Western Kenya - Wikivoyage, the free collaborative travel and tourism guide - Kenya occidental — Wikivoyage, le guide de voyage et de tourisme collaboratif gratuit

Western Kenya
The peak of Kitobos, 4 222 m, on Mount Elgon
Information
Country	Kenya
Main city	Kisumu
Lake	Victoria
Watercourse	Nzoia, Yala, Polled Miriu, Nyando
Minimum altitude	1 131,7 m (Lake Victoria)
Maximum altitude	4 302 m (Sudek peak on Mount Elgon)
Area	44 124 km²
Population	14 608 107 hab. (2009)
Density	331,07 inhab./km²
Other language	luo, Luya dialects, gusii
Location
0 ° 48 ′ 36 ″ N 34 ° 49 ′ 12 ″ E
edit

the Western Kenya is a region of Kenya. To the southwest, it is bordered by the Tanzania ; to the west by the lake victoria and theUganda ; to the north and east by the region of Great North Rift Valley following, from the Ugandan border, the western horst of the great eastern rift to Mount Londiani and the horst south of the Kavirondo rift collapse ditch; to the south-east by the region of Great South Rift Valley following the Oloololo escarpment to the Tanzanian border.

Understand

Regions

Northern Nyanza (Kakamega, Mumias, Vihiga) The region borders the Ugandan border from Lake Victoria to Mount Elgon, one of its peaks, Sudeck Peak, rises to 4 302 m which makes it the 2e highest peak in Kenya and the 10e from Africa. Apart from Mount Elgon National Park, the main natural curiosity is the Kakamega Forest National Reserve which constitutes Kenya's last primary tropical rainforest. The main locality is Vihiga Central nyanza (Kisumu, Siaya, Yala) Southern Nyanza (Homa-Bay, Kisii, Migori) North West Rift (Eldoret, Kericho, Kitale, Kapenguria, Kapsowar)

Cities

The eight largest cities, in descending order of the number of inhabitants, are:

• -0.105134.75341 Kisumu  – 567,963 inhab. (2019), capital of Kisumu County, the largest locality in western Kenya and 3^e most important of Kenya (last update June 2020)
• 0.51922235.2754512 Eldoret  – 289,380 inhab. (2009), capital of Uasin Gishu county (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.08251534.7215253 Vihiga  – 118,696 inhab. (2009), capital of Vihiga county (last update Feb. 2018)
• 1.01578835.0029994 Kitale  – 106,187 inhab. (2009), capital of the county of Trans Nzoia (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.370235.28135 Kericho  – 101,808 inhab. (2009), capital of County Kericho (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.32970334.4971096 Mumias  – 99,887 inhab. (2009), Kakamega County Town (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.283234.75357 Kakamega  – 91,778 inhab. (2009), capital of Kakamega county (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.6765934.7723038 Kisii  – 81,801 inhab. (2009), capital of Kisii county (last update Feb. 2018)

Other destinations

• -0.46710634.0153261 Mfangano Island  – Cave paintings dated around 18,000 years identified as the work of pygmy hunters of the Twa ethnic group from Congo. (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.40698434.1718462 Rusinga Island  – Paleontological sites of Kasawanga and Gumba. (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.20235534.5115413 Ndere Island and National Park (Ndere Island National Park)  – National park constituting the entire small island of Ndere. Among the fauna living on the island, African Fish Eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer), swifts, hippos and Nile crocodiles. Impalas have also been introduced by humans. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.24060634.7556134 Ilesi Crying Stone  – Quartzite rock top 40 m. It is one of the rocks that "weep" listed in the region. No matter how dry the season, water constantly springs from its base. (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.1178734.5407165 Mikayi Kit  – Top of rock pile 70 m and the most sacred place for the Luo. (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.01111134.3455566 Sarah Obama House (to Nyang'oma Kogelo) – In the cradle village of the paternal family of Barack Obama Jr. the 44^e president of United States. (last update March 2018)
• 1.2609135.07847 Kapenguria Museum (Kapenguria Museum)  – Former prison where the six main formators of the Kenyan "revolution" which brought about its independence in 1963 were incarcerated. (last update jul. 2018)
• -0.64722734.2838948 Ruma National Park (Ruma National Park)  – The only Kenyan natural park where you can see Rotschild's giraffes and horse antelopes in the wild. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 1.135.116669 Saiwa Marsh National Park (Saiwa swamp)  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 1.13322334.69921810 Mount elgon national park (Mount Elgon National Park)  –  (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.000134.60167311 Crossing the terrestrial equator  – The equinoctial line can be easily driven a few kilometers north of Kisumu, especially on the A1 and the B1. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.29166734.85611112 Kakamega Forest National Reserve (Kakamega Forest National Reserve)  – Kenya's last primary tropical rainforest. (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.03819634.06393513 Lake Kanyaboli National Reserve (Yala Swamp)  – The largest swamp in lake victoria and one of the sources of the Nile. (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.89115534.32530414 Thimlich Ohinga  – Stone enclosure measuring from 1 to 10 foot thick and from 1 to 4.2 meters of height built without primer or mortar. The oldest remains of this fortress have more than 500 years. (last update Feb. 2018)

To go

By plane

The Western Kenya region has two international airports located at Kisumu and Eldoret, two regional airports at Kitale and Kakamega as well as four aerodromes without equipment at Bungoma, Homa Bay, Kisii and Migori. The region also has about twenty dirt tracks.

