LOCATION
Migori County is a county in the former Nyanza Province of southwestern Kenya. It borders Homa Bay County to the north, Kisii County to the northeast, Narok County to the southeast, Tanzania to the west and south, and Lake Victoria to the west. The county also borders Uganda via Migingo Island in Lake Victoria. The county is headquartered by Migori, which is also its largest town.Migori Town (-1.0634,34.4731) is 368 kilometers from Nairobi
TOURISM AND RECREATION
Migori County is home to many tourism activities. Areas to visit within the County are:
THIMLICH OHINGA
Situated 46kms North west of Migori town and 180kms from Kisumu is the legendary Thimlich Ohinga world heritage site. Thimlich Ohinga is a fourteenth century stone- built complex representing a unique dry stone architectural tradition of massive monumental walls. These constructions characterize the early settlement of the Lake Victoria basin. The walls meticulously arranged stones rising to the height of about 3.9m. They were built without mortar and have many complementing features that have made them survive for several centuries.The property was gazette as a national monument in 1981 and listed as a world heritage site on 29th June 2018. In 2000, UNESCO placed the site in the list of top 100 endangered sites globally. Thimlich Ohinga world heritage site is currently under the management of the National museums of Kenya.
GOGO FALLS
Gogo falls is a hydroelectric power station situated 27kms from Migori town in Uriri sub county. The falls were built by colonialists before Kenya gained independence in 1950’s and they used it to get power for gold mining in Macalder in the vast Nyatike sub county.The rise and fall of water over the man-made falls and the feeling one get walking over and across the narrow steel bridge is an experience many want in their bucket list.The 0.6metre wide and over 150m bridge cuts through the enormous River Kuja, which drains into Lake Victoria. A dam covering over 100 acres and surrounded by papyrus is on the side of the fall and offers a perfect spot for sport fishing. Gogo falls is not just for aesthetic value, it’s a source of hydroelectric power injected into the national grid and currently managed by the government of Kenya through KenGen.The Falls, adjacent to Thimlich Ohinga World heritage site has opened up the region with tourists flocking the area thus acts as a perfect tourism destination.
MUGABO CAVES
Mugabo caves is situated in Nyatike sub county along the shores of Lake Victoria, Muhuru bay. It is located 52KMs from Migori town. It was used as a hideout by the locals from the British colonialists during the colonial wars. Similarly, the caves acted as a surveillance point where during wars, a warrior would climb the rock on top of the caves to survey the situation at its strategic points. The caves are used as a religious site by the locals who are seeking a quiet place to pray. The locals believe that God listens to the prayers in those quiet and silent places. Others believe that the spirits of their ancestor’s hover around Lake Victoria and given that the caves are adjacent to the water body; the spirits are bound to hear them. At the top of the stone offers a paranoiac view of the Lake Victoria and a glimpse of the famous Migingo Island where tourists visit to enjoy the calmness of the destination. With its scenic, cultural and historical background, Mugabo caves has a greater potential of attracting tourists who may visit for leisure related activities, learning, hiking, photography and videography.
CHINATO CRYING STONE
Chinato crying stone is located in Kuria East sub county, Chinato Centre approximately 29 KMs from Migori town. During the colonial era, in times of war, members of the community took refuge on these rocks. The Germans’ who colonized Tanganyika would cross the boundary and raid the Kurian’s. During the raid, the vulnerable women and children would hide in the caves for safety purposes. The rocks are sacred and traditional elders commonly known as “Inchama” in the Kurian community occasionally hold meetings to discuss important community matters. The community treasures the hill due to its sacredness and no one would imagine the rocks getting desecrated. Due to the cultural and historical background of the Chinato crying stone, the site offers a great potential for tourist who may come for hiking, team building, photography, videography and leisure related activities.potential for tourist who may come for hiking, team building, photography, videography and leisure related activities
SORI AND SENYE BEACH
Sori beach is situated along the shores of Lake Victoria in Sori town, Nyatike sub county, approximately 62 KMs from Migori town. It mainly consists of a black sandy beach with major activities including fishing expeditions and a fish market. The Sori town grew as a stone pier in the late 1800s and a customs house, where the pier project was located linking Sori, Muhuru and the two border countries (Uganda & Tanzania) later failed due to endemic malaria. In 2001, the former government rest house in Sori was declared a national monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Act. Sori beach has a greater potential of attracting tourists who may come to enjoy the black sandy beaches, boat rides, fishing expeditions, and leisure activities.
Senye beach is situated along the shores of Lake Victoria in Muhuru, Nyatike sub county, approximately 52 KMs from Migori town. It mainly consists of a white sandy beach with major activities including fishing expeditions and a fish market. With its scenic and paranoiac view, Senye beach has a greater potential of attracting tourists who may come to enjoy the white sandy beaches, boat rides, fishing expeditions, leisure activities and team building
ALURU AND MIGINGO ISLANDS
Migingo is an island located off east Sori beach in Nyatike subcounty in Migori County around 54kilometers from the mainland in Sori. It is a 2000sqm Island in Lake Victoria in Kenya. It’s known to have had disputes between the two countries Uganda and Kenya.It is densely populated during the peak seasons of fishing. Its rocky scenic beauty in the lake, makes it an attraction to those tourists who want to experience water life. Migingo is also attractive due to the nightlife experienced there. They always have Mugithi band on Wednesday and Saturday.
Aluru Island is located approximately 50 kms from Sori beach, 45kms from Migingo Island, 30kms from Muhuru beach and surrounded by the Lake Victoria waters. The main economic activity within the island is fishing and is managed by the Aluru beach management unit.. There exists little vegetation on the island with the island mainly consisting of a rock formation. Due to the scenic and historical background of the island, it provides an ambience for tourism activities to thrive such as photography, videography, camping, and team building activities and fishing expedition competitions.
ACCOMODATION
New hotels and resorts have sprung up around the county over recent years to meet the high demand for accommodation both in the low end and high-end market. Florence Hotel, Hotel Discretion, Hill View Hotel , Sugar Land Hotel just mentioning a few are some of the noticeable hotels within the county
NIGHT LIFE
Migori town which is the headquarters of Migori County has seen a rise in the number of new entertainment spots popping up in different parts as a growing middle class feeds the demand for entertainment. The most popular entertainment spots are opened all week but are most active on Friday’s and Saturday’s when Migorians seek to get a break from the busy week