KAKAMEGA

Kakamega is the headquarters of Kakamega County and its town Kakamega is located in Western Kenya 30 kilometers north of the Equator with its town alone having a population of 99,987 people as per 2009 National population census. Kakamega County is Kenya’s second most populated counties after Nairobi and it has 9 constituencies that include, Mutungu, Butere, Shinyalu, Lurambi, Ikolomani, Lugari, Malavi, Khwisero and Mumias East. It got its name as Kakamega from how Europeans used to eat their stable which is ugali so the word Kakamega means “pinch” in Kiluhyah.

The local settlement there is mainly by the Luhya tribe whose economic activities are fishing and farming and in Mumia, the largest Kenyan Sugar producing firm is located branded as Mumias Sugar.
Things to do in Kakamega

The Crying Stone of llesi
Villagers say several times have said that when the stone cries, it is a good omen indicating a great harvest so when drought hits the community, they perform rituals here in persuading the gods to release the rains and to chase away other disasters affecting the lives of the local people negatively.
The crying stone is so respected and folk says it actually fought wars for the Luyha people who are thw inhabitants of the area. One of these stories drives back to the pre-colonial times where local elders say there was war between Luhyas and the Nandis over the boundary of the two communities like when the Nandis attempted to pull down the stone in belief that the stone actually was the source of the Luyha’s immense supernatural powers which left more than 100 Nandis dead in the course of trying to drag the stone.

Kakamega Forest
The sheer abundance of birdlife here is overwhelmingly attractive and great for a birding experience and primate viewing since it is a primate reserve. Primates like monkeys of several species make this forest a wild attractive jungle with chameleons often seen in the trees. And during dusk, the bats and loud sounds of frogs, night birds and giant forest squirrel all make this forest a magical place.

Kakamega Forest National Reseve
This forest is located in Western Kenya with a distance of 418 km from Nairobi and it is the only tropical rainforest in Kenya in the Great Rift Valley. The forest is of great value to Kenya because of its ecosystems and it was gotten under protection in 1933.
Activities like nature walks and birding make a visit to this forest memorable with its 380 species of plants spread in swamps, riverine and hardwood forest areas, glades and the shallow forest at the corners of the edge of the reserve harboring 350 species bird species and rare snake-eating birds.

 

RENT A CAR IN KAKAMEGA - Planning to visit Kakamega or already in town and require a rental car for self drive or guided tour, we at Nairobi Car Rental Services will be more than happy to offer you our services. You can get in touch with us by sending an email to info@nairobicarrentalservices.com or call us on +254-713510387 to speak with the reservations team

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