Constituencies of Kenya | |
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Category | Electoral district |
Location | Kenya |
Number | 290 (as of 2012) |
Government | |
Subdivisions |
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Kenyaportal |
The constituencies of Kenya are used to elect members of the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the Kenyan Parliament. In accordance with Article 89 of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, there are 290 constituencies, based on a formula where these constituencies were to be delineated based on population numbers. Each constituency returns one Member of Parliament. The constituencies are further divided to electoral wards.
Constituencies were introduced to Kenya during the colonial era. The first general election was held in 1920 in the then East Africa Protectorate, with 11 constituencies. Between 1920 and 1956, the number of constituencies rose from 11 to 28. In 1962, prior to independence the following year, the Royal Commission was tasked to create 100 constituencies. The independence Constitution of Kenya provided that for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives, the constituencies should be between 110 and 130. The Royal Commission drew 117 constituencies, across the 40 districts and Nairobi region. [1] [2] The number of constituencies have increased from 117 constitiencies at independence to 290 constituencies in 2013. There have been four major constituency delineation since independence; in 1966, 1986, 1996 and 2012. In 1966, the number rose from 117 to 158 accommodate senators from the abolished Senate of Kenya. It is at this point the House of Representatives was renamed National Assembly. In 1986, an act of parliament allowed the number of constituencies to be increased from 158 to 188. The constituencies were effected during the 1988 Kenyan general election. In 1996, the number of constituencies was increased from 188 to 210. [3] The number remained the same until the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, increased the number of constituencies to 290, which based on a formula where these constituencies were to be delineated based on population numbers. Each constituency returns one Member of Parliament. The constitution mandates that Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to conduct boundary review in a minimum of eight years and a maximum of twelve years. Since the last boundaries review was conducted in March 2012, by August 2024, long after the 12-year deadline, no review has been conducted. This is attributed to the fact that there is no functioning IEBC, since most of all commissioners either resigned or retired at some point between 2022 and 2023. [4]
County | Population (2019) | Number of Seats | Constituencies |
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Mombasa | 1,208,333 | 6 | 1. Changamwe 2. Jomvu 3. Kisauni 4. Nyali 5. Likoni 6. Mvita |
Kwale County | 866,820 | 4 | 7. Msambweni 8. Lunga Lunga 9. Matuga 10. Kinango |
Kilifi County | 1,453,787 | 7 | 11. Kilifi North 12. Kilifi South 13. Kaloleni 14. Rabai 15. Ganze 16. Malindi 17. Magarini |
Tana River County | 315,943 | 3 | 18. Garsen 19. Galole 20. Bura |
Lamu County | 143,920 | 2 | 21. Lamu East 22. Lamu West |
Taita–Taveta County | 340,671 | 4 | 23. Taveta 24. Wundanyi 25. Mwatate 26. Voi |
The North Eastern Province is one of the former provinces of Kenya. It had a land area of 127,358.5 km2, with its capital at Garissa. The North Eastern Province was carved out of the then Northern Frontier District (NFD) prior to independence.
Meru County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya. It borders Isiolo County to the north, Tharaka-Nithi County to the South, Nyeri County to the southwest and Laikipia County to the west. The home of the Meru people, Meru County has a population of 1.35 million people.
Laikipia County is one of the 47 Counties of Kenya, located on the Equator in the former Rift Valley Province of the Country. Laikipia is a cosmopolitan County and is Listed as County number 31. The county has two major urban centres: Nanyuki to the southeast, and Nyahururu to the southwest. Its County government headquarters town is Rumuruti. The County lies between latitudes 0° 18" South and 0° 51" North and between longitudes 36° 11" and 37° 24' East. It borders Samburu County to the North, Isiolo County to the North East, Meru County to the East, Nyeri County to the South East, Nyandarua County to the South, Nakuru County to the South West and Baringo County to the West.
Narok County is a county in southwestern Kenya with an estimated population of 1,157,873 according to 2019 Census. The dominant ethnic group is the Maasai. Its capital and largest town is Narok, with the only other major urban centre being Kilgoris. Narok County Government was formed by the County Governments Act of 2012 as prescribed in the 2010 Constitution of Kenya. Narok County governor is Patrick Ole Ntutu after winning in the 2022 elections and his Deputy is Tamalinye K. Koech.
