Namanga is a town divided by the

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

border. It is in

Longido District Longido District (''Wilaya ya Longido'' in Swahili language, Swahili) is one of seven Districts of Tanzania, districts of the Arusha Region of Tanzania. The district is bordered to the east by the Ngorongoro District, to the south west by the Mo ...

, Tanzania and

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 ...

, Kenya. It is around 110 kilometers from

Arusha Arusha is a city in Tanzania. The city is the Capital city, capital of the Arusha Region. It has a population of 617,631 people.

, Tanzania. Namanga's economy has been heavily dependent on tourism since 2004 as tourists visiting the nearby

Amboseli National Park Amboseli National Park, formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, is a national park in Loitoktok District in Kajiado County, Kenya. It is in size at the core of an ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. It harbours 400 species ...

passed through the town from Nairobi (183 kilometers to the north). The town is surrounded by hills on both sides. Mount Kilimanjaro can be viewed from Namanga town which makes it a scenic place by tourists who lodge in Namanga on their way to either Tanzania or Amboseli. The nearby Ol Doinyo Orok mountain, also known as Namanga Hills is located northwest of Namanga town. Namanga's latitude is S 2°32'39.8" and longitude E 36°47'20.2". The town has an urban population of approximately 10,000 while the rural population is approximately 5,500.

Economic development

The economy of Namanga has been on the rise as it ceased to depend only on tourism. The town is currently dependent both on tourism and on import and export from both Kenya and Tanzania. With the opening of the East African Community borders, the town will benefit from market of both countries which according to the statistical bureau of Kenya will trigger a population growth of the town to an approximate of 30,000. With the recent investment by the financial institutions and the completion of the great north road, the town has grown economical especially in its infrastructure. This development has increased transport activities from the area as it triggered more importation of commodities from Tanzania to Kenya as it is assumed to be cheaper.

Population diversity

Namanga is a cosmopolitan town. Its population includes several tribes from all part of the country. Its main population is from the

Maasai Maasai may refer to: *Maasai people *Maasai language *Maasai mythology * MAASAI (band) See also * Masai (disambiguation) Masai may refer to: *Masai, Johor, a town in Malaysia * Masai Plateau, a plateau in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India *Maasai peopl ...

community who occupy most of the parts in Namanga. The

Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: *Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya * Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cen ...

communities are second in majority. This was catalyzed by the intermarriage between the Maasai and the Kikuyu. The rest of the population is occupied by other ethnicity groups which include the

Kamba Kamba may refer to: *Kamba African Rainforest Experiences, a collection of eco-luxury lodges in the Republic of Congo *Kamba people of Kenya *Bena-Kamba, a community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo *Khampa, also spelled Kamba, Tibetan peop ...

, the Cushites who are

Somalis The Somali people (, Wadaad's writing, Wadaad: , Arabic: ) are a Cushitic peoples, Cushitic ethnic group and nation native to the Somali Peninsula. who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic languages, East ...

, Borana and many other more communities.1999 census
/ref>

References

External links

Directions to Namanga
Arusha Region Populated places in Kajiado County Kenya–Tanzania border crossings Divided cities {{Kenya-geo-stub