Counties of Kenya

For the defunct county councils of Kenya, see local authorities of Kenya.

Kenyan Counties Kaunti za Kenya (Swahili)
Category	Semi-Devolved State
Location	Republic of Kenya
Number	47 Counties
Populations	101,539 (Lamu) – 3,138,369 (Nairobi)
Areas	294.7 km2 (113.8 sq mi) (Mombasa) – 71,597.8 km2 (27,644.1 sq mi) (Turkana)
Government	County Government, Government of Kenya
Subdivisions	Sub-Counties

The counties of Kenya are geographical units envisioned by the 2010 Constitution of Kenya as the units of devolved government. The powers are provided in Articles 191 and 192, and in the fourth schedule of the Constitution of Kenya and the County Governments Act of 2012. The counties are also single member constituencies for the election of members of parliament to the Senate of Kenya and special women members of parliament to the National Assembly of Kenya. As of 2013 general elections, there are 47 counties whose size and boundaries are based on the 47 legally recognised Districts of Kenya. Following the re-organisation of Kenya's national administration, counties were integrated into a new national administration with the national government posting county commissioners to represent it at the counties.

Establishment

County governments were established in 47 counties (based on the 1992 Districts of Kenya), after the scheduled general elections in March 2013. The counties' names are set out in the First Schedule of the Constitution of Kenya.

List of counties

Under the new constitution, Kenya is now divided into 47 counties for administrative purposes. They are grouped below according to the former province of which they were part, with their areas and populations as of the 2009 census:

Code	County	Former Province	Area (km2)	Population Census (2009)	Capital
1	Mombasa (County)	Coast	212.5	939,370	Mombasa (City)
2	Kwale	Coast	8,270.3	649,931	Kwale
3	Kilifi	Coast	12,245.9	1,109,735	Kilifi
4	Tana River	Coast	35,375.8	240,075	Hola
5	Lamu	Coast	6,497.7	101,539	Lamu
6	Taita-Taveta	Coast	17,083.9	284,657	Mwatate
7	Garissa	North Eastern	45,720.2	623,060	Garissa
8	Wajir	North Eastern	55,840.6	661,941	Wajir
9	Mandera	North Eastern	25,797.7	1,025,756	Mandera
10	Marsabit	Eastern	66,923.1	291,166	Marsabit
11	Isiolo	Eastern	25,336.1	143,294	Isiolo
12	Meru	Eastern	6,930.1	1,356,301	Meru
13	Tharaka-Nithi	Eastern	2,409.5	365,330	Kathwana
14	Embu	Eastern	2,555.9	516,212	Embu
15	Kitui	Eastern	24,385.1	1,012,709	Kitui
16	Machakos	Eastern	5,952.9	1,098,584	Machakos
17	Makueni	Eastern	8,008.9	884,527	Wote
18	Nyandarua	Central	3,107.7	596,268	Ol Kalou
19	Nyeri	Central	2,361.0	693,558	Nyeri
20	Kirinyaga	Central	1,205.4	528,054	Kerugoya / Kutus
21	Murang'a	Central	2,325.8	942,581	Murang'a
22	Kiambu	Central	2,449.2	1,623,282	Kiambu
23	Turkana	Rift Valley	71,597.8	855,399	Lodwar
24	West Pokot	Rift Valley	8,418.2	512,690	Kapenguria
25	Samburu	Rift Valley	20,182.5	223,947	Maralal
26	Trans-Nzoia	Rift Valley	2,469.9	818,757	Kitale
27	Uasin Gishu	Rift Valley	2,955.3	894,179	Eldoret
28	Elgeyo-Marakwet	Rift Valley	3,049.7	369,998	Iten
29	Nandi	Rift Valley	2,884.5	752,965	Kapsabet
30	Baringo	Rift Valley	11,075.3	555,561	Kabarnet
31	Laikipia	Rift Valley	8,696.1	399,227	Rumuruti
32	Nakuru	Rift Valley	7,509.5	1,603,325	Nakuru
33	Narok	Rift Valley	17,921.2	850,920	Narok
34	Kajiado	Rift Valley	21,292.7	687,312	Kajiado
35	Kericho	Rift Valley	2,454.5	752,396	Kericho
36	Bomet	Rift Valley	1,997.9	730,129	Bomet
37	Kakamega	Western	3,033.8	1,660,651	Kakamega
38	Vihiga	Western	531.3	554,622	Vihiga
39	Bungoma	Western	2,206.9	1,375,063	Bungoma
40	Busia	Western	1,628.4	743,946	Busia
41	Siaya	Nyanza	2,496.1	842,304	Siaya
42	Kisumu	Nyanza	2,009.5	968,909	Kisumu(City)
43	Homa Bay	Nyanza	3,154.7	963,794	Homa Bay
44	Migori	Nyanza	2,586.4	917,170	Migori
45	Kisii	Nyanza	1,317.9	1,152,282	Kisii
46	Nyamira	Nyanza	912.5	598,252	Nyamira
47	Nairobi (County)	Nairobi (Province)	694.9	3,138,369	Nairobi (City)
			581,309.0	38,610,097	Nairobi

