Kitale is a beautiful agricultural town that is located in the Western Kenya. It lies some 380 kilometres from Nairobi which is the capital of Kenya. The town lies between Mount Elgon and Cherengani Hills. The significant cash crops which are grown in Kitale include seed maize, sunflower, Pyrethrum, tea, seed beans and coffee.
Kitale is an administrative center of the Trans Nzoia District. It lies in the Rift Valley Province. Founded by the while settlers in the year 1908, Kitale is one of most prominent attractions in Africa. A branch line of the Uganda Railway leading you to the town from the Eldoret reached the town in the year 1926 with an object of promoting growth in the town.
Agriculturally rich, Kitale is a friendly market town that has a couple of interesting museums along with a bustling market. Shopping indeed is one of the principal activity to be enjoyed here. This market makes for an ideal base when you wish to explore the Saiwa Swamp National Parks and Mt Elgon. Kitale also serves as a quintessential take off point for tourists who wish to take a trip up to the western side of the Lake Turkana.
Treasures of Africa Museum is an important museum of Kenya which houses the personal collection of Mr. Wilson. Wilson was an erstwhile colonial officer from Uganda who indeed had a distinct character. Highlights: The artefacts and the collection of the Treasures of Africa Museum is largely based on the experiences of Wilson with the people of Karamojong of northern Uganda. This small museum illustrates the theory that even during the ice age universal worldwide agricultural culture existed. Location: The Treasures of Africa Museum is located in Kitale in Kenya. Timings: The Treasures of Africa Museum remains open from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. On Sunday, the museum stays shut. Price: Entry to the museum requires an admission fee of KSH 500.
Saiwa Swamp National Park is the smallest national park of Kenya. Spread over an area of 3 square km, the park was created as a habitat for the Sitatunga which is a rare aquatic antelope. You can find a number of trees in the national park. Highlights: The Saiwa Swamp National Park is a veritable haven for all the nature lovers. It is a forested paradise that is lined with exotic trees, flowers and birds. The park is also a natural habitat for the rare and endangered Sitatunga antelope and the rare De Brazza’s monkey. Location: Saiwa Swamp National Park is located near Kitale in the Rift Valley Province. It lies 22 km from the town. Timings: The Saiwa Swamp National Park is open from 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening. Price: For citizens of Kenya Adults: KSH 350 Child: KSH 200 For residents of Kenya Adults: KSH 600 Child: KSH 350 For non residents of Kenya Adult: USD 25 Child: USD 15
Kitale Nature Conservancy looks more like a place that which has been designed by the Frankenstein after he converted to Christianity and dropped acid. Highlights: Kitale Nature Conservancy is an incredible place that is great for play parks and picnics. Some of the significant activities here include bird watching and spotting of the butterfly. This conservancy is a part of the Cherangani hills ecosystem and the Mt Elgon. The woodlands and the grasslands used to be the home of the vast variety of wildlife that has been wiped out due to hunting. This effort now reveals a variety of Rothschild giraffes, Sitatunga, Kongoni, Reed Buck, Black Rhino, Bongo and elephants. Location: The Kitale Nature Conservancy is located at A1 Hwy Kitale in Kenya. Timings: The Kitale Nature Conservancy can be visited during 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Price: The admission fee of the Kitale Nature Conservancy is US $ 10.
We were invited in early 2008 by Rev. Bishop Maurice Crowley to minister to the poor in the slums of Kitale and to offer relief to the many Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who came into town following the 2008 post-election conflicts that had devastated many cities in the Rift Valley.
Kitale is an agricultural town in western Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherengani Hills at an elevation of 7,000 feet.
The Kipsongo slum has the highest crime rate in the whole area. In addition to the adverse conditions, the 2008 post-election conflicts that raged in the Rift-Valley saw some 17,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) seeking shelter in Kitale with many eventually settling in Kipsongo.
