Bungoma Town Kenya Guide: Hotels, Places to visit, Things to do and More

Bungoma Town Guide

Bungoma Town is a town in Bungoma county, Western Province of Kenya, near Kenya and Uganda border. Bungoma town was established as a trading center in the early 20th century. The town is the headquarters of Kenya ‘s Bungoma County.
There are no Industries within the municipality of Bungoma. However, some of the Industrial centers are found near Bungoma are at Nzoia with the Nzoia Sugar Factory and at Webuye the Pan Paper mills.

Bungoma Town History

Bungoma Town’s history dates back to the construction of the Kenya Uganda Railway in the 1920s. The recent growth is attributed to its location in the Western Sugar belt with both Nzoia and Mumias sugar factories. Only a short drive away as is the Pan African Paper Mills factory at Webuye.
The origin of the name Bungoma has two versions. One, that the site was inhabited by a Kalenjin sub-tribe called “Bangot” and two, that it was a meeting place by the Bukusu elders who used drums “engoma’’ to summon people to meetings- consequently, it was referred to as the place of drums by the local Bukusu hence the name Bungoma.
The oldest building in the town was a chief’s office erected around 1140. Besides, it is near here that the Lumboka war against the British by the Bukusu was waged in 1892 culminating in the deaths of many locals at Chetambe hills near Webuye about 25 km away. At the time, the colonial District Commissioner was based in Mumias.
In 1956, Bungoma became the headquarters of Elgon Nyanza district and then granted Urban Centre status with 31 sq km and eight wards in 1964 shortly after independence. It then became a Town Council in 1973 before being elevated to a Municipality in 1980. Seventeen years later in 1997, the number of wards was increased to eight with a total land area rising from 31 sq km to 57 sq km. These wards are Namasanda, Siritany, Musikoma, Sinoko, Khalaba, Mjini, Stadium and Sio. The Council has eight elected and two nominated councilors.
During the 1999 population census, Bungoma town had a population of 60,279, which has since more than doubled beyond 120,000 today because of the huge influx from rural areas coupled with a high population growth rate of over 7% per year.
Located 450 km from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, on the Great North road to Kampala in Uganda at an altitude of 1,385 m or 4,547 feet above sea level, Bungoma has become alluring to investors because of availability of land for development most of which is freehold.

Challenges Facing Bungoma Town

• Drainage and Sewerage work: Due to lack of planning, the existing drainage and sewerage work only serves a section of the Municipality. It is envisaged that as the Council moves to implement a newly designed master plan for Bungoma, current, sewerage problems would be tackled and these require huge injections of cash.
• Garbage collection and disposal: The council is on course with plans to refurbish its garbage collection vehicle and bring about attitude change among staff to rid the Municipality of problems related to garbage collection and disposal that are accompanied by flooding during rainy seasons.
• Street Lighting: Already, the municipal council has embarked on an ambitious but expensive program to repair streetlights in the central business district and undertake the installation of lights in the major suburbs to enhance security at night. These will not only be essential for public security, they will also make it brighter, beautiful and enthralling. However, funds are being sought to spearhead the street lighting of the entire built-up area.
• Employment: Owing to its emergence as an administrative, regional business and commercial center, Bungoma has begun pulling in college and school leavers looking for employment in the informal and formal sectors. The optic fibre cable linking the town to the rest of East Africa and the world will see it transformed into an internet hub no doubt creating opportunities in the information technology sector that is set for a major boom. To curb the pull towards crime by these individuals, MCB is looking for partnerships to avail job opportunities for these job seekers to earn income legitimately and in essence, prevent them from falling prey to criminal activity.
• Hawking: To fully deal with the hawking menace, alternative sites are being identified by the council in specific areas away from thoroughfares for use by the itinerant traders roaming the streets and sidewalks. Enforcement officers will now have the unenviable task of enforcing the law and making sure the pedestrian traffic jams are over
• Law enforcement: There is one police station and two-patrol bases-Ndengelwa and Musikoma whose officers oversee law and order with support from the District Commissioner, Bungoma South, District Officer Kanduyi division (provincial administration) in whose ambit are administration policemen. The High Chief, Senior principal magistrate’s court a Court,d several lower courts in Bungoma Town with support advocates affiliated to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) dispense justice here.
• Roads and bus park: Within the town, these are poorly maintained hence in a state of disrepair but plans are afoot to carry out necessary repairs to major roads and those leading to the residential areas for easy access. Besides, the main bus park from where passengers to and from other urban centers board and disembark put up four decades ago is in dire need of upgrading. Those linking Bungoma to Kakamega, Kisumu, Eldoret, Webuye, Kitale, Kimilili, are all-weather roads in fair condition. A new one through Sikata-Bokoli-Kimilili, at a cost of nearly sh1 billion, is under construction and projected to be operational in 2008.
• Housing: Like any other fast-growing towns in the third world, Bungoma is no exception to the rapid population growth courtesy of rural-urban migration patterns hence the growing demand for additional housing units. With no immediate large scale, publicly funded housing schemes, the population has largely been reliant on the private sector investments in the housing sub-sector. Nevertheless, slum dwellings have emerged in certain parts of the town prompting an ambitious project to upgrade them to acceptable levels but funding has remained a key hindrance.
• Recreation: The Municipal Council of Bungoma is encouraging the private sector partnerships to invest in recreation facilities that are considered a must in any modern city. The Masinde Muliro Stadium complex- a football pitch, volleyball court, and athletics track is poised for a major refurbishment to cost millions of shillings in order to offer sports and recreation services to the residents according to the new master plan. On the other hand, private sector players are setting up leisure facilities among them amusement parks, gyms, and picnic sites like the Buteyo Miti Park-an indigenous trees forest undertaking which has attracted international recognition and interest from environmentalists.
• Rehabilitation of Street Children and the Destitute: Like anywhere else, street children, beggars and the destitute are a problem in Bungoma. Whenever begging that this cadre of people engage in fails, there is a tendency to engage in crime and illicit activities in a bid to get sufficient incomes to sustain themselves in the urban environment. As research has shown such deviant behavior registers a boom in street crime and health complications with a rise in HIV Aids complications thus straining health and medical services on offer.

