Ngong, Kenya
Encyclopedia
Ngong is a town near the Ngong Hills
along the Great Rift Valley
, located in the southwest of Nairobi
, in southern Kenya
. The word "Ngong" is a Maasai
word meaning "knuckles"
due to the 4 hill peaks of the ridge, which stands alone rising from the plain around Nairobi. The Ngong Hills, from the eastside slopes, overlook the Nairobi National Park
game reserve and, off to the north, the city of Nairobi
. The Ngong Hills, from the westside slopes, overlook the Great Rift Valley
dropping over 4,000 feet below, where nomadic Maasai villages have been developed.
The general population of Ngong, Kenya is 57,483 people, and
the elevation of Ngong town is 1,961 meters in altitude, but the altitude of the hills is about 2,460 meters above sea level. Ngong is the central town of Ngong division of the Kajiado District
.
During the years of British
colonial
rule, the area around the Ngong Hills was a major settler farming region, and many traditional colonial houses are still seen in the area.
Today Ngong and its environs is a well-developed outskirt providing a good residing place for many of Nairobi's workers
Ngong division consists of the Nairobi suburbs of Ongata Rongai
, Kiserian
,[Matasia] (Oloolua Area) and Kitengela
where the residents are primarily Nairobians who build houses in the more quiet regions of the city.
In the 1985 film Out of Africa, the four peaks of the Ngong Hills
appear in the background of several scenes at Karen Blixen
's house, located near Ngong. Local residents still reported seeing lions in the Hills during the 1990s.
The solitary grave of Denys Finch Hatton
, marked by an obelisk and garden, is located on the eastern slopes of the Ngong Hills, overlooking the vast game reserve.
Former and current world marathon athletes , including all time champion Paul Tergat reside here.
Ngong Hills
The Ngong Hills are peaks in a ridge along the Great Rift Valley, located southwest near Nairobi, in southern Kenya. The word "Ngong" is a Maasai word meaning "knuckles"...
along the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
, located in the southwest of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, in southern 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...
. The word "Ngong" is a Maasai
Maasai language
The Maasai language is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania by the Maasai people, numbering about 800,000...
word meaning "knuckles"
due to the 4 hill peaks of the ridge, which stands alone rising from the plain around Nairobi. The Ngong Hills, from the eastside slopes, overlook the Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park is a national park in Kenya. Established in 1946, the national park was Kenya's first. It is located approximately 7 kilometres south of the centre of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city, with only a fence separating the park's wildlife from the metropolis. Nairobi's skyscrapers...
game reserve and, off to the north, the city of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. The Ngong Hills, from the westside slopes, overlook the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
dropping over 4,000 feet below, where nomadic Maasai villages have been developed.
The general population of Ngong, Kenya is 57,483 people, and
the elevation of Ngong town is 1,961 meters in altitude, but the altitude of the hills is about 2,460 meters above sea level. Ngong is the central town of Ngong division of the Kajiado District
Kajiado District
Kajiado District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. It has a population of 406,054 and an area of 21,903 km². The district borders Nairobi city and extends to the Kenya-Tanzania border further south. The district capital is Kajiado.The district is divided into seven...
.
During the years of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
rule, the area around the Ngong Hills was a major settler farming region, and many traditional colonial houses are still seen in the area.
Today Ngong and its environs is a well-developed outskirt providing a good residing place for many of Nairobi's workers
Ngong division consists of the Nairobi suburbs of Ongata Rongai
Ongata Rongai
Ongata Rongai, also locally known as Rongai or simply Rongaa, is a settlement in Kenya's Rift Valley Province located between the Kaputiei plains and the Western slopes of the Ngong hills all within Kajiado District...
, Kiserian
Kiserian
Kiserian is a settlement in Kenya's Rift Valley Province....
,[Matasia] (Oloolua Area) and Kitengela
Kitengela
Kitengela is a plain in Kenya, located south of capital Nairobi. There is also a town named Kitengela in the area.Close to Nairobi National Park is also the Kitengela Game Conservation Area populated with buffalo, masai giraffe, black rhino, eland, impala, Grant's and Thomson's gazelle, common and...
where the residents are primarily Nairobians who build houses in the more quiet regions of the city.
In the 1985 film Out of Africa, the four peaks of the Ngong Hills
Ngong Hills
The Ngong Hills are peaks in a ridge along the Great Rift Valley, located southwest near Nairobi, in southern Kenya. The word "Ngong" is a Maasai word meaning "knuckles"...
appear in the background of several scenes at Karen Blixen
Karen Blixen
Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke , , née Karen Christenze Dinesen, was a Danish author also known by her pen name Isak Dinesen. She also wrote under the pen names Osceola and Pierre Andrézel...
's house, located near Ngong. Local residents still reported seeing lions in the Hills during the 1990s.
The solitary grave of Denys Finch Hatton
Denys Finch Hatton
Denys George Finch Hatton was a big-game hunter, and the lover of Karen Blixen , who wrote about him in her autobiographical book Out of Africa first published in 1937...
, marked by an obelisk and garden, is located on the eastern slopes of the Ngong Hills, overlooking the vast game reserve.
Former and current world marathon athletes , including all time champion Paul Tergat reside here.
External links
- Photo of Ngong Hills from game reserve: showing entire ridge, with Rift Valley behind [Kijabe.org].
- Photo of Ngong Hills from Blixen lawn: showing yard left of Karen BlixenKaren BlixenBaroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke , , née Karen Christenze Dinesen, was a Danish author also known by her pen name Isak Dinesen. She also wrote under the pen names Osceola and Pierre Andrézel...
house, with Ngong Hills behind [from AAAAmerican Automobile AssociationAAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
-Calif.com]. - Photo of Ngong Hills from Great Rift Valley: showing severe drop, with Nairobi suburbs on opposite side [PBase.com].
- Photo of Ngong Hills from Great Rift Valley, closeup: showing vegetation, suburbs [full webpage from PBase.com].
