North Kenya GIS Database project, 1996

Introduction
The North Kenya GIS Database project was created (by Andrea Bottcher
for GTZ at UNEP/GRID) by joining datasets which existed in 9 North
Kenya districts in 1996. The original datasets were derived from the
Range Management Handbook published by the Ministry of Agriculture in
1982.This handbook focused on the high and medium rainfall districts
with good commercial and farming conditions. Later the implementation
of a project to produce a Range Management Handbook for the arid and
semi-arid areas of the country was decided. The geographical extent of
the dataset covers the following 9 ASAL ( Arid and Semi Arid Land)
Districts:

- Baringo with approximately 11.000 sq.km.
- Elgeyo Marakwet with about 2.800 sq.km.
- Isiolo with appr. 26.000 sq.km.
- Mandera with about 26.470 sq.km.
- Marsabit with appr. 75.000 sq.km.
- Samburu with appr. 20.000 sq.km.
- Turkana with appr. 65.000 sq.km.
- Wajir with about 56.500 sq.km.
- West Pokot 9 100 sq.km.

The final datasets consist of 19 themes namely:
- Districts Borders
- Towns
- Roads
- Dense bush
- Forest areas
- National Park Boundaries
- Special Surfaces (surfacial lava )
- Cliffs and Craters
- Seasonal Rivers
- Land Elevation Contours (Ft)
- Marsh and Swamps
- Productive risk due to lacking rainfall for the Districts Marsabit, Mandera,
Wajir, Samburu, Isiolo
- Median annual rainfall
- Landforms and Soils
- Landforms and Soils , generalized version
- Vegetation
- Range Units
- Run-off zones
- Waterpoints

The source datasets were digitized by DRSRS (Department of Resource Surveys and
Remote Sensing)
P.O. Box 47146, Nairobi

The base information from which the original datasets were compiled was obtained
through a variety of sources and methodologies, namely:
a) field survey
b) satellite images
c) topographic maps
d) aerial photographs
e) district reports
f) aerial observations from a low flying aircraft
and existing previous studies

Examples
FILE NAME DESCRIPTION
NKBORDER.E00 Districts Borders
NKPARKS.E00 National Park Boundaries
(Other files available upon request)