Kisumu literally means a place of barter trade “sumo”. The city has “Friendship” status with Cheltenham, UK and “Sister City” status with Roanoke, Virginia, USA.

Attractions in the city include Kibuye Market, the Kisumu Museum, an impala sanctuary, a bird sanctuary, Hippo Point, and the nearby Kit Mikaye and Ndere Island National Park.

Kisumu Museum

Kisumu Museum, established in 1980, has a series of outdoor pavilions. Some of the pavilions contain live animals. For example, one pavilion contains numerous aquaria with a wide variety of fish from Lake Victoria, along with explanatory posters. Another pavilion contains terrarium containing mambas, spitting cobras, puff adders and other venomous Kenyan snakes. Additionally, out of doors, the museum has a few additional exhibits, including a snake pit and a crocodile container.

Other pavilions show weaponry, jewellery, farm tools and other artifacts made by the various peoples of the Nyanza Province. Additionally, there are exhibits of stuffed animals, birds and fish. One pavilion houses the prehistoric TARA rock art, which was removed for its own protection to the museum after it was defaced by graffiti in its original location.

The museum’,’s most important and largest exhibition is the UNESCO-sponsored Ber-gi-dala. This is a full-scale recreation of a traditional Luo homestead. Ber-gi-dala consists of the home, granaries and livestock corrals of an imaginary Luo man as well as the homes of each of his three wives, and his eldest son. Through signs and taped programs in both Luo and English, the exhibition also explains the origins of the Luo people, their migration to western Kenya, traditional healing plants, and the process of establishing a new home.

Kisumu Impala Sanctuary

Kisumu Impala SanctuaryKisumu is location of the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary. Measuring just 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), the sanctuary is one of Kenya’,’s smallest wildlife preserves. As its name suggests, it is home to a herd of impala. Some hippos, as well as many reptiles and birds are also present. Additionally, several caged baboons and leopards who faced difficulties of one sort or the other in the wild are held in cages there.

Hippo Point

Hippo Point is a 600-acre (240 ha) viewing area on Lake Victoria. Despite its name, it is better known as a viewing point for its unobstructed sunsets over the lake than for its occasional hippos.

Hippo point is near the village of Dunga, a few kilometres SW of the town. The village also has a fishing port and a camping site.

Kit Mikayi

Kit Mikayi, a large rock with three rocks on top, and is located off Kisumu Bondo Road towards Bondo. It is a weeping rock; it is believed that Mikayi (which means, literally, “the first wife”) went up the hill to the stones when her husband took a second wife, and has been weeping ever since.

The Kisumu Bird Sanctuary

The Kisumu Bird Sanctuary, 8km southeast of town, covers a large area of swampland and is an important breeding ground for herons, storks, cormorants and egrets. The best time to visit is in April or May. Transport is easy along the A1, but you will have a 3km walk from the turn-off. Visitor fees may be implemented in the near future.

Kisumu Yacht Club

Sitting on the lake’,’s edge, just past the Impala Sanctuary on the Dunga road, is this fine choice with a lovely patio and teak furnishings. The menu ranges from delicately stuffed fish to Indian selections such as chicken biryani, butter chicken and palak paneer. A temporary membership is necessary to indulge.

Hippo Point

Hippo Point is a 600-acre viewing area on Lake Victoria. Despite its name, it is better known as a viewing point for its unobstructed sunsets over the lake than for its occasional hippos. The point is near the village of Dunga, a few kilometres southwest of the town. The village also has a fishing port and a camping site.

Ndere Island National Park

Ndere Island National Park is a forested, beautiful housing of a variety of bird species, hippos, impala, and crocodiles. Chartered passenger boats can be taken to get there’keep an eye out for hippos on your way!