Bomet County is situated in the former Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Bomet. The county has a population of 730,129 (2009 census) and an area of 1,997.9 km². Bomet County is a multiracial, multi-ethnic nation with citizens of diverse socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds co-existing with the collective will of making things better for future generations.
About Bomet
As per the 2009 National Census, the county had a total population of 730,129 of which 49% were males while 51% were females. Bomet County has five electoral constituencies thus:
- Sotik Constituency
- Bomet Central Constituency
- Bomet East Constituency
- Chepalungu Constituency and,
- Konoin Constituency
Climate/Weather: The County has a mean monthly temperature of 18ºC with an annual rainfall ranging between 1,100mm and 1,500mm.
Road Network: The county has a total of 521.6 Kms of road with bitumen surface accounting for 169.9 Kms while gravel surface is 73 Kms. The county government is currently repairing all gravel roads.
Population Density: 367 people per Km 2
National Percentage: 1.52 %
Annual Growth Rate: 2.7 %
Age Distribution: 0-14 years (47.0 %), 15-64 years (49.7 %), 65+ years (3.3 %)
Number of Households: 111,258
Poverty Level: 58.7 %
Age Dependency Ratio: 100:101
Resources: Forest, Pasture, Rivers, Wildlife, Arable Land, Stone Quarry
Tourist Attractions: Key route to Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Traditional Ornaments, Local culture
Financial Services: 8 Commercial Banks, 5 Micro-Finance Institutions
Main Economic Activities/Industries: Tea & Coffee farming, Horticulture, Cattle rearing
Agriculture is the mainstay of Bomet County with tea farming and dairy production leading in the sector. Food crops are grown in the area with maize being the area’s staple food. Beans, Irish potatoes, millet, cabbages, onions, bananas and pineapples are grown both for subsistence and sale in the county and distant markets mainly Nairobi and various counties in the former Nyanza Province. Commercial growing of avocado and passion fruits is picking up in the county.
Tea earns the residents of the county most of their revenue. Dairy industry is also a major player in contributing to household incomes. There is a milk factory in Sotik town and several milk cooling plants spread across the county. Coffee farming is also established in areas around Bomet, Tarakwa and Ndanai. Fish and poultry rearing are also receiving attention in the county of late.
The county lies in high altitudes and is green for most parts of the year as rains are prevalent most of the months, January however is the driest month.
Trade is conducted in the urban centres of the region with a number of financial institutions offering banking and credit services to the people of the county. Micro-finance initiatives alongside government loans for the youth and women has seen an increase in trade.
The county is among the most densely populated counties in the region and thus has a large labour force concentrated around its agricultural centres. The potential for this labour force to spur agricultural production is high.
Investment opportunities abound in agriculture, hospitality and transport sectors. The close proximity of the county to the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve is a major advantage to the hospitality sector. Since the county government took root, increased number of visitors to the county has spurred growth in the hotel industry in Bomet town and environs.
TOURISM
There exists a huge potential for tourism. Part of Bomet County is within the expansive Mau forest which is home to different tree species, wildlife and birds which can easily be exploited for tourism. There are also caves and waterfalls in Konoin, Bomet central, Bomet East and Chepalungu Sub-Counties along major rivers of Itare, Nyongores, Amalo and Chepkulo rivers.
Transmara forest, a section of Mau forest complex is within Bomet County and is home to rare animal species like Bongo, Giant forest hogs, Cooper tailed monkeys, Black and White Columbus monkeys, Elephants, Leopards, Buffalos and abundant birdlife. It is the only National reserve in the county and has all the potential to be a leading tourist attraction for the county.
The success of Bomet County as a tourist destination relies on a coordinated approach to the planning, development, management of it as a destination. The department works closely with other sector and agencies in promoting tourism activities in the County
Bomet County also attracts Visitors due to Modern Big Hotels which are Based in different locations.
List of Big Hotels
- Brevan Hotel : View Contact Details//View Direction
- The Fair Hills Hotel : View Contact Details
- Twiggs Hotel : View Contact Details
- Sharies Villas Restaurant: View Contact Details