• -0.08196834.7285661 Kisumu International Airport (Kisumu International Airport IATA : KIS) Airport Road, 40100 Kisumu,   254 57 2020811, 254 728 765360 (cellphone) (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.4047235.2238492 Eldoret International Airport (Eldoret International Airport IATA : EDL) Eldoret-Kapsabet Road, 34124 Eldoret,   254 53 2061299, 254 725 536633 (cellphone) (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.97401234.9591593 Kitale Airport (Kitale Airport IATA : KTL) Kakamega-Kitale Road, 30200 Kitale (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.27159234.7845924 Kakamega Airport (Kakamega Airport IATA : GGM ) Kakamega-Shinyalu Road, 50100 Kakamega (last update Feb. 2018)
• 0.57805234.5576515 Bungoma Airfield (Bungoma Airstrip IATA : n / A) Moi Avenue, 50200 Bungoma (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.58576734.4757026 Homa Bay Airfield (Homa Bay Airstrip IATA : n / A) Homa Bay-Rongo Road, 40300 Homa Bay (last update Feb. 2018)
• -0.67260334.6881737 Kisii airfield (Kisii Airstrip IATA : n / A) Suneka-Asumbi Road, 40200 Suneka (last update Feb. 2018)
• -1.1145834.4833518 Migori Airfield (Migori Airstrip IATA : n / A) Suna-Lolgorien Road, 40400 Suna (last update Feb. 2018)

By train

	WARNING : Following the modification of the tracks to bring them to the standard gauge UIC, the railway line between Nairobi and Kisumu is no longer operational for an indefinite period.

The only way to reach western Kenya by train is to arrive with the Port Florence Express To Kisumu since Nairobi.

• -0.10480234.7476529 Kisumu Station (Kisumu Railway Station) New Station Road, 40100 Kisumu, e-mail : [email protected] (last update Feb. 2018)

By bus

The bus station of Kisumu is the focal point for all coaches crisscrossing western Kenya.

• -0.10096834.75913810 Bus station Jomo Kenyatta Highway, 40100 Kisumu – In Kisumu, coaches stop at the bus station and their ticket office. (last update Feb. 2018)

The three main companies are:

• Coast Bus (destinations: Nairobi, Bungoma, Kakamega) ;
• Easy Coach (destinations: Nairobi, Bungoma, Busia, Eldoret, Kakamega, Kisii, Migori, Siaya, Webuye, Kampala (Uganda) ;
• Modern Coach (destinations: Nairobi, Busia, Kisii, Migori).

By car

From Nairobi

Nairobi └──> A104 Limuru └──> B3Kisii             │           └──> A1Rongo             │                       └──> C20Homa Bay              │                       └──> A1Migori             └──> A104 Mau Summit └──> B1Kericho, Kisumu                          │                  └──> A1Kakamega                         │                  └──> B1Busia (ugandan border)                         └──> A104Eldoret, Webuye,                                               └──> A1Kitale                                              └──> A104Bungoma, Malaba (ugandan border)

From Kampala

Kampala └──> A109 Namutere └──> B1 Busia (kenyan border)            │        └──> B1Kisumu, Kericho            └──> A109 Malaba (kenyan border)                       └──> A104Bungoma, Webuye                                             └──> A1Kakamega, Kitale                                            └──> A104Eldoret

Circulate

Do

To buy

Always keep in mind that, as everywhere in Africa, it is common practice to haggle in small shops and among small artisans. The price that is asked of you is often overdone, especially if you are not very "local":

• soapstone ((in)soap stone) sculpted, the historical center of which is located Kisii,
• musical instruments such asorutu (viele), the gara (bells), theasili (flute) or, if you have room, theoporo (antelope horn) and the must of all nyatiti (ancient lyre) of the Luo,
• ngaga (invariable word): earrings in gastropod shells,
• objects woven from sisal (such as handbags, called kiondo, or placemats), in papyrus or water hyacinth,
• loincloths vikoi (kikoi in the singular) for men or kanga for women,
• old-fashioned household utensils in calabashes or in wood,
• batik (paintings on textiles),
• akala (invariable word): sandals made from downgraded tires that many believe, wrongly, were invented by the Maasai when they were invented by Oginga Odinga the first vice-president of Kenya.

Eat

Security

Emergency telephone number: ​All emergency services:112

Around

		Great North Rift Valley
	Northern Uganda Eastern Uganda Lake Victoria	NOT	Great North Rift Valley Great South Rift Valley
		O    Western Kenya    E
		S
		Great South Rift Valley North East Tanzania

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