Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of

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

's eight administrative provinces before the formation of the 47 counties under the

2010 constitution The Constitution of Kenya is the supreme lawof the Republic of Kenya. There have been three significant versions of the constitution, with the most recent redraft being enabled in 2010. The 2010 edition replaced the 1963 independence constitu ...

. Six counties were organised in the area of the former province. The region is located in the southwest part of Kenya around

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...

, includes part of the eastern edge of Lake Victoria, and is inhabited predominantly by the

Luo people The Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are a Nilotic ethnic group native to western Kenya and the Mara Region of northern Tanzania in East Africa. The Luo are the fourth-largest ethnic group (10.65%) in Kenya, after the Kikuyu (17.13%), the Luhya ( ...

and

Kisii people The Abagusii (also known as Kisii (Mkisii/Wakisii) in Swahili, or Gusii in Ekegusii) are a highly diverse East African ethnic group and nation indigenous to Kisii (formerly Kisii District) and Nyamira counties of former Nyanza, as well as p ...

. There are also

Bantu-speaking The Bantu languages (English: , Proto-Bantu: *bantʊ̀) are a large family of languages spoken by the Bantu people of Central, Southern, Eastern africa and Southeast Africa. They form the largest branch of the Southern Bantoid languages. The tot ...

tribes, such as the Kuria, and some

Luhya Luhya or Abaluyia may refer to: * Luhya people * Luhya language Luhya (; also Luyia, Luhia or Luhiya) is a Bantu language of western Kenya. Dialects The various Luhya tribes speak several related languages and dialects, though some of them are ...

, living in the province. The province derives its name from ''Nyanza,'' a Bantu word which means a large mass of water. The provincial capital was

Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Kenya by population, third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victor ...

, the third-largest city in Kenya. The province had a population of 4,392,196 at the 1999 census within an area of 16.162 km², or 12.613 km² of land. The climate is tropical

humid Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depen ...

Counties

The following counties make up the area of the former Nyanza province:

Districts after 2007

Several new districts were created in 2007 in Kenya, also in Nyanza Province:Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and National Security

Languages

The predominant language in Nyanza is

Dholuo The Dholuo dialect (pronounced ) or ''Nilotic Kavirondo'', is a dialect of the Luo group of Nilotic languages, spoken by about 4.2 million Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania, who occupy parts of the eastern shore of Lake Victoria and areas to the ...

, a

Nilotic language The Nilotic languages are a group of related languages spoken across a wide area between South Sudan and Tanzania by the Nilotic peoples. Etymology The word Nilotic means of or relating to the Nile River or to the Nile region of Africa. Dem ...

and Ekegusii (Bantu Languages) whose origins are from

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

. It is spoken by the ethnic

Luo Luo may refer to: Luo peoples and languages *Luo peoples, an ethno-linguistic group of eastern and central Africa **Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania or Joluo, an ethnic group in western Kenya, eastern Uganda, and northern Tanzania. *** Luoland, th ...

. Other languages include

, Kuria,

Suba Suba may refer to: Groups of people *Suba people (Kenya), a people of Kenya **Suba language *Suba people (Tanzania), a people of Tanzania * Subha (writers), alternatively spelt Suba, Indian writer duo Individual people *Suba (musician), Serbian- ...

and the national languages of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and Swahili. Other languages from the many Kenyan communities are also spoken in small pockets by migrants from these communities.

Notable residents

Tom Mboya Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya (15August 19305July 1969) was a Kenyan trade unionist, educator, Pan-Africanist, author, independence activist, and statesman. He was one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Kenya.Kenya Human Rights Commissio ...

, politician and former minister *

Simeon Nyachae Simeon Nyachae (6 February 1932 – 1 February 2021) was a Kenyan politician, government minister, and businessman from Kisii County. Early life and education Nyachae was born into a large polygamous family in Nyaribari, Kisii County, on 6 Feb ...

was a Kenyan politician and businessman from

Kisii County Kisii County is a county in the former Nyanza Province in southwestern Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Kisii. The county has a population of 1,266,860 people. It borders Nyamira County to the North East, Narok County to the South, an ...

. *

Barack Obama Sr. Barack Hussein Obama Sr. (; 18 June 1934 – 24 November 1982) was a Kenyan senior governmental economist and the father of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. He is a central figure of his son's memoir, '' Dreams from My Fa ...

was born in Nyanza Province. Economist with the government, he was educated in the United States, in Hawaii and Massachusetts. He was the father of the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

(2009-2017) of the United States, who was born in Hawaii. *

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga (October 1911 – 20 January 1994) was a Luo (Kenya), Luo chieftain who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He later served as Kenya's first Vice-President of Kenya, Vice-President, and t ...

, independence fighter and socialist politician *

Raila Odinga Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...

, son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, is a politician and the leader of Opposition in Kenya. *

Bethwell Allan Ogot Bethwell Allan Ogot (born 1929) is a historian from Kenya. He specialises in African history, research methods and theory. One of his works starts by saying that "to tell the story of a past so as to portray an inevitable destiny is, for human ...

is a renowned historian and academician. *

Achieng Oneko Ramogi Achieng Oneko (1920–2007) was a Kenyan freedom fighter and a politician. In Kenya, he is considered as a national hero. He was born in Tieng'a village in Uyoma sub-location in Bondo District in 1920 and educated at Maseno School. Det ...

, independence fighter and socialist politician * Robert Ouko, politician and former minister *

James Orengo James Aggrey Bob Orengo is a Kenyan lawyer, a well known human rights activist and politician who is the current governor for Siaya County. He is also one of the few Kenyan lawyers who have attained the professional grade of Senior counsel in t ...

is a Kenyan lawyer, a well known human rights activist and a prominent politician who is the current senator for

Siaya County Siaya County is one of the Counties of Kenya, counties in the former Nyanza Province in the Western part of Kenya. It is bordered by Busia County to the north, Kakamega County and Vihiga County's to the northeast and Kisumu County to the southe ...

. *Prof. Sammy Ongeri, second kisii County senator and former MP Nyaribari Madaba *Elijah Marube, Environmental consultant and an industrialist *Andrew John Omanga, former minister and Ambassador, Second MP Nyaribari Chache * James Nyamweya, MP Nyaribari Chache and one of the first Ministers in first Government. * Samson Mwita Marwa, MP

Villages and settlements

* Amimos * Bar Olengo * Baragulu * Baroseno * Bonyunyu * Boguche * Bonyakoni * Buholo *

Bukangasi Bukangasi is a settlement in Kenya's Nyanza Province. References

Populated places in Nyanza Province {{nyanzaKE-geo-stub ...

* Bulungo *

Bulwani Bulwani is a settlement in Kenya's Nyanza Province Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's Provinces of Kenya, eight administrative provinces before the formation of the Counties of Kenya, 47 counties under the Constitutio ...

* Bumburia * Busonga * Bumudondo * Homa Lime Kowuor * Jaleny * Kabola * Kadenge * Karadolo *

Kobodo Kobodo is a settlement in Kenya's Nyanza Province Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's Provinces of Kenya, eight administrative provinces before the formation of the Counties of Kenya, 47 counties under the Constitution ...

* Kodiaga * Kogoe *

Lwala Lwala is a settlement in Kenya's Nyanza Province. References