Kakamega weather in January

In January, Kakamega sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 92 mm of rain across 13.3 wet days and about 12 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in January, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 hours at the start of January to 12 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Kakamega's 2nd-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kakamega's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
16°
5th coldest
Rainfall
92 mm
13.3 wet days
Daylight
12 hours
6:51 AM – 6:50 PM
Cloud cover
58%
2nd clearest
Wind
6 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
6.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Kakamega is human settlement.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical January day in Kakamega reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and about 1°C cooler than February.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12816
22816
32816
42816
52816
62816
72816
82816
92816
102816
112816
122816
132816
142816
152816
162816
172816
182816
192816
202816
212816
222816
232916
242916
252916
262916
272916
282916
292916
302916
312916

Kakamega weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 3rd-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 16°9213.3125.5
Feb29° / 16°7311.9125.0
Mar29° / 16°14919.8124.5
Apr26° / 17°23526.8123.9
May26° / 16°19426.9124.1
Jun25° / 16°10521.9124.8
Jul25° / 15°9919.8125.3
Aug25° / 16°10620.7125.1
Sep26° / 16°10420.5124.9
Oct26° / 16°17125.3124.2
Nov27° / 16°20223.7124.3
Dec27° / 15°13618.2125.2

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25248
35248
45149
55149
65149
74951
84951
94951
104852
114753
124753
134852
144852
154852
164951
174951
185050
195050
205050
215149
225248
235248
245347
255347
265347
275446
285446
295446
305446
315446

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Kakamega gets around 92 mm of rain over 13.3 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 43% and peaks near 47% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
145
245
345
445
545
645
745
846
946
1047
1147
1247
1347
1447
1546
1646
1745
1844
1944
2043
2142
2241
2340
2439
2538
2637
2737
2836
2936
3035
3135

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the comfortable band about 43% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1274330
2274330
3274331
4264231
5264232
6264232
7254233
8254233
9254233
10254233
11244233
12244233
13244233
14254333
15254332
16254332
17264331
18264430
19274429
20284428
21284428
22294427
23304426
24314425
25324425
26334324
27344323
28354223
29354223
30364122
31374122

Wind in January

Winds average 6 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 hours at the start of January to 12 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:45 AM to 6:55 AM, and sunset from 6:44 PM to 6:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.06:456:44
212.06:456:44
312.06:466:45
412.06:466:45
512.06:466:45
612.06:476:46
712.06:476:46
812.06:486:47
912.06:486:47
1012.06:486:48
1112.06:496:48
1212.06:496:48
1312.06:506:49
1412.06:506:49
1512.06:506:49
1612.06:516:50
1712.06:516:50
1812.06:516:51
1912.06:526:51
2012.06:526:51
2112.06:526:51
2212.06:536:52
2312.06:536:52
2412.06:536:52
2512.06:536:53
2612.06:546:53
2712.06:546:53
2812.06:546:53
2912.06:546:54
3012.06:556:54
3112.06:556:54

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.32 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.93 kWh/m² to a high of 6.73 kWh/m² in February across the year — January's 6.32 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.3Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.4Intense
206.4Intense
216.4Intense
226.4Intense
236.5Intense
246.5Intense
256.5Intense
266.5Intense
276.6Intense
286.6Intense
296.6Intense
306.6Intense
316.6Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Kakamega?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Kakamega for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Kakamega in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Kakamega sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 16°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

UV index in Kakamega in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 15 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kakamega peaks around March 15 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 10 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 15UV 16Jun 19UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Kakamega in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Kakamega is worst in June — around 78 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyJun 2177 µg/m³Apr 967 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan74Unhealthy
Feb68Unhealthy
Mar67Unhealthy
Apr67Unhealthy
May69Unhealthy
Jun78Unhealthy
Jul76Unhealthy
Aug74Unhealthy
Sep71Unhealthy
Oct73Unhealthy
Nov77Unhealthy
Dec76Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Kakamega?

Kakamega sits at 0.3°N, 34.8°E, 1,563 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Khwisero, 22 km away.

Topography around Kakamega

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kakamega.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kakamega has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 135 m around an average of 1,521 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 395 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,020 m.

The land around Kakamega is covered by trees (62%) within 3 km, trees (59%) within 16 km, and trees (26%), cropland (26%) and shrubs (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
135 m
16 km
395 m
80 km
2,020 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Khwisero 22 km · Mbale 23 km · Mumias 30 km · Webuye 35 km · Bungoma 38 km · Kapsabet 40 km · Kisumu 43 km · Lugulu 51 km

Kenya travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,363
2025
Happiness
4.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.9
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
28.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 593
Religion
Christian 86%Muslim 11%other 2%none 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Kakamega (0.2842°, 34.7523°, elevation 1,563 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).