View source for Place:Mbale, Kenya

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|official_name          = Mbale, Kenya
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|population_total               = 60,000<ref name="Pop"/>
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'''Mbale''' is a town in Kenya and is the capital and largest town of Vihiga County. It is also called ''Maragoli'', after the indigenous inhabitants of the area.<ref name="One">{{cite web| date=12 July 2014 | url=http://www.nation.co.ke/counties/Mbale-engoko-tea-town/1107872-2380726-1st5h1/index.html |title=Mbale: The ‘engoko’ and tea town |location=Nairobi
|first=Vivere | last=Nandiemo | newspaper=Daily Nation | accessdate=27 December 2017}}</ref>

==Location==
The town is located on the Kisumu–Kakamega–Webuye–Kitale Road, approximately {{convert|23|km|0}}, north of [[Place:Kisumu|Kisumu]],<ref>{{cite web| url=https://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/Kenya_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Kisumu%2C%20Kisumu%20County%2C%20Kenya&toplace=Mbale%2C%20Maragoli%2C%20Vihiga%20County%2C%20Kenya&dt1=ChIJHchKrTekKhgR0o0k1jmkEiA&dt2=ChIJCxwR4R4PgBcR0vjScXrWoeg |title=Distance between Kisumu, Kisumu County, Kenya and Mbale, Maragoli, Vihiga County, Kenya |accessdate=27 December 2017 |
date=27 December 2017 | publisher=Globefeed.com |author=Globefeed.com}}</ref> and about {{convert|26|km|0}}, south of [[Place:Kakamega|Kakamega]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/Kenya_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Kakamega%2C%20Kakamega%20County%2C%20Kenya&toplace=Mbale%2C%20Maragoli%2C%20Kenya&dt1=ChIJEXe6zTc8gBcRaoqQ3AYKONc&dt2=ChIJCxwR4R4PgBcR0vjScXrWoeg|title=Distance between Kakamega, Kakamega County, Kenya and Mbale, Maragoli, Kenya |accessdate=27 December 2017 | date=27 December 2017 | publisher=Globefeed.com |author=Globefeed.com}}</ref> The coordinates of Mbale, Kenya are: 0°04'54.0"N, 34°43'17.0"E (Latitude:0.081667; Longitude:34.721389).<ref>{{google maps|title=Location of Mbale, Vihiga County, Republic of Kenya| url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/0%C2%B004'54.0%22N+34%C2%B043'17.0%22E/@0.6246471,35.0101245,168397m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d0.0816667!4d34.7213889 |accessdate=27 December 2017}}</ref>

==Population==
Mbale's population is estimated at 60,000 people,<ref name="Pop">{{cite web|url=https://population.mongabay.com/cities/kenya/mbale.html |title=Population of Mbale, Kenya | accessdate=27 December 2017 | date=27 December 2017 |publisher=Mongabay.com |author=Mongabay.com}}</ref> of different races and ethnicities, which include the Luhya, Kikuyu, Kisii and Luo and Asians.

==Overview==
Mbale has five major hotels and four major bars that serve people from as far as [[Place:Kisumu|Kisumu]] and [[Place:Kakamega|Kakamega]]. Mbale has four major banks, namely Barclays Bank, Equity Bank, Co-operative Bank and KCB Bank Kenya Limited. It also has one Sacco bank, being Kakamega teachers Sacco society, which is yet to be officially launched but is functioning at the moment. Mbale has over a hundred small businesses such as shops, tailoring, bread distribution, cyber cafe services, healthcare services, construction, real estate, property management and hotels. It is home to the annual Maragoli Cultural Festival, which is held every 26 December.<ref name="One"/><ref name="Two">{{cite web|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/news/State-behind-revocation-of-my-degree-Francis-Atwoli/1056-4243490-5yudgoz/index.html | title=State behind revocation of my degree, claims Francis Atwoli |date=27 December 2017 | accessdate=27 December 2017 | newspaper=Daily Nation |location=Nairobi | first=Gerald | last=Bwisa}}</ref>

==Schools==
The town has nearly a dozen primary schools, including ''Hambale Primary School'', ''Idavaga Muslim Primary School'', ''Shalom Academy'' and ''Mukuli Primary School''. The five secondary schools are ''Mbale High School'', ''St. Clares Maragoli Secondary School'', ''Kegoye Friends' Secondary School'' and ''Mbihi Secondary School''. The former Vihiga County Governor, Moses Akaranga is an alumnus of Mbale High School.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://softkenya.com/kenya/moses-akaranga/ |title=Moses Akaranga Biography |accessdate=27 December 2017 |date=27 December 2017 | publisher=SoftKenya.com | author=SoftKenya.com |location=Nairobi}}</ref>

==Health==
Mbale, Kenya is home to two hospitals; (a) ''Mbale Rural Provincial Health & Training Centre'', and (b) ''Vihiga District Hospital''<ref>{{google maps|
url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Vihiga+District+Hospital/@0.0790228,34.7202662,451m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x17800f191afc41e5:0x2d6f057f3b4d5228!8m2!3d0.0790228!4d34.7224495 |title=Location of Vihiga District Hospital |
accessdate=27 December 2017}}</ref>

==Religion==
There are many places of worship in the town, including The Salvation Army Church, Anglican, Episcopal, African Israel Church Nineveh, [[Religion:Muslim|Muslim]] and Roman Catholic<ref>{{google maps| accessdate=27 December 2017  | 
url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/0%C2%B004'43.7%22N+34%C2%B043'32.7%22E/@0.078805,34.7235537,451m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m13!1m6!3m5!1s0x17800f1ee0bca86b:0x760325559eafde68!2sCatholic+Church!8m2!3d0.0788095!4d34.7257745!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d0.0788053!4d34.7257366 |title=Location of the Roman Catholic Church, Mbale, Kenya}}</ref> and others.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/albertkenyaniinima/6574586477 Maragoli Cultural Festival] As of 26 December 2011.

{{coord|00|04|54|N|34|43|17|E|display=title|region:KE_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}

[[Category:County capitals in Kenya]]

{{Sourceattribution|Mbale, Kenya}}