Migori County is county 044 of Kenya’s 47 counties, in the south-west corner of the country in the former Nyanza Province. Its capital is Migori town, and the 2019 census counted 1,116,436 residents on 2,586.4 km². The county reaches Lake Victoria in the west and the Tanzanian border in the south, at the busy crossing of Isebania.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Capital | Migori town |
| County code | 044 |
| Population (2019 census) | 1,116,436 |
| Population (2023 projection) | 1,234,082 |
| Area | 2,586.4 km² |
| Former province | Nyanza |
| Sub-counties | 8 |
| Main languages | Dholuo, Kuria, Swahili, English |
Towns and Villages in Migori County
Migori town anchors the county. Isebania sits on the border, Kehancha in the Kuria hills, and the sugar towns of Rongo and Awendo on the A1. Sori and Muhuru Bay are the main lakeshore centres.
| Town | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Migori | County capital | 71,668 (2019 census) |
| Isebania | Border town | 23,891 (2019 census) |
| Kehancha | Town | 22,194 (2019 census) |
| Rongo | Town | 20,688 (2019 census) |
| Awendo | Town | 16,815 (2019 census) |
| Sori | Fishing port | 7,020 (estimate) |
| Muhuru | Fishing port | 4,924 (estimate) |
The gazetteer records 198 named settlements in Migori County. All 198 are listed below.
- Achuth
- Agenga
- Agolo
- Ajengo
- Akala
- Akoko
- Alara
- Alendo
- Amoyo
- Aneko
- Angaga
- Angugo
- Aora Chuodho
- Arambe
- Awendo
- Ayugis
- Bande
- Bohorera
- Bondo Kosiemo
- Bondo Nyironge
- Butende
- Bware
- Chamgiwadu
- Chinato
- Chunge
- Dede
- Dianga
- Dudi
- Elisha
- Gamba
- Giribe
- God Jope
- God Ngira
- God Rombe
- God Sibwoche
- Gogo
- Gori Maria
- Got Bim
- Got Kwere
- Gunga
- Ikerege
- Isebania
- Jaleny Village
- Kabola
- Kadem
- Kagaga
- Kakrao
- Kamagambo
- Kambuji
- Kameji
- Kanga
- Kanyamgoni
- Kanyango
- Kanyimach
- Kanyodera
- Kanyuot
- Karathing
- Karungu
- Kasenga
- Kasere
- Kea
- Kegonga
- Kehancha
- Kiaboroti
- Kikongo
- Kimai
- Kitabayaye
- Kitere
- Kitungi
- Kitweru
- Koderobara
- Kogalo
- Kokeharaka
- Kokuro
- Komolorume
- Komomange
- Kongalo
- Konguru Kanyarwanda
- Kubweye
- Kuja
- Kumoni
- Kuna
- Kurtiange
- Kusingizi
- Kwa
- Kwoyo
- Le
- Luanda
- Luanda Magwar
- Luanda Ogalo
- Luora
- Lwala
- Macalder
- Macha
- Machicha
- Maeta
- Magongo Giribe
- Magwer
- Malunga
- Manyata
- Marando
- Marera
- Marienga
- Mariwa
- Maroo
- Masaba
- Masara
- Matare
- Midida
- Migori
- Minyenya
- Modi
- Mohoru
- Mori
- Muhuru
- Mukuro
- Mulo
- Muok
- Mwiturunkaine
- Nalo
- Ndiwa
- Nduru
- Ngere
- Njonja
- Ntimaru
- Nyabassi
- Nyabera
- Nyabikaye
- Nyabikongori
- Nyabisawa
- Nyabohansi
- Nyaburu
- Nyakune
- Nyakuru
- Nyakweri
- Nyamarambe
- Nyamgore
- Nyamome
- Nyamotambe
- Nyamuga
- Nyandago
- Nyanduong
- Nyangao
- Nyarach
- Nyaroho
- Nyarombo
- Obila’s Village
- Obware
- Odienya
- Odok
- Ofwanga
- Ogaka
- Ojuok
- Okenge
- Okoth
- Okumu
- Omware
- Ongoche
- Opapo
- Opiyo
- Opoya
- Oruba
- Osani
- Osogo
- Otacho
- Otati
- Othoch Rakuom
- Otinga
- Ouma’s Village
- Oyani
- Paulo
- Rabuor
- Ragoda
- Rakuom
- Rakwaro
- Ranen
- Ranjira
- Rapogi
- Rongo
- Saberi
- Sagero
- Sare
- Sori
- Sota
- Suba Kuria
- Suna
- Tagache
- Taragai
- Taranganya
- Thimjope
- Thimlich
- Tonye
- Ugari
- Ulanda
- Ulro
- Uriri
- Wath Ong’er
- Yago
Geography
The land falls from the Kuria highlands in the south-east, at about 1,800 metres, to the lake shore at 1,140 metres. The Migori (Kuja) River crosses the county west to the lake, and the Gucha joins it near Nyatike.
Rainfall runs 700 to 1,800 mm a year, wettest in the uplands. The lakeshore at Muhuru Bay and Karungu is hot and comparatively dry.
Migori borders Homa Bay County to the north, Kisii County to the north-east and Narok County to the south-east. Tanzania lies to the south and west, and Lake Victoria forms the western edge.
Demographics
The 2019 census counted 1,116,436 people: 536,187 men, 580,214 women and 35 intersex residents. Density averages about 432 people per km².
Some 167,200 residents were counted as urban, the rest rural. Dholuo is the community language across most of the county, while the Kuria are the majority in Kuria East and Kuria West and speak Kuria. Swahili is the working language of cross-border trade at Isebania.
Economy and Local Life
Sugarcane is the leading cash crop, milled at Sony Sugar in Awendo. Tobacco is grown widely in Uriri, Kuria and Suna, and maize, sorghum, beans and groundnuts fill the food calendar.
Gold has been mined in the Macalder and Masara belt since the 1930s, and artisanal mining still employs thousands. Fishing works out of Sori, Muhuru Bay and Karungu. The Isebania crossing carries heavy transit trade with Tanzania. Thimlich Ohinga, a dry-stone settlement enclosure north-west of Migori town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Getting There
The A1 highway runs through the county from Isebania on the Tanzanian border north through Migori, Awendo and Rongo to Kisii and Kisumu. Kisii is about 65 km from Migori town, Kisumu about 185 km.
Nairobi is roughly 400 km by road. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Kisumu International; Migori has an airstrip used for charters.
FAQ
What is the capital of Migori County?
Migori town, which had 71,668 residents in the 2019 census. It is the county headquarters and the largest town in the county.
How many towns and villages are in Migori County?
Gazetteer data records 198 named settlements, from Migori town and Isebania down to lakeshore beach villages. The full list appears above.
Which sub-counties make up Migori County?
Eight: Awendo, Kuria East, Kuria West, Nyatike, Rongo, Suna East, Suna West and Uriri.
Where is the Kenya–Tanzania border crossing in Migori?
At Isebania, about 25 km south of Migori town on the A1. It is one of Kenya’s busiest road border posts.
What languages are spoken in Migori County?
Dholuo in most sub-counties and Kuria in Kuria East and Kuria West. Swahili and English are used in schools, offices and border trade.
What is Thimlich Ohinga?
A complex of dry-stone walled enclosures north-west of Migori town, built from the 16th century. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.