Kajiado Town Guide
Kajiado Town is a town located in southern tip of the Rift Valley Province, Kajiado County in Kenya. It is bordered by Tanzania (to the southwest) and the districts of Taita Taveta( to the south east), Machakos (to the east), Nairobi (to the north east), Kiambu (to the north) and Narok (to the west).
Kajiado Town History
The name “Kajiado” comes from the word “Olkeju-ado.” Which means “The Long River” in Maasai language. The seasonal river named after the town runs from West to the East of the town. The original name for Kajiado was “Olpurapurana”, which means “a round elevation.”
The people of Kajiado Town
Kajiado town has a diverse population of about 40,000 people. The Maasai tribe are the original inhabitants of the area but most of the businesses in town are owned by other ethnic groups of people who migrated into the areas from other parts of Kenya. Like most places in Kenya are extremely friendly town.
Population in Kajiado Town
The Kajiado District has a population of around 400,000. Nearly 50% of the population being in the age range 0 to 14 years.
Kajiado Town Climate and Geography
The landscape consists of plains plus some volcanic hills and valleys. The region is very dry with no continually flowing rivers and is officially designated as semi-arid. The annual rainfall varies between 500 mm and 1,250 mm.
There are two wet seasons, the ‘short rains’ between October and December and the ‘long rains’ between March and May. In recent years there have been long periods of drought when there has been little or no rain.
Economic activities in Kajiado town
Life is extremely hard for the Maasai pastoralists who make up the majority of the population. This hampers efforts to encourage agriculture as an alternative to cattle farming in Kenya. People tend to give up on a system where crop failure is a far too common occurrence.
Maasai women and children usually do most of the household work.
If the children go to school they have to take some wood so that the school meal can be cooked. No wood no meal. This may be the only meal a child would get.
Towns in Kajiado
- Kitengela
- Ongata Rongai
- Ngong
- Kiserian
- Kimuka
- Magadi
- Ewuaso Kedong
- Mosiro
- Isinya
- Namanga
- Oloitokitok
- Kimana
- Ilbisil
- Kumpa
Kajiado Religion and Traditional Culture
The Maasai are monotheistic, believing in a single deity, Enkai. The Maasai god has a dual nature: Enkai Narok (black god) who is charitable and Enkai Nanyokie (red god) who is unforgiving.
The belief in a single deity has seen most Maasai adopting Christianity. Today, about 85 per cent of the Kajiado residents are Christians with the remaining 5 per cent worshipping other religions such as Islam and Hindu.
Traditionally, Maasai women were tasked with building homes (manyattas), collecting firewood, preparing food, among other domestic chores, while men were left free to be warriors – defending their territories and cattle. The role of the children was to look after the livestock. However, this tradition has diminished over time and many Maasai children are now allowed to go to school.
The Maasai are renowned for their colourful dressing that consists of red shuka (light blankets), wrapped around the body and multi-coloured beaded jewellery worn around the necks and arms. The Maasai men are traditionally polygamous, while women are allowed to have intimate relationships with their husbands’ age-mates so as to bring forth warriors.
Famous People in Kajiado
Professor George Saitoti was a respected mathematician who later became Kenya’s sixth vice president and politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Kajiado North constituency for 24 years before meeting his death in a helicopter crash outside Nairobi in June 10, 2012.
Paul Tergat is a Kenyan long distance runner who held the world record in marathon from 2003-2007. He lives in Ngong town.
Peris Tobiko became the first Maasai woman to be elected Member of Parliament after she won the Kajiado East constituency in March 4, 2013.
Kajiado Town Population
The Kajiado District has a population of around 400,000. Nearly 50% of the population being in the age range 0 to 14 years.
Kajiado Health Facilities
Although there are several hospitals and health centres in Kajiado county, the state of healthcare in the rural areas is in deplorable shape and residents walk for long distances to access medical facilities. However, international organisations such as AMREF are working to bring health care closer to the community. Some of the notable healthcare facilities in Kajiado include the Nairobi Women’s Hospital (Kitengela), Kajiado District Hospital, Ngong Sub-District Hospital, Loitokitok District Hospital and Namanga Hospital among others.
Transport in Kajiado Kenya
Being an urban centre, Kajiado town has quite a good and well maintained road network. Most of the roads in this town are tarmacked hence the most convenient way to move form one place to another within the town is through ‘Matatus’, motorcycles or bicycles.
Hotels and Accommodations in Kajiado Town
- Leruat Log Resort
- Masai Eco Lodge
- Pool House
- Olengoti Resort
- Enkang’ Eseriani Guesthouse
- Shukran Guest House
Kajiado Town- Photo
Kajiado town- Videos
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