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A Summa Digest of Uasin Gishu
More than any other highland in Kenya, Uasin Gishu County is generally flat. It lies on Uasin Gishu Plateau, with the edges of the lava outcrops being deeply incised by the main rivers and their tributaries. So that prominent escarpments overlook the Nzoia Valley in the north, and the Sosiani Valley in the west. In the vicinity of Eldoret the plateau is about 7200 feet ASL; it rises progressively towards the Rift Valley at Elgeyo some twenty miles to the east of Eldoret, where at Kamorin it reaches an elevation of 8,000 feet. The flat profile of the plateau, and Uasin Gishu in general, is only interrupted at Sergoit and Ndalat Hills, where basement rock protrude through the lava flow and stand above the flat surrounding landscape.
Still and all, Uasin Gishu County lies within the Lake Victoria catchment zone and all its rivers eventually drain into Lake Victoria. Some of the major streams in the county include Sosiani, Kipkaren, Nderugut, Daragwa and Sambu. The principal line of communication in the county is the A104 Mombasa-Uganda Road, which bisects the lower half of area from Timboroa (southeast) to Eldoret Town (middle), from where it gradually turns northwest then west through Leseru and Kipkarren before reaching Webuye. Near Leseru, the B2 Eldoret-Kitale Road continues just west of north to Kitale Town through Matunda and Moi’s Bridge. A secondary road, rarely used from Nakuru, is B53 Ravine-Nyaru-Kaptagat-Eldoret Road.
Owing to the favourable altitude, fertile soils and reliable rainfall, Uasin Gishu County is mainly agricultural in character, fairly marked by farmlands of maize, sunflower, wheat, pyrethrum and barley. The arable land covers 2,995 km2 of which 910 km2 is under maize, where 4.52 million bags are harvested annually, making this one of the most important cereal growing regions in Kenya. It also produces more than one-third of the total wheat in Kenya. Its forests cover 298 km2; 132 km2 is under plantation and 166 km2 hectares of indigenous forests.
The forests mainly occupy the highest country in the northeast. Although much of Uasin Gishu County lies within one degree of the equator, daily temperatures are moderate and the climate is equitable throughout the year, since much of this region of Kenya stands at an altitude of more than 6,000 feet above sea level.
There is a marked contrast in the landscape of Uasin Gishu County as you move from Eldoret town, easterly heading, down the Kerio Escarpment, which links the cool and humid Uasin Gishu highland with the warmer and semi-arid Elgeyo Marakwet County. The Nandi Hills, boldly lying between it and Kisumu County, make for an exceptional drive to appreciate their ecological gamut. Uasin Gishu County is also bounded to the north by the steep escarpments overlooking the Nzoia Valley, and to the west by smaller escarpments facing the Sosiani Valley.
In the northeast corner of the area the Cherangani Hills rise steeply to heights exceeding 9,000 ft. In consequence the rainfall here is considerably higher than over Kitale plains and much of Uasin Gishu County, so that the higher parts of Cherangani are clothed in forests containing limited timber reserves of Cedar, Podo and mixed hardwoods. Bamboo thickets are abundant around 8,500 feet.
Salient Features of Uasin Gichu County
- County Number 27
- Area – 3345 km2
- Altitude – 2700 m
- Major Towns – Eldoret, Burnt Forest, Turbo
- Borders – T. Nzoia, E. Marakwet, Nandi, Kericho, Baringo, Kakamega
Located in western Kenya within the Rift Valley region, Uasin Gishu County is best known as a grain basket, thanks to its prolific farms and farming culture. Its famed, forward-looking capital, Eldoret, is a major urban center and an international hub for athletics, leisure, education, and commerce. Uasin Gishu is a thriving highland.
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Explore Destinations in Uasin Gishu County
A Guide to Uasin Gishu County
A Summa Digest of Uasin Gishu
About Uasin Gishu Way Back When
40 Destinations in Uasin Gishu County, arranged as one would visit these - south, north, east then north - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Timboroa Railway Station, Ainabkoi Forest, Kesses Dam, Kesses Falls, Alten Energy Solar Farm, Mlango (Cheptiik) Falls, Ndalat Hill, Koromosho Falls, Greenwoods Resort, Doinyo Lessos Creamery, Muge Memorial Mausoleum, River Sosiani Park, The Sisibo Cultural Festival, Eldoret Golf Club, Eldoret Nature & Cultural Centre, Poa Place Resort, Eldoret Arboretum, Kapsurur Falls, Two Rivers Dam, Cherunya, Pombo-Sabor Forest, Kolol Recreation Centre, Naiberi River Camp, Elagerini Traveller Camp, Samich Resort, Mektei Ridge, Kerio Viewpoint, Kip Keino Stadium, Eldoret War Cemetery, Sergoit Hill, Kruger's Farm at Sergoit, Sergoit Golf and Wildlife Resort, Chebara Dam, Cherangani Hills, Sirikwa Holes Moiben, Kapsilot Hills, Chebororwa Conservancy, Nangili Rapids
Know More About Uasin Gishu: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
What’s The Air Like, U. Gishu?
Although Uasin Gishu County lies within one degree at the Equator, daily temperatures are moderate and the climate is equitable across the year, between 9oC and 29oCelsius, and rarely rising over 30oC.
What’s The Lay Of The Land In C.27?
Uasin Gishu is a highland plateau with altitude falling from 2,700 ms to about 1,500 ms. The topography is higher to the east and falls gently toward the western border.
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