Uasin Gishu County







County in Kenya










































Uasin Gishu County
County

Wheat Plantation in Uasi Ngishu County near Moiben. Sergoit Hill in the background

Wheat Plantation in Uasi Ngishu County near Moiben. Sergoit Hill in the background





Flag of Uasin Gishu County
Flag

Coat of arms of Uasin Gishu County
Coat of arms

Location in Kenya
Location in Kenya

Country
 Kenya
Formed 4 March 2013
Capital Eldoret
Government
 • Governor
Jackson Mandago
Area
 • Total 2,955.3 km2 (1,141.0 sq mi)
Population (2009)
 • Total 894,179[1]
Time zone
UTC+3 (EAT)
Website uasingishu.go.ke

Uasin Gishu County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya, located in the former Rift Valley Province. The city of Eldoret is the county's largest population center as well as its administrative and commercial center.


Uasin Gishu is located on a plateau and has a cool and temperate climate. It borders Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya.




Contents






  • 1 Etymology


  • 2 History


  • 3 Government


    • 3.1 Urban areas


    • 3.2 Constituencies




  • 4 Economy


    • 4.1 Agriculture


    • 4.2 Aquaculture


    • 4.3 Industry


    • 4.4 Services


      • 4.4.1 Tourism






  • 5 Transport


  • 6 Education


  • 7 Health


  • 8 References


  • 9 External links





Etymology


Its name comes from the Illwuasin-kishu 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. The plateau that they once occupied was then registered in its Anglicised version, Uasin Gishu.[2]



History


In 1903, the area was proposed as a potential Jewish homeland, as the British Uganda Programme. This proposal was rejected by the British Jewish community leaders.


In 1908, fifty eight families of Afrikaans-speaking South Africans settled in Uashin Gishu plateau. They were followed by sixty more families in 1911 and more later.[3] The town of Eldoret was established in the midst of the farms they created.



Government



Urban areas













































Town Type Population (2009)[4]
Rank in Kenya (Population Size)
Eldoret Municipality 289,380 5
Moi’s Bridge Town 14,596 106
Matunda Town 10,031 119
Burnt Forest Town 4,925 172
Jua Kali Town 3,427 192
Turbo Town 2,831 201


Constituencies














































Division
Population*
Urban pop.*
Headquarters
Ainabkoi Constituency 77,290 18,799
Ainabkoi
Kapseret Constituency 93,162 55,056 Kapseret
Kesses Constituency 84,894 0 Kesses
Moiben Constituency 92,717 6,172 Moiben
Soy Constituency 165,127 46,338
Eldoret
Turbo Constituency 109,508 46,900
Turbo

* 1999 census.[5][6]


Economy



Agriculture





Wheat Plantation in Uasi Ngishu County near Moiben. Sergoit Hill in the background


Uasin Gishu along with neighboring 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[7].


The county also produces sizable quantities of milk and horticultural produce. A wide variety of crops and animals are produced in smaller quantities.



Aquaculture


The county has 1,728 operational fish ponds covering 486,000m2 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[8].



Industry


The county capital, Eldoret, is home to a vibrant 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[9].



Services


Eldoret is a major commercial center in Western Kenya. Service industries like wholesale & retail trade, auto repair, entertainment centers 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.



Tourism


Tourism, sports tourism in particular, is a growing sub-sector in the county - the result of long term terrific performances by athletes from the region[10].



Transport


Uasin Gishu has 300 kilometers of tarmac roads, 549 kilometers of murram roads and 377 kilometers of earth roads. It also has 17 kilometers 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[11].



Education



Health



References





  1. ^ "Kenya Census 2009"..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  2. ^ MORRIS KIRUGA. Daily Nation. How local dialects influenced naming of west Kenya towns. 23 July 2013
    [1]



  3. ^ Red strangers: the white tribe of Kenya,
    ISBN 1-85725-206-3, by Christine Stephanie Nicholls



  4. ^ "Kenya" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2013.


  5. ^ "1999 census" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007.


  6. ^ 1999 census Archived 28 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine.


  7. ^ Kenya Information Guideonline


  8. ^ Uasin Gishu Countyonline


  9. ^ Kenya Information Guideonline


  10. ^ Kenya Information Guideonline


  11. ^ Uasin Gishu County Governmentonline




External links


Media related to Uasin Gishu County at Wikimedia Commons


  • bushdrums.com


Coordinates: 0°31′00″N 35°17′00″E / 0.516667°N 35.2833°E / 0.516667; 35.2833







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