Uasin Gishu County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya located in the former Rift Valley Province. Eldoret has the county's largest population centre as well as its administrative and commercial centre.[1] “It lies between longitudes 34 degrees 50’ east and 35 degrees 37’ West and latitudes 0 degrees 03’ South and 0 degrees 55’ North. It is a highland plateau with altitudes falling gently from 2,700 meters above sea level to about 1,500 meters above sea level. The topography is higher to the east and declines gently towards the western border”.[2]
The county's name comes from the Maasai word Illwuasin-kishu. 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.[3]
In 1908, fifty eight families of Afrikaans-speaking South Africans settled in Uasin Gishu plateau. They were followed by sixty more families in 1911 and more later.[4] The town of Eldoret was established in the midst of the farms they created.
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 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 County
Wards
Sub County
Wards
Sub County
Wards
Turbo
Huruma
Moiben
Karuna/Meibeki
Soy
Kipsomba
Kamagut
Kimumu
Kunet/Kapsuswa
Kapsaos
Moiben
Soy
Kiplombe
Sergoit
Ziwa
Ngenyilel
Tembelio
Kapkures
Tapsagoi
Mois Bridge
Segero/Barsombe
Kesses
Tulwet/Chuiyat
Kapseret
Ngeria
Ainabkoi
Ainabkoi/Olare
Tarakwa
Simat/Kapseret
Kaptagat
Cheptiret/Kipchamo
Kipkenyo
Kapsoya
Racecourse
Langas
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.
EconomyEdit
AgricultureEdit
Cherangani hills as viewed from farmlands near Karuna,Moiben, Uasin GishuKesses 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.[10]
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.[11] 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. A wide variety of crops and animals are produced in smaller quantities.
AquacultureEdit
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.[12]
IndustryEdit
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.[13]
ServicesEdit
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.[14]
TourismEdit
Tourism, sports tourism in particular, is a growing sub-sector in the county - the result of long term performances by athletes from the region.[15]
TransportEdit
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.[16]
EducationEdit
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]
^"Uasin Gishu County overview – Uasin Gishu County". Retrieved 28 May 2020.
^"KIPPRA PPR Home". repository.kippra.or.ke. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
^MORRIS KIRUGA. Daily Nation. How local dialects influenced naming of west Kenya towns. 23 July 2013 [1]
^Red strangers: the white tribe of Kenya, ISBN1-85725-206-3, by Christine Stephanie Nicholls
^Kenya: Administrative Division population statistics
^"2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV: Distribution of Population by Socio-Economic Characteristics" (PDF). Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2013.
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007.
uasin, gishu, county, counties, kenya, located, former, rift, valley, province, eldoret, county, largest, population, centre, well, administrative, commercial, centre, lies, between, longitudes, degrees, east, degrees, west, latitudes, degrees, south, degrees,. Uasin Gishu County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya located in the former Rift Valley Province Eldoret has the county s largest population centre as well as its administrative and commercial centre 1 It lies between longitudes 34 degrees 50 east and 35 degrees 37 West and latitudes 0 degrees 03 South and 0 degrees 55 North It is a highland plateau with altitudes falling gently from 2 700 meters above sea level to about 1 500 meters above sea level The topography is higher to the east and declines gently towards the western border 2 Uasin Gishu CountyCountyCoat of armsLocation in KenyaCountry KenyaFormed4 March 2013County governmentEldoretGovernment GovernorJonathan BiiArea Total2 955 3 km2 1 141 0 sq mi Elevation2 200 m 7 200 ft Population 2019 Total1 163 186 Density390 km2 1 000 sq mi Time zoneUTC 3 EAT Websitewww wbr uasingishu wbr go wbr keUasin 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 south west and Kakamega county to the west Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Population 3 1 Religion 4 Government 4 1 Urban areas 4 2 Constituencies 5 Uasin Gishu Sub counties 6 Economy 6 1 Agriculture 6 2 Aquaculture 6 3 Industry 6 4 Services 6 4 1 Tourism 7 Transport 8 Education 9 Notable people 10 References 11 External linksEtymology