Uasin Gishu County

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Uasin Gishu County
Flag of Uasin Gishu County.gif
Uasin Gishu County in Kenya.svg
Location in Kenya
CountryFlag of Kenya.svg Kenya
Formed4 March 2013
Capital Eldoret
Government
   Governor Jonathan Bii
Area
  Total
2,955.3 km2 (1,141.0 sq mi)
Elevation
2,200 m (7,200 ft)
Population
 (2019)
  Total
1,163,186
  Density390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
   GDP Increase2.svg $6.833 billion (8th)(2022) [1]
   Per Capita Increase2.svg $5,582 (2022) (15th)
GDP (NOMINAL)
  GDPIncrease2.svg $2.527 billion (2022) (8th)
  Per CapitaIncrease2.svg $2,050 (2022) (14th)
Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)
Website www.uasingishu.go.ke

Uasin Gishu County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya located in the former Rift Valley Province. Eldoret city has the county's largest population centre as well as its administrative and commercial centre. [2] It is bordered by Elgeyo-Marakwet to the East, Trans Nzoia to the North, Kakamega to the west, Nandi and Kericho to the South West and Baringo to the South East. It is a highland plateau with altitudes falling gently from 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) above sea level to about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level. The topography is higher to the east and declines gently towards the western border". [3]

Contents

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 and south-west and Kakamega County to the west.

Etymology

The county is named after Illwuasin-kishu, a maasai clan. 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. [4]

History

In 1903, the area was proposed as a potential Jewish homeland; British Uganda Programme, which was rejected by the Jewish community leaders in the Seventh Zionist Congress (1905).

In 1908, fifty-eight families of Afrikaans-speaking South Africans settled in the Uasin Gishu plateau. They were followed by sixty more families in 1911 and more later. [5] 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: [6]

Religion

Religion in Uasin Gishu County [7]

Religion (2019 Census)Number
Protestant 521,093
Roman Catholic 250,572
Evangelical Churches 222,364
African instituted Churches 68,784
Orthodox 3,537
Other Christian 39,428
Islam 18,805
Hindu 1,600
Traditionists1,193
Other9,523
No ReligionAtheists 14,289
Don't Know1,362
Not Stated121

Government

Urban areas

TownTypePopulation (2009) [8] Rank in Kenya (Population Size)
Eldoret Municipality289,3805
Moi's Bridge Town14,596106
Matunda Town10,031119
Burnt Forest Town4,925172
Jua KaliTown3,427192
TurboTown2,831201

Constituencies

DivisionPopulation*Urban pop.*Headquarters
Ainabkoi Constituency 77,29018,799 Kapsoya
Kapseret Constituency 93,16255,056Kapseret
Kesses Constituency 84,8940Kesses
Moiben Constituency 92,7176,172Moiben
Soy Constituency 165,12746,338 Eldoret
Turbo Constituency 109,50846,900 Turbo
* 1999 census. [9] [10]

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 -with a total of three wards; 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 CountyWardsSub CountyWardsSub CountyWards
TurboHurumaMoibenKaruna/MeibekiSoyKipsomba
KamagutKimumuKunet/Kapsuswa
KapsaosMoibenSoy
KiplombeSergoitZiwa
NgenyilelTembelioKapkures
TapsagoiMois Bridge
Segero/Barsombe
KessesTulwet/ChuiyatKapseretNgeriaAinabkoiAinabkoi/Olare
TarakwaSimat/KapseretKaptagat
Cheptiret/KipchamoKipkenyoKapsoya
RacecourseLangas
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

Uasin Gishu is the 8th Largest Economy in Kenya with a GDP of $6.8B at PPP and $2.5B at Nominal. It is the 11th richest County in Africa with a GDP per Capita of $2,050.

Agriculture

Cherangani hills as viewed from farmlands near Karuna, Moiben, Uasin Gishu Cherangany hills uasingishu.jpg
Cherangani hills as viewed from farmlands near Karuna, Moiben, Uasin Gishu
Kesses Reservoir A cloudy day at Kesses.jpg
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. [11]

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. [12] 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, with a wide variety of crops and animals 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. [13]

Industry

The county capital, Eldoret, is home to a 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. [14]

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. [15]

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. [16]

Transport

Uasin Gishu has 300 kilometres (190 mi) of tarmac roads, 549 kilometres (341 mi) of murram roads and 377 kilometres (234 mi) of earth roads. It also has 17 kilometres (11 mi) 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. [17]

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.[ citation needed ]

Notable people

References

  1. "GCP" . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  2. "Uasin Gishu County overview – Uasin Gishu County" . Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  3. "KIPPRA PPR Home". repository.kippra.or.ke. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  4. MORRIS KIRUGA. Daily Nation. How local dialects influenced naming of west Kenya towns. 23 July 2013
  5. Red strangers: the white tribe of Kenya, ISBN   1-85725-206-3, by Christine Stephanie Nicholls
  6. Kenya: Administrative Division population statistics
  7. "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV: Distribution of Population by Socio-Economic Characteristics" (PDF). Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  8. "Kenya" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2013.
  9. "1999 census" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007.
  10. 1999 census Archived 28 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Kenya Information Guide online
  12. Zakenya online
  13. Uasin Gishu County online
  14. Kenya Information Guide online
  15. "Eldoret, Kenya". Meet Minneapolis. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  16. Kenya Information Guide online
  17. Uasin Gishu County Government online

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Uasin-Gishu County at Wikimedia Commons

0°31′00″N35°17′00″E / 0.516667°N 35.2833°E / 0.516667; 35.2833