Bungoma Town Climate

The average annual rainfall in Bungoma Town ranges between 1250 mm to 1800 mm. Blessed with favorable climatic conditions, (long rains between March and July and short rains between August and October), Bungoma’s climate is favorable for farming.
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Economic Activities in Bungoma Town

The major economic activity in Bungoma town is farming and business supported by the Kenya-Uganda railway which passes through the town. A majority of residents of Bungoma belong to the Bukusu tribe who are known as ‘Mulembe people’ which means they are peaceful people.
Blessed with favorable climatic conditions, (long rains between March and July and short rains between August and October) that support a large variety of agro produce, cottage industries adding value to such produce are another option. Dairy farming is one of the key economic activities revolving around agro- production making processing of milk and manufacture of milk products a venture worth spending money on. Milk supply outstrips the capacity of the Kitinda Farmers Cooperative society dairy plant.
Investors heading west are most likely able to find Bungoma as the viable investment destination given its rapid development into the region’s leading commercial center. As a district capital of the greater Bungoma, it attracted leading banks to set up base thus making it a financial center as well. Today, all major banking institutions have branches here easing financial transactions for business operations and guaranteeing them access to credit whenever necessary.
Barclays Bank Kenya Commercial Bank, National Bank of Kenya, Equity Bank, Family Bank, Post Bank are among those running branches at Bungoma that offer forex services.
The Internet, e-mail, telephone, and fax guaranteeing business operators access to the rest of the world at the touch of a button link the town to the rest of the world.
Bungoma has a developed airstrip that handles chartered small aircraft and helicopters flying in visitors but is also only an hour and a half away from both the Eldoret International and Kisumu airports by a road that handle regular local flights to the Kenyan capital-Nairobi from where passengers can connect international flights.
Land set aside for a new airstrip is available and a partnership with local entrepreneurs could yield a new one to ease air links with other cities in the Great Lakes region. Still one can access the planned Tororo International Airport in Eastern Uganda from Bungoma in less than one hour by road.
Its location along the Kenya –Uganda railway line and the Great North Road linking the East African Capitals, the port of Mombasa and the rest of Africa ease any investor’s bulky goods transportation woes.
A multi-million Silo Complex and conventional stores owned by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) with a storage capacity of 830,000 metric tones in the rich agricultural hinterland make the town potential center for flour milling, rice milling, as viable investment options.
Another area worth venturing into is the processing of banana wine, tomatoes given the high production of both crops in the district and neighboring Mt Elgon district. For those keen on the tourism sector, the Mt Elgon national park has big game and bird life whereas the Mt Elgon crater, extinct many years ago is an attractive feature for those plying the western circuit now emerging from a slump as is the majestic Webuye falls near the Pan African Paper Mills factory, just 20 minutes drive from Bungoma Town. The waterfalls’ potential to generate hydro-electric power is yet to be exploited and for those with financial capacity, this is one sure investment which cannot go wrong given the rising demand for electricity in Kenya.
Investment opportunities are also teeming in the sugar industry-generation of hydro-electric power, at the Nzoia Sugar factory where by-products, molasses, and bagasse await exploitation. Indeed sugar production has exceeded the crushing capacity of the factory that a new partnership is being sought to enable it to crash excess cane now standing at 350, 000 metric tones a year.
Cotton ginning with the planned revival of cotton growing in Bungoma West and Bungoma South districts along with the manufacture of animal feeds are others awaiting exploitation from astute investors.
Booming population guarantees availability of cheap labour- a key factor of production that ensures low cost production and high returns on investment portfolios for those investing in Bungoma where availability of water and electric power are guaranteed all year
The manufacture of paper-based packaging materials is a venture worth considering with the Pan African Paper Mills factory in Webuye only a stone’s throw away. Nevertheless, agroforestry initiatives, dairying, poultry and pig farming, oil palm growing are projects around Bungoma that may attract large-scale investments fast.

