Kapenguria is a town in Kenya. It is the capital and largest urban center of West Pokot County. The town lies north east of Kitale on the A1 road along Kitale-Lodwar road in north Western

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. Kapenguria forms a municipality with a population of 40,751 as per the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census. Kapenguria constituency has six wards namely (Kapenguria, Mnagei, Siyoi, Riwo, Endugh and Sook). All of them belong to West Pokot county, which has a total of 20 wards.

Economy

With Kapenguria being the administrative headquarters of West Pokot county, the county and national governments constitute the largest employers. The various sectors of the service industry such as financial services, small-scale retail, hospitality, charity organisations, religious bodies and professionals comprise the other major significant employers. Financial institutions which have branches in the town include Cooperative Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, Equity Bank, Absa Bank and Post Bank.

Points of interest

Saiwa Swamp National Park

The Saiwa Swamp National Park is located some 25 kilometres south of Kapenguria off the road to Kitale.

Kapenguria Museum

Kapenguria is home to the Kapenguria museum in the

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

where Jomo Kenyatta was incarcerated in 1953 for his alleged role in the

Mau Mau Rebellion The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt, or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the Mau Mau, and the ...

Education

Kapenguria town is a local educational hub with campuses of the University of Nairobi as well as Kisii University. Other tertiary institution located within the town include, a Kenya Medical Training College, West Pokot Teachers Training College and Pokot Technical Training Center among others.

Health

The town hosts the Kapenguria County Referral Hospital which is the main health facility in West Pokot county.

Notable personalities

Kapenguria is the home of

Tegla Loroupe Tegla Chepkite Loroupe (born 9 May 1973) is a former Kenyan long-distance track and road runner. She is also a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights and education. Loroupe holds the world records for 25 and 30 kilometers and previousl ...

, world-record-holder in the marathon, half-marathon, 20,000-metre, 15,000-metre and 10,000-metre races. She holds annua
Peace Race
races here, to bring peace among the eight tribes in the West Pokot area. This is also the location of the Tegla Loroupe Peace Academy, founded to provide education to orphans from the tribal wars.

References

Populated places in West Pokot County County capitals in Kenya {{RiftValleyKE-geo-stub