The Abagusii are a Bantu ethnic group and nation indigenous to Kisii and Nyamira counties of former Nyanza, as well as parts of Kericho and Bomet counties of the former Rift Valley province of Kenya.
The Gusii language is a Bantu language spoken in Kisii and Nyamira counties in Nyanza Kenya, whose headquarters is Kisii Town,. It is spoken natively by 2.2 million people, mostly among the Abagusii. Ekegusii has only two dialects: The Rogoro and Maate dialects. Phonologically they differ in the articulation of /t/. Most of the variations existing between the two dialects are lexical. The two dialects can refer to the same object or thing using different terms. An example of this is the word for cat. While one dialect calls a cat ekemoni, the other calls it ekebusi. Another illustrating example can be found in the word for sandals. While the Rogoro word for sandals is chidiripasi, the Maate dialect word is chitaratara. Many more lexical differences manifest in the language. The Maate dialect is spoken in Tabaka and Bogirango. Most of the other regions use the Rogoro dialect, which is also the standard dialect of Ekegusii.
Kisii is a municipality and urban centre in south-western Kenya and the capital of the Kisii County. Kisii Town also serves as major urban and commercial centre in the Gusii Highlands—Kisii and Nyamira counties—and the South Nyanza region and 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.
Narok County is a county in southwestern Kenya with an estimated population of 1,157,873 according to 2019 Census. The dominant ethnic group is the Maasai. Its capital and largest town is Narok, with the only other major urban centre being Kilgoris. Narok County Government was formed by the County Governments Act of 2012 as prescribed in the 2010 Constitution of Kenya. Narok County governor is Patrick Ole Ntutu after winning in the 2022 elections and his Deputy is Tamalinye K. Koech.
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.
Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling local governance in urban areas in Kenya.
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.
Nyaribari Masaba is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of nine constituencies in Kisii County. The constituency was established for the 1988 elections.
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.
Magwagwa is a small town in Nyamusi division, Nyamira County in Kenya.
Sotik Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya established for the 1997 elections. It is one of five constituencies in Bomet County. Sotik has one major river, River Kipsonoi. Sotik is also a hilly place with the main crops being grown are tea and maize. The Nairobi Kisii highway passes through Sotik. Recently, many developments have occurred; Sotik Market was put up by the former governor Hon Isaac Ruto, since then infrastructure has been improving. Sotik is also a religious center with over 10 churches set up in the area, e.g., Bethel AGC, St Joseph's Sotik catholic church and Gustavo D' Kerich chapel.
Kisii Airport is an airport in Kisii County, Kenya.
Sub-counties, also 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.
Kisii University is a public university located in Kisii. It was founded in 1965 as a primary teachers’ training college on a 61-acre land that was donated by the County Council of Gusii. The college continued up to 1983 when it was upgraded to a secondary teachers’ college to offer Diploma programmes.
Nyamira District was an administrative district in the Nyanza Province of Kenya. It was split from Kisii District in 1989 and was sometimes referred as North Kisii District. The district had a population of 492,102. Its capital town was Nyamira.
Kisii District was a district in the Nyanza Province in southwestern Kenya. Its capital town was Kisii. The district was created in during the colonial period from the South Kavirondo District. The district is inhabited mostly by the Gusii people. Nyamira District was later carved out of Kisii in 1989. Further splitting led to the creation of Kisii Central District and Gucha District. In 2013, the district's former boundaries, except Nyamira District, were effected again to form Kisii County.
Nyacheki is a town in the Gucha District in western Kenya. Villages surrounding this town include Nyabiosi, Bendera, Naikuru, Tukiyamwana, and Mochengo. Nyacheki is located along Keroka Nyangusu road and is a 45 minutes drive from Maasai Mara. It is 10 minutes away from Kiamokama tea factory.
Francis Kainda Nyaruri, also known as Mong'are Mokua, a Kenyan freelance journalist for the Weekly Citizen newspaper in Nyamira, Nyamira County, Kenya, had published several articles about local police officials exposing acts of corruption and malpractice approximately two weeks before his dead body was found decapitated with hands bound.
Nyagarama, formally known as John Obiero Nyagarama, was a Kenyan politician. He was the first Governor of Nyamira County, deputised by Amos Nyaribo. He was a member of the Orange Democratic Movement and was elected in March 2013, subsequently retaining his seat for a second term beginning August 2017.