Hotels in Bungoma Town

Bungoma Silent Resort

Bungoma Silent Resort

Bungoma Silent Resort is a budget-friendly facility situated near Posta Grounds in Bungoma, Pakistan. The resort boasts an on-site restaurant and meeting/conferencing facilities.
Each room features a wardrobe and a private bathroom.
The on-site restaurant serves a variety of local dishes, while the bar serves soft and alcoholic drinks. Breakfast is served daily in buffet and menu options at a surcharge and shared kitchen facilities are also available.

Hotel Rosswood

Hotel Rosswood

Hotel Rosswood is situated close to Bungoma Town in Kenya. The hotel features an event center and a business center.
Each room is designed with an en-suite bathroom, a balcony and is fitted with a wardrobe and a TV with satellite channels.
Breakfast is served daily at no additional charge. The onsite restaurant serves a variety of menu options, while the bar offers soft/alcoholic drinks. Outdoor dining is available.

Bamboo Village Guest House

Court Yard Hotel

The County Comfort Hotel

The County Comfort Hotel

We have very well designed and tasteful rooms with the splendid view of Bungoma County, all equipped with digital satellite television & intercom systems to your convenience. The spacious rooms are all ensuite with executive showers and toilets in every room for your convenience the hotel has 27 fully operational rooms and is expecting to expand to 30 more spacious elegant rooms with classic décor to meet various individuals’ tastes and requirements.
Our rooms have been designed with simplicity and elegance in mind to offer a comfortable living experience to all our guests. All rooms reflect modern day living and include en-suite shower facilities, digital satellite TV and FREE fast Wireless Internet access. (approve on this statement)
Our guest rooms offer a blend of executive elegance and comfort, combined with all the practical, modern executive amenities of the modern age. the County Comfort Hotel ’s exceptional guest suites symbolize all the comfort, warmth and elegance of par excellence. They are all fitted with amenities of modern design and offer a peaceful, relaxing mood after a tiring day or long journey.
The prestigious suites pay homage to our famous past & present residents. The fine settings and ambience offered by the guest suites, allow you to have a soothing and enchanting stay at the best clubhouse in Bungoma County.
The of guest rooms feature outdoor or atrium view, air-conditioning, nice decor curtains, satellite TV, tea/coffee facilities, fully equipped mini fridge, direct dial telephone, wireless internet connectivity, private bath, shower, and 24-hour room service.
Covering a large area of land, The County Comfort Hotel has been purposely built to provide the traveler with a home away from home – somewhere to come to and be pampered. County Comfort Hotel boasts an impressive variety of room types, sufficient to suit anyone’s needs and budget.
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Lukose Villa

Lukose Villa

Lukose Ville is a house sitting on a 7-acre estate in the serene Bungoma area of Kenya. The house is a perfect location for families and groups who want to tour Kenya’s Western Region.
The home has a living room where guests can lounge plus a dining area. Each room is fitted with a wardrobe, a worktable and chair, a balcony and an en-suite bathroom.
A fully equipped kitchen is available for guests who wish to make their own food. Guests can come with their own foodstuffs and have them prepared by a chef at a fee.
The premises are guarded by security personnel. Onsite parking is available.
Lukose Villa is in proximity to the Mateka Market and Musikoma Shopping Centre.

Bungoma Countryside Hotel

Bungoma Countryside Hotel is located off Mumias-Bungoma Road in Kenya. The hotel features a manicured garden where guests can relax.
Each room is air-conditioned and fitted with a TV with satellite channels.
Complimentary breakfast is served daily. The onsite restaurant offers local meals and the bar serves a variety of drinks.
Airport shuttle and city shuttle services are offered for an additional fee. Security personnel guard the premises and on-site parking is available.
The hotel is a few kilometers away from Bungoma Airstrip and Green Valley Hotel.

