{{Use British English|date=August 2010}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} thumb|right|Lake Victoria near Kendu Bay '''Kendu Bay''' is a bay and town in Kenya. The area is the part of Rachuonyo North District in Homa Bay County.
==Overview== It is located at the shores of Lake Victoria along Katito-Homa-Bay road. It is the headquarters of the district. Kisumu, the largest urban centre and city in Kenya's western region, is located 40 kilometres north of Kendu Bay, but the route to Kisumu, which goes via Ahero, is much longer as it circumvents Winam Gulf in between kisumu- Ahero- Katito- Kendu Bay is 70km from Kisumu city. Kendu Bay is also linked by a road to Homa Bay, located 30 kilometres southwest.
Kendu Bay forms a town council with a population of 29,638 (1999 census<ref>Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: [http://www.forestry.go.ke/cbs.go.ke/pdf/authority.pdf ''Population of local authorities''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928215608/http://www.forestry.go.ke/cbs.go.ke/pdf/authority.pdf |date=28 September 2007 }}</ref>). Kendu Bay town council has four wards: Gendia/Awach, Gumba/Jieri, Rambira and Simbi/Kogembo. All of them are located within Karachuonyo Constituency.<ref>Electoral Commission of Kenya: [http://www.eck.or.ke/downloads/pollingcentres.pdf ''Registration centres by electoral area and constituency''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628084749/http://www.eck.or.ke/downloads/pollingcentres.pdf |date=28 June 2007 }}</ref> Kendu Bay is also headquarters of East Karachuonyo division of Rachuonyo District.
The area is the birthplace of Barack Obama Sr., the father of U.S. President Barack Obama, and his parents Hussein Onyango Obama and Habiba Akumu Nyanjoga. The senior Obama was raised in Alego.<ref>{{cite news|first=Joe |last=Ombuor |title=Obama's father and the origin of Muslim name |date=4 November 2008 |url=http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1143998542&cid=4 |work=The Standard |location=Kenya |accessdate=13 November 2008 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206194416/http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1143998542&cid=4& |archivedate= 6 December 2008 }}</ref>
For many years Kendu Bay (called "Kanyasoro" by the locals {{citation needed|reason=No source as to what the locals call it|date=May 2026}}) was known as the entertainment capital of Nyanza, with its famed 'Kendu Show', which attracted musicians and bands from all over Kenya. However, the show has waned and disappeared over the years. Today the show-ground is a mere relic of its illustrious past, as is the Old pier that used to be an important port of call for steamers and ships from as far as Uganda and Tanzania.
The area residents proud themselves of the historical "Lake Simbi" situated few kilometers from Kendu Bay Town off Homabay-Katito road. It is an alkaline lake and the villagers believe that the waters are curative to any skin diseases among other interesting stories revolving around its formation.
"Lake Simbi is a tiny Crater Lake measuring about one kilometre in radius. Both Lake Simbi and adjacent Odango sites support a substantial bird population that includes flamingos, little grebes, little egrets and Egyptian geese, making it a haven for bird watchers." http://www.kws.go.ke/content/lake-simbi-national-sanctuary {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920171136/http://www.kws.go.ke/content/lake-simbi-national-sanctuary |date=20 September 2022 }}
<gallery> Woman with blue top at posho mill Kendu Bay.jpg|Posho mill at the bay File:InstagramCapture 9d1228ee-37e4-4288-85ea-86cb436913aa.jpg|Boats by the Bay File:InstagramCapture 455ca54d-5097-47d0-b3d2-7834258a4caa.jpg|Fish market at Kendu Bay with buckets of Silver Cryprinid(Omena) ready for sale </gallery>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Coord|0|22|S|34|39|E|display=title|region:KE_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}
Category:Homa Bay County Category:Populated places in Nyanza Province Category:Populated places on Lake Victoria