Counties of Kenya

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Counties of Kenya
Kaunti za Kenya (Swahili)
Map showing Counties underthe new kenyan constitution..gif
Category Semi-devolved state
Location Republic of Kenya
Number47 counties
Government
Subdivisions

The counties of Kenya (Swahili : Kaunti za Kenya) are geographical units created by the 2010 Constitution of Kenya as the new units of devolved government. They replaced the previous provincial system. [1] The establishment and executive powers of the counties is provided in Chapter Eleven of the Constitution on devolved government, the Constitution's Fourth Schedule and any other legislation passed by the Senate of Kenya concerning counties. The counties are also single-member constituencies which elect members of the Senate, [2] and special woman members to the National Assembly. [3]

Contents

As of 2022, there were 47 counties whose size and boundaries were based on 1992 districts. Following the re-organization of Kenya's national administration, counties were integrated into a new national administration with the national government posting a county commissioner to each county to serve as a collaborative link with national government. [4]

Establishment

County governments were established in all 47 counties [5] after the general elections in March 2013. The counties' names are set out in the First Schedule of the Constitution.

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 they were separated from, with their areas and populations as of the 2009 [6] and the 2019 census: [7]

CodeCountyFormer
Province
Area
(km2)
Population
(2009 Census)
Population
(2019 Census)
CapitalPostal

Abbreviations

001 Flag of Mombasa.svg Mombasa Coast 212.5939,3701,208,333 Mombasa MSA
002 Kwale County Flag.svg Kwale Coast8,270.3649,931866,820 Kwale KWL
003 Flag of Kilifi County.png Kilifi Coast12,245.91,109,7351,453,787 Kilifi KLF
004 Flag of Tana River County.gif Tana River Coast35,375.8240,075315,943 Hola TRV
005 Lamu County Flag.png Lamu Coast6,497.7101,539143,920 Lamu LMU
006 Flag of Taita Taveta County.png Taita–Taveta Coast17,083.9284,657340,671 Mwatate TVT
007 Flag of Garissa County.gif Garissa North Eastern 45,720.2623,060841,353 Garissa GRS
008 Wajir County Flag.svg Wajir North Eastern55,840.6661,941781,263 Wajir WJR
009 Flag of Mandera County, Kenya.svg Mandera North Eastern25,797.71,025,756867,457 Mandera MDR
010 Flag of Marsabit County.png Marsabit Eastern 66,923.1291,166459,785 Marsabit MRS
11 Flag of Isiolo County.gif Isiolo Eastern25,336.1143,294268,002 Isiolo ISL
12 Flag of Meru County.png Meru Eastern7,003.11,356,3011,545,714 Meru MRU
13 Flag of Tharaka Nithi County.gif Tharaka-Nithi Eastern2,609.5365,330393,177 Kathwana TNT
14 Flag of Embu County.gif Embu Eastern2,555.9516,212608,599 Embu EMB
15 Flag of Kitui County.gif Kitui Eastern24,385.11,012,7091,136,187 Kitui KTU
16 Flag of Machakos County.png Machakos Eastern5,952.91,098,5841,421,932 Machakos MCK
17 Flag of Makueni County.gif Makueni Eastern8,008.9884,527987,653 Wote MKN
18 Flag of Nyandarua County.png Nyandarua Central 3,107.7596,268638,289 Ol Kalou NDR
19 Flag of Nyeri County.gif Nyeri Central2,361.0693,558759,164 Nyeri NYR
20 Flag of Kirinyaga County.gif Kirinyaga Central1,205.4528,054610,411 Kerugoya KRG
21 Flag of Murang'a County.gif Murang'a Central2,325.8942,5811,056,640 Murang'a MRG
22 Kiambu County Flag.svg Kiambu Central2,449.21,623,2822,417,735 Kiambu KMB
23 Flag of Turkana County.gif Turkana Rift Valley 98,597.81,100,3991,504,976 Lodwar TRK
24 Flag of West Pokot County.png West Pokot Rift Valley8,418.2512,690621,241 Kapenguria WPK
25 Flag of Samburu County.png Samburu Rift Valley20,182.5223,947310,327 Maralal SBR
26 Flag of Trans Nzoia County.gif Trans-Nzoia Rift Valley2,469.9818,757990,341 Kitale TNZ
27 Flag of Uasin Gishu County.gif Uasin Gishu Rift Valley2,955.3894,1791,163,186 Eldoret UGS
28 Elgeyo Marakwet Flag.png Elgeyo-Marakwet Rift Valley3,049.7369,998454,480 Iten EMK
29 Contea di Nandi flag.gif Nandi Rift Valley2,884.5752,965885,711 Kapsabet NDI
30 Flag of Baringo County.svg Baringo Rift Valley11,075.3555,561666,763 Kabarnet BRG
31 Flag of Laikipia County.gif Laikipia Rift Valley8,696.1399,227518,560 Rumuruti LKP
32 Flag of Nakuru County.gif Nakuru Rift Valley7,509.51,603,3252,162,202 Nakuru [8] [9] NKR
33 Flag of Narok County.gif Narok Rift Valley17,921.2850,9201,157,873 Narok NRK
34 Flag of Kajiado County.gif Kajiado Rift Valley21,292.7687,3121,117,840 Kajiado KJD
35 Flag of Kericho County.gif Kericho Rift Valley2,454.5752,396901,777 Kericho KRC
36 Flag of Bomet County.png Bomet Rift Valley1,997.9730,129875,689 Bomet BMT
37 Flag of Kakamega County.gif Kakamega Western 3,033.81,660,6511,867,579 Kakamega KKG
38 Vihiga County Flag.svg Vihiga Western531.3554,622590,013 Mbale VHG
39 Flag of Bungoma County.gif Bungoma Western2,206.91,375,0631,670,570 Bungoma BGM
40 Flag of Busia County.svg Busia Western1,628.4743,946893,681 Busia BSA
41 Flag of Siaya County.png Siaya Nyanza 2,496.1842,304993,183 Siaya SYA
42 Flag of Kisumu County.png Kisumu Nyanza2,009.5968,9091,155,574 Kisumu KSM
43 Flag of Homa Bay County.png Homa Bay Nyanza3,154.7963,7941,131,950 Homa Bay HBY
44 Flag of Migori County, Kenya.png Migori Nyanza2,586.4917,1701,116,436 Migori MGR
45 Flag of Kisii County.gif Kisii Nyanza1,317.91,152,2821,266,860 Kisii KSI
46 Flag of Nyamira County.gif Nyamira Nyanza912.5598,252605,576 Nyamira NMR
47 Flag of Nairobi County.gif Nairobi Nairobi694.93,138,3694,397,073 Nairobi NBI
581,309.038,610,99747,564,296 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). [10] The functions of governments assigned to counties by the fourth schedule of the Constitution of Kenya are: [11]

