Kisumu County, Kenya · Africa
Kisumu sits on the route: 15 minutes from Rabuor.
Kisumu is a city located in Kisumu County, Kenya. With a population of 397,957, it is an important destination in Africa.
On a road trip, Kisumu sits in Kenya, where you drive on the left. It's in the Africa/Nairobi time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Kisumu to your route.
Kisumu ( kee-SOO-moo) is the third-largest city in Kenya located in the Lake Victoria area in the former Nyanza Province. It is the second-largest city in the Lake Victoria Basin after Kampala. The city has a population of 438,588 according to the recent 2026 population estimates. The metro region, including MasenoRead more
and Ahero, had a population of 6,771 (Maseno) and 11,801 (Ahero) people respectively, totaling to a combined population of 457,160 people, according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census which was conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
Apart from being an important political city, it is one of the premier industrial and commercial centres in Kenya. It is also an intellectual city with many PhDs. The city is currently undergoing an urban rejuvenation of the downtown and lower town which includes modernizing the lake front, decongesting main streets, and making the streets pedestrian-friendly.
Culturally, Kisumu serves as the centre of the Luo people of East Africa. It was the most prominent urban centre in the pre-colonial and post-colonial period. It remains prominent in the modern era for natives of the Kavirondo region. It was briefly renamed Port Florence, before its name was reverted back.
The city serves as the capital of Kisumu County and was the immediate former capital of now-defunct Nyanza Province.
It is an important link in the trade route between Lake Victoria and Mombasa because of its water and rail connections. It is also the chief terminus for the agricultural produce of Nyanza and Western regions. Kisumu International Airport has regular flights to Nairobi and other neighbouring cities such as Mombasa. According to the United Nations, Kisumu is now recognized as a key city and a "Millennium City" – the first of its kind in the world and also in East Africa.
Kisumu's elevation is 1,131 m (3,711 ft) and is about 320 km (200 mi) northwest of Nairobi, on the shores of Lake Victoria. It lies at the northeastern edge of the Winam Gulf, a long, shallow arm that protrudes from the main body of Lake Victoria. Kisumu is 24 km (15 mi) south of the equator and has, due to its elevation, moderate temperatures.
The metropolitan region comprises the city and its suburbs and satellite towns of Maseno, Kondele, and Ahero.
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Kisumu is located in Kisumu County, Kenya, Africa. The coordinates are -0.1022 latitude, 34.7617 longitude.
Kisumu has a population of approximately 397,957 people, making it a city in Kenya.
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