Garissa is a major town in northeastern Kenya and the administrative centre of Garissa County. It lies in East Africa, close to the border with Somalia, which gives the town a distinctive position at the edge of the country's arid north-east.
What to expect
Garissa is less a tourist town than a working regional centre. Its role as the seat of county government means that much of what a visitor sees reflects daily life here: the offices, markets and streets of a place that serves a large surrounding area. Travellers tend to come for business, for official duties, or because they are passing through on the way to other parts of the north-east.
Planning a visit
- Setting: a town in an arid landscape near the Somali frontier, far from the highland towns many visitors know.
- Purpose: best suited to those with a specific reason to be there, or to travellers interested in regions of Kenya that are off the usual routes.
- Surroundings: the town is the natural base for exploring the wider county, so it is worth asking locally about travel conditions before setting out.
Because the town sits near a border region, it is sensible to check current travel advice from official sources before you go, and to plan transport and accommodation in advance. A visit to Garissa rewards those who approach it with patience and an interest in a part of Kenya that differs considerably from its better-known destinations.