Agriculture

County health services

Pollution, nuisances and advertising control

Cultural activities, public entertainment and public amenities

County transport

Trade development and regulation

County planning and development

Education and childcare

Policy implementation

County public works and services

Fire fighting services and disaster management

Counties are mandated by the 2010 constitution of Kenya to enact legislation and laws that ensures management and controls of fire fighting.

Coordination

County executive committee

The county governor and the deputy county governor are the chief executive and deputy chief executive of the county, respectively. [13] The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission [14] 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. [15] Each county will be run by an executive committee, consisting of:

Uniquely among democracies, Kenyan law requires governors to have a recognised university degree. [18]

County assemblies

The counties each have an assembly [19] whose members are elected from single-member constituencies known as wards. [20] 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. [21] There will also be six nominated members to represent marginalised groups (persons with disabilities, and the youth) and a county assembly speaker who will be an ex officio member of the assembly. [22]

See also

References

  1. Article 6, Devolution and access to Services, The 2010 Constitution of Kenya
  2. Article 98, (1) (a), Membership of the Senate, the 2010 Constitution of Kenya
  3. Article 97, (1) (b) Membership of the National Assembly, The 2010 Constitution of Kenya
  4. "Kenyan County Commissioners Re-Organised Under New Structure". AllAfrica . 22 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  5. "List and Format Used to Number Kenya's 47 Counties". Soko Directory. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  6. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics; and the final report of the IEBC as ratified in the National Assembly Constituencies and County Assembly Wards Order, 2012.
  7. "Home". knbs.or.ke.
  8. "Senate approves Nakuru bid for city status". Business Daily. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  9. Gachuhi, Kennedy. "Nakuru town's long journey to city status". The Standard. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. Githinji (6 August 2019). "Role and Functions of County Governments in Kenya". AfroCave. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  11. "2. County Governments". Kenya Law Reform Commission. 29 August 2012.
  12. Kivuva, Elizabeth (8 June 2023). "World Bank says SGR now ripe for electric trains". metickets.krc.co.ke. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  13. "179. County executive committees". Kenya Law Reform Commission. 29 August 2012.
  14. Githinji (9 March 2020). "Role of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission". AfroCave. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  15. "180. Election of county governor and deputy county governor". Kenya Law Reform Commission. 29 August 2012.
  16. Githinji (21 March 2019). "Role and Functions of the County Secretary in Kenya". AfroCave. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  17. Appointment of county secretary, Section 44, County Government Act 2012
  18. "SHITANDA, WANJIRU OUT OVER DEGREES". The Standard. 18 January 2013. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  19. Githinji (14 August 2018). "Functions and Role of the County Assembly in Kenya". AfroCave. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  20. Githinji (12 April 2019). "Role of Members of the County Assembly in Kenya". AfroCave. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  21. Article 177, (1) Membership of a County Assembly, The 2010 Constitution of Kenya.
  22. Article 177 (c), The 2010 Constitution of Kenya