Mombasa County | |
---|---|
County | |
Motto(s): Utangamano kwa Maendeleo (English: Unity for Development) | |
Coordinates: 4°03′S39°40′E / 4.050°S 39.667°E | |
Country | Kenya |
Formed | 4 March 2013 |
Capital | Mombasa |
Government | |
• Governor | Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir |
Area | |
• Total | 294.7 km2 (113.8 sq mi) |
• Land | 219.9 km2 (84.9 sq mi) |
• Water | 65 km2 (25 sq mi) |
Elevation | 50 m (160 ft) |
Population (2019 [1] ) | |
• Total | 1,190,987 |
• Density | 4,000/km2 (10,000/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Area code | 020 |
ISO 3166 code | KE-28 |
Website | mombasa.go.ke |
Mombasa County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya and has its capital in Mombasa City. In terms of economy it is second most developed after Nairobi city. [2] Initially Mombasa was one of the districts of Kenya until 2013 when it was reconstituted as a county, on the same boundaries. It is the smallest county in Kenya, covering an area of 229.7 km2 excluding 65 km2 of water mass. The county is situated in the south eastern part of the former Coast Province, bordering Kilifi County to the north, Kwale County to the south west and the Indian Ocean to the east. Administratively, the county is divided into seven divisions, eighteen locations and thirty sub-locations.
Kenya was divided into eight provinces prior to 2013, which were subdivided into 47 counties. In the former Coast Province there are six counties, Mombasa being one of them. It is situated in the southeast of Coast Province, and the smallest in size, covering an area of 212.5 km2. [3] The county lies between latitudes 3°56′ and 4°10′ south of the equator and longitudes 39°34′ and 39°46′ east. [2]
The county and the city are divided into four divisions:
Mombasa is an urban city county and for this reason, there is a large population of both local and immigrant communities. The local communities include the Mijikenda, Swahili and Kenyan Arabs. The Mijikenda is the largest community in Mombasa County making up almost 35% of the total population in the county. The immigrant Kamba community is the second largest ethnic community in the county making almost 30% of the total population of the county. The Kamba people have been known for their expansive knowledge of business and trade ranging from small scale to large scale followed closely by their GEMA[ clarification needed ] counterparts. Other significant immigrant communities include the Luo, Luhya and Somali communities.
The county is composed of six Parliamentary constituencies: [4]
Constituency name | Pop. 2009 Census | Area covered | No. of ward | Wards |
---|---|---|---|---|
Changamwe | 147,613 | 16 | 5 | Port Reitz, Kipevu, Airport, Changamwe, Chaani |
Jomvu | 102,566 | 29 | 3 | Jomvu Kuu, Miritini, Mikindani |
Kisauni | 194,065 | 88.7 | 7 | Mjambere, Junda, Bamburi, Mwakirunge, Mtopanga, Magogoni, Shanzu |
Nyali | 185,990 | 22.88 | 5 | Frere Town, Ziwa la Ngombe, Mkomani, Kongowea, Kadzandani |
Likoni | 166,008 | 41.10 | 5 | Mtongwe, Shika Adabu, Bofu, Likoni, Timbwani |
Mvita | 143,128 | 14.80 | 5 | Mji wa Kale/Makadara, Tudor, Tononoka, Majengo Ganjoni/Shimanzi |
Total | 939,370 | 212.48 | 30 |
Mombasa County lies within the coast lowland, which rises gradually from the sea level in the east to slightly over 76 m above sea level in the mainland west. The highest point is at Nguu Tatu hills in the mainland north that rises up to 100 m above sea level.
County | Stats for the County (Per cent) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Urbanisation | |||||||||
Literacy | |||||||||
Attending school (15-18 Yrs) | |||||||||
Paved roads | |||||||||
Good roads | |||||||||
Electricity access | |||||||||
Poverty rate | |||||||||
Source: [5] |
The Geography of Kenya is diverse, varying amongst its 47 counties. Kenya has a coastline on the Indian Ocean, which contains swamps of East African mangroves. Inland are broad plains and numerous hills. Kenya borders South Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west, Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, and Ethiopia to the north. Kenya currently faces border disputes with South Sudan over the Ilemi Triangle and with Somalia over Jubbaland where, if the Somalian Government gives it up, it could be a new part of Kenya, which would bring the total land area of Kenya to approximately 692,939 km2.
The Kamba or Akamba people are a Bantu ethnic group who predominantly live in Kenya stretching from Nairobi to Tsavo and northwards to Embu, in the southern part of the former Eastern Province. This land is called Ukambani and constitutes Makueni County, Kitui County and Machakos County. They also form the second largest ethnic group in 8 counties including Nairobi and Mombasa counties.
The Coast Province was one of Kenya's eight provinces. It covered the entire country's coastline on the Indian Ocean. Its capital city was Mombasa. It was inhabited by the Mijikenda and Swahili peoples, among others. The province covered an area of 79,686.1 km2.
Kilifi is a town on the coast of Kenya, 56 kilometres (35 mi) northeast of Mombasa by road. The town lies on the Kilifi Creek and sits on the estuary of the Goshi River. Kilifi is the capital of Kilifi County and had a population of 122,899 during the 2009 census.
Takaungu is a historic Swahili town located on the Kenyan Coast between Mombasa and Malindi, in Kilifi County.
Lamu County is a county in Kenya located along the North Coast of the country and is one of the six Coastal Counties in Kenya. Its capital is the town of Lamu. It borders Tana River County to the southwest, Garissa County to the north, Somalia to