This article lists the best places to visit in Busia County. Owing to its location, Busia County has been known by millions of Kenyans as a thriving Hub for cross-border trade for many decades. For some, Busia is the gateway to East and Central Africa.
Busia County also has many tourist attractions, such as the Kakapel Museum, Alupe Leprosy Centre, the Busia border, Yala Swamp and Beaches along Lake Victoria, Samia Hills, Green tourism sugarcane plantations, the River Sio, and Nella Crafts (pottery and arts). In no particular order, here are the top and best places to visit in Busia County.
Best Places To Visit In Busia County
1. Kakapel National Monument Museum
The Kakapel National Monument Museum and Community Cultural Centre, which is located on a vast rock site in the Chelelemuk hills, just a few kilometres from the Kenya-Uganda border, is one of the top attractions in Busia County. Visitors to the museum are treated to rich Iteso culture. The Iteso are found in western Kenya and eastern Uganda.
The Trust for Africa Rock Art (TARA) and the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) administer the site. It is at the foot of the rock site where the jewel lies. This is the home of ancient culture, hidden in three caves. The caves are home to probably the oldest rock art and superimposed paintings in East and Central Africa. The first painting is done in red and drawn with fingers; it includes geometric designs and a red animal, probably an elephant. These paintings may date from 2,000 to 4,000 years old.
The artists are believed to have been the Twa hunter-gatherer people. The second painting depicts domestic cattle and a small elephant. The date of these cattle paintings is unknown, but they could be more than 3,000 years old. The third painting consists of finger-drawn images of geometric designs and animals; its origin is difficult to determine.
Other attractions at the centre include thousands of bats, various bird species, and the resident De Brazza monkeys. Kakapel, too, has many indigenous plants and trees, some of which the locals use for medicinal purposes.
2. Chelelemuk Hill
Chelelemuk Hills, about 270 meters high, offers a breathtaking view of the undulating landscape, with lush green vegetation punctuated with human settlements. The hills are suitable for hiking and give a clear view of Mt Elgon, Tororo rocks in Uganda, and Siaya Plains in Siaya County. To access the mountain, an ideal spot for hiking, bird watching, and camping, one has to take a 30-kilometer tarmac road from Malaba, off the Bungoma-Malaba highway.
3. Samia Hills
The southern part of Busia County is covered by a picturesque range of scenic hills, distinguished by Samia and Funyula Hills. This range of hills runs from the north-east to the south-west, terminating at Port Victoria. The hills contain acid and sub-acid lavas, tuffs and agglomerates, banded quartzite, and ironstones.
The Samia Hills are designated an Important Bird Area (IBA). The Muungano Development Environmental Conservation Forum has implemented noble initiatives to conserve and protect this landscape by replanting Indigenous trees. The hills offer excellent opportunities for hiking and bird-watching adventures.
4. Samia Resort
Samia Resort is a hideout tucked in the beautiful hills of Samia sub-county. The resort commands a prime spot, nestling on the Samia Hills that run across the entire Funyula constituency to neighboring Budalang’i in Bunyala. The Samia Resort exploits the natural beauty of its ideal location to give visitors a memorable experience.
The hotel’s setting is a perfect gateway for romantic tête-à -têtes and overworked corporate bigwigs seeking to recharge their batteries after long days of toiling in their offices in the city’s brick-and-mortar.
5. Bukoma Beach
Bukoma Beach in Bunyala West ward, Budalangi constituency, is a unique and beautiful sandy beach along the shores of Lake Victoria. Its shallow waters border scenic views of hills descending to the lake, making it ideal for swimming adventures, fishing, and boat riding activities.
6. Bumbe Beach
Bumbe Beach is a public beach located in Samia Sub-county. It is famously known for hosting the annual Samia Cultural Sports Festival. It is a perfect place to enjoy swimming, boat rides, water sports, and fishing adventures in Lake Victoria.
7. Emakina Hills
The magnificent hills are located in Nambale town. The hills feature bushy vegetation and trees, forming an essential habitat for different species of birds. The Emakina Hills are often popular attractions for hikers, climbers, and nature enthusiasts in many respects, thanks to their scenic beauty and recreational opportunities. In the higher reaches, the tors offer panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and opportunities for rock climbing and photography.
8. Kavirondo Series Rocks
The Kavirondo series rocks are developed around Busia, Nambale, and Butula, while the granites dominate the northern parts of the county. They form an awe-inspiring topographical feature—Busia County’s most outstanding topographical feature. The rocks include mudstones, granites, dolerites, black felsites, conglomerates, and sandstones.
9. Sio-Siteko Swamp
Sio-Siteko swamp is found between the Kenya and Uganda border. Sio-Siteko swamp is part of the catchment area that covers 35,000 hectares of land with River Sio, Malakisi, and Malaba, respectively.
The swamp supplies water in Lake Victoria, besides serving as an essential habitat for animals and over 300 bird species, including the endangered grey crowned crane and the blue swallow bird that migrates from South Africa during the breeding season, mainly between April and September every year, due to its vast area and conducive environment that favors the bird.
10. Yala Swamp
Yala Swamp is a wetland region of over 200 square kilometres on the southwestern edge of Busia County. It filters water that flows into Lake Victoria from the River Nzoia and Yala. Kenya’s largest freshwater wetland, the swamp, is an internationally recognized Key Biodiversity Area. It is home to the endangered Sitatunga antelope and other mammals like the vervet monkey, wild pig, and genet cat.
The swamp is also a habitat for over 100 species of birds, including the vulnerable Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek. Moreover, the wetland is a refuge for Cichlids, fish species endemic to Lake Victoria.
11. Namenya Hills
Among the hillocks at Port Victoria is the eye-catching Namenya Hill. The spectacular hills are located in Bunyala. The hill has a walking trail, along which, from the upper reaches, there are panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and lakeward. Somewhat unique to the hill is its associated wooded hellscape. Busia County has just one percent of forest cover, mainly at Samia Hills (Funyula) and Namenya. Namenya Hills is a favorable destination for bird-watching and hiking adventures.
