Baringo District was an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Kabarnet. The district had a population of 264,978 (1999 census) and an area of . The district was created by the colonial government. In 2013, the district ceased to exist and Baringo County was formally established.
History The district is named after local Lake Baringo. The colonial government established a gaming reserve was established in 1900.EI Steinhart - Black Poachers, White Hunters: A Social History of Hunting in Colonial Kenya James Currey Publishers, 2006 Retrieved 2009-07-08 ISBN 0852559607M Bollig - Risk Management in a Hazardous Environment: A Comparative Study of Two Pastoral Societies (Volume 2 of Studies in Human Ecology And Adaptation) Birkhäuser, 2006 Retrieved 2009-07-08 ISBN 0387275819
Archaeological studies Results of excavations at Ngenyn were reported in 1983.
Kipsaramon sites contained fossil finds are dated to be within 15.8 and 15.5 Ma, and is one of only a few from the middle Miocene within the entirety of Africa.B Wood - Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Human Evolution John Wiley & Sons, 21 Mar 2011 Retrieved 2009-07-08 ISBN 1444342460 During 2000 the Kenyan Palaeontology Expedition announced the discovery of the remains of what was at the time considered likely a new hominid species, and was stated as the oldest hominid remains found, dated from the surrounding rock as six million years old.A Wright, G Gynn - Left in the Dark Lulu.com, 30 Mar 2008 Retrieved 2009-07-08 ISBN 0955678404BBC-4 December, 2000 Retrieved 2009-07-08 sourced originally in abc news report The find was named Orrorin tugenensis (Senut et al 2001). Later finds were made in the village of Rondinin in the Tugen Hills.D Hussain - MIT 2001 Retrieved 2009-07-08 Archaeological remains were recovered from Kipsaramon within the Tugen Hills during 2002.
Chimpanzee fossils reported as the earliest found were reported found in the Kapthurin formation in 2005.
Government Daniel arap Moi was born in Baringo District during 1924TO Ranger - Evangelical Christianity And Democracy in Africa Oxford University Press, 22 Apr 2008 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0195308026 and the former Kenya president lives in Baringo District.
According to Bollig as a result of British colonizing peaceful relations between tribes were improved.
At a time nearing the independence of Kenya from colonial governorship, the district became part of an amalgamated council including the Nakuru and Naivasha county councils.B. E. Kipkorir, F Burkewood Welbourn - The Marakwet of Kenya: A Preliminary Study, Page 4 East African Publishers, 29 Dec 2008 Retrieved 2009-07-08 ISBN 996625532X
Language The principal spoken is Kalenjin.MR Lipschutz, R Kent Rasmussen - Dictionary of African Historical Biography University of California Press, 15 Jun 1989 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0520066111 The main groups of Kalenjin peoples are the Nandi, Terik, Elgeyo, Elkony, Sabaot, Marakwet and the Kipsigis.R Trillo, M (CON) Brown, A (CON) Trillo - The Rough Guide to Kenya Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 3 May 2010 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 1848361378
Pottery from the district found through archaeology is recognized as having a distinct style,C Ehret, M Posnansky - The Archaeological and Linguistic Reconstruction of African History University of California Press, 1982 Retrieved 2009-07-08 ISBN 0520045939 an occurrence understood as necessitated to strengthen tribal differentiation.F Curta - The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, C. 500-700, Volume 20001 Cambridge University Press, 12 Jul 2001 Retrieved 2009-07-08 ISBN 0521802024
Athletics Some of Kenya's famous runners come from the district, most notably Paul Tergat. Tergat started the Baringo Half Marathon in the area in 2004,Kenyan New Year road races provide few surprises. IAAF (2004-01-05). Retrieved on 2009-12-23. and it has been sponsored by Safaricom and featured athletes such as World Championship medallist Mubarak Hassan Shami.Macharia, David (2009-12-20). Teenager Ndiema surprises with Baringo Half Marathon victory. IAAF. Retrieved 2009-12-22
The Kituro athletics camp is located near to Kabarnet in the district.kongasiscamp.org Retrieved 2012-07-09
Economics The district is estimatedW R Ochieng, R M Maxon - An Economic History of Kenya East African Publishers, 1992 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 996646963X to have had during 1915; 178'814 cattle, 307'708 sheep 1928; 190'968 cattle, 591'235 sheep, 736 camel, 6'673 donkeys 1932; 333'584 cattle, 842'345 sheep,1'480 camel, 6'675 donkeys.
The Il Chamus farming area was changed from an efficient and productive grain-producing economy to being reliant on importing by competition from European settlers and other tribes.PD Little - The Elusive Granary: Herder, Farmer, and State in Northern Kenya Cambridge University Press, 28 Feb 1992 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0521405521
The prevalence of cattle raiding amongst the youth and (or) also classified as warrior groups was reported as greater due to the availability of a market for their purchase, and by the encouragement of some authorities (according an unnamed observer) to obtain the cattle specifically for profit and especially for the benefit of so-called cattle warlords.D Eaton (A Burton, H Charton-Bigot eds.) - Generations Past: Youth in East African History Ohio University Press, 19 Oct 2010 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 0821419242
During the two decades beginning 1902 the British colonial administration collected taxes from the Pokot people. Also as a result of colonial influences trade in the district was improved.
Geography It is an area of geothermal activity.
Malaria and kala-azar is present within the district.
Farming European farmers at sometime during the 20th century occupied farming land in Nakuru previously used by Tugen and Il Chamus herders.D Hamilton Johnson, DM Anderson - The Ecology of Survival: Case Studies from Northeast African History I.B.Tauris, 1988 Retrieved 2012-07-08 ISBN 1870915003
The Baringo lowlands were reported during 1992 as an area of land unavailable to farming due to an environmental situation. There are only a few places to obtain water in south Baringo.
During 1921, almost the entire district's land for arable farming was taken by millet and sorgham. This situation changed in 1945 by the replacement of millet by maize as a crop in certain areas caused by promotion of the crop by the then-government.
District structure The district had three constituencies: Baringo Central, Baringo East and Baringo North.
Local authorities (councils) Authority Type Population*Urban pop.* Kabarnet Municipality 24,661 9,583 Baringo County 240,317 6,430 Total - 264,978 16,013 1999 census.http://treasury.go.ke/cbs.go.ke/pdf/authority.pdf
Administrative divisions Division Population*Urban pop.*Headquarters Bartabwa 10,815 0 Bartabwa Barwesa 9,568 0 Kabarnet 43,283 8,891 Kabarnet Kabartonjo 33,470 748 Kabartonjo Kipsaraman 18,427 0 Kollowa 14,990 0 Kollowa Marigat 26,923 4,428 Marigat Mochongoi 11,091 0 Mukutani 7,520 0 Mukutani Nginyang 29,164 0 Nginyang Sacho 11,856 0 Sacho Salawa 8,258 0 Tangulbei 19,505 29 Tangulbei Tenges 10,302 0 Tenges Total 264,978 14,096 - 1999 census.
References