Tourist Hotel Bungoma

Tourist Hotel Bungoma

Tourist Hotel Bungoma is located in Bungoma Town, a town in Bungoma County. The hotel was started in 1969 by the Bungoma Teachers Co-operative Society (BUTICO) and boasts a swimming pool, a restaurant, a bar, a gym, and a conference hall. Free wireless internet access is available all through the premises.
The hotel offers a total of 32 rooms which includes Single Rooms, Double Rooms, and Cottages, each accommodation is fitted with a flat-screen TV with satellite reception, fresh bedding, ornate lampshades, an intercom telephone, a wardrobe, and an en-suite bathroom. Additional beds are provided at a surcharge.
Using the finest seasonal ingredients and sauces, Tourist Hotel Bungoma restaurant offers a wide range of local dishes and some International cuisines which may be enjoyed at the dining area. Complimentary breakfast is served daily. An array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are served at the bar. The hotel features a well-equipped gym on site and a sparkling outdoor pool where guests enjoy swimming sessions.
The hotel features meeting/banquet facilities to host social and corporate events. Laundry/dry cleaning and car hire service are available at a fee. Airport pickup services are also available upon request. The premises are fitted with CCTV cameras and guarded by security personnel.
Tourist Hotel Bungoma is 65 km from Crying Stone of Ilesi.

Elegant Hotel

Elegant Hotel

The elegant Hotel is located in Bungoma, Kenya. The hotel is conveniently located near trading and business areas. It is also close to the Tesia Supermarket & MBig Petrol Station. Free WiFi is available.
The hotel offers rooms that are tastefully decorated with modern furniture and fittings. All the rooms are self-contained each having fresh bedding draped with mosquito nets, wardrobes and color T.V.
The elegant Hotel offers a complimentary breakfast daily. Other meals may be ordered at the onsite restaurant and guests enjoy an array of drinks stocked at the bar.
The hotel houses a well-equipped conference facility ideal to host several meetings and seminars. The premises are well guarded by security personnel and onsite parking is allowed.
Elegant Hotel is a walking distance to Tesia Supermarket and a 5 min drive to Bungoma Town.

Green Meadows Lodge
Town Lodge Tororo

Other Hotels include:

1. Salmond View Hotel
2. Greenvalle Hotel
3. Bamboo Village Guest House
4. Eleon Inn
5. Mana Club @ Fort Jesus
6. Leisure Resort
7. Half London Hotel
8. Satellite View Hotel
9. Webuye Grand Motel
10. Bungoma Silent Resort
11. Hotel Sabalkheri

Education Institutions in Bungoma Town

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has started a campus at Sangalo Institute on the outskirts of Bungoma Town from where high-level training and research programs are poised to take off. Already, Moi University is partnering with Sacred Africa and is offering advanced courses at Siritanyi Wycliffe Centre where the Anglican Church of Kenya also runs theology courses. With the establishment last year of Kibabii Diploma Teachers Training College whose construction will take sh 1.7 billion, two private teacher-training colleges and the government-run Mabanga Farmers Training Centre, Bungoma is emerging as a top educational center.
Postal Services:  Posta Kenya, a state parastatal offers postal services both local and international. Private service providers, Group Four Securicor-G4S, Roy Parcel Services, DHL do, however, offer door-to-door parcel delivery services.
Telecommunication Services:  Telkom Kenya another state corporation that previously offered fixed telephone services has entered the mobile telephone range where Safaricom is a market leader followed by Airtel.
All these mobile telephony service providers cover all parts of Kenya. Internet services are available at a number of leading cyber cafes in town.
Radio and TV
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), the country’s leading national and official radio station is widely listened to by Bungoma residents. This is in addition to local FM stations that broadcast in English, Kiswahili and local dialects that are operated by private organizations and have popular listenership. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other foreign radio stations also cover the area. Though KBC is the national and official TV station, the independent channel Kenya Television Network (KTN), which is privately run, is the most popular among town residents. Other leading TV stations with a wide following include Citizen TV and NTV. Sayari TV channel is mostly favored by Christians.

