
Location of Kitale in Kenya
'Kitale' is an agricultural
town in western
Kenya situated between
Mount Elgon and the
Cherengani Hills at an elevation of around 7000 feet. Its urban population was 63,254 in
1999 [1].
It is the administrative centre of the
Trans-Nzoia District of
Rift Valley Province. The main cash crops grown in the area are
sunflower,
tea,
coffee,
Pyrethrum, seed
beans and seed
maize. Kitale is a
market town for the local
agricultural area and is known for the
Kitale Museum and an
agroforestry centre.
Saiwa Swamp National Park lies near the town.
The town was founded in
1908 by white settlers. A branch line of the
Uganda Railway from
Eldoret reached Kitale in
1926 which promoted growth of the town. Kitale is among the most diverse towns in the country.
1. (census http://treasury.go.ke/cbs.go.ke/pdf/authority.pdf)