Nyanza Province is composed of six districts: Homa Bay, Kisii, Kisumu,Migori, Nyamira and Siaya. Nyanza is the Swahili word for Lake. This province is so named because this is where the largest fresh water lake in Africa, Lake Victoria, is located. Western Province is located in the west of Kenya, surrounding the majestic Lake Victoria. This lake is shared by the three East African countries namely Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It is also the world’s second largest freshwater lake and it is the main source of the river Nile.

The largest activity around this lake is fishing. Fishermen go out on the lake in wooden boats and hand woven nets with which they use to catch the fish.Apart from fishing, the other industry that is found here is boat building. The boats are made using wood. The most popular fish type here is the Tilapia which when caught are either eaten fresh or smoked. The other type is Nile Perch, which grows to become huge, at times up to two meters long. They make excellent eating, and are shipped, frozen, for sale in Nairobi and Mombasa. Dramatic thunderstorms often build up over the lake. The Kisii highlands in south-western Kenya probably get more thunderstorms than any other place on Earth - thunder on 250 days a year!

The green hills and the flat lowlands near the lake are the most densely settled rural areas in Kenya. This area is able to sustain such a large population because it is very well watered meaning a large variety of food crops can be grown here. Many homesteads are built in the old traditional way meaning that most of the countryside still retains the old touch. Each house consists of a round frame work of poles, carefully plastered with mud, with opening for doors and windows. The outside walls are often decorated in earth colours. The pointed thatched roof keeps the house cool and airy under the hot afternoon sun while maintaining the warm temperatures during the night.
Farm animals are brought into an enclosure at night. In the lowlands, euphorbia bushes are planted as hedges around the whole compound. Euphorbia bushes have green stems and branches but no leaves; their milky juice is poisonous.
Farmers in Nyanza Province grow millet, maize, cassava and bananas as basic foods. The people in this area use the millet grown here to brew local beer commonly called Busaa. The different food crops are cooked in different ways usually using recipes passed down through he ages. Bananas are usually steamed or boiled and eaten as they are or at times mashed and served with a stew comprising of meat or fish. Cassava is a root crop that comes in handy during the dry seasons because it is one of the few edible plants that can withstand long periods without adequate rain.

Fishermen with their catch at Lake Victoria.Kisumu is Kenya’s main lake port which is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria. The people living in this town are very religious as there are many churches and mosques here. There are many schools here too. This can be attributed to the large population living in this town. The people wear western clothes for everyday use, but for dances and ceremonies they have wonderful costumes: robes of animal skins, masks from woven fibres add head dresses of males, horns and shells. They play many musical instruments: bells, rattles, horns and an eight-stringed harp.