Isiolo County

Introduction

Isiolo County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital is Isiolo. Isiolo County is to be the first county to be developed as part of the Kenya Vision 2030 program. Its capital and largest town is Isiolo.

Constituencies

  • Isiolo North Constituency
  • Isiolo South Constituency

Physical features

Rivers

  • Ewaso Nyiro river

Mountains

  • Mathew’s range mountain

Hills

  • Nadogoni hills
  • Mula hills

Plains

  • plains of Lewa
  • low-land plains

Importance of physical features

  • Tourist attraction
  • They give identity to a place for example the rift valley
  • Hill tops and forests are considered holly places for worship

Types of natural vegetation

Importance of vegetation

  • Contribute to the climate of the region.
  • Provides food to livestock
  • Prevents soil errosion

Map distribution of physical features

People and population

Language groups

  • Isiolo is home to the Niger–Congo and Nilo-Saharan-speaking Ameru, Samburu and Turkana, as well as the Cushitic-speaking Rendille, Somali

Areas of high population density 

  • Isiolo north is more populated

Areas of low population density

  • Isiolo south is less populated

Social relations and cultural  activities

Traditional way of life of the people

Food

  • Turkana rely on their animals for milk, meat and blood. Wild fruits are gathered by women from the bushes and cooked for 12 hours. Slaughtered goats are roasted on a fire. Roasting meat is a favorite way of consuming meat. The Turkana often trade with the Pokots for maize and beans, Marakwet for tobacco and Maasai for maize and vegetables.

Dressing

  • Traditionally, both men and women wear wraps made of rectangular woven materials and animal skins. Today, these cloths are normally purchased, having been manufactured in Nairobi or elsewhere in Kenya. Often, men wear their wraps similar to tunics, with one end connected with the other end over the right shoulder, and carry wrist knives made of steel and goat hide.

Traditional medical practices.

Horn shapes are praised and imitated in song and dance. Animals are socialized through manipulation of horns, ears, testicles and hair colour, and ear 'clipping' according to brand.

Agriculture

Cash crops and food crops grown

  • Being a dry place dry resistant crops are grown mainly rice.
  • Also maize, beans, wheat are grown.

Areas where the cash crops are grown

  • Moyale
  • Marsabit

Types of livestock

  • Cattle
  • Camel
  • goat 

Fishing

Areas where fishing is practiced

  • Fishing is small scale practiced in isiolo town

Forestry

Major of forests

  • Marsabit forest
  • Forest hill
  • Mau forest

Types of wildlife 

  • Elephant
  • Rhino
  • Giraffe
  • buffalo

Game parks and reserves 

  • Samburu game lodge
  • Buffalo springs game reserve
  • Lewa wildlife conservancy
  • Shaba national reserve

Major tourist attractions

  • Wildlife
  • Rift valley
  • Buffalo springs game reserve
  • Lewa wildlife conservancy

Industries

Traditional industries 

Products of traditional industries

  • Agriculture
  • Livestock keeping
  • Trade

Trade

Major trading centres

  • Moyale
  • Marsabit
  • Isiolo town