Visitors Guide to Bungoma Town

Bungoma Town is the leading business and commercial center in Western Province and was until recently the administrative capital of the larger Bungoma district covering a total area of 2,069sq kilometers. In 2007, the district was split into four – namely, Bungoma North, Bungoma South, Bungoma West, and Bungoma East.
For a visitor from away the African continent, the town is easily accessible by both air, rail and road from the capital city of Nairobi some 450 km away from where Kenya’s leading airport-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is located. Local flights are available from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to Eldoret and Kisumu cities both of which are only an hour’s drive away. For those coming in by sea, once their vessels dock at the port of Mombasa famously dubbed as the gateway to East Africa, they may have several travel options-fly to Nairobi and proceed to either Kisumu by air, enjoy the undulating landscape, flora and fauna with a railway ride all the way or by road.
Other entry points into Kenya through Malaba and Busia along its western border with Uganda enables one to obtain a visa at the immigration offices there and then a quick drive will take you to this town with very hospitable people. Kiswahili and English are the official languages widely spoken here.
Other entry points into Kenya by road include Lokichoggio on the border with Sudan from where one can drive through the Arid North West, admire the Jade sea (Lake Turkana through Ortum, Kapenguria, Kitale and then Bungoma on a day-long trip worth the while with the beautiful landscape flora and fauna.
For visitors coming in from Ethiopia, an immigration office exists at the Moyale border post , a 560 km journey from the north to Isiolo- then westwards through Nyeri, Nyahururu, Nakuru , Eldoret and then you are there after a fabulous two day trip full of adventure that gives Kenya the edge as a land of contrasts.
From Tanzania are three options:- through Lunga Lunga at the Coast, Mombasa then Nairobi, Namanga, Kajiado, Nairobi before going westwards via Nakuru or through Isebania-Migori-Kisumu, Kakamega then Mumias before arriving at Bungoma.
Nightlife and Entertainment
Although theatre and cinemas are non-existent, there exist clubs and hotels that offer both live and disco music .G2 along the Great North Road, GF and Kipepeo in the central business district and Happy Moments Cafe along Mumias road are favourites among local travelers who also while away the time enjoying pay TV channels Supersport and GTV that beam popular foreign soccer and local league matches live.

Places of Worship in Bungoma Town

The majority of Bungoma Town residents subscribe to the Christian faith. Among the leading churches in town include the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), Seventh Day Adventist (SDA), Friends Church, Pentecostal Assemblies of God, Faith Church, Bethseda church and Maranatha among others.
Muslims too have four mosques in town which include the main Jamia mosque in town, Mjini, Mawingo, and Musikoma that serve as their main places of worship.

Bungoma County Map

Bungoma County Map

More About Kenya

Kenya is a world unto itself. Kenya is Africa’s original safari destination, attracting explorers, adventurers, and travelers for centuries. A safari to Kenya is a trip of a lifetime.

Other Towns in Kenya

Apart from Nairobi , Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Bungoma town, Kenya has other major towns each a unique representation of the country’s striking abundance in flora and fauna. Most of these towns are headquarters in their respective counties or major economic bases in their regions. Luxury hotels and lodges located here provide good accommodation and conferencing facilities for guests who dare to try out a taste different from the capital or the coast.

For more information visit: Towns in Kenya

Hotels and Accommodation in Kenya

Hotels in Kenya vary enormously in price and facilities. Luxury hotels in Kenya offer excellent standards of service and are comparable to the best hotels anywhere in the world. Kenya’s abundance of natural produce, combined with the rich variety of cultures and traditions, has created a great culinary nation.

The fertile volcanic soil of the Rift Valley produces a bounty of fresh vegetables, while the coast is a great source of tropical fruit and fresh seafood. The Kenyan coast is also the home of the world-renowned Swahili cuisine, a blend of Middle Eastern and African cooking with a particular coastal twist.

For more information visit: Hotels in Kenya

Tourist Attractions in Kenya:

Kenya has one of the world’s greatest tourist attractions sites, known for its diversity of landscape, wildlife, and cultures. From sweeping savannahs to tropical beaches and coral reef, dense equatorial forests to mighty snow-capped mountains, and more.

For more information visit: Tourists Attractions in Kenya

Kenya Safari

Kenya is the ultimate safari destination, providing travelers with a window into the heart of Africa. But this is not all that Kenya has to offer. Located near the equator, Kenya´s magic lies in the fact that the country encompasses an astounding variety of landscapes and climates, flora and fauna, as well as communities and cultures, home to water sports, a swim with dolphins and adventure.

For more information visit: Kenya Safari

The Kenyan People Culture and Tradition

Kenya’s culture blends together diverse tribes, traditions, and religions into one beautiful, well-woven tapestry.  These traditions complement each other while incorporating the modern influences of globalization – resulting in a vibrant cultural spirit that is uniquely Kenyan. Kenya has over 42 different tribes with different languages and several dialects. Kenyan tourism has made the Maasai and Samburu tribes the most famous because of their long preserved culture.

For more information visit: Kenya People and Tribes

Bungoma Town- Videos