Kericho

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Location of Kericho, Kenya (old provinces pictured) KE-Kericho.png
Location of Kericho, Kenya (old provinces pictured)
Tea country surrounding Kericho Kenya-Tealand-Near-Kericho-2012.JPG
Tea country surrounding Kericho

Kericho is the biggest town in Kericho County, located in the highlands west of the Kenyan Rift Valley. Positioned on the edge of the Mau Forest, Kericho benefits from a warm and temperate climate, making it good for agriculture, especially large scale tea cultivation. [1]

Contents

The town is strategically located along Kenya's western tourism circuit with access to Lake Victoria, the Maasai Mara National Reserve and Ruma National Park.

Kericho is home to the world's single largest tea plantation. Teapickers-near-kericho.JPG
Kericho is home to the world's single largest tea plantation.

Etymology

The etymology of Kericho is uncertain. One theory suggests it that it was named after the region's first hospital, built by the colonial British at the start of the 20th century, referencing the Kipsigis word kerichek, for medicine. Another theory proposes the name derives from a local medicine man called Kipkerich or from a Maasai chief, Ole Kericho who was killed in the 18th century by the Abagusii. [2]

History

Kericho was founded by British settlers in 1902. [3] It hosts Africa's largest Sikh Gurudwara [4] and the second largest Catholic cathedral in Kenya. [5]

The Gurdwara Sahib, built on the site of the home and workshop of Kericho Wagon Works founder Sant Baba Puran Singh Ji of Kericho, is now a place of worship for the Sikh community and a museum gazetted by the Government of Kenya as a place of spiritual significance.

It is dedicated to the memory of Sant Baba Puran Singh Ji, founder of the international charitable organization, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha which promotes the spirit and practice of selfless service ("nishkam sewa") in the name of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith. Chandarana Records a pioneer of Benga music and the Kenyan music recording industry is based in Kericho town.

Sports

Kericho is known for producing Olympic-winning long-distance athletes and hosts Zoo Kericho F.C. a football club competing in the Kenyan Premier League and Kericho R.F.C. competing in the Nationwide League. [6]

Points of Interest

Key attractions include Chagaik Arboretum, Chelimo Arboretum, Tagabi Arboretum, Uhuru Garden and the vast scenic tea estates. [7]

Geography

Kericho is reputed to hold the record for the highest number of hail occurrences in a year, either at 132 days with hail [8] or 113 days in 1965. Kericho has up to 50 days of hail each year, [9] but large hail is rare. [8]

Population

As of the 1999 census, the town has a population of 150,000. [10] Kericho is the home town of the Kipsigis, a subgroup of the Kalenjin people.

Government

Kericho town is the administrative headquarters of Kericho county, which consists up of six constituencies/sub-counties: Bureti, Belgut, Ainamoi, Soin/ Sigowet, Kipkelion East, and Kipkelion West.

Transport

Kericho is accessible by road through the B1 road (Kenya) that links Mau-Summit, Kericho to Kisumu and Busia. In addition, the C25 Kapsoit-Sondu road connects Kericho to the A1 road linking Isebania to Lokichoggio through Kisumu and Kitale. [11]

The Nakuru-Kisumu railway line passes through Kericho County with railway stations at Mau Summit, Londiani, Kedowa, Lumbwa, Kipkelion and Fort Ternan. Fort Ternan was previously used as a halfway point for passenger and goods trains between Nakuru and Kisumu. [12]

Private airstrips operated by tea estates are used primarily for crop spraying. [13]

Communication and media

Kericho town has access to high-speed fiber-optic Internet connection, fixed line, and mobile telecommunications.

Local FM radio stations including Kass FM, Chamgei FM, KBC Kitwek FM, Radio Injili, Sayare Radio, Light and Life FM, Sema Radio and The Just FM.

Tertiary education

Kericho hosts several educational institutions offering certificate, diploma and degree courses, including:

Secondary education

Kericho is home to: 1.Litein High School, 2.Taita Towett Boys High School, 3.Kipkelion Girls High school, 4.Kapsoit high school, 5.Kabianga Boys High School, 6.Kericho High school, 7.Moi Tea Secondary, 8.Kipsigis Girls High School, 9.Cheptenye Boys High School, 10.Kericho Tea Boys, 11.Tengecha schools 12. Moi Sitotwet 13. Getumbe Secondary school 14. Poiywek Secondary School 15. Kericho Day Secondary school 16. Kipchimchim Secondary school 17. Kaptebeswet secondary school 18. Kabianga Girls High School and others

Religion

Kericho is home to followers of the Africa Gospel Church, Full Gospel Church, Seventh-day Adventists, Catholics, Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, African Inland Church, Jehovah's Witnesses and Anglicans.

