Uasin Gishu District
Encyclopedia
Uasin Gishu District is one of the seventy-one districts
of Kenya
, located in the Rift Valley Province
. The city of Eldoret
is its capital, administrative center and commercial center.
The Uasin Gishu District has a cool and temperate climate and is located on a plateau. It borders the Trans-Nzoia District.
In 1908, fifty eight families of Afrikaans
-speaking South Africa
ns settlers "trekked" to the Uashin Gishu plateau from Nakuru
after a journey from South Africa by sea and by rail from Mombasa
. They were followed by sixty more families in 1911 and more later. The town of Eldoret
was established in the midst of the farms they created.
There is a large population of immigrants from England
, Scotland
, South Africa
and Zimbabwe
, who have come to settle and farm.
negotiated with British officials to obtain land for a permanent Jewish settlement. The British government eventually offered up the Uasin Gishu plateau, which at the time was part of British East Africa. The British plan for Jewish settlement in this area was eventually aborted.
Districts of Kenya
The provinces of Kenya are subdivided into number of districts .- List of districts of Kenya :Following a High Court ruling in September 2009, there are 46 legal districts in Kenya :Coast Province:...
of 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...
, located in the Rift Valley Province
Rift Valley Province, Kenya
Rift Valley Province of Kenya, bordering Uganda, is one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi.Rift Valley Province is the largest and one of the most economically important provinces in Kenya. It is dominated by the Great Rift Valley which passes through it and gives the...
. The city of Eldoret
Eldoret
Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas...
is its capital, administrative center and commercial center.
The Uasin Gishu District has a cool and temperate climate and is located on a plateau. It borders the Trans-Nzoia District.
In 1908, fifty eight families of Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
-speaking South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
ns settlers "trekked" to the Uashin Gishu plateau from Nakuru
Nakuru
Nakuru, the provincial capital of Kenya's Rift Valley province, with roughly 300,000 inhabitants, and currently the fourth largest urban centre in the country, lies about 1850 m above sea level...
after a journey from South Africa by sea and by rail from Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
. They were followed by sixty more families in 1911 and more later. The town of Eldoret
Eldoret
Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas...
was established in the midst of the farms they created.
There is a large population of immigrants from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, who have come to settle and farm.
Local authorities
| Authority | Type | Population* | Urban pop.* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eldoret Eldoret Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas... |
Municipality | 193,830 | 167,016 |
| Burnt Forest | Town | 30,557 | 3,180 |
| Wareng | County | 398,318 | 15,271 |
Historical
In 1903 Theodor HerzlTheodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl , born Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl was an Ashkenazi Jew Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.-Early life:...
negotiated with British officials to obtain land for a permanent Jewish settlement. The British government eventually offered up the Uasin Gishu plateau, which at the time was part of British East Africa. The British plan for Jewish settlement in this area was eventually aborted.
Administrative divisions
| Division | Population* | Urban pop.* | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ainabkoi | 77,297 | 18,799 | Ainabkoi |
| Kapsaret | 93,162 | 55,056 | Kapsaret |
| Kesses | 84,894 | 0 | Kesses |
| Moiben | 92,717 | 6,172 | Chepkoilel (Moiben) |
| Soy | 165,127 | 46,338 | Eldoret Eldoret Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas... |
| Turbo | 109,508 | 46,900 | Turbo |
Constituencies
The district has three constituencies:- Eldoret East ConstituencyEldoret East ConstituencyEldoret East Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of three constituencies in Uasin Gishu District. The constituency was established for the 1988 elections.- Members of Parliament :- Wards :...
- Eldoret North ConstituencyEldoret North ConstituencyEldoret North Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of three constituencies in Uasin Gishu District. The constituency was established for the 1966 elections.The current Eldoret North MP is William Ruto, a prominent Kenyan politician....
- Eldoret South ConstituencyEldoret South ConstituencyEldoret South Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of three constituencies in Uasin Gishu District. The constituency was established for the 1966 elections.- Members of Parliament :- Wards :...