Homa Bay
Encyclopedia
Homa Bay is a bay and town on the south shore of Winam Gulf
of Lake Victoria
, in western Kenya
. It lies near Mount Homa
(in the Luo language Got Uma or God Marahuma ["famous mountain"]) and Ruma National Park, the latter noted for Jackson's hartebeest
s and roan antelope
(the government has also released reticulated giraffes into the park).
Homa Bay was once the District Headquarters for all of South Nyanza Province
, but that has now been divided into at least three districts. Homa Bay is now capital of the Homa Bay District
. Homa Bay hosts a municipal council. The municipality has an urban population of 32,174 and a total population of 55,532 (1999 census ).
Homa Bay municipality has six wards (Central, Kalanya, Kanyabala, Kanyadier/Kothidha, Katuma and Posta/Bonde). All of them belong to Rangwe Constituency, which has a total of fourteen wards. The remaining eight are located within Homa Bay County Council, the rural council of Homa Bay District.
Recent archaeological excavations in Kanjera South, located on the Homa Peninsula have yielded
a combination of artefacts of the Oldowan culture and well preserved faunal remains in a sedimentary context that
also allows for environmental reconstruction. The earlier findings by Louis Leakey
and others include fragments of four anatomically modern humans associated with Pleistocene mammal
fossils.
Winam Gulf
Winam Gulf is a significant extension of northeastern Lake Victoria into western Kenya.Formerly known as Kavirondo Gulf, Nyanza Gulf, and Lake Nyanza Gulf, it is a shallow inlet and is connected to the main lake by Rusinga Channel , which is partly masked from the main body of the lake by islands...
of Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
, in western Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It lies near Mount Homa
Mount Homa
Mount Homa is a mountain located in western Kenya. It forms a broad peninsula on the southern shore of Winam Gulf, an extension of Lake Victoria...
(in the Luo language Got Uma or God Marahuma ["famous mountain"]) and Ruma National Park, the latter noted for Jackson's hartebeest
Hartebeest
The hartebeest is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus....
s and roan antelope
Roan Antelope
The Roan Antelope is a savanna antelope found in West, Central, East Africa and Southern Africa.Roan Antelope stand about a metre and half at the shoulder and weigh around 250 kilograms. Named for the "roan' colour , they have a lighter underbelly, white eyebrows and cheeks and a black face,...
(the government has also released reticulated giraffes into the park).
Homa Bay was once the District Headquarters for all of South Nyanza Province
Nyanza Province
Nyanza Province of Kenya, is one of Kenya's eight administrative provinces. It is located in the southwest part of Kenya around Lake Victoria. Nyanza includes part of the eastern edge of Lake Victoria and is inhabited predominantly by the Luo. There are also Bantu-speaking tribes such as the...
, but that has now been divided into at least three districts. Homa Bay is now capital of the Homa Bay District
Homa Bay District
Homa Bay District is an administrative district in the Nyanza Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Homa Bay. The district has a population of 288,540 and an area of 1,160 km² .The district has two constituencies:*Ndhiwa Constituency...
. Homa Bay hosts a municipal council. The municipality has an urban population of 32,174 and a total population of 55,532 (1999 census ).
Homa Bay municipality has six wards (Central, Kalanya, Kanyabala, Kanyadier/Kothidha, Katuma and Posta/Bonde). All of them belong to Rangwe Constituency, which has a total of fourteen wards. The remaining eight are located within Homa Bay County Council, the rural council of Homa Bay District.
Recent archaeological excavations in Kanjera South, located on the Homa Peninsula have yielded
a combination of artefacts of the Oldowan culture and well preserved faunal remains in a sedimentary context that
also allows for environmental reconstruction. The earlier findings by Louis Leakey
Louis Leakey
Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey was a British archaeologist and naturalist whose work was important in establishing human evolutionary development in Africa. He also played a major role in creating organizations for future research in Africa and for protecting wildlife there...
and others include fragments of four anatomically modern humans associated with Pleistocene mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
fossils.