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The National Library and the public libraries are both the functions of Kenya National Library Service [1] which is mandated by the law under Cap 225 of the Laws of Kenya, April 1965. Currently there is one National Library which is located at Community-Upper Hill, Nairobi. There are 64 public libraries spread in different parts of the country. [2] In addition, some of the county government have libraries under them which are either operational or nonoperational. Nairobi county has four libraries located at Kayole, Makadara, Dagoretti and McMillan Memorial Library at the Nairobi Central Business District (the oldest library in Nairobi).
Kenya National Library Service has a total of 64 branches spread in different parts of the country. The libraries offer varied services depending on location and mode of establishment.
| No. | County | No. of Libraries | Area Situated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baringo | 3 | Kabarnet, Meisori, Eldama Ravine |
| 2 | Bomet | 1 | Silibwet |
| 3 | Bungoma | 1 | Kimilili |
| 4 | Busia | None | – |
| 5 | Elgeyo/Marakwet | 1 | Lagam |
| 6 | Embu | 1 | Embu |
| 7 | Garissa | 3 | Garissa, Mbalambala, Masalani |
| 8 | Homa Bay | None | – |
| 9 | Isiolo | 1 | Isiolo |
| 10 | Kajiado | None | – |
| 11 | Kakamega | 2 | Kakamega, Lusumu |
| 12 | Kericho | 1 | Kericho |
| 13 | Kiambu | 1 | Thika |
| 14 | Kilifi | 3 | Kilifi, Dzitsoni, Malindi |
| 15 | Kirinyaga | None | – |
| 16 | Kisii | 1 | Kisii |
| 17 | Kisumu | 2 | Kisumu, Koru (Dr. Robert Ouko Memorial Library) |
| 18 | Kitui | 1 | Mwingi |
| 19 | Kwale | 1 | Kwale (Ukunda) |
| 20 | Laikipia | 2 | Nanyuki, Rumuruti |
| 21 | Lamu | None | – |
| 22 | Machakos | None | – |
| 23 | Makueni | 3 | Mutyambua, Kinyambu, Kithasyu |
| 24 | Mandera | 1 | Mandera |
| 25 | Marsabit | 1 | Moyale |
| 26 | Meru | 3 | Meru, Mikumbune, Timau, Gatimbi |
| 27 | Migori | 1 | Awendo |
| 28 | Mombasa | 1 | Mombasa |
| 29 | Murang'a | 2 | Murang'a, Kangema |
| 30 | Nairobi | 3 | Nairobi Area, Buruburu, Kibera |
| 31 | Nakuru | 3 | Nakuru, Naivasha, Gilgil |
| 32 | Nandi | 1 | Kapsabet |
| 33 | Narok | 2 | Narok, Lelechonik |
| 34 | Nyamira | None | – |
| 35 | Nyandarua | 1 | Ol Kalou |
| 36 | Nyeri | 4 | Nyeri, Munyu, Chinga, Karatina |
| 37 | Samburu | None | – |
| 38 | Siaya | 3 | Nyilima, Rambula, Ukwala |
| 39 | Taita Taveta | 3 | Wundanyi, Voi, Werugha (Mary Patch Turnbull Memorial Library) |
| 40 | Tana River | None | – |
| 41 | Tharaka Nithi | None | – |
| 42 | Trans Nzoia | None | – |
| 43 | Turkana | None | – |
| 44 | Uasin Gishu | 1 | Eldoret |
| 45 | Vihiga | None | – |
| 46 | Wajir | 5 | Wajir, Griftu, Habasweni, Tarbaj, Bute |
| 47 | West Pokot | None | – |
| 48. | Athi river | Elimika resource center | |
| TOTAL | 64 | ||
Community libraries have been established through the support of donors, individuals and institutions within the country as a way of empowering disadvantaged communities, promoting increased literacy levels and as a way of promoting a reading culture within the country. Some of these libraries are:
Under this category are the libraries found in public academic institutions like the public universities, colleges, polytechnics and academies. These libraries mostly contain academic books and information resources relating to the subjects of concentration by those institutions. The leading academic Library in Kenya is under the University of Nairobi, the first university to be established in Kenya in 1956 as the Royal Technical College.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper had a population of 4,397,073 in the 2019 census, while the metropolitan area has a population of 9,354,580. The city is popularly referred to as the Green City in the Sun.
Maseno University is a public university based in the Maseno district of the city of Kisumu, Kenya, situated along the Equator. It was fully fledged as a university in 2001, after being a constituent college of Moi University for a decade. It is one of public universities in Kenya. It has over 10,000 students pursuing programs offered in the university campuses and it is currently ranked among the best universities in Kenya.
Busia is a county in the former Western Province of Kenya. It borders Kakamega County to the east, Bungoma County to the north, Lake Victoria and Siaya County to the south and Busia District, Uganda to the west. The county has about 893,000 people and spans about 1,700 square kilometers making it one of the smallest counties in Kenya. Busia is inhabited by the Luhya tribe of Kenya and the Teso of Kenya, and small groups of the Luo. The Luhya communities include the Abakhayo, Marachi, Samia and Abanyala communities.
The University of Nairobi is a collegiate research university based in Nairobi. It is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution dates back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970. During that year, the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in Uganda, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
Kenyatta University (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Nairobi County, Kenya. It acquired the status of university in 1985, being the third university after University of Nairobi (1970) and Moi University (1984). As of October 2014, it was one of 23 public universities in the country.
Busia is a town in Kenya. It is the capital and largest town of Busia County.
Kisumu County is one of 47 counties in the Republic of Kenya. Its borders follow those of the original Kisumu District, one of the former administrative districts of the former Nyanza Province in western Kenya. Its headquarters is Kisumu City which is the third largest city in Kenya after the capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa. It has a population of 1,155,574. The land area of Kisumu County totals 2085.9 km2.
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Kenya Wildlife Service is a State Corporation under the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife established by an Act of Parliament; Wildlife Conservation and Management Act CAP 376, of 1989 now repealed and replaced by the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013. At independence, the Government of Kenya committed itself to conserving wildlife for posterity with all the means at its disposal, including the places animals lived, forests and water catchment areas.
The Kenya National Library Service (knls) is a corporate body of the Kenyan government with a mandate to "promote, establish, equip, manage, maintain and develop libraries in Kenya". In its service provision, knls plays a dual role of Public Library and National library of Kenya.
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Mukuru Kwa Njenga is a slum in the East of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It borders the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the north, Industrial Area business district to the south and other growing suburbs areas within Embakasi region such as Donholm Estate. It belongs to Embakasi South Constituency, but it extends into Makadara and Starehe constituencies. It is one of the largest slums in Nairobi. It stretches along the Nairobi/Ngong River, situated on waste lands in the industrial area of the city between the Outer Ring Road, North Airport Road and Mombasa road. Mukuru has villages namely; Mukuru kwa Reuben, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Sinai, Paradise, Jamaica, Kingstone, Mariguini, Fuata Nyayo and Kayaba. The population exceeds 100,000.
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