About Trans Nzoia Way Back When
Brief History of Trans Nzoia County
In the days of yore, the place we now know as Trans Nzoia County was inhabited by the Bukusu and Kalenjin communities, whose genesis of migration into Kenya can be traced to Mount Elgon. Settler farmers later took up much of their fertile lands. Soon after independence, many of the farms vacated by the white settlers were resettled by individuals from several ethnic groups in Kenya. Trans Nzoia had been one of the central areas of the post-war European settlement. It was also within the region transferred from Uganda in 1902 as part of the old Eastern Province. Still, Trans Nzoia District was under jurisdiction of Uasin Gishu District.
The ramifications of these disruptive and adverse colonial land policies, and the failure by the incoming government after independence to amicably resolve the complicated land grievances, would only further aggravate the situation in post independent Kenya. As we now know, before colonization Trans Nzoia was home to several indigenous communities, including the Bukusu, Sabaot, and Kalenjin. These tribes primarily lived as pastoralists and farmers, relying on the fertile soils and favorable climate of the region. The area was rich in natural resources and served as a significant grazing and farming land for these diverse communities.
During British colonization in the early 20th century, the fertile land in Trans Nzoia attracted European settlers. The region became part of what was infamous as the “White Highlands”, areas designated for European settlers. The Bukusu and Sabaot communities were soon displaced to restricted native reserves to create farms for settler farming, particularly for maize and wheat production. Shortly, the colonial government sought to expand Kitale as a key outpost hub to support the settlers. Presently known as “Quitale”, a relay station on the slave trade route between Tanzania and Uganda, Kitale was officially established in 1908 by the new settlers.
The first considerable influx of settlers into this region took place in 1905-1906, and cultivation of maize and wheat began on a small scale. The prevalence of rust in wheat caused many early crop failures until rust-resistant varieties became established as a result of researches at the Njoro experimental station at Nakuru. Difficulties of stock-rearing were numerous; East-coast fever attacked imported cattle reducing their number almost to nil. Fencing was hard to maintain in a place populated by prolific herds of zebra, which were often stamped by lions at night.
In short order, circa 1907, a Post Office was established at Farm No. 64 set the southern side of the Cherangani Hills. A District Commissioner’s Office and Police Post came into being soon afterwards, and a meeting of settlers convened by the then governor, Sir Percy Girouad, it was decided to name the site Eldoret. Shortly before the 1914-18 war, A.C. MacDonald, Director of Agriculture, in company with Cecil Hoey, examined the country lying north of the Nzoia River between Mount Elgon and the Cherangani Hills with an agenda of future European development.
The area became known as Trans-Nzoia – beyond the Nzoia River – and was subsequently surveyed and divided into a large number of farm plots many of which were taken up by the ‘Soldier Settlement Scheme’ of 1918. Development in the region remained slow until the mid 1920s, mainly on account of long transport haul from railhead, but in 1926 the Uasin Gishu-Kitale line of the Kenya-Uganda Railway was opened to traffic the considerable benefit of robust agriculture in the area including maize, wheat, wattle-back, sisal, coffee, sunflower and pyrethrum.
As a result of these gainful endevavours, Kitale town thrived as the settlers sought to bring a little piece of home to these neck of the woods. Founded in 1924, Kitale Club, still operation to date, became a hub for social activities. The building which housed the club was once a stopover for slave merchants. In the same year, Kitale Musuem, originally known as Stoneham Museum after Colonel Hugh Stoneham, who collected many of the artifacts in the museum, was opened to the public. It was renamed as the Kitale Museum in 1974. In 1929, Trans-Nzoia and Uasin Gishu districts formed Nzoia Province, but later absorbed into the Rift Valley Province.
Trans Nzoia County is a vital region for Kenya’s agricultural and ecological balance. Its rich history, cultural diversity, and natural beauty make it a unique and valuable part of the Rift and Western Kenya. The county’s potential for growth remains immense, particularly in agriculture, tourism, and environmental conservation.
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About Trans Nzoia Way Back When
30 Destinations in Trans Nzoia County, arranged as one would visit these - south, west then north - with aid of in-depth narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Mount Elgon National Park, Koitoboss Peak Hike, Wagagai Peak Hike, Chesurur Falls, Kitum Cave, Macking’eny Cave, Ngwarisha Cave, Endebess Bluff, Chepnyalil Cave, KWS Koitoboss Guesthouse, Kapkuro Bandas, Mount Elgon Lodge, Suam Gorge, Mt. Elgon Orchards, Mount Elgon Guesthouse, Kamariny Cave, Kitale Plains, Kitale War Memorial, Kitale Museum, Kitale Club, Treasures of Africa, Kitale Nature Conservancy, Sirwo Resort, Cranes Haven, Saiwa Swamp National Park, Tree Top Hut, Kapolet Fishing Camp, Kapcherop Forest, Cheranganis, Barnley’s Guest House, Kaisagat Hill
Know More About Trans Nzoia: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - with the aid of strip maps, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Trans Nzoia can be split into three definitive ecological zones: Upper Highland Zone, Upper Midland Zone, and the Lower Highland Zone. These zone lie between 4,313 m in Mount Elgon to 1,700 ms asl.
Trans Nzoia has a highland equatorial type of climate. Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year, the higher areas in the west receiving more. Average annual temperature is 24oC.
