Ngong is a town near the Ngong Hills along the

Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately in total length, that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it ...

within

Kajiado County Kajiado County is a county in the former Rift Valley Province of Kenya. As of 2019, Kajiado county spanned an area of 21,292.7 km2, with a recorded population of 1,117,840. The county borders Nairobi and to its south it borders the Tanza ...

, located in the southwest of

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

, in southern

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

. The word ''"Ngong"'' is a Maasai word derived from the word "enkong'u' meaning "the 'eye' of water" or spring from where Rhinos came to drink water. Therefore, the original name of Ngong was "enchoro e'muny", meaning the spring of the rhinos. The Maasai also refer to a spring as the "eye" of water. A widespread

false etymology A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...

is linked with the knuckle shape of the hills. The Ngong Hills, (known to the Maasai as 'Oloolaiser") from the eastside slopes, overlook the

Nairobi National Park Nairobi National Park is a national park in Kenya that was established in 1946 about south of Nairobi. It is fenced on three sides, whereas the open southern boundary allows migrating wildlife to move between the park and the adjacent Kitengel ...

game reserve and, off to the north, the city of

. The Ngong Hills, from the westside slopes, overlook the Great Rift Valley dropping over 4,000 feet below, where nomadic Maasai live.

Demographics

, the population of Ngong Town consisting of Enchorro-Emunyi and Ngong Township locations is 25,866. The elevation of Ngong town is 1,961 meters in altitude, but the altitude of the hills is about 2,460 meters above sea level. Ngong was the central town of Ngong division while

was a district.

History

During the years of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

rule, the area around the Ngong Hills was a major settler farming region, and many traditional colonial houses are still seen in the area. Today Ngong and its environs is a well-developed outskirt providing a good residing place for many of Nairobi's workers Ngong division consists of the Nairobi suburbs of

Ongata Rongai Ongata Rongai (also known as Ronga in local slang) is a town located in Kajiado North, Kajiado County, Kenya. The town is situated south of the Nairobi CBD and East of the Ngong hills and within the greater Nairobi Metropolitan Region. It li ...

, Kiserian, atasia(Oloolua Area) and

Kitengela Kitengela is a municipality in the Kajiado County of Kenya, located 50 Kilometres south of the capital Nairobi, forming part of the greater Metropolitan Area. Kitengela begun as The Kitengela group ranch, made up of 18,292 ha and 214 registered ...

where the residents are primarily Nairobians who build houses in the more quiet regions of the city. In the 1985 film ''

Out of Africa ''Out of Africa'' is a memoir by the Danish author Karen Blixen. The book, first published in 1937, recounts events of the seventeen years when Blixen made her home in Kenya, then called British East Africa. The book is a lyrical meditation on ...

'', the four peaks of the Ngong Hills appear in the background of several scenes at Karen Blixen's house, located near Ngong. Local residents still reported seeing lions in the Hills during the 1990s. The solitary grave of Denys Finch Hatton, marked by an obelisk and garden, is located on the eastern slopes of the Ngong Hills at a place called Kahara, overlooking the vast game reserve. Former and current world marathon athletes, including all time champion

Paul Tergat Paul Kibii Tergat (born 17 June 1969) is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. He became the first Kenyan man to set the world record in the marathon in 2003, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished l ...

reside here. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ngong.

Sports

Ngong has a basketball court and a stadium that is being built. The basketballers of Ngong go to far places to play basketball. Ngong also has quite a good number of football pitches. Ngong division consists of the Nairobi suburbs of

, Kiserian, atasia(Oloolua Area) and

where the residents are primarily Nairobians who build houses in the more quiet regions of the city.

Transport

Ngong has a train station on the

Nairobi–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway The Nairobi–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is the project of standard-gauge railway that should connect Kenya's capital city of Nairobi to Malaba, at the international border with Uganda. The Nairobi–Malaba SGR was to connect other st ...

, which was inaugurated in October 2019.

Notes

External links

Photo of Ngong Hills from game reserve
showing entire ridge, with Rift Valley behind ijabe.org
Photo of Ngong Hills from Blixen lawn
showing yard left of Karen Blixen house, with Ngong Hills behind

AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Airports * Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA) * Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA) Arts, entertainment, and me ...

-Calif.com].
Photo of Ngong Hills from Great Rift Valley
showing severe drop, with Nairobi suburbs on opposite side Base.com
Photo of Ngong Hills from Great Rift Valley, closeup
showing vegetation, suburbs ull webpage from PBase.com {{First and second-level administrative divisions of Kenya Populated places in Kajiado County