County Governments

County governments are responsible for county legislation (outlined in article 185 of the Constitution of Kenya), executive functions (outlined in article 183), functions outlined in the fourth schedule of the constitution of Kenya, functions transferred from the national government through article 187 of the constitution of Kenya, functions agreed upon with other counties under article 189(2) of the constitution of Kenya, and establishment and staffing of a public service (under article 235 of the Constitution of Kenya). The functions of governments assigned to counties by the fourth schedule of the Constitution of Kenya are:

Agriculture

• Crop and animal husbandry
• Livestock sale yards
• County abattoirs (slaughterhouses)
• Plant and animal disease control
• Fisheries

County health services

• County health facilities and pharmacies
• Ambulance services
• Promotion of primary health care
• Licensing and control of undertakings that sell food to the public
• Veterinary services (excluding regulation of the profession)
• Cemeteries, funeral parlors and crematoria
• Refuse removal, refuse dumps and solid waste disposal

Pollution, Nuisances and Advertising Control

• Control of air pollution, noise pollution, other public nuisances and outdoor advertising

Cultural activities, public entertainment and public amenities

• Betting, casinos and other forms of gambling
• Racing
• Liquor licensing
• Cinemas
• Video shows and hiring
• Libraries
• Museums
• Sports and cultural activities and facilities
• County parks, beaches and recreation facilities

County transport

• County roads
• Street lighting
• Traffic and parking
• Public road transport
• Ferries and harbours, excluding the regulation of international and national shipping and matters related thereto

Animal control and welfare

• Licensing of dogs
• Facilities for the accommodation, care and burial of animals
• Killing of stray pets

Trade development and regulation

• Markets
• Trade licences, excluding regulation of professions
• Fair trading practices
• Local tourism
• Cooperative societies

County planning and development

• Statistics
• Land survey, planning and mapping
• Boundaries and fencing
• Housing
• Electricity and gas reticulation and energy regulation

Education and Childcare

• Pre-primary education, village polytechnics, homecraft centres and childcare facilities

Policy Implementation

• Implementation of specific national government policies on natural resources and environmental conservation
• Soil and water conservation
• Forestry

County public works and services

• Storm water management systems in built-up areas
• Water and sanitation services

Coordination

• Ensuring and co-ordinating the participation of communities and locations in governance at the local level
• Assisting communities and locations to develop the administrative capacity for the effective exercise of the functions and powers and participation in governance at the local level

County Executive Committee

The county governor and the deputy county governor are the chief executive and deputy chief executive of the county, respectively. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shall not conduct a separate election for the deputy governor but shall declare the running mate of the person who is elected county governor to have been elected as the deputy governor. Each county will be run by an executive committee, consisting of:

• A governor, elected directly by the people
• A deputy, elected as running mate of the successful candidate for governorship
• A number of committee members not exceeding a third (or ten where a county assembly has more than 30 members) of the members of the respective county assembly
• A county secretary, nominated by the governor and approved by the county assembly, who will double up as head of the county public service, and secretary to the county executive committee

As a specialty in the democratic system Kenyan law requires governors to have a recognized university degree (it is not necessary for the President of the United States, for example, to hold a degree).

County Assemblies

The counties will each have an assembly whose members are elected from single member constituencies known as wards. There may also be a number of nominated members as is necessary to ensure that neither male nor female members constitute more than two-thirds of the assembly. There will also be six nominated members to represent marginalized groups (persons with disabilities, and the youth) and a speaker who will be an ex officio member of the assembly.

County Governors

History

Embu County governor Martin Nyagah Wambora was the first governor to be impeached following allegations of impropriety.

Current List of Governors

The governors listed below took office on 27 March 2013, unless otherwise noted.

