West Pokot

West Pokot County is a sparsely populated but culturally rich region in northwestern Kenya, often promoted as the 'Land of Hidden Treasures'. Its capital and largest town is Kapenguria, which acts as the county's administrative, commercial and transport hub on the A1 road running north from Kitale toward Lodwar.

The landscape ranges from the forested Cherangani Hills and the slopes of Mount Mtelo in the south to drier, semi-arid plains toward Turkana in the north. This contrast gives the county a distinctive character, with cooler highland farming areas and warmer rangelands used mainly for livestock keeping.

The county is home to the Pokot, a pastoralist community with a strong cattle-keeping tradition, alongside the Sengwer and other groups. Kapenguria's place in Kenya's independence history is marked by the Kapenguria Museum, located at the former prison where the Kapenguria Six, including Jomo Kenyatta, were detained and tried.

Agriculture and livestock form the backbone of the local economy, with maize, beans, millet and vegetables grown in the highlands and cattle, goats and sheep raised across the rangelands. Small-scale gold and limestone mining is also present, and Kapenguria serves as the main market and service centre for surrounding sub-counties.

For visitors, West Pokot offers hiking in the Cherangani Hills, cultural encounters and the annual Tegla Loroupe Peace Race, while business travellers are drawn by county government offices, NGOs and development work. The county is most practical to reach by road through Kitale, with Kitale Airport the nearest air link and Eldoret International Airport providing wider connections.