EditThe county s name comes from the Maasai word Illwuasin kishu 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 3 History EditIn 1903 the area was proposed as a potential Jewish homeland as the British Uganda Programme which was rejected by the Jewish community leades in the Sixth Zionist CongressIn 1908 fifty eight families of Afrikaans speaking South Africans settled in Uasin Gishu plateau They were followed by sixty more families in 1911 and more later 4 The town of Eldoret was established in the midst of the farms they created Population EditHistorical populationYearPop 1979300 766 1989445 530 48 1 1999622 705 39 8 2009894 179 43 6 20191 163 186 30 1 source 5 Religion Edit Religion in Uasin Gishu County 6 Religion 2019 Census NumberCatholicismy 250 572Protestant 521 093Evangelical Churches 222 364African instituted Churches 68 784Orthodox 3 537Other Cristian 39 428Islam 18 805Hindu 1 600Traditionists 1 193Other 9 523No ReligionAtheists 14 289Don t Know 1 362Not Stated 121Government EditUrban areas Edit Town Type Population 2009 7 Rank in Kenya Population Size Eldoret Municipality 289 380 5Moi s Bridge Town 14 596 106Matunda Town 10 031 119Burnt Forest Town 4 925 172Jua Kali Town 3 427 192Turbo Town 2 831 201Constituencies Edit Division Population Urban pop HeadquartersAinabkoi Constituency 77 290 18 799 KapsoyaKapseret Constituency 93 162 55 056 KapseretKesses Constituency 84 894 0 KessesMoiben Constituency 92 717 6 172 MoibenSoy Constituency 165 127 46 338 EldoretTurbo Constituency 109 508 46 900 Turbo 1999 census 8 9 Uasin Gishu Sub counties EditUasin 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 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 County Wards Sub County Wards Sub County WardsTurbo Huruma Moiben Karuna Meibeki Soy KipsombaKamagut Kimumu Kunet KapsuswaKapsaos Moiben SoyKiplombe Sergoit ZiwaNgenyilel Tembelio KapkuresTapsagoi Mois BridgeSegero BarsombeKesses Tulwet Chuiyat Kapseret Ngeria Ainabkoi Ainabkoi OlareTarakwa Simat Kapseret KaptagatCheptiret Kipchamo Kipkenyo KapsoyaRacecourse LangasMegunEach 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 EditAgriculture Edit nbsp Cherangani hills as viewed from farmlands near Karuna Moiben Uasin Gishu nbsp Kesses ReservoirUasin 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 10 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 11 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 A wide variety of crops and animals are produced in smaller quantities Aquaculture Edit 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 12 Industry Edit 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 13 Services Edit Eldoret is a major commercial centre in western Kenya Service industries like wholesale amp 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 14 Tourism Edit Tourism sports tourism in particular is a growing sub sector in the county the result of long term performances by athletes from the region 15 Transport EditUasin 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 16 Education EditThe 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 EditWilliam Ruto born 1966 5th president of Kenya Elisha Tanui born 1983 world class distance runner Rachel Ruto born 1968 First lady of KenyaReferences Edit Uasin Gishu County overview Uasin Gishu County Retrieved 28 May 2020 KIPPRA PPR Home repository kippra or ke Retrieved 27 October 2022 MORRIS KIRUGA Daily Nation How local dialects influenced naming of west Kenya towns 23 July 2013 1 Red strangers the white tribe of Kenya ISBN 1 85725 206 3 by Christine Stephanie Nicholls Kenya Administrative Division population statistics 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV Distribution of Population by Socio Economic Characteristics PDF Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Retrieved 2 May 2021 Kenya PDF Archived from the original PDF on 24 February 2013 1999 census PDF Archived from the original PDF on 28 September 2007 1999 census Archived 28 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine Kenya Information Guide online Zakenya online Uasin Gishu County online Kenya Information Guide online Eldoret Kenya Meet Minneapolis Retrieved 28 May 2020 Kenya Information Guide online Uasin Gishu County Government onlineExternal links Edit nbsp Media related to Uasin Gishu County at Wikimedia Commons bushdrums com 0 31 00 N 35 17 00 E 0 516667 N 35 2833 E 0 516667 35 2833 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Uasin Gishu County amp oldid 1171733873, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
