Makueni County

Makueni County (until 2010 Makueni District ) is a county in the south of the province of Eastern in Kenya. Its capital is Wote. 2009 884 527 people lived in the 8008.9 km ² County.

The area, which was part of the Machakos County to 1992, is divided into sixteen divisions. The climate is arid to semi-arid, the majority of the year it is hot and dry in Makueni County.

Topography and Geology

The County is located at an altitude of 600 m above sea level at the south end and 1900 m in Mbooni and Kilungu Hills. Only 2.2% of the Countyfläche are overgrown with forest. In Makueni County is dominated by three types of soil, red clay soil in the mountains and in parts of the lowlands, sandy soil in the center of the district and Vertisol in the south. The soils are fertile than not much. The Athi River flows as a continuous water-bearing flow through the district.

Infrastructure

2002, the County had 245 km asphalt road, nearly 550 km of roads were gravelled, the remainder consisting of earth roads, which are sometimes impassable during the rainy season. 2002, there were 24 telephones and 66 post offices, as well as five financial institutions. The energy demand is met mainly with wood and coal, only 9 of the 500 centers in the County possessed 2002 on electricity. Only one fifth of households in the region have access to clean water.

Economy

More than 60% of people in the county live stock breeding and agriculture, with only 22 % of the land in the district is arable. The ranchers are focusing on Boran cattle, zebu, goat and sheep. To non- domestic cattle mainly Ayrshire, Guernsey, Holstein and Jersey cattle are bred. In agriculture are for their own use mainly corn, beans, broad beans and cowpeas grown for trade cotton, sisal agave and coffee beans. 62 % of the population were below the poverty line in 2002.