{"id":32,"date":"2026-07-02T01:18:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T01:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/rift-valley\/samburu\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T07:53:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T07:53:08","slug":"samburu","status":"publish","type":"rift-valley","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/rift-valley\/samburu\/","title":{"rendered":"Samburu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samburu County is county 025 of Kenya’s 47 counties, in the former Rift Valley Province. Its capital is Maralal, a highland town on the Kirisia Plateau. The 2019 census recorded 310,327 residents across 20,182.5 km\u00b2, making it one of the most thinly populated counties in the country. It stretches north from the Ewaso Ng’iro River towards the southern end of Lake Turkana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Capital<\/td>\nMaralal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
County code<\/td>\n025<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Population (2019 census)<\/td>\n310,327<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Area<\/td>\n20,182.5 km\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Former province<\/td>\nRift Valley<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sub-counties<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Main languages<\/td>\nSamburu (Maa), Turkana, Swahili, English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Towns and Villages in Samburu County<\/h2>\n

Maralal is the county headquarters and the only sizeable town. Wamba heads Samburu East, Baragoi heads Samburu North, and Archers Post sits on the highway at the county’s southern gate. The figures below are settlement-level estimates rather than KNBS urban counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Town<\/th>\nType<\/th>\nPopulation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Maralal<\/td>\nCounty capital<\/td>\n31,350<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Archers Post<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n4,620<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wamba<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n4,580<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Baragoi<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n4,254<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Suguta<\/td>\nMarket centre<\/td>\n2,328<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The list below names all 52 recorded towns, trading centres and villages in Samburu County, from Suguta Lol Marmar and Kisima in the south to South Horr, Tuum and Baragoi in the north.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Amaya<\/li>\n
  2. Amojo<\/li>\n
  3. Archers Post<\/li>\n
  4. Arsim<\/li>\n
  5. Baragoi<\/li>\n
  6. Barsaloi<\/li>\n
  7. Doinyo Wasin<\/li>\n
  8. Elmbako<\/li>\n
  9. Gichagi<\/li>\n
  10. Illuat<\/li>\n
  11. Kauro<\/li>\n
  12. Kawab<\/li>\n
  13. Kirimun<\/li>\n
  14. Kisima<\/li>\n
  15. Koiya<\/li>\n
  16. Kom<\/li>\n
  17. Latakweny<\/li>\n
  18. Lemisingiyo<\/li>\n
  19. Lendepes<\/li>\n
  20. Lesirikan<\/li>\n
  21. Lodokejek<\/li>\n
  22. Lodosoit<\/li>\n
  23. Lodungokwe<\/li>\n
  24. Lokwas<\/li>\n
  25. Lolkayon<\/li>\n
  26. Lolkunono<\/li>\n
  27. Lonkewan<\/li>\n
  28. Losilale<\/li>\n
  29. Losuk<\/li>\n
  30. Lusien<\/li>\n
  31. Maralal<\/li>\n
  32. Marti<\/li>\n
  33. Masiketa<\/li>\n
  34. Masiketa Simiti<\/li>\n
  35. Morijo<\/li>\n
  36. Mukawa<\/li>\n
  37. Nachola<\/li>\n
  38. Ndoldol<\/li>\n
  39. Ngelai<\/li>\n
  40. Nomboroi<\/li>\n
  41. Olpus Lelual<\/li>\n
  42. Rarait<\/li>\n
  43. Serolevi<\/li>\n
  44. Sirata Oirobi<\/li>\n
  45. South Horr<\/li>\n
  46. Suguta<\/li>\n
  47. Sukuta Lol Marmar<\/li>\n
  48. Suse<\/li>\n
  49. Swuari<\/li>\n
  50. Tuum<\/li>\n
  51. Umoja<\/li>\n
  52. Wamba<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Geography<\/h2>\n

    Samburu is built around a central highland surrounded by hot lowlands. The Kirisia (Leroghi) Plateau carries Maralal at about 1,970 m and holds the Kirisia Forest, the county’s main water tower. Around it the land falls to plains at 800 m to 1,200 m.<\/p>\n

    Mountains rise sharply out of those plains: Mount Nyiro at 2,752 m in the north, the Ndoto Mountains and the Mathews Range in the east, and the flat-topped Ololokwe above Archers Post. The Ewaso Ng’iro River forms much of the southern boundary. The Suguta Valley, on the western edge, is among the hottest and driest places in Kenya. Rainfall runs from about 750 mm on the plateau to under 300 mm on the northern plains.<\/p>\n

