Garissa

Garissa is the capital of Garissa County and the main urban centre of northeastern Kenya, stretched along the banks of the Tana River. It serves as a gateway to the semi-arid North Eastern region and as an administrative, commercial and transport hub for a predominantly Somali population.

The town grew from a river settlement and market centre into the region's busiest town, with livestock trading at the heart of its economy. Camels, cattle and goats are bought and sold here, while county government offices, banks, markets and humanitarian and development organisations give Garissa a busy, working-town character. Islamic culture is visible in its mosques, including the central Jamia Mosque, and in the rhythm of daily life.

Landmarks and places to explore include the Tana River and the guarded Tana Bridge, Baraza Park on the riverbank, the Garissa Community Giraffe Sanctuary and the Garissa Cultural Centre, which introduces the Somali heritage of the region. Garissa University and its memorial to the 2015 attack are also part of the town's recent history.

As the largest town along the Nairobi–Garissa road, Garissa is a strategic stop for business, NGO and government travel into northeastern Kenya. Its markets, Somali restaurants and halal food scene, camel and goat dishes, and tea rooms offer an authentic local experience away from Kenya's better-known safari circuits.

For travellers, Garissa combines a distinctive Somali cultural identity, river landscapes and a frontier-town atmosphere with practical facilities for business and overland journeys. Both business and adventurous leisure travellers use it as a base for understanding and accessing the wider North Eastern region.