Butere is a town in Kakamega County, which was formerly part of the Western Province of Kenya. According to the 2019 Kenya National Census, it has an Urban population of 154,100. Until 2010, Butere served as the capital of the former Butere/Mumias District.

Butere is connected by road to Mumias to the north and Kisumu in the southeast. The fastest way to Butere is via air which takes approximately 1:38 hrs, and the bus takes approximately 7:30 hrs. A branch railway line from Kisumu ends in Butere, with passenger services not yet resumed in 2025

The town's name, Butere, came from the Abatere sub-clan, one of the main clans in the area. Historically, the Abatere lived in regions such as Muyundi, Masaba, and areas around the township. They were the primary inhabitants until the European colonial administration selected Butere as a base for their administrative activities.

Like its neighboring sub-counties, for many years, the economy of Butere was heavily dependent on sugarcane cultivation. However, because the sugar industry proved unfeasible for many farmers, some have removed sugarcane from their farms and resorted to cultivating maize and soybeans. Some other residents depend on small-scale cattle-rearing, apiculture, and aquaculture for their livelihood.

Traditionally, the people of Butere have been small-scale farmers planting sorghum, millet, maize, and assorted vegetables, alongside fishing in Lake Victoria and trading these produce with their neighbors from the south in Nyanza. Many farmers cultivated soybeans, but only around 56.72% commercialized them.

The introduction of maize eventually changed the main staple food from ugali, made from sorghum, to maize meal. The late Mr. Naaman Otswong'o Chirande, a businessman and the area councilor between 1969 and 1974, brought significant development to lower Butere Market, including the main market, particularly through cattle sales.

As most residents of Butere have relied on sugarcane cultivation as a source of income alongside other farming activities, they strongly believe that political leadership should seek an alternative industry to serve the needs of the local economy, as the sugar industry seemed too difficult to resuscitate after the Mumias Sugar Company Limited collapsed for many years . This has since changed with its establishment in 2025.

Following an increase in unemployment in the sub-country, many youths have engaged in the motorbike business (commonly known as boda boda). This business earns them an average of 500 Ksh a day.