Butere

Butere is a town in Kakamega County of the former Western Province of Kenya. It has an urban population of 4725 (2009 census). Until 2010, the town was the capital of the former Butere/Mumias District.

Transportation Links

Butere is linked by road to Mumias (in north) and Kisumu (SE). A branch railway line from Kisumu ends at Butere. Passenger service on the branch line was resumed in January 2007 after lengthy suspension.

The name Butere comes from one of the main clans in the division the Abatere subclan who reside in areas such as Muyundi, Masaba and around the township. Abatere were the inhabitants of Butere before the whites made the town its administration station.

Economy

Butere's economic mainstay is subsistence maize production though the division is an important supplier of raw sugar cane to Mumias sugar company. Residents of this division are also small scale cattle and bee keepers as well as fish keepers.

The people of Butere have traditionally been small scale farmers planting sorghum, millet and vegetables which they traded with their neighbours from south Nyanza with fish from Lake Victoria.