Kabarnet

Kabarnet is a town in Baringo County, Kenya. The town has an urban population of 9,583 and a total population of 24,661 (1999 census )

Geography

At an altitude of 1,815 metres (5,957 feet) Kabarnet is located on the eastern edge of the Kerio Valley, it is approximately 138km north of Nakuru town through nakuru-marigat-kabarnet road and 89km east of Eldoret through eldoret-Iten-Kabarnet road . The view of Tugen Hills is spectacular along the road heading west from Marigat. Views include east over the Rift Valley towards Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria, and west to the Elgeyo escarpment and the Kerio Valley.

The Kabarnet area is home to the Samors, a sub-group of the Tugen community.

History

The location is named after a missionary from Australia, Albert Edmund Barnett, who was member of the Africa Inland Mission and came first to central Kenya in 1908. Ka is homestead in the Kalenjin language. The name thus means Barnett's home. Kabarnet is the administrative headquarters for Baringo District since 1907 as the British colonial government made it to seat of the local government. It is also one of the largest constituencies in the country. It became Municipality in 1984. It has a coat of arms since 1993.