. Kisii municipality sits right at the centre of the western Kenya tourist circuit that includes the Tabaka Soapstone Carvings, Maasai Mara, Ruma National Park and part of the Lake Victoria Basin.
Mbita Point is a town in the former province of Nyanza, Kenya, currently in Homa Bay County, on the shores of Lake Victoria. It is home to the Thomas Odhiambo campus of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE). A public primary school formerly international and a clinic are hosted by the centre. Mbita has several other primary schools as well as secondary schools. A small sub-district hospital is in the town. The main district hospital is in the neighbouring town of Sindo, 17 km away. Mbita has had water and electricity since 2005. Mbita Point has an urban population of 6100, but the population grows rapidly due to urbanization, new technologies like cell phone coverage and internet connection through cyber cafes, electrification, trade and education. The town was the capital of the former Suba District.
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.
Siaya County is one of the counties in the former Nyanza Province in western Kenya. It is bordered by Busia County to the north, Kakamega County, and Vihiga County to the northeast and Kisumu County to the southeast. It shares a water border with Homa Bay County which is located south of Siaya County. The total area of the county is approximately 2,496.1 km2. The county lies between latitude 0° 26' to 0° 18' north and longitude 33° 58' and 34° 33' east. Siaya has been split up into six new districts (sub-counties). Under the 2010 Constitution, the role of the districts is still unclear as much of the administrative authority was transferred to the county. The capital is Siaya, town, although the largest town is Bondo.
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 a common boundary 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.
Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling local governance in urban areas 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.
Rachuonyo District was an administrative district in the Nyanza Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Kosele, and previously, Oyugis. The district had a population of 307,126 and an area of 945 km². The district had two constituencies, Kasipul Kabondo and Karachuonyo, which have been part of Homa Bay County since 2010.
Migori County is a county in the former Nyanza Province of southwestern Kenya. It borders Homa Bay County to the north, Kisii County to the northeast, Narok County to the southeast, Tanzania to the west and south, and Lake Victoria to the west. The county also borders Uganda via Migingo Island in Lake Victoria. The county's headquarter is Migori, which is also its largest town. In the 2019 National Census, Migori County had a population of 1,116,436, almost 200,000 more than the 917,170 recorded in 2009.
Suba District was an administrative district in the former Nyanza Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Mbita Point. The district had a population of 155,666 and an area of 1,055 km2. Suba district was named after the Suba people, who inhabit local Rusinga and Mfangano Islands.
Bondo is a Municipality in Siaya County of Kenya. It has traditionally been a fishing town and its entire economy rotates around the fish from Lake Victoria. It the largest and most populous town of the county. Located 64 kilometers west of Kisumu, Bondo was established in the early 1920s as a market centre. In the 1990s, it became the headquarters of Bondo district which was carved out of the larger Siaya District.
Oyugis is the second-largest town in Homa Bay County in Nyanza Kenya. The town lies along the Kisumu-Kisii highway. It is the commercial and financial centre of Rachuonyo Sub-County in Homa Bay County of the former Nyanza Province.
Kendu Bay is a bay and town in Kenya. The area is the part of Rachuonyo North District in Homa Bay County.
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 according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census. 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.
Ndhiwa Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of eight constituencies in Homa Bay County. The constituency has seven wards, all electing councillors to the Homa Bay County Council.
Sori (Suri) is a small town in Migori County, in the former Nyanza Province of Kenya. The town lies on the banks of Lake Victoria. As of 2009, its population is 8,964.
Sub-counties, formerly known as Districts, are the decentralised units through which government of Kenya provides functions and services. At national level, sub-counties take a more administrative function like security, statistical purposes, provision of government services, etc. Even though the sub-counties are divisions of counties, powers to create new national sub-counties lies with the national government. As of 2023, there are 314 sub-counties, compared to 290 constituencies. A deputy county commissioner is appointed by the state to lead each sub-county. The sub-counties are further divided into divisions, locations and sub-locations.
Migori District was an administrative district in the Nyanza Province of Kenya. It is located in southwestern Kenya. Its capital town was Migori. The district has a population of 514,897 and an area of 2,005 km2.
Homa Bay District was an administrative district in the Nyanza Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Homa Bay. The district had a population of 288,540 and an area of 1,160 km². The district itself was carved out of the South Nyanza District formerly known as South Kavirondo District. In 2013, the district's boundaries before 1992 were used in the creation of the devolved Homa Bay County.
South Nyanza was an administrative district of Nyanza Province in western Kenya. It was headquartered in Kisumu. Following territorial transfer from Uganda to the East Africa Protectorate, Kisii District was administered as one unit with Ugaya District both headquartered in Karungu. Kisii was founded in 1907 and quickly rose to be the districts, Kisii and Ugaya, headquarters. At the time the districts were under Kisumu Province, later renamed Nyanza Province in 1909. They were later consolidated and referred to as South Kavirondo. In 1948, South Kavirondo was renamed South Nyanza. In 1962, Kisii District was carved out of South Nyanza. The smaller South Nyanza was then headquartered at Homa Bay.