HomaBay County Government, News, Tenders, Contacts, Website and Map

HomaBay County News

HomaBay County is located in the Southern part of Nyanza region, along the southern shores of Lake Victoria. Homa Bay County covers an area of 3,183.3 sq km with a population of about 1.3 million people.

The county of Homa-Bay borders five Counties;- Migori County to the South, Kisii County and Nyamira County to the East, and Kericho County and Kisumu County to the North East. It is accessible by lake transport, road and air. Its Kabunde Airstrip has just been renovated and opened for commercial flights.

The County headquarters –Homa Bay town is located some 105 km south of Kisumu and about 420 km south-west of Nairobi.

Homa Bay County Location and size

Homa Bay County lies between latitude 0o15’ South and 0o52’ South, and between longitudes 34o East and 35o East. The county covers an area of 4,267.1 km²  inclusive of the water surface which on its own covers an area of 1,227 km2. The county is located in South Western Kenya along Lake Victoria where it boarders Kisumu and Siaya counties to the North, Kisii and Nyamira counties to the East, Migori County to the South and Lake Victoria and the Republic of Uganda to the West.

Homa Bay County Physiographic and Natural Conditions

The county is divided into two main relief regions namely the lakeshore lowlands and the upland plateau with a number of rivers namely Awach Kibuon, Awach Tende, Maugo, Kuja, Rangwe and Riana rivers, most of which originates from Kisii and Nyamira counties. Climate is inland equatorial, with temperatures ranging from a mean annual minimum of 17.1°C to a mean maximum of 34.8°C, with rainfall amounts of between 250mm and 700mm per annum.

HomaBay County Administrative Units and Political Units

Homa Bay County has eight parliamentary constituencies and 40 electoral wards. According to the 2009 census, Homa Bay County had 428,911 persons who had attained the voting age of 18 years, representing 41.7 per cent of the total county population. This eligible voter population is projected to have reached 449,319 persons (or 46.6 per cent) of the total county population in 2012.

HomaBay County Population

Based on projections from the 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census, Homa Bay County has an estimated population of 1,038,858 persons consisting of 498,472 males and 540,386 females by the end of the year 2012. This population is projected to rise to 1,177,181 persons in 2017. Of this total, 564,843 will be males while 612,338 will be females.

HomaBay County Tenders

HomaBay county tenders are awarded in a free, fair and transparency manner in the need to fight corruption in the country.

To access tenders in HomaBay county click the link: http://homabay.go.ke/ for the latest job opportunities in the county.

HomaBay County Jobs

HomaBay County Jobs opportunities for all qualified personnel and those who would wish to work with HomaBay County government. Jobs in HomaBay County are posted on the county website.

Jobs in HomaBay County are awarded in a free, fair and transparency manner in the need to fight corruption in the country.

To access these HomaBay county jobs advertisement click the link: Homa Bay county jobs  for the latest job opportunities in the county.

HomaBay County Governor and Deputy Governor

The current governor of HomaBay County is Hon. Cyprian Otieno Awiti and the deputy governor is Hon. Hamilton Orata.

Constituencies in HomaBay County

1. Kasipul Constituency
2. Kabondo Constituency
3. Karachuonyo Constituency
4. Rangwe Constituency
5. Homa Bay Town Constituency
6. Ndhiwa Constituency
7. Mbita Constituency
8. Gwasi Constituency

HomaBay County Wards

Details about HomaBay County Wards will be updated soon…

Facts About Homa Bay County

Area (km²): 3,183.3 km²

Climate/Weather: Temperatures range from a mean annual minimum of 17.1°C to a mean maximum of 34.8°C, with rainfall amounts of between 250 mm and 700 mm per annum.

