Call it ingo (home), iLureko, eShieywe, Khakhameka or Kakamega but don’t forget to celebrate Kakamega Town as it marks its 123rd year in 2026.1). Kakamega was established as a small British military and administrative post in 1903
2). The British colonial administration of the East Africa Protectorate made Kakamega an official government post on July 1, 1909 and the administrative station shifted from Mumias to Kakamega
primarily because Kakamega was considered to have a healthier climate and a more strategic, elevated location
3). Kakamega was considered to have a more favourable climate and was less prone to the tropical heat and illnesses associated with lower-lying areas like Mumias4). Mumias had served as the early centre of penetration and the headquarters of the Wanga Kingdom under Nabongo Mumia
5). The British declared Kakamega the headquarters for the entire North Kavirondo District of the Kenya Colony in 1920
6). Kakamega was further gazetted as a township, eventually becoming the full district and provincial headquarters for the entire North Kavirondo, i.e. the Luyia-speaking region
7). The transfer of the administrative role from Mumias to Kakamega was officially gazetted in 1927
8). The discovery of alluvial gold along River Yala in 1930 triggered a massive influx of settlers, miners and fortune-seekers into Kakamega from 1931 and operations like Rosterman Mines grew9). The colonial government gave the nearby Kakamega Forest protected status to prevent destruction from logging in 1933
10). Infrastructure like roads, shops and hotels sprung up to support the mining and administrative boom of nestling Kakamega town.
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