Eldama Ravine

Eldama Ravine, sometimes shortened to E/Ravine, is a town in Baringo County, Kenya, a few miles north of the equator. It began as an administrative point set up by British colonial officials and later served as a transit route for lumber taken from the surrounding forests. It was earlier called Shimoni because a narrow ravine carries the Eldama Ravine River past the site, and the name Eldama comes from a Maasai word taken to mean the place of sunshine. The British East African Company is credited with founding the town in 1887 as a victualing centre for caravans travelling from the coast to Mumias. It was the headquarters of the former Koibatek District and of Eldama Ravine Constituency. It is an agricultural trade point known for commercial rose flowers, and its residents come from more than half of Kenya ethnic groups.