Travel Guide Kisumu

Once called Port Florence, Kisumu is now the third largest city in the country. At the turn of the century, the city was a busy port, thanks in part to the arrival of the railroad. It remained a bustling commercial hub until the dissolution of the East African Community (EAC) in 1977. The East African Community was reestablished in 1999 and re-established with the ratification of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in 2000, joined by Burundi and Rwanda in 2007. South Sudan became the sixth country to join the EAC in 2016. Kisumu has regained its dynamism thanks to the renewed cooperation between these six countries, and the city's expansion continues to gain momentum. What is striking when you arrive in Kisumu is the size of the Indo-Pakistani community. A large number of Indian workers settled here when the Mombasa-Lake Victoria train was completed. They were joined much later by thousands of refugees of Indian origin expelled from Uganda by Amin Dada. Today, it is the Chinese who are investing in the city. The Chinese-funded railroad project linking Mombasa to Kampala is expected to add to this economic momentum. Although there is not much to see or do, Kisumu is worth a visit. It is nice to walk around the city center around Oginga Odinga Road, where most of the shops and hotels are concentrated, not to mention the market