Elgeyo-Marakwet County is located in the western Rift Valley with an estimated population of approximately 500,000 people. The county is renowned for three distinctive features: the dramatic Kerio Valley forming a spectacular section of the Great Rift Valley, the town of Iten which stands as the world capital of distance running, and the Marakwet cliff irrigation systems representing one of Kenya's most remarkable pre-colonial engineering achievements.

The county encompasses diverse elevation zones from the Kerio Valley floor to the Elgeyo Escarpment summit, creating varied agricultural zones and ecosystems. Elgeyo and Marakwet peoples, both Kalenjin sub-groups, represent the dominant communities. Iten serves as the county headquarters and has become an internationally recognized training centre for elite distance runners. Understanding Elgeyo-Marakwet requires examining its distinctive geography, the engineering heritage of ancient irrigation systems, the contemporary phenomenon of running excellence, and the agricultural and pastoral economy supporting county communities.

Notes in This County

  1. Elgeyo-Marakwet County
  2. Iten Town
  3. Iten Running Economy
  4. Kerio Valley
  5. Kerio Valley Dam
  6. Marakwet Irrigation Systems
  7. Elgeyo People
  8. Marakwet People
  9. Elgeyo-Marakwet Running
  10. Elgeyo-Marakwet Agriculture
  11. Elgeyo-Marakwet Politics
  12. Elgeyo-Marakwet Colonial History
  13. Elgeyo Escarpment
  14. Elgeyo-Marakwet Infrastructure
  15. Elgeyo-Marakwet Education
  16. Elgeyo-Marakwet Health
  17. Elgeyo-Marakwet Land
  18. Elgeyo-Marakwet Women
  19. Elgeyo-Marakwet Youth
  20. Elgeyo-Marakwet Devolution
  21. Elgeyo-Marakwet Climate
  22. Elgeyo-Marakwet Wildlife
  23. Elgeyo-Marakwet Cultural Heritage
  24. Elgeyo-Marakwet Notable People
  25. Elgeyo-Marakwet Tourism
  26. Elgeyo-Marakwet Arror Dam
  27. Elgeyo-Marakwet Food Culture
  28. Elgeyo-Marakwet Real Estate
  29. Elgeyo-Marakwet Climate Change
  30. Elgeyo-Marakwet Timeline

See Also

Luhya, Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Conservation, Conservation Timeline

Sources

  1. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. (2019). "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Volume IV". https://www.knbs.or.ke/census-2019/
  2. Kipkorir, B. E. (2009). "The Marakwet of Kenya: A Historical Study". East African Educational Publishers. https://eaep.com/
  3. Kipchoge, E. (2020). "Elgeyo-Marakwet: History, Engineering and Running". University of Nairobi Press. https://www.uonbi.ac.ke/