NAMANGA

Namanga is a town divided by the TanzaniaKenya border. It is located in both Longido District, Tanzania, and Kajiado County, Kenya. It is around 110 kilometers from Arusha, Tanzania. Namanga’s economy has been heavily dependent on tourism since 2004 as tourists visiting the nearby Amboseli National Park in Kenya pass through the town from Nairobi (183 kilometers to the north) or when they drive to or from Arusha, Tanzania (110 Kilometer south of Namanga town) to the border of Kenya or to Nairobi with shuttle busses, or private cars.
The town is surrounded by hills on both sides. Mount Kilimanjaro can be viewed from Namanga town which makes it a scenic place for tourists who lodge in Namanga on their way to either Tanzania, Nairobi in Kenya from Tanzania or Amboseli, Kenya. The nearby Ol Doinyo Orok mountain, also known as Namanga Hills is located northwest of Namanga town. The town has an urban population of approximately 30,000 while the rural population is approximately 16,000.

Economic development

The economy of Namanga has been on the rise as it ceased to depend only on tourism. The town is currently dependent both on tourism and on imports and export from both Kenya and Tanzania. With the opening of the East African Community borders, the town will benefit from the market of both countries. With the recent investment by the financial institutions and the completion of the great north road, the town has grown economically especially in its infrastructure. This development has increased transport activities from the area as it triggered more importation of commodities from Tanzania to Kenya as it is assumed to be cheaper.

Population diversity

Namanga is a cosmopolitan town. Its population includes several tribes from all parts of the country. Its main population is from the Maasai community which occupy most of Namanga. The Kikuyu communities are second in majority. This was catalyzed by the intermarriage between the Maasai and the Kikuyu. The rest of the population is occupied by other ethnicity groups which include the Kamba, the Cushites who are Somalis, Borana and many other more communities.