In Kenya’s northwestern corner is a town called Kakuma. While best known as the site for the UNHCR refugee camp established in 1992, the place was once of great cultural significance to the Turkana community. Beneath the surface on which the town stands is an ancient burial ground once used by this community. This inspired the name of the place, Kakuma, a word from the Turkana dialect that means “dry bones”.
Still in Northwestern Kenya is another town whose name is owed to the Turkana language. Lodwar, the administrative capital of Turkana County, translates to “bitter thing” owing to the taste of the fruits of the edung tree (Boscia coriacea Pex.) This species grows in abundance along the banks of the Kawalase and Turkwel Rivers that sandwich Lodwar town.
Further south in Samburu County is Maralal, a town renowned for its rugged beauty. Its name is clipped from the word naimarlal, the Samburu word for “shiny”. Two theories of the origin of this name exist; that the name was coined from locals witnessing the sun’s reflection on either the surface of a water body or the first iron sheet building in the region. Whichever the case, this effectively makes Maralal The Shining Town.
Another physical feature that inspired the name of a Kenyan town is Sosiani River that flows through Eldoret town. The name originates from the Maa word “eldore” which means “stony river”. This certainly makes Sosiani River the most defining feature of Eldoret.
Another uniquely named town in Uasin Gishu County is Burnt Forest. A disastrous fire in the 1930s that caused destruction of a cedar forest led to the coinage of the name.
In addition to Maasai, Samburu and Turkana names, towns of the North Rift region also have Kalenjin names. Take Kapsabet, the capital of Nandi County, for instance. The prefix “kap” denotes a homestead and loosely translates to “the place of/ the place belonging to”, while “sobet” means “life”. The name Kapsabet therefore means “the place of life”, a befitting name due to its sprawling green landscape.
In the case of Kabarnet town, the suffix -barnet is not a Kalenjin word, but the name of Australian missionary Albert Edmund Barnett. He was a member of the Africa Inland Mission Society who came to Kenya in 1908 and settled in present-day Baringo County. The place became known as Kabarnet in reference to Barnett’s Home.
A short distance away from Kabarnet is Kapropita. This is the corruption of the name “Corporal Peter”, a settler who lived in the region. Located near the foot of Mount Elgon in Trans Nzoia County is Endebess, a town whose name has equally hilarious origins. Its proximity to this mountain made it the final stop before ascension began, leading to the name End Base.
Another town whose name was influenced by European presence in the region is Iten. Located in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, the town is characterized by hilly terrain. British explorer Joseph Thomson – whom the Thomson Falls in Nyahururu and the Thomson gazelle is named after – inscribed the words “Hill Ten” on one of the rocks located near the town while carrying out exploration works in 1883. Over time, this name morphed into the name Iten.
Let’s keep growing this list! Comment below and mention the names of other North Rift towns and their meanings.
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