Nyanza Province

Nyanza
Mkoa wa Nyanza
Former Province

Location in Kenya.
Coordinates: 0°30′S 34°40′E / 0.500°S 34.667°E / -0.500; 34.667Coordinates: 0°30′S 34°40′E / 0.500°S 34.667°E / -0.500; 34.667
Country  Kenya
No. of Counties: 6
Capital Kisumu
Area
 • Total 12,477.1 km2 (4,817.4 sq mi)
Population (2009 Census)
 • Total 5,442,711
 • Density 440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)
The capital of Kenya's Nyanza Province, on Lake Victoria, is Kisumu (click to enlarge map)

Nyanza Province (Kenyan English: [ˈɲaːnzə]; Swahili: Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's eight administrative provinces before the formation of the 47 counties under the 2010 constitution. Six counties were organised in the area of the former province.

The region is located in the southwest part of Kenya around Lake Victoria, includes part of the eastern edge of Lake Victoria, and is inhabited predominantly by the Luo people. There are also Bantu-speaking tribes, such as the Gusii, the Kuria, and some Luhya, living in the province. The province derives its name from Nyanza, a Bantu word which means a large mass of water.

The provincial capital was Kisumu, the third-largest city in Kenya. The province had a population of 4,392,196 at the 1999 census within an area of 16,162 km², or 12,613 km² of land.

The climate is tropical humid.

Counties

The following counties make up the area of the former Nyanza province:

CodeCountyFormer ProvinceArea (km2)Population
Census 2009		Capital
41SiayaNyanza2,496.1842,304Siaya
42KisumuNyanza2,009.5968,909Kisumu
43Homa BayNyanza3,154.7963,794Homa Bay
44MigoriNyanza2,586.4917,170Migori
45KisiiNyanza1,317.91,152,282Kisii
46NyamiraNyanza912.5598,252Nyamira
Totals12,477.15,442,711

Districts after 2007

Several new districts were created in 2007 in Kenya, also in Nyanza Province:[1]

DistrictCapital
BondoBondo
BorabuNyansiongo
GuchaOgembo
Homa BayHoma Bay
KisiiKisii
Kisumu EastKisumu town
Kisumu WestHolo
Kuria West DistrictKehancha
Kuria East DistrictKegonga
Manga
MasabaKeroka
MigoriMigori
NyamiraNyamira
NyandoAwasi
RachuonyoKosele
RariedaMadiany
RongoRongo
SiayaSiaya
SubaSindo

Languages

The predominant language in Nyanza is Dholuo, a Nilotic language whose origins are from Southern Sudan. It is spoken by the ethnic Luo.

Other languages include Gusii, Luhya, Kuria, and Suba and the national languages of English and Swahili. Other languages from the many Kenyan communities are also spoken in small pockets by migrants from these communities.

Notable residents

  • Wycliffe Olang Okech (Ja God-keyo) Works at Medecins Sans Fronties
  • Tom Mboya, politician and former minister
  • Barack Obama Sr., was born in Nyanza Province. Economist with the government, he was educated in the United States, in Hawaii and Massachusetts. He was the father of the President Barack Obama (2009-2017) of the United States, who was born in Hawaii.
  • Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, independence fighter and socialist politician
  • Raila Odinga, son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, he is a politician and the leader of Opposition in Kenya.
  • Bethwell Allan Ogot, historian
  • Achieng Oneko, independence fighter and socialist politician
  • Chrispine Otwal, civil engineer, current Chief Civil Engineer of Warren Enterprises, Ltd.
  • Robert Ouko, politician and former minister
  • James Joshua Nyamori, Advocate, one of the first African Lawyers in Kisumu. He was the father of Hannington Nyamori, a project management specialist and Joshua Odhiambo Nyamori, a local political figure.
  • Ismael Atudo, a former student leader at Maseno University, a 2017 Kisumu County Kenya Senate aspirant and the CEO of Nima East Africa Ltd

Villages and settlements

References

  1. ↑ Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and National Security Archived 2009-03-07 at the Wayback Machine.
Languages
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