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 are 47 counties whose size and boundaries are 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 county 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

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

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kajiado County</span> County in Kenya

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kisii County</span> County in Kenya

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The office of the County Governor of Nandi is one of the State Offices in 47 devolved governments in 47 Counties of Kenya. The county governor and the deputy governor are the chief executive and the deputy chief executive of the county. The first Governor of Nandi is Dr. Cleophas Kiprop Lagat who was elected on 4 March 2013 General Election, directly by the registered voters in the county. His deputy is Dominic Chepyagan Biwott who was his running mate. Dr. Lagat appointed, on 3 June 2013, the following 10 County Executive Committee(CEC) Members to representing their departments, in the exercise of the powers conferred to him by Article 179 (2) (b) of the Constitution of Kenya as read with sections 30 (2) (d), (e) and 35 of the County Governments Act, 2012, and upon approval by the Nandi County Assembly in its session. He later on appointed Chief Officers for respective Departments who are by law the accounting and authorized public officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machakos County Assembly</span>

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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. ↑ "Role and Functions of County Governments in Kenya". AfroCave. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. 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. ↑ "Role of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission". AfroCave. 9 March 2020. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  15. ↑ "180. Election of county governor and deputy county governor". Kenya Law Reform Commission. 29 August 2012.
  16. ↑ "Role and Functions of the County Secretary in Kenya". AfroCave. 21 March 2019. 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. ↑ "Functions and Role of the County Assembly in Kenya". AfroCave. 14 August 2018. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  20. ↑ "Role of Members of the County Assembly in Kenya". AfroCave. 12 April 2019. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. 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
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