Over the past decade, I have traveled to many countries in search of news, reporting extensively for radio, television, and strategic communication in cities and towns across the world.
My work has primarily focused on diplomacy and security, areas that have continuously sparked my curiosity and passion.
Wherever I went, I found myself drawn to learning about each place’s size, languages, currency, and other essential details that define a nation or region.
Now, reporting from Garissa—the place where I was born and where I have been practicing journalism here gain for the past few months—I was naturally compelled to reflect on its size and significance. The vastness of Garissa stood out to me.
Garissa County is located in North Eastern Kenya covering an area of 44,175 square kilometers. It is the fourth largest county by land area after Wajir, Marsabit and Turkana.
Marginalized for decades, it is very vast globally when comparing its size with well-known countries across different continents.
Denmark has a land area of 42,933 km² (excluding Greenland). This means Garissa County is slightly larger than Denmark, a country with a well-developed economy and a population of over 5.8 million people.
Switzerland, known for its mountainous terrain and global banking industry, covers 41,290 km², making Garissa county bigger by almost 3,000 square kilometers.
Garissa County is also larger than the Netherlands, which spans 41,543 km.
The Netherlands, despite its smaller size, has a population exceeding 17 million. This shows the difference in land use and population density between the the developed nation and Garissa, a devolved County that has been previously marginalized.
There is a country called Estonia, a northern European nation with an area of 45,227 km². It is just slightly bigger than Garissa, a region of over million people, mostly pastoralists.
Garissa is about 67% the size of Sri Lanka, which covers 65,610 km² and lies just 30 kilometres south-east of India.
In Africa, Garissa is larger than Burundi, which has an area of 27,834 km², and Rwanda, which spans 26,338 km². This means Garissa is big enough to fit both of these countries combined, with additional space left over.
Comparing it to the Middle East, Garissa County is bigger than Kuwait and Qatar combined.
Even in South America, Garissa County is almost as large as Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, which cover 45,000 km².
Garissa County is a vast region, larger than many independent nations currently existing in the world.
Despite its size, much of the devolved administration’s land remains sparsely populated. This presents opportunities for development in infrastructure, agriculture, and urbanization.
President William Ruto committed to transform the region after a four-day extensive development tour of the North Eastern region, covering Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo counties.
The President reiterated the government’s commitment to transform the region by implementing key infrastructure projects.
He made a commitment “marginalisation of the region had come to an end under his administration to achieve national unity.”
Garissa has the potential to become a major economic hub in Kenya’s North Eastern region.
Improved connectivity enhances economic prosperity for Kenyans and enhancing unity and national cohesion.
Garissa County has a rich history, deeply rooted in the traditions of indigenous Somali communities and ancient trade routes.
Historically, it was a hub for nomadic pastoralism and commerce, facilitating trade between the coastal and interior regions of Kenya.
During the colonial era, the British established a military post in Garissa in the early 20th century, recognizing its strategic location and access to the Tana River.
Following Kenya’s independence in 1963, Garissa became part of the newly formed nation.
In the post-independence period, the county faced numerous developmental challenges, particularly in infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