County No	Name	Governor	Deputy Governor	Party
1	Mombasa (County)	Hassan Joho	Hazel Ezabel Nyamoki Ogunde	ODM
2	Kwale	Salim Mvurya	Fatuma Mohamed Achani	ODM
3	Kilifi	Amason Kingi	Kenneth Mwakombo Kamto	ODM
4	Tana River	Tuneya Dado	Jire Siyat Mohamed	WDM-K
5	Lamu	Issa Timamy	Erick Kinyua Mugo	UDF
6	Taita-Taveta	John Mruttu	Mary Ndiga Kibuka	ODM
7	Garissa	Nathif Jama Adam	Abdullahi Hussein Ali	WDM-K
8	Wajir	Ahmed Abdullahi Mohamad	Abdulhafid Abdullahi Yarow	ODM
9	Mandera	Ibrahim Roba Ali	Omar Mohamed Maalim	URP
10	Marsabit	Ukur Yattani	Omar Abdi Ali	ODM
11	Isiolo	Godana Doyo	Mohamed Gulleid Abdille	URP
12	Meru	Peter Munya	Raphael Muriungi	APK
13	Tharaka	Samuel Ragwa	Eliud Mate Muriithi	TNA
14	Embu	Martin Wambora	Dorothy Nditi Muchungu
15	Kitui	Julius Malombe	Malonza Peninah	WDM-K
16	Machakos	Alfred Mutua	Benard Muia Tom Kiala	WDM-K
17	Makueni	Kivutha Kibwana	Adelina Ndeto Mwau	MP
18	Nyandarua	Daniel Waithaka	Waithaka Mwangi Kirika	TNA
19	Nyeri	Wamathai Samuel Githaiga	vacant	GNU
20	Kirinyaga	Joseph Ndathi	Julius Muthike Njiri	TNA
21	Murang'a	Mwangi wa Iria	Augustine J Gakure Monyo	TNA
22	Kiambu	William Gitau	Gerald Gakuha Githinji	TNA
23	Turkana	Josphat Nanok	Peter Ekai Lokoel	ODM
24	West Pokot	Simon Kitalei	Titus Lotee	KANU
25	Samburu	Moses Kasaine	Joseph Lemarkat	URP
26	Trans-Nzoia	Patrick Khaemba	Stanley Kiptoo Kenei Tarus	FORD-KENYA
27	Uasin Gishu	Jackson Mandago	Daniel Kiplagat Kiprotich	URP
28	Elgeyo-Marakwet	Alex Tolgos	Gabriel Lagat Kosgey	URP
29	Nandi	Lagat Cleophas	Dominic Kimutai Biwott	URP
30	Baringo	Benjamin Cheboi	Mathew Kipyator Tuitoek	URP
31	Laikipia	Joshua Irungu	Josphat Gitonga Kabugi	TNA
32	Nakuru	Kinuthia Mbugua	Joseph Kibore Rutto	TNA
33	Narok	Samuel ole Tunai	Aruasa Evalyn Chepkirui	URP
34	Kajiado	David ole Nkedianye	Paul Mpute Ntiati	ODM
35	Kericho	Paul Kiprono	Susan Chepkoech Kikwai	URP
36	Bomet	Isaac Ruto	Stephen Kipkoech Mutai	URP
37	Kakamega	Wycliffe Oparanya	Philip Museve Kutima	ODM
38	Vihiga	Moses Akaranga	Caleb Temba Amaswache	PPK
39	Bungoma	Ken Lusaka	Hillary Moywo Chongwony	NFK
40	Busia	Sospeter Ojaamong	Kizito Osore Wangalwa	ODM
41	Siaya	Cornel Rasanga	Wilson Ouma Onyango	ODM
42	Kisumu	Jack Ranguma	Ruth Adhiambo Odinga Busia	ODM
43	Homa Bay	Cyprian Awiti	Hamiliton Onyango Orata	ODM
44	Migori	Zacharia Obado	Nelson Mahanga Mwita	PDP
45	Kisii	James Ongwae	Arthur Maangi Gongera	ODM
46	Nyamira	John Obiero	Amos Kimwomi Nyaribo	ODM
47	Nairobi (County)	Evans Kidero	J. Mwangangi Mueke	ODM

See also

• Provinces of Kenya
• Kenyan general election, 2013

External links

• Kenya county websites
• OpenData Tharaka-Nithi