town, capital of Nyanza (Nyanza Province) province, Kenya, on the northeastern shore of Lake Victoria (Victoria, Lake). It is the commercial, industrial, and transportation centre of western Kenya, serving a hinterland populated by almost four million people. Kisumu is an important link in the Lake Victoria–Mombasa trade because of its water and rail connections. It is also the chief terminus for the agricultural produce of the Nyanza and Western provinces. In 1979 a brewery and a plant to convert molasses to power alcohol were under construction. Kisumu is one of Kenya's largest cities. Asians once constituted more than a quarter of the population, but this segment has declined since independence in 1963. Pop. (2004 est.) 227,100.