Voi River

The Voi River (Goshi River) is a river in Coast Province, Kenya, East Africa. It originates in the Taita Hills and flows past the town of Voi and through the Tsavo East National Park before emptying into the sea at Kilifi. Its total length is about 210 kilometres (130 mi). However, in the dry season only the last (lower) eighty kilometres has water in it.

Aruba Dam

Aruba Dam was built in 1952 across the Voi River. The reservoir created by the dam attracts many animals and water birds.

Mouth

At the mouth of the Voi, the river flows into the Goshi Estuary. the Goshi Estuary flows into a narrow neck where there is a bridge between the Shauri Moyo beach and Kilifi. The neck is known as Kilifi Creek and is about 3 kilometres (1.86 mi) long between the estuary and the sea.

Notes

Coordinates: 03°37′55″S 039°48′51″E / 3.63194°S 39.81417°E / -3.63194; 39.81417

Voi

Voi is the largest town in Taita-Taveta County in southern Kenya, in the former Coast Province. It lies at the western edge of the Taru Desert, south and west of the Tsavo East National Park. The Sagala Hills are to the south. Voi is also a municipality.

Economy

Voi is a marketplace for the agricultural and meat products from the fertile Taita Hills as well as other surrounding areas. Voi's town centre consists of mostly general stores, shops, markets, kiosks and a few hotels. Most lodges that service tourists for the national park are located in the suburbs at the edge of town. The Voi Sisal Estates are located to the west of the town. A large squatter community exists in the Mwatate Sisal Estates, also to the west of town.

History

According to local history the name of town comes from a slave trader called Chief Kivoi who settled near the Voi River about 400 years ago. There after the village grew as a trading centre for the local Taita people with other Kenyan tribes and Arabs.

The town started to grow at the end of the 19th century when the Uganda Railway was constructed. People started to move in to work on the railway and the nearby sisal estates. However, township status with an area of about 16.27 square kilometres (6.28 sq mi) was not granted until 1932. The town has long since outgrown the original grant.

Voi (disambiguation)

Voi may refer to:

VOI, as an acronym, may refer to:

See also