Isiolo is a town in Isiolo County, of which it is the capital. It is located in the upper eastern region of Kenya and geographically considered the centre of the country Kenya. It lies 285 kilometres north of the capital Nairobi. The town grew around the local military camps, much of the population being descendants of former Somali soldiers who had fought in World War I as well as other Cushitic-speaking pastoral communities and the Ameru community. The town has an estimated population of 120,000people, most of them living around the outskirts of the town. Like most African cities, there has been a steady increase in the urban population in recent years, especially moving from as far as Moyale, Marsabit and Mandera. Isiolo town is also becoming a centre of interest because of its newly acquired status as a resort city cashing in on the popular Samburu and Shaba Game reserves, which have become preferred destinations after the famed Maasai Mara. Isiolo lies along the long A2 Road, leading towards Marsabit and Moyale much further north. Overview Isiolo is set to become a major part of Kenya's economic development plan Vision 2030. The plan calls for Isiolo to become a tourist centre that will include casinos, hotels, upscale retail outlets, a modern airport and transport facilities. Isiolo will also be a transport hub as the location of the fork of the LAPSSET. Isiolo District was designated as the Headquarters of the Northern frontier Districts while it was under the British East Africa Protectorate in 1922, until the North Eastern was carved out as a separate province in 1963 when Kenya gained its independence. Isiolo is also known for its large market, while brass, copper and aluminium jewellery-making is a local industry. Isiolo town is also a transport hub to the northern border town of Moyale. Trucks to and from Moyale make stop-overs boosting the hotel business in the town centre. Isiolo has been the headquarters of N.F.D.(Northern Frontier Districts) since the issue of the District Ordinance act 1937 & NFD commission 1962. During colonial days people from the other civil-administered districts of Kenya needed a special pass to visit Isiolo. Isiolo was made the headquarters of the District Commissioner, and the NFD was a closed district, as there was previously no urban centre to serve as district headquarters. The Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves lie north of the