Kakamega

Kakamega is a town in western Kenya lying about 30 km north of the Equator. It is the headquarters of Kakamega County. The town has a population of 99,987 (2009 census).

Kakamega is 52 km north of Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya and a port city on Lake Victoria. The average elevation of Kakamega is 1,535 metres.

Kakamega county is Kenya's second most populous county after Nairobi. The county has 9 constituencies in total namely Butere, Mumias, Matungu, Khwisero, Shinyalu, Lurambi, ikolomani, Lugari and malava.

Kakamega was so named because the word "kakamega" translates roughly to "pinch" in Kiluhyah, which was used to describe how European colonists would eat the staple food, ugali.

Naming

Kakamega derives its modern name from the local dialect. The story goes that when European settlers first visited the area now known as Kakamega and were offered maize meal, the local staple food called Obusuma, they tried to emulate the eating style for which the tribe was famous. To the hosts though, the visitors were more like ‘pinching’ the Obusuma. The resulting administrative area was named ‘Kakamega’, which roughly translates to ‘pinch.’

Grey-chested babbler

The grey-chested babbler (Kakamega poliothorax), also known as the grey-chested illadopsis, is a species of bird in the Arcanatoridae family. It is the only species in its genus. It is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

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