    The county borders Turkana County<\/a> to the west, Marsabit County<\/a> to the north and north-east, Isiolo County<\/a> to the east and south-east, Laikipia County<\/a> to the south and Baringo County<\/a> to the south-west.<\/p>\n

    Demographics<\/h2>\n

    The 2019 census recorded 310,327 residents, an average of about 15 people per square kilometre. Most live on and around the Kirisia Plateau and along the roads north to Baragoi and east to Wamba.<\/p>\n

    The Samburu are the largest community and speak Sampur, a Maa dialect close to Maasai. Turkana households are numerous in the west and north, and Rendille, Borana and Pokot families live along the boundaries. Swahili and English serve schools, trade and county offices. Age-set customs, livestock ownership and seasonal movement still shape daily life in the rural wards.<\/p>\n

    Economy and Local Life<\/h2>\n

    Pastoralism is the main livelihood. Households keep cattle, goats, sheep and camels, and move them between highland grazing in the dry season and lowland pasture after rain. Livestock sales at Maralal, Suguta Lol Marmar and Baragoi are the county’s biggest cash markets.<\/p>\n

    Tourism is the second pillar. Samburu National Reserve on the Ewaso Ng’iro draws visitors for elephant, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and gerenuk, and a ring of community conservancies \u2014 among them Namunyak, Kalama, West Gate and Sera \u2014 runs tourism and anti-poaching work with local ownership. Sera runs East Africa’s first community-managed black rhino sanctuary. Maralal hosts the Camel Derby each year, filling the town for a weekend. Small-scale farming on the plateau produces maize, beans and potatoes, and Samburu beadwork sells through both markets and lodges. The county governor is Jonathan Lati Lelelit.<\/p>\n

    Getting There<\/h2>\n

    The main approach from the south is through Nyahururu and Rumuruti, then north on the C77 to Maralal \u2014 roughly 350 km from Nairobi, five to six hours, with the last stretch improved in recent years. From Maralal a rough road continues north through Baragoi and South Horr to Loiyangalani on Lake Turkana.<\/p>\n

    The eastern entry is easier. Archers Post lies on the tarmac A2 highway between Isiolo and Marsabit, about 300 km from Nairobi, and Wamba is reached by a branch road from there. Airstrips serve Maralal, Wamba and several conservancies, with charter and light-aircraft flights from Nairobi Wilson.<\/p>\n

    FAQ<\/h2>\n

    What is the capital of Samburu County?<\/h3>\n

    Maralal is the county capital and headquarters, on the Kirisia Plateau at about 1,970 m.<\/p>\n

    How many towns and villages are in Samburu County?<\/h3>\n

    This page lists all 52 recorded towns, trading centres and villages, from Maralal and Wamba to small centres such as Tuum and Barsaloi.<\/p>\n

    Which sub-counties make up Samburu County?<\/h3>\n

    Three: Samburu West, Samburu North with its headquarters at Baragoi, and Samburu East with its headquarters at Wamba. Each is also a constituency.<\/p>\n

    What is the population of Samburu County?<\/h3>\n

    The 2019 census recorded 310,327 people across 20,182.5 km\u00b2, about 15 per square kilometre.<\/p>\n

    Where is Samburu National Reserve?<\/h3>\n

    On the north bank of the Ewaso Ng’iro River in the south-east of the county, entered from Archers Post on the A2 highway.<\/p>\n

    How far is Maralal from Nairobi?<\/h3>\n

    About 350 km by road through Nyahururu and Rumuruti, usually five to six hours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Samburu County is county 025 of Kenya’s 47 counties, in the former Rift Valley Province. Its capital is Maralal, a highland town on the Kirisia Plateau. The 2019 census recorded 310,327 residents across 20,182.5 km\u00b2, making it one of the most thinly populated counties in the country. It stretches north from the Ewaso Ng’iro River […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Samburu County: 52 Towns, Villages & Population","_seopress_titles_desc":"Samburu County (code 025), capital Maralal: 52 towns and villages, 310,327 people at the 2019 census, 20,182.5 kmu00b2, 3 sub-counties, Samburu Reserve.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"class_list":["post-32","rift-valley","type-rift-valley","status-publish","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rift-valley\/32","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rift-valley"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rift-valley"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}