{"id":38,"date":"2026-07-02T01:18:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T01:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/rift-valley\/elgeyo-marakwet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T07:53:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T07:53:08","slug":"elgeyo-marakwet","status":"publish","type":"rift-valley","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/rift-valley\/elgeyo-marakwet\/","title":{"rendered":"Elgeyo-Marakwet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elgeyo-Marakwet County is county 028 of Kenya’s 47 counties, in the former Rift Valley Province. Its capital is Iten, the escarpment town known worldwide for its high-altitude running camps. The 2019 census recorded 454,480 residents across 3,049.7 km\u00b2, one of the smaller counties by area. The name combines the two main communities, the Keiyo and the Marakwet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Capital<\/td>\nIten<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
County code<\/td>\n028<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Population (2019 census)<\/td>\n454,480<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Area<\/td>\n3,049.7 km\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Former province<\/td>\nRift Valley<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sub-counties<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Main languages<\/td>\nKeiyo, Marakwet, Swahili, English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Towns and Villages in Elgeyo-Marakwet County<\/h2>\n

Iten is the county headquarters and by far the largest town. Kapsowar, the Marakwet West centre, is next. The figures below are settlement-level estimates rather than KNBS urban counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Town<\/th>\nType<\/th>\nPopulation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Iten<\/td>\nCounty capital<\/td>\n42,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kapsowar<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n9,152<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Other significant centres carry no separate population figure but serve whole divisions: Tambach, Chebiemit, Kaptarakwa, Chepkorio, Kapcherop, Chesoi, Chesongoch and Tot. The list below names all 77 recorded towns, trading centres and villages in the county.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Anin<\/li>\n
  2. Biretwo<\/li>\n
  3. Bugar<\/li>\n
  4. Chebara<\/li>\n
  5. Chebiemit<\/li>\n
  6. Chebior<\/li>\n
  7. Cheblil<\/li>\n
  8. Chebloch<\/li>\n
  9. Cheboin<\/li>\n
  10. Chebororwa<\/li>\n
  11. Chegilet<\/li>\n
  12. Chemwabul<\/li>\n
  13. Chepketeret<\/li>\n
  14. Chepkorio<\/li>\n
  15. Chepkum<\/li>\n
  16. Chepkutin<\/li>\n
  17. Cheptongei<\/li>\n
  18. Chesetan<\/li>\n
  19. Chesoi<\/li>\n
  20. Chesongoch<\/li>\n
  21. Choroget<\/li>\n
  22. Cinon<\/li>\n
  23. Emsea<\/li>\n
  24. Garogua<\/li>\n
  25. Gopal<\/li>\n
  26. Iten<\/li>\n
  27. Kabaloamet<\/li>\n
  28. Kabuiwa<\/li>\n
  29. Kacholwo<\/li>\n
  30. Kamsait<\/li>\n
  31. Kamwosor<\/li>\n
  32. Kapchebelel<\/li>\n
  33. Kapcherop<\/li>\n
  34. Kapchorwa<\/li>\n
  35. Kapkenda<\/li>\n
  36. Kapkesum<\/li>\n
  37. Kapkitony<\/li>\n
  38. Kapkwamul<\/li>\n
  39. Kaplago<\/li>\n
  40. Kapsiu<\/li>\n
  41. Kapsoi<\/li>\n
  42. Kapsowar<\/li>\n
  43. Kaptagat<\/li>\n
  44. Kaptarakwa<\/li>\n
  45. Kebetwa<\/li>\n
  46. Kesup<\/li>\n
  47. Kibikos<\/li>\n
  48. Kimnai<\/li>\n
  49. Kipsaos<\/li>\n
  50. Kipsoen<\/li>\n
  51. Kiptulos<\/li>\n
  52. Kipyembo<\/li>\n
  53. Kitany<\/li>\n
  54. Koitilial<\/li>\n
  55. Labot<\/li>\n
  56. Lelboinet<\/li>\n
  57. Makutano<\/li>\n
  58. Makwa<\/li>\n
  59. Mason<\/li>\n
  60. Musgut<\/li>\n
  61. Muskut<\/li>\n
  62. Mutei<\/li>\n
  63. Nerkwo<\/li>\n
  64. Nyaru<\/li>\n
  65. Sabor<\/li>\n
  66. Sangurur<\/li>\n
  67. Serewa<\/li>\n
  68. Sergoit<\/li>\n
  69. Simotwa<\/li>\n
  70. Singore<\/li>\n
  71. Tabare<\/li>\n
  72. Tambach<\/li>\n
  73. Tangul<\/li>\n
  74. Toror<\/li>\n
  75. Tot<\/li>\n
  76. Tumeya<\/li>\n
  77. Wattle<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Geography<\/h2>\n

