Towns in Isiolo County
Isiolo Town: Kenya’s Hypothetical Capital
Began as a trading post in the early 20th century, primarily catering to the needs of the local pastoralist communities and the British colonial administration, Isiolo town was strategically sited as a gateway between the northern and central parts of the country. This unrepeatable location gave it impetus to grow rapidly, but, in hindsight, its stagnation and the moribund projects curtailed an unrealized dream of what most would have expected to be a thriving forward-looking city today.
Isiolo town is, without contention, the midpoint hub of Kenya. And while there is something special about this prerogative, being the nucleus of Kenya, the region gained unwelcome notoriety during the esoteric “Shifta Wars”, and for many years since vilified as a dusty, iffy outpost, being little more than a row of administration stations and shops where existence was sluggish and sleepy. A wild west of sorts, embodying themes of exploration, survival, lawlessness and the quest for fortune.
Until about 10 years ago, Isiolo was just a simple dusty town set on both sides of the highway. with simple facades. Many had false fronts – tall, decorative facades that made the buildings appear larger than they were. There was no other paved street in the town, off the A2 Road, before devolution and just two banks had a branch here. A well-told story in the town is that when the frequent bandit attacks erupted, residents of the town would crowd on top of the few storeyed buildings and watch the exchange of fire just outside the town. The dust-ups were routine!
In due course, Isiolo, a favourable jumping-off place to the Northern Frontier of Kenya, turned a new, sprouting leaf and many of its shadowy tales were routed to history. Now a developing town, it has slowly and steadily grown to become one of the major towns in Northern Kenya. There is now much to commend the town, emblazoned with standard blacktop roads, hotels and an international airport.
Rather than dashing through Isiolo town on your travel taking to one of its national reserves or wildlife conservancies, or if northerly heading to Samburu, one opts to stop for a brief moment to inspect the town, it quickly reveals a few long-standing sites often sold short. Like clockwork, the melodious chimes of its bell, typically to indicate the time, ring out of the stately St. Eusebius Cathedral across Isiolo town, which should guide any first-timers towards this impressively colourful edifice.
Not too far from the Cathedral, the iconic white-marbled Jamia Mosque, one of the largest in the Northern Frontier, is also well worth the look-around. The history buff on a tour of Isiolo would also be interested to visit the Isiolo War Memorial Site along Hospital Road, commemorating twenty soldiers who died in the 1939-45 wars and interred in unmarked graves. It comes as no surprise that Isiolo town is in contention vying for the status of being a resort hub in very middle of Kenya.
But with its blessings at the convergence of major highways leading to Nairobi (south), Marsabit and Moyale (north), and Meru (west), comes the omens of its precarious position. A major snag for its future. Perhaps it was never envisaged, as the borders were drawn up, that it would ever grow exponentially, because the town, in debatable happenstance, is engulfed by Meru County, north and south. The future expansion completely flummoxed by the jurisdiction of each county.
Historic towns around the world offer a glimpse into the past, preserving architecture, culture, and stories from different eras. In Kenya, some of the oldest towns are found along the coast, where medieval trade put on the map long before developments in the hinterland. Among these is Lamu town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its Swahili architecture and cultural traditions.
Index of Relic & Historic Towns Around Kenya
Baringo County - Tambach, Homa Bay County - Old Kendu Bay Town, Isiolo County - Isiolo Town, Garba Tula, Kilifi County - Old Town Takaungu, Mambrui, Kwale County - Old Town Vanga, Vumba Kuu, Kwale, Lamu County - Lamu Old Town, Witu, Shela, Faza, Manda, Mandera County - El Wak, Migori County - Awendo-Sori, Mombasa County - Old Town Mombasa, Nyandarua County - Njabini town, Samburu County - Archer's Post, Tana River County - Old Town Kipini, Wajir County - Old Town Wajir
Isiolo County, with its strategic location, rich cultural heritage, and potential for development, is a unique region in Kenya. It features a mix of semi-arid and arid landscapes, with some areas of savannah and bushland, and home to several wildlife reserves and conservancies, including the Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Shaba National Reserve and the famed Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
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Explore Destination Nearby Isiolo Town
A Guide to Isiolo County
A Summa Digest of Isiolo
About Isiolo Way Back When
42 Destinations in Isiolo County, arranged as one would visit these - south, north, east then north - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Isiolo Town, St. Eusebius Cathedral, Isiolo Jamia Mosque, Isiolo Memorial, Kisimani Eco Resort, Isiolo Falls, Kaita and Degushi Hills, Nyambeni Range, Magado Crater, Cave Dwellings, Harr Girrissa, Mlima Tatu, Kubi Turkana, Garba Tula, Gotu Falls, Gotu Cultural Centre, Biliqo Bulesa Conservancy, Merti Plateau, Merti Catholic Church, Ewaso Nyiro River, Lorian Swamp, Malka Cultural Centre, Bisanadi National Reserve, Kora Wells, Leparua Conservancy, Ol Lentille Conservancy, The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille, Oldonyiro Conservancy, Nantudu Spire Rock, Nasuulu Conservancy, Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Buffalo Springs, Samburu National Reserve, Samburu Simba Lodge, Shaba National Reserve, Sarova Shaba Lodge, Joy’s Camp, Nakuprat Gotu Conservancy, Boji Dera Camp, Sera Conservancy, Isiolo Cultural Festival, Camping in the Great North
Know More About Isiolo County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - with the aid of strip maps, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Isiolo is almost always hot and dry at most months of year, with a mean of 30oC, and two rainy seasons. The rainfall received is historically erratic, scarce and unreliable.
Isiolo can be split into three ecological zones, semi-arid, arid and very near desert arid. The smallest, useful, semi-arid zone covers only 5% the county, around Kinna region.