Notable people

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The Kipsigis or Kipsigiis are a Nilotic group contingent of the Kalenjin ethnic group and speak a dialect of the Kalenjin language identified by their community eponym, Kipsigis. It is observed that the Kipsigis and another aboriginal group native to Kenya known as Ogiek have a merged identity. The Kipsigis are the biggest sub tribe within the Kalenjin community. The latest census population in Kenya put the Kipsigis at 1,972,000 speakers, accounting for 45% of all Kalenjin speaking people. They occupy the highlands of Kericho stretching from Timboroa to the Mara River in the south and the Mau Escarpment in the east to Kebeneti. They also occupy parts of Laikipia, Kitale, Nakuru, Narok, the Trans Mara District, Eldoret and the Nandi Hills.

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

Kericho County is one of the 47 counties in Kenya. The county seats between longitude 35°02' and 35°40' East and between the equator and latitude 0°23' South with an altitude of about 2002m above sea level. It borders Uasin Gishu County to the North West, Baringo County to the North-East, Nandi County to the North-West, Nakuru County to the East and Bomet County to the South, Kisumu County to the Northwest and Nyamira County to the West. It has a population of 901,777 and an area of 2,111 km². Its capital and largest town is Kericho.

Kapsabet is a town in Kenya. It is the capital of Nandi County and is located 40 kilometres southwest of Eldoret on the way to Chavakali.

Litein is a town located in the Kericho County, Kenya. It was previously the capital of the former Buret District. Litein has an urban population of 4,000. The town is along the Kericho-Sotik road. It also has a road link to Bomet.

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Londiani is a town in Kericho County, Kenya. It is 49 km from Kericho, which is about a 50-minute drive. As of 2009, it had a total population of 44,953.

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Zakayo Cheruiyot is a Kenyan politician who was born in 1954 at Kapsogut village in Bureti Constituency, Kericho County. His father, Arap Komuilong, was an Assistant Chief to Arap Tengecha, the Chief, during the colonial period. Cheruiyot attended Kapsogut Primary School prior to joining Litein High School and later Chesamis High School for his A-level education. The revered administrator holds a bachelor's degree in Literature and Governance from the University of Nairobi and a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Studies from Birmingham University in the UK. He is widely trained in public administration and has undergone major short courses on administration and management at the Kenya School of Government.

Belgut is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of six constituencies of Kericho County. The constituency was established for the 1963 elections. A new Constituency Sigowet-Soin was curved out of this Constituency in 2013 after the promulgation of the new constitution (2010).

Fort Ternan is a small town in Kericho County, Kenya, located 50 kilometres east of Kisumu and five kilometres east of Koru. It is named after Col. Trevor Ternan C.M.G.D.S.O. Fort Ternan is located at the western border of the former Rift Valley Province. Fort Ternan forms a ward of Kipkelion West Constituency and Kipsigis town council. Fort Ternan is also a location in the Chilchila division.

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References

  1. ↑ "Investing in Kericho County". Soko Directory. 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  2. ↑ paukwastories (2023-03-29). "8 South Rift Town Names with Fascinating Roots". Paukwa. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  3. ↑ United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, Regional Development Planning and Management of Urbanization: Experiences from Developing Countries, UN-HABITAT, 1997, p.189
  4. ↑ "Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha. Kericho, Kenya". 26 August 2007.
  5. ↑ "The Star".
  6. ↑ "About Kericho RFC | Shujaa Pride".
  7. ↑ "Points of Interest in Kericho Town".
  8. 1 2 Linacre, E.; Geerts, B. (May 1998). "More on hail". University of Wyoming. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  9. ↑ Burt, Christopher C. (30 April 2011). "World's Largest Hailstones | Weather Extremes". Weather Underground. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  10. ↑ "The National Treasury" (PDF). Treasury.go.ke. 2015-07-09. Retrieved 2015-12-06.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. ↑ "Classification". Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  12. ↑ "Kenya Branches".
  13. ↑ http://aeroclubairfields.com/go.php?mod=public&loco=airstrips

00°22′09″S35°17′02″E / 0.36917°S 35.28389°E / -0.36917; 35.28389

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