Nyamira County covers an estimated area of 899.4 km square and borders the counties of Homabay to the north, Kisii to the west, Bomet to the south east and Kericho to the east.
The county comprises of five sub-counties: Nyamira, Nyamira North, Borabu, Manga and Masaba North. Borabu is the largest sub-county occupying an estimated area of 248 km2 and Manga being the smallest with a land size of 111 km2. The county has 14 divisions, 38 locations and 90 sub locations
Out of the total area of the county, it is estimated that 90 per cent (818 km2) is arable, 40.5 km2 is non-arable and 2 km2 consists of water mass.
Land uses in the county include agriculture, forestry, construction, and cultural sites. The largest proportion of arable land is used for agriculture with an average holding for small-scale farms being 1.75 acres and 10 acres for large-scale farms.
Over time, average land sizes have diminished due to land sub-division, making it increasingly difficult to sustain livelihoods.
The county’s topography is mostly hilly with Kiabonyoru, Nyabisimba, Nkoora, Kemasare hills and the Manga ridge being the most predominant features. Due to this hilly nature, road construction and maintenance in the county is costly.
The two topographic zones in the county lies between 1,250 m and 2,100 m above the sea level. The low zones comprise of swampy, wetlands and valley bottoms, while the upper zones are dominated by the hills. The high altitude has enabled the growing of tea, which is the major cash crop and income earner for the county.
Approximately 72 per cent of land parcels in the county have title deeds while the rest are at different stages of acquiring them. The total urban area in the county is 38.9 km2 and the land comprises of residential buildings, business/office premises and other infrastructure.
Nyamira County is endowed with natural water resources; rivers, shallow wells, springs, dams, pans and boreholes. The water resources availability varies significantly between seasons as well as across regions. The resources are plenty during the rainy season and scarce during the dry periods.
The county has no gazetted forest but has 10 non-gazetted forests covering 256.2 ha. The un-gazetted forest includes the catchment areas and trust lands. The main forest products in the county are: fuel wood, timber, charcoal, building poles, fruit and berries, power transmission poles, logs and posts, honey, grass, gum and resin.