Elgeyo Marakwet | ||
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County | ||
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Location in Kenya |
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Country | Kenya | |
Founded | March 4th 2013 | |
Capital | Iten | |
Government | ||
• Governor | Alex Tolgos | |
Area | ||
• Total | 3,049.7 km2 (1,177.5 sq mi) | |
Population (2009) | ||
• Total | 369,998 | |
Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
Elgeyo-Marakwet County is one of Kenya's 47 counties. Elgeyo Marakwet County is located in the former Rift Valley Province. Its capital and largest town is Iten. It borders the counties of West Pokot to the north, Baringo County to the east, southeast and south, Uasin Gishu to the southwest and west, and Trans Nzoia to the northwest.
The Kerio River binds the county on the eastern side. From its alluvial plain the topography gradually rises towards the west. The Elgeyo Escarpment stands out distinctly and causes elevation differences of up to 1,500 m. In the northern and southern part of the county the topography is rugged, giving way to more subdued relief differences going westwards. The underlying geology mainly consists of gneisses from the Basement System. The Cherangany Hills rise gently to form the western half of the Great Rift Valley and extend northwest in a broken chain to Mount Moroto in Uganda. Non-volcanic in origin, the Cherangany Hills resulted from subsequent erosion of the raised western ridge of the Eastern Rift Valley. The range is approximately 30 miles (48 km) long and 25 miles (40 km) wide and averages 9,000 feet (2,700 metres) in height; its highest point reaches more than 11,000 feet (3,370 metres). Many of the summits are covered with huge groundsels and lobelias. Some of the hills include Kameleogon (3581 m), Chebon (3375 m), Chepkotet (3370 m), Alaleigelat (3350 m) and Sodang (3211 m).