Kisumu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kisumu
City
Clockwise: Lake Victoria Panorama, Kisumu Panorama, sunset at Oginga Odinga street, Downtown, Kiboko Point, Nighttime in Kisumu and Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground
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Kisumu Location in Kenya
Country	Kenya
County	Kisumu County
Elevation	1,131 m (3,711 ft)
Population  (2017)
• City	500,000
• Metro	1,068,826
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
Website	kisumu.go.ke

Kisumu is a city in Kenya, right on the edge of Lake Victoria. It's home to over a million people, making it the third-largest city in Kenya. Only Nairobi, the capital, and Mombasa are bigger.

Kisumu started in 1901 as "Port Florence." It was the main stop for the Uganda Railway. The city is about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northwest of Nairobi. Because Kisumu is close to the Equator, days and nights are almost always 12 hours long. The sun usually sets between 6:28 PM and 6:58 PM.

History of Kisumu

Kisumu is one of Kenya's oldest cities. Many different groups of people have lived here over time. People from the Nandi, Kalenjin, Kisii, Maasai, Luo, and Luhya communities lived near Lake Victoria. They called this area "sumo," which means a place for trading goods.

Languages Spoken in Kisumu

English is one of Kenya's two national languages. Most people in Kisumu speak it with a British accent. They also commonly speak Swahili, which is the other national language.

Getting Around Kisumu

Kisumu has an international airport called Kisumu International Airport. You can catch daily flights from here to Nairobi and Mombasa.

The Uganda Railway reached Kisumu in 1901, connecting it to the port of Mombasa. However, passenger trains no longer run between Nairobi and Kisumu.

Kisumu is connected to other cities like Nakuru, Nairobi, and Mombasa by the A104 highway. The B1 highway connects it to the northern city of Eldoret. A new 450-kilometer road is being built around Lake Victoria, and it will pass through Kisumu.

Fun Places to Visit

Hippo Point is a large area of about 240 hectares (590 acres) on Lake Victoria. Even though it's called Hippo Point, it's more famous for its amazing sunsets over the lake. You might see a hippo there sometimes, but it's not common. Hippo Point is near Dunga village, which also has a fishing port and a place to camp.

Kisumu in Books and Music

• The book “Kisumu” by Okang'a Ooko tells a story about musicians in the city. It was published in 2018.
• Part of the 2017 story “Consummation in Mombasa” by Andrei Gusev happens in Kisumu. The story is about a Russian writer named Andy and Jennifer, who get married in Mombasa and then visit Kisumu, where Jennifer was born.
• The song “Kisumu” by Zack Okello, released in 2015, is about how the city is growing.

Images for kids

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  Kisumu City as seen from a nearby hill

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  Kisumu City Hall

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  Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground

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  Cheetahs at the Impala Sanctuary

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  Ndere Island

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  Kisumu International Airport

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  Kisumu Harbour. The green vegetation is water hyacinth.

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  Maseno University Kisumu

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  St. Therese of Lisieux Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu, opposite Kibuye Market.

See also

In Spanish: Kisumu para niños