Kapenguria is a town in Kenya. It is the capital and largest urban center of West Pokot County. The town lies north east of Kitale on the A1 road along Kitale-Lodwar road in north Western Kenya. Kapenguria forms a municipality with a population of 40,751 as per the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census.[1]
Kapenguria constituency has six wards namely (Kapenguria, Mnagei, Siyoi, Riwo, Endugh and Sook). All of them belong to West Pokot county, which has a total of 20 wards.
With Kapenguria being the administrative headquarters of West Pokot county, the county and national governments constitute the largest employers. The various sectors of the service industry such as financial services, small-scale retail, hospitality, charity organisations, religious bodies and professionals comprise the other major significant employers.
Financial institutions which have branches in the town include Cooperative Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, Equity Bank, Absa Bank and Post Bank.
The Saiwa Swamp National Park is located some 25 kilometres south of Kapenguria off the road to Kitale.
Kapenguria is home to the Kapenguria museum in the prison where Jomo Kenyatta was incarcerated in 1953 for his alleged role in the Mau Mau Rebellion.
Kapenguria town is a local educational hub with campuses of the University of Nairobi as well as Kisii University. Other tertiary institution located within the town include, a Kenya Medical Training College, West Pokot Teachers Training College and Pokot Technical Training Center among others.
The town hosts the Kapenguria County Referral Hospital which is the main health facility in West Pokot county.[2]
Kapenguria is the home of Tegla Loroupe, world-record-holder in the marathon, half-marathon, 20,000-metre, 15,000-metre and 10,000-metre races. She holds annual Peace Race races here, to bring peace among the eight tribes in the West Pokot area.
This is the location of the Tegla Loroupe Peace Academy, founded to provide education for orphans from the tribal wars.
