The Club

The Lions Club of Kakamega was Chartered in July 1969 with 34 members.

The Club has always been vibrant in the community doing many small community activities such as tree planting, eye camps, medical camps and camps for the disabled.

In 1974, under the Presidentship of the Late Lion Harbhajan Singh Sembi, the Club undertook its first long range project, the Lions Nursery School, then as a natural progression in 1978, the Lions Primary School was built at Shitaho. Both Schools for 3 decades provided affordable education for the community.

In 1992, the Club produced Lion Avtaar Singh Bhamra as the District Governor, and his slogan was "Commit to Serve".

In 2003, Lion Rajinder Singh Sembi was the first District Governor of Sub District 411A whose slogan was "Serve with a Sparkle".

Kakamega Town

Kakamega is a town in western Kenya lying about 30 km north of the Equator. It is the provincial headquarters of Western Province and also of Kakamega District which is one of the eight districts of Western Province.

The town has a population of 73,607 (1999 census). Kakamega is 52 km north of Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya and a port city on Lake Victoria and is 420 Kms  west from Nairobi.

Kakamega has had a steady growth over the years since 1969 as shown below:

Growth of Kakamega

1969       6,244

1979       32,025

1989       58,862

1999       73,607

The forests of Kakamega lie at the traditional heartland of the Luhya people who Bantu are speaking. Luhya is the third largest ethnic grouping in the country and are Kenya’s most culturally diversified people, with large number of clans and sub clans ( including Abaisukha, baidako, Abanyole, Maragoli, Samai, Bukusu ,Bakheke, Batsotso, Mariachi, Tiriki, Bashia Bamarama and many more.)

Traditional principal crops were finger millet, sorghum, sweet potatoes, peas sesame, a variety of nuts and bananas. Today maize is stable food.

The Luhya communities are renowned for their culture and organized traditional bullfights to test the strength of the local live stock. In addition to that, the Luhyis are known for their spectacular traditional dances called the Sikuti.

The region is mostly savanna and undulating hills containing the Kakamega forest which is the town’s real treasure, a remnant of unbroken Equatorial jungle that arched west to East across the continent. It was gazetted in 1985 and it covers 447 square kilometers.

It is important to note is that the forest was gazetted to protect the only forest in Kenya of true equatorial nature, It’s flora and fauna are of immense interest 10 km south of Kakamega town. It is set at an attitude of between 1,520mt and 1,680mt (4,990ft and 5,512 ft), the hilly terrain is also scattered with seasonal swamps with 2 major rivers (the Isiukhu in the north and the Yala in the south)

The forest is home to troops of primates, including rare colobus and blue monkeys, beautiful chameleons, spectacular giant squirrels and an overwhelming diversity of bird life.

The forest’s reptile life is legendry, but few people actually seem to see the snakes. There are no dangerous animals in the reserve and so one ca easily wanders in the reserve.

If you are a nature’s lover or ornithologists, Kakamega forest offers you an amazing wealth of rare birdlife, animal species and untouched paradise which is most pure.

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