It is situated on the north tip of Winam gulf, which in itself is part of Kavirondo Gulf of Lake Victoria. Kisumu at one time was the major port of Lake Victoria during the commonwealth of East Africa.

There have also been significant developments in Kisumu such as the Kisumu Museum now well known throughout the world for its fine collections on native Luo culture and the local wildlife.

Kisumu is the third largest city in Kenya and the headquarters of Kisumu District. The city is situated on the north tip of Winam gulf, which in itself is part of Kavirondo Gulf, an arm of Lake Victoria.

Victoria, Lake is the largest lake of Africa and the world's second largest freshwater lake, on the Uganda-Tanzania-Kenya border. It has an irregular shoreline and many small islands. Numerous streams, including the Kagera River, feed Lake Victoria, which is one of the chief headwater reservoirs of the Nile. The lake basin is densely populated and intensely cultivated, and it is an important fishery.

Kisumu has a multi-ethnic population, with a majority of the inhabitants coming from the Luo tribe