Kisumu

Town and capital of Nyanza province, Kenya, situated on the northeast extremity of Lake Victoria; population (1999) 194,400, (2007 calc) 223,500. Originally called Port Florence, it remains an important lake port, and is the commercial centre for Nyanza and western provinces, with several industries including processed foods, oil mills and a textile mill. The town is linked by oil pipeline to Nairobi and Mombasa and has important oil storage facilities, as well as being at the centre of a rich agricultural area. The rail link to Mombasa, which was completed in 1901, stimulated Kisumu's modern development and serves as a transhipment point for Uganda traffic.