    The county is a long, narrow strip running north to south, and it is built in three steps. The Kerio River and its valley floor form the eastern edge at about 1,000 m. Above it the Elgeyo Escarpment rises in a near-continuous wall, with a height difference of roughly 1,500 m. On top sits the highland plateau at 2,200 m to 2,700 m, where Iten, Chepkorio and Kaptarakwa stand, and where the Cherangany Hills close off the north-west.<\/p>\n

    The climate changes with each step. The plateau is cool and wet, with more than 1,200 mm of rain a year and frequent morning cloud. The Kerio Valley is hot and dry, below 900 mm, and grows crops the highlands cannot. Landslides on the escarpment during long rains are a recurring hazard in Marakwet East.<\/p>\n

    Elgeyo-Marakwet borders West Pokot County<\/a> to the north, Baringo County<\/a> to the east and south across the Kerio, Uasin Gishu County<\/a> to the west and Trans Nzoia County<\/a> to the north-west.<\/p>\n

    Demographics<\/h2>\n

    The 2019 census counted 454,480 residents, an average of about 149 people per square kilometre \u2014 high for a Rift Valley county, and concentrated on the plateau rather than in the valley.<\/p>\n

    The Keiyo occupy the south, the Marakwet the north, and both are Kalenjin-speaking with closely related dialects. The Sengwer, a forest-dwelling minority, live in and around Embobut Forest in the Cherangany Hills. Swahili and English serve as the languages of school, trade and county administration.<\/p>\n

    Economy and Local Life<\/h2>\n

    Mixed farming supports most households. The plateau grows maize, wheat, potatoes, pyrethrum and dairy; Kaptagat and Chepkorio are dairy and potato centres. The Kerio Valley produces mangoes, bananas, cotton, sorghum, goats and honey, and its mango season fills roadside markets at Biretwo, Tot and Chesongoch.<\/p>\n

    Athletics is a genuine industry here. Iten calls itself the Home of Champions, and its training camps, high-altitude centre and running tourism support hotels, physiotherapists and transport work across the town. Fluorspar was mined at Kimwarer in the Kerio Valley for decades, though the mine has been idle since 2016. Small-scale trade, teaching and county employment make up the rest. The county governor is Wisley Rotich.<\/p>\n

    Getting There<\/h2>\n

    Iten lies about 33 km north-east of Eldoret on tarmac, a 40-minute drive up the escarpment road. That road continues east across the Kerio Valley at Chebloch Gorge to Kabarnet in Baringo. A second tarmac route runs south from Iten along the plateau through Chepkorio to Eldoret.<\/p>\n

    Nairobi to Iten is roughly 350 km, about six hours by road through Nakuru and Eldoret. Eldoret International Airport, some 50 km away, has daily flights to Nairobi and is the county’s practical air link. Matatus run frequently between Eldoret, Iten, Kapsowar, Chebiemit and Tot.<\/p>\n

    FAQ<\/h2>\n

    What is the capital of Elgeyo-Marakwet County?<\/h3>\n

    Iten is the county capital and headquarters, on the edge of the Elgeyo Escarpment at about 2,400 m.<\/p>\n

    How many towns and villages are in Elgeyo-Marakwet County?<\/h3>\n

    This page lists 77 recorded towns, trading centres and villages, from Iten and Kapsowar to small valley centres such as Tot and Chesongoch.<\/p>\n

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

    Four: Keiyo North, Keiyo South, Marakwet East and Marakwet West. Each is also a constituency.<\/p>\n

    What is the population of Elgeyo-Marakwet County?<\/h3>\n

    The 2019 census recorded 454,480 people across 3,049.7 km\u00b2, about 149 per square kilometre.<\/p>\n

    Why is Iten famous for running?<\/h3>\n

    Its altitude, dirt trails and cool climate suit distance training, and dozens of camps host Kenyan and international athletes year-round.<\/p>\n

    How far is Iten from Eldoret?<\/h3>\n

    About 33 km by tarmac road, usually 40 minutes by car or matatu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Elgeyo-Marakwet County is county 028 of Kenya’s 47 counties, in the former Rift Valley Province. Its capital is Iten, the escarpment town known worldwide for its high-altitude running camps. The 2019 census recorded 454,480 residents across 3,049.7 km\u00b2, one of the smaller counties by area. The name combines the two main communities, the Keiyo and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Elgeyo-Marakwet: Towns, Villages & Population","_seopress_titles_desc":"Elgeyo-Marakwet County (code 028), capital Iten: 77 towns and villages, 454,480 people at the 2019 census, 3,049.7 kmu00b2, 4 sub-counties, Kerio Valley.","_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-38","rift-valley","type-rift-valley","status-publish","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rift-valley\/38","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=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}