Narok (sometimes referred to as Narok Town) is a town west of

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

that supports Kenya's economy in south-west of the country, along the

Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately in total length, that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it ...

. Narok is the district capital of the

Narok County Narok County is a county in Kenya with an estimated population of 1,157,873 according to 2019 Census, with the dominant ethnic group being the Maasai. Its capital and largest town is Narok. The other major urban centre in Narok County is Kilgo ...

and stands as the major centre of commerce in the district. Narok has a population of around 40,000 people, mostly Maasai. The elevation of Narok is 1827 metres (5,997 feet) in altitude. Narok Town is the last major town when travelling by road from Nairobi to Maasai Mara National Park and Keekorok Lodge. Narok Town stands as a centre for services, business, and finance. For decades, Narok's economy has benefited from tourism, agriculture, livestock keeping and mining. The 30,000-capacity William Ole Ntimama Stadium, a football stadium, is located in Narok.

Education

Narok Town has several public and private primary and secondary schools.

Public Primary Schools

* Masikonde Primary School * Ole Sankale Boarding School * St. Mary's Primary School * St. Peter's Primary * Lenana Primary School * Ilmashariani Primary School Private Primary Schools: * St. Peters Academy * Narok County Academy * Ongata School * Nasaruni Academy for Maasai Girls

Public Secondary Schools

* Narok Boys' High School. * Maasai Girls' High School. *Ole Tipis Secondary School *St Mary's Secondary School. Private Secondary Schools: * St. Stephen Nkoitoi Secondary School * Limanet Secondary School

Colleges

* Narok Teachers Training College * Narok West Technical Training Institute * Ludepe Teachers College * Lusaka Institute of Science and Technology * Narok West Institute of Professional Studies * Narok Teachers Training College * WE College

Universities

* Maasai Mara University

Religious studies

* Bible College, Bisset Bible College

Economy

The town has seen structural and economic growth as the roads and new construction in the area. The Narok Stadium (now named William Ole Ntimama Stadium has been upgraded by the County Government and National Government. Narok is home to the Kenyan football club, WAZITO FC. The main economic income is the tourism sector, which brings an estimated 10 billion Kenya Shillings annually, as well as

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

farming, which is done both in large and small scale.

Notable people

* Kurito Ole Kisio.

References

* Alain Zecchini, "Kenya's battle for biodiversity" (on Narok), ''Le Monde diplomatique'', November 2000, MondeDiplo.com, webpage
MondeDiplo-Masai

External links

Alain Zecchini, ''Kenya's battle for biodiversity''

Populated places in Narok County County capitals in Kenya {{kenya-geo-stub