Marsabit County is a county in Kenya. Covering a surface area of 66,923.1 square kilometres. Marsabit is the second largest county by size in Kenya after Turkana county which has an area of 71,597.8 km2. Its capital is Marsabit and its largest town is Moyale. According to the 2019 census, the county has a population of 459,785. It is bordered to the North by Ethiopia, to the West by Turkana County to the South by Samburu County and Isiolo County, and to the East by Wajir County.
Isiolo County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. Its population is 268,002 and its capital and largest city is Isiolo. Isiolo County is to be the first county to be developed as part of the Kenya Vision 2030 program. Other upcoming urban centres are: Garbatulla, Modogashe, Kinna, Merti and Oldonyiro. The county is home to Sakuye and Borana tribes but also has a significant number of people from Turkana, Samburu, Gabra, Garre and Meru communities.
Kajiado County is a county in the former Rift Valley Province of Kenya. As of 2019, Kajiado county spanned an area of 21,292.7 km2, with a recorded population of 1,117,840. The county borders Nairobi and to its south it borders the Tanzanian regions of Arusha and Kilimanjaro. The county capital is Kajiado, but the largest town is Ongata Rongai. Its main tourist attraction is its wildlife.
Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling local governance in urban areas in Kenya.
Kitui County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya with its capital and largest town being Kitui, although Mwingi is also another major urban centre. The county has a population of 1,136,187. and an area of 30,496 km2. It lies between latitudes 0°10 South and 3°0 South and longitudes 37°50 East and 39°0 East.
Garissa County is an administrative county in Kenya. It is located in Eastern Kenya bordering Somalia to the East, Wajir County and Isiolo County to the North, Tana River County to the West and Lamu County to the South. Its capital and largest urban area is Garissa.
Mandera County is one of the counties in Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Mandera. The county is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east and Wajir County to the southwest. According to the 2019 census, the county has a population of 1,200,890 and an area of 25,939.8 square kilometres (10,015.4 sq mi). The main economic activity in the county is pastoralism, while others include cross-border trade with Ethiopia, artisanal mining, beekeeping, and agriculture along the Dawa River.
Wajir County is a county in the former North Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Wajir. The county has a population of 781,263 and an area of 55,840.6 km2 (21,560.2 sq mi). The county is bordered to the north by Ethiopia, to the northeast by Mandera County, to the east by Somalia, to the south by Garissa County, to the west by Isiolo County and to the northwest by Marsabit County. The county has six constituencies: Wajir South, Tarbaj, Wajir North, Wajir West, Wajir East, and Eldas.
The districts of Kenya were divided into 262 divisions (matarafa). Divisions of Kenya were further subdivided into locations. Today's counties of Kenya are based on the merging of some of the districts on this list and since the divisions are one level under the districts they are now the sub-counties. This is because Kenya recently changed its constitution and 47 Counties emerged. Here are the divisions listed below, by district :
Kitutu Chache was a former electoral constituency in Kenya. It was formally known as Kitutu West Constituency from 1963 to 1988. It was one of four constituencies in the former Kisii District. It has been divided into Kitutu Chache North Constituency and Kitutu Chache South Constituency, both part of Kisii County.
Kisii County is a county in the former Nyanza Province in southwestern Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Kisii. The county has a population of 1,266,860 people. It borders Nyamira County to the North East, Narok County to the South, and Homa bay and Migori Counties to the West. The county covers an area of 1,318 km2.
Sub-counties, also known as Districts, are the decentralised units through which government of Kenya provides functions and services. At national level, sub-counties take a more administrative function like security, statistical purposes, provision of government services, etc. Even though the sub-counties are divisions of counties, powers to create new national sub-counties lies with the national government. As of 2023, there are 314 sub-counties, compared to 290 constituencies. A deputy county commissioner is appointed by the state to lead each sub-county. The sub-counties are further divided into divisions, locations and sub-locations.
The list shows coat of arms for the forty-seven counties of Kenya. Some counties adopted the coat of arms of the defunct district governments. Other coat of arms adopted in the year after the first county governments came into power which was between March 4, 2013 to the same date on 2014. As of Dec 17th 2014 not all county assemblies have passed the design of the county coat of arms. It is expected that all counties will adopt their own flags soon.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a political party in Kenya.
The Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival is a series of student theatre competitions in Kenya, held from January to April each year, advancing through local, county and regional stages to the National Drama Festival. Students from primary schools to colleges take part, with a total annual participation of roughly five million students, making it the biggest educational theatre event in Africa.
Kitui Rural Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of eight constituencies in Kitui County. The constituency was established and gazetted in 2012 by the IEBC in readiness for the 2013 elections.
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