Makindu is a town in

Makueni County Makueni County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Wote. It's the largest town in the county. Emali town which is an important market and stop over for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), is another major tow ...

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. ...

Location

The town is located on the

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

Highway, in

, in southeastern Kenya on the map, close to the International border with the

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

. This location lies approximately , by road, southeast of Machakos, where the provincial headquarters are located. Makindu lies approximately , by road, northwest of the coastal city of

. The geographic coordinates of Makindu are: 2° 16' 30.00"S, 37° 49' 12.00"E (Latitude: -2.275000; 37.820000).

Overview

The settlement was established in the early 20th century, as a base for railway construction workers on the

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...

railway project. The Sikh Temple in Makindu that was built at that time, still bears reminiscence to the railway building days. The temple was a place of worship and social centre for many of the workers from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The temple is well preserved and is managed as a free lodge for any traveller who knocks on its doors. Makindu is also served by Makindu Airport.

Climate

Makindu has an altitude-moderated

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''BSh'') with very warm to hot afternoons and pleasant mornings throughout the year. Like most of Kenya, there are two rainy seasons: the “long rains” in March and April, and the “short rains” centred on November and December.

Population

The current population of the town of Makindu is not publicly known.

Points of interest

Makindu or its environs, is the location of the following points of interest: * The offices of Makindu Town Council * The offices of ''Makindu County'' * The Shushan Palace Hotel – A boutique hotel located just off the Nairobi - Mombasa Highway * Makindu Sikh Temple – Constructed in the early 20th centuryAbout the Makindu Sikh Temple
/ref> * Makueni General Hospital – Owned and administered by the Kenya Ministry of Health * Makindu Centre of Hope – A private hospital * Makindu Post Office * The

–

Highway – The highway passes through the middle of town in a northwest to southeast direction * Chyulu Hills National Park – One of the entrance lies about , by road, south east of the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...

* A branch of Kenya Commercial Bank – A private financial institution * Makindu Airport – A public, civilian airfield * Kenya Medical Training College * Savanna Hotel * Makindu Law Court * Makindu Livestock Market on all Mondays

External links

Location of Makindu At Google MapsHistory & Profile of Makindu Sikh Temple

References

{{First and second-level administrative divisions of Kenya Populated places in Makueni County