Vihiga County

Vihiga County (until 2010 Vihiga District ) is a county in the Kenyan province of Western. The capital is Mbale. The County is located at an altitude 1300-1500 m above sea level.

Structure

The county is divided into six divisions: Luanda, Emuhaya, Sabatia, Tiriki East, West Tiriki and Vihiga. There are four electoral districts, Emuhaya Sabatia, Vihiga and Hamisi. Until 1991, the former Vihiga District belonged to the Kakamega District. Under the Constitution of 2010, the districts Emuhaya, Hamisi and Vihiga were united under the new name Vihiga County.

Economy

Most people in Vihiga County live from agriculture and livestock. There are mainly cultivated corn, beans, sorghum, potatoes, bananas, tea, coffee and sugar cane. Livestock farming focuses on cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. 62 % of the population in Vihiga County live below the poverty line.

Health service

In Vihiga County, there are 23 public and 57 private health facilities. One doctor for 50,000 potential patients. The most common diseases are malaria, respiratory infections and pneumonia. Approximately 15 % of the population are HIV positive or suffering from AIDS. The infant mortality rate is very high with 10%, 13.3 % of children die before reaching their fifth birthday. More than 30% of children in Vihiga County are malnourished and underweight.

Education

The County has 598 pre- primary schools, 348 primary schools and 84 secondary schools. The teacher / student ratio is 1:35 in primary schools and 1:20 in the Secondary Schools.