Marakwet District
Encyclopedia
Marakwet District is an administrative district
Districts of Kenya
The provinces of Kenya are subdivided into number of districts .- List of districts of Kenya :Following a High Court ruling in September 2009, there are 46 legal districts in Kenya :Coast Province:...

 in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

. Its capital town is Kapsowar
Kapsowar
Kapsowar is a small town in the Rift Valley Province, Kenya. In 1994 Kapsowar became the headquarters of the Marakwet District. Prior to this, the Marakwet and Keiyo tribes were collectively grouped into the Elgeiyo-Markwet District...

. The district has a population of 140.629 . Local people are predominantly of the Marakwet
Marakwet
Marakwet is a corruption of Markweta. It is a tribe of the Kalenjin people, with an estimated population of 200 000. It is made of the clans Almoo, Cherangany , Endoow, Markweta , Sombirir and Kiptaani who presently predominantly live in Marakwet District in the North Rift Valley Province of Kenya...

 tribe.

The district was created in 1927 as Elgeyo/Marakwet District. It was split into Marakwet and Keiyo District
Keiyo District
Keiyo District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The district was formed in 1994, when Elgeyo/Marakwet-District was split into two, the other half is Marakwet District of today. Keiyo District has a population of 143.865...

s in 1994.

Many famous Kenyan runners come from Marakwet, most notably Moses Kiptanui
Moses Kiptanui
Moses Kiptanui is a middle and long distance athlete mostly famous for 3,000 m steeplechase in which he was the number one ranked athlete from 1991 to 1995 and three time IAAF World Champion...

, Evans Rutto
Evans Rutto
Evans Rutto is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specialises in road running events. He made the fastest ever debut marathon by winning the 2003 Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:05:50...

, Reuben Kosgei
Reuben Kosgei
Reuben Seroney Kosgei , is a middle and long distance athlete mostly famous for 3000 m steeplechase in which he became the youngest ever winner of an Olympic gold medal in the event when at the age of 21 he ran to victory in Sydney 2000 with a winning time of 8 minutes 21.43 seconds.At the...

 , Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi is a Kenyan athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships and the 2011 World Championships. He became African Junior Champion in 2001 and came to prominence with a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games...

 and Richard Chelimo
Richard Chelimo
Richard Chelimo was a Kenyan athlete, and a former world and world junior record holder over 10,000 m...

.

The district has only one local authority, Marakwet county council. Its population is thus same as the district (140,629). The council and district has no population classified as urban (1999 census )..

Administrative divisions

Division Population* Headquarters
Chebiemit
Chebiemit
Chebiemit is a settlement in Kenya's Rift Valley Province....

 
18,559 Chebiemit
Chebiemit
Chebiemit is a settlement in Kenya's Rift Valley Province....

Kapcherop
Kapcherop
Kapcherop is a town and administrative division of the Marakwet District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya.The administrative division had a population of 39,328 in 1999.The town is the birthplace of Kenyan runner Ismael Kirui....

 
39,328 Kapsowar
Kapsowar
Kapsowar is a small town in the Rift Valley Province, Kenya. In 1994 Kapsowar became the headquarters of the Marakwet District. Prior to this, the Marakwet and Keiyo tribes were collectively grouped into the Elgeiyo-Markwet District...

Kapsowar 19,647 Kapsowar
Kapsowar
Kapsowar is a small town in the Rift Valley Province, Kenya. In 1994 Kapsowar became the headquarters of the Marakwet District. Prior to this, the Marakwet and Keiyo tribes were collectively grouped into the Elgeiyo-Markwet District...

Kapyego  11,452 Kapyego
Tirap  23,311 Kapchebau
Tot 17,744 Tot
Tunyo  10,588

Constituencies

The district has two constituencies:
  • Marakwet East Constituency
    Marakwet East Constituency
    Marakwet East is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of two constituencies of Marakwet District. The constituency has eleven wards, all of which elect councillors for the Marakwet County Council...

  • Marakwet West Constituency
    Marakwet West Constituency
    Marakwet West is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of two constituencies of Marakwet District. The constituency has eleven wards, all of which elect councillors for the Marakwet County Council. The constituency was established for the 1997 elections.- Members of Parliament :- Wards :...

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