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Eastern Province (Kenya)

Coordinates: 0°0′N 38°0′E / 0.000°N 38.000°E / 0.000; 38.000
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Eastern Province
Mkoa wa Mashariki
Former Province
Location of the Former Province in Kenya.
Location of the Former Province in Kenya.
Coordinates: 0°0′N 38°0′E / 0.000°N 38.000°E / 0.000; 38.000
Country Kenya
No. of Counties:8
CapitalEmbu
Area
 • Total
140,698.6 km2 (54,324.0 sq mi)
Population
 (2009)
 • Total
5,668,123[1]
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Mount Kenya was found in the former Eastern Province (capital Embu; click map to enlarge)

The Eastern Province (Swahili: Mashariki) of Kenya was one of 8 Provinces of Kenya. Its northern boundary ran along with that of Ethiopia; the North Eastern Province and Coast Province lay to the east and south; and the remainder of Kenya's provinces, including Central Province, ran along its western border. The provincial capital was Embu.

Overview

On 16 July 2009, the province was sub-divided into three: Lower Eastern with Machakos as headquarters, Central Eastern with Meru as headquarters, and Upper Eastern with Marsabit as headquarters; however, those changes never took effect due to the political wrangles in the Kenyan coalition government at the time. The sub-division of provinces was carried out in seven provinces of Kenya, excluding Nairobi. As of March 2013 after the Kenyan general election, 2013, the Eastern Province was subdivided into eight counties, namely:

Code County Former province Area (km2) Population
census 2009		 Capital
10 Marsabit Eastern 66,923.1 291,166 Marsabit
11 Isiolo Eastern 25,336.1 143,294 Isiolo
12 Meru Eastern 7,003 1,356,301 Meru
13 Tharaka-Nithi Eastern 2,609.5 365,330 Chuka
14 Embu Eastern 2,555.9 516,212 Embu
15 Kitui Eastern 24,385.1 1,012,709 Kitui
16 Machakos Eastern 5,952.9 1,098,584 Machakos
17 Makueni Eastern 8,008.9 884,527 Wote
Totals 140,698.6 5,668,123 -

The province was principally inhabited by the Meru, Kamba, Embu, and several pastoralist communities. In 1979, its population was 2.7 million; in 1999, 4,631,779 (according to the 1999 census) and in 2009 the province would have had a population of 5,668,123.[2] In terms of area, it was the second largest province at (140,698.6 km2) in Kenya.

Geography

Eastern Province of Kenya includes the Chalbi Desert, Mount Kenya, and the eastern half of Lake Turkana. The climate in the region is arid to semi-arid. Its most important permanent river is Ewaso Ng'iro.

Villages and settlements

See also

References

  1. ^ "Welcome to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics". Archived from the original on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  2. ^ "Kenya Census 2009".
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