The North Eastern Province was carved out of the then Northern Frontier District (NFD) prior to independence.

[1] During negotiations for Kenya's independence, Britain granted administration of the NFD which included all of the North Eastern province to Kenyan nationalists despite an informal plebiscite showing the overwhelming desire of the region's population to join the newly formed Somali Republic.

[4] These census results were however nullified by the then Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya citing inconsistencies in the birth and death rates.

[7] The Somalis in the North Eastern Province of Kenya numbered close to three million in the 2019 National Census with another 280,000 settled in refugee camps from neighbouring Somalia.

The town is represented by Aden Bare Duale, a Somali Member of Parliament for the Garissa Township Constituency and who also doubles as the Leader of the Majority in the legislature.

[14] North Eastern Province has a semi-arid and hot desert climate (Köppen BSh and BWh).

Wildlife in the area include the lion, elephant, buffalo, zebra, hyena, gazelle, giraffe, leopard, cheetah, and ostrich.