Eldoret town is the capital of Uasin Gishu County, one of the 47 devolved units in Kenya.
According to the 2019 census, the town was ranked the fifth most populated urban area in Kenya after Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Ruiru with a population of 475,716 people.
Eldoret was also named the fastest growing town in Kenya – in terms of population.
Why is Eldoret called 64?
Eldoret town is also known as 64 or Sisibo, a name that has a long history. Basically, 64 is one of the agricultural farms that were set up by the Afrikaners – and the number is due to the fact that Eldoret was located 64 miles (103 kilometers) from the then newly built Uganda Railway railhead at Kibigori.
When was Eldoret Founded?
The official townsite for Eldoret was started in 1910 with the development of a post office at SISIBO before the governor later set up an administrative center in the area in 1912 – renaming it from 64 to Eldoret.
How long is Eldoret from Nairobi?
The distance between Eldoret and Nairobi is 311 kilometers. It takes about 4 hours and 27minutes to drive to Nairobi on a private vehicle and about 6 hours on public transport.
For a flight, it takes about 50 minutes.
What language is spoken in Eldoret?
Eldoret town is largely cosmopolitan – meaning there is no one single language spoken. The town is generally dominated by the Kalenjin community with Kikuyu, Luhya, Luo, and Kisii some of the other ethnic groups that are found in the town.
What is the origin of the name Eldoret?
This is a name based on a Maasai word ‘eldare’ that translates to ‘stony river’ a reference to the Sosiani River that runs through town.
It had been said that the town was to be named Eldaret but as a result of typing error, ‘a’ was replaced with o”, and the gave birth to the current name ‘Eldoret’.
Some of the key facilities located within Eldoret town include a Central Bank, Rift Valley Textile Company (RIVATEX), the Eldoret International Airport, Recruits Training School (RTS) for the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), multiple learning institutions as well as industries among them the New Kenya Cooperatives Creameries (KCC).
It is also worth mentioning that Eldoret is home to many international athletes who have contributed to its growth by investing their earnings in real estate.
