026. County Government of Trans-Nzoia

Trans-Nzoia County is a county in the former Rift Valley Province, Kenya, located between the Nzoia River and Mount Elgon, 380 km northwest of Nairobi. At its centre is the town of Kitale which is the capital and largest town. It is bordered by the Republic of Uganda to the west, Bungoma and Kakamega Counties to the south, West Pokot County to the east, and Elgeyo Marakwet and Uasin Gishu Counties to the southeast. Trans Nzoia covers an area of 2495.5 square kilometres. The county has a cool and temperate climate, with daytime temperatures ranging from 23.4°C to 29.2°C and nighttime temperatures from 11.0°C to 13.5°C. It receives moderate rainfall, making it suitable for agriculture Earliest known written records about the region show that Trans Nzoia was inhabited by the Maasai who, by the time of the arrival of colonial settlers, had died or left the district, some had died of illness, others had been killed in intertribal wars with the Suk (Pokot), and the remainder had mostly gone off in the direction of Ravine, though some had gone up Elgon. After independence, many of the farms vacated by white settlers were bought by individuals from other ethnic groups in Kenya. Kitale, its capital town, is now majorly Luhya with inhabitants from other tribes in Kenya occupying almost less than 1% of the population.

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