Road Network: Bitumen Surface (101.8 Km), Gravel Surface (415.4 Km), Earth Surface (604.6 Km)

Key National Monument(s): Ruma National Park, Tom Mboya Mausoleum

Population of Homa Bay County

Population: 963,794 (Male – 48 %, Female – 52 %)

Population Density: 303 people per Km 2

National Percentage: 2.5 %

Annual Growth Rate: 2.7 %

Age Distribution: 0-14 years (48.1 %), 15-64 years (48.2 %), 65+ years (3.7 %)

Number of Households: 206,255

Government of Homa Bay County

County Capital: Homa Bay Town (Proposed)

Number of Constituencies (2010): 6 (Gwasi, Karachuonyo, Kasipul Kabondo, Mbita, Ndhiwa, Rangwe)

Registered Voters: 283,211

National percentage: 2.2 %

Number of Districts (2009): 3 (Homa Bay, Rachuonyo, Suba)

Number of Local Authorities (2010): 7 (Town councils of Mbita Point, Oyugis, and Kendu Bay, County council of Suba, Rachuonyo, and Homa Bay, and Municipal Council of Homa Bay)

Economy, Business and Investment Opportunities in Homa Bay County

Fishing (On Lake Victoria) and agriculture are the main economic activities in Homa Bay County accounting for the largest share of household income in the region. Subsistence farming is practiced extensively with crops such as maize, sorghum, ground nut, millet and potatoes being grown.

Ruma National Park and Mount Homa are major tourist attractions. Opportunities, therefore, exist in the development of tourist facilities to tap into this market. The county is also endowed with large tracts of forest cover a good opportunity to exploit forest resources.

Economy of Homa Bay County

Poverty Level: 50.2 %

Age Dependency Ratio: 100:107

Resources: Water, Arable Land, Livestock, Pasture, Wildlife

Tourist Attractions: Ruma National Park, Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Rusinga and Mfangano Islands, Kanjera Archaeological site, Volcanic Lake Simbi Nyaima in Karachuonyo, Mt. Homa

Financial Services: 5 Commercial Banks, 2 Micro-Finance Institutions

Main Economic Activities/industries: Fishing and fish trade, Fish Processing, Commercial Businesses
Agricultural products: Maize, Millet, Cassava, Sunflower

Education in Homa Bay County

Number of Institutions (2007): Primary (1,000), Secondary (235)

Primary: Enrolment (283,162)

Teacher to Pupil Ratio: 1:45 (Public Schools)

Secondary: Enrolment (31,317)

Teacher to Pupil Ratio: 1:27 (Public Schools)

Tertiary: Over 20 (Includes a University Campus, Medical Training College, Farmers Training College, Youth Polytechnic, and Several Commercial Colleges)

Adult Literacy Classes: Enrolment – Over 1,500

Health in Homa Bay County

Health Facilities: 164 – District Hospitals (4), Sub-District Hospitals (7), Dispensaries (88), Health Centres (38), Medical Clinics (14), VCT Centres (7), Other (1)

Doctor to Population Ratio: 1:150,000 (Rachuonyo), 1:85,000 (Suba), 1:38,707 (Homa Bay)

Infant Mortality Rates: 87/1000 (Rachuonyo), 110/1000 (Suba), 137/1000 (Homa Bay)

Tourism and Tourists Attractions in Homa Bay County

Homa Bay County is endowed with a number of tourist attractions such as Simbi Nyaima, Kanjera archaeological site, Homa hills hot springs, Asego hill, Ruma National Park, Nyam Gondho, and a number of islands in Lake Victoria such as Rusinga and Mfangano. Over one million international tourists visit Kenya every year with the sector earning over KSh. 70 billion annually. How can young people in the County of Homa Bay meaningfully benefit from the naturally occurring tourist attractions within the County, including hotels and resorts? Are there entrepreneurial potentials and opportunities is the tourism sector in Homa Bay for young people? Definitely yes! Here are some of the businesses or enterprises young people can start and successfully operate in the tourism sector of Homa Bay County thus creating jobs for themselves and others

Adventure Safaris

You can organize adventure safaris and excursions to tourist attractions within Homa Bay County. You will need to design the itinerary and circuit if the adventure involves going to more than one site, cost it, and market it aggressively. For example, a single destination adventure may involve hiking at Asego hill, game watching at Ruma National Park or site seeing at Simbi Nyaima, Homa hills hot springs, Nyam Gondho or Kanjera archeological site. Alternatively, you can organize a multi-site, multi-activity adventure like game drive at Ruma National Park, sleep-over at a resort hotel in Rusinga island coupled by a boat drive in Lake Victoria, bird watching or sports fishing. The secret in this trade is to make the adventure cost-competitive, safe, exciting and memorable.

Category: Tourist Attractions in Homa Bay County

Air Ticketing and Hotel Booking

You can book flights and hotels for clients at a fee, thus saving them the hustle and bustle of doing this themselves or calling agents in Kisumu, Nairobi and other towns. You can be an agent for an airline and many hotels easily offer attractive commissions for bookings made. You can up your game by developing a web platform for online booking of hotels in Homa Bay County and its environs and also earn some neat income from website adverts.

Picnic Site

Do you or your family own some fairly large parcel of land that is not put to agricultural or other productive use? You can clear the bushes while sparing trees, secure it and use it as a picnic site. It is even more desirable if it is near the lake shore or some gently undulating hill slope. You need to put in place some basic facilities like washrooms, water and probably some outdoor catering service. It also needs to be easily accessible. All you need to do then is charge a gate fee for picnic revelers, campers and groups using it for team building activities.

Tour Guides Bureau

Recruit honest and energetic young people then train them as tour guides. The training should emphasize on integrity, customer service, security and vast knowledge of the local geography, history and culture. Tourists, both domestic and international, visiting Homa Bay County and its environs can hire them from you at a fee. This kind of business augments well with car hire service with the drivers doubling up as tour guides. However, it requires a very high level of integrity, reputation and market visibility.

Cultural Center

Probably you know or have heard of the famous Kochia cultural dancers. Why not open a cultural center where various traditional dance troops, acrobats and other artistes perform and you charge an entrance fee. Alternatively, you can form a cultural dance group that performs in hotels and other events and functions at a fee. You may also organize an annual cultural festival fashioned along the likes of the popular and famous Calabar Carnival in Cross River State of Nigeria that runs throughout the month of December and attracts visitors from across the globe during the festive season.

Curio, Gift and Souvenir Shop

If you have been to North or South Coasts of Kenya or other tourism intensive places like Nakuru, Naivasha or Narok, you may have noticed so many stone and wood carvings. Can youths of Homa Bay County make beads from “ombulu”, decorated belts, sandals and wrist bands, necklaces and ear rings, traditional hats made from “othith”, ornamental calabash and drums, “orutu”, “adita”, “odheru” e.t.c and sell at tourist price? How about producing T-shirts Branded “Homa Bay” or “Rusinga Island” or “Mfangano Island” or “Homa Hills Hot Springs” with pictures or artistic impressions. Young people of Homa Bay County can make money by branding Homa Bay!

Water Sports

Lake Victoria is a God given blessing to the people of Homa Bay County. A part from fishing, water sports can attract domestic and international tourists and provide a source of employment and income to thousands of young people and even the County Government in the form of revenues. Water sports like speed boat racing, canoeing, yachting, diving and aquatic tourism attracts many tourists and corporate sponsors’ world over. How about forming commercial water sports clubs in Kendu Bay, Homa Bay, Mbita Point, Rusinga, Mfangano and Nyandiwa?, then organizing a series of competitions, then gradually raising the standards to international level? Rift valley is in high altitude and is known for marathon and mid-range races. Homa Bay County can build a global reputation in water sports among others. Yes it is possible!

Leisure Gardens

Travel to Abuja, Nigeria and you will marvel at its numerous leisure gardens. Is there a leisure garden in Homa Bay Town? Can we have more operated by young people where families, couples, groups of friends, corporate groups and individuals can relax in a serene and tranquil environment? The leisure garden should be well landscaped with flower beds, pavements, and shade and aesthetic trees. You may opt to include one or two food courts and an amusement park for children.

HomaBay County Contacts

Office of the Governor, Homabay County
P.O. Box 469-40300, Homabay, Kenya

Tel: +254-715 147403
Tel: +254-722 539627
Tel: +254-722 783431
Tel: +254-722 842553

Email:

Awiti.cyprian@homabay-county.net
Governorsoffice@homabay-county.net
Info@homabay-county.net

HomaBay County Website

Website: www.homabay.go.ke/

HomaBay County Map

Homa Bay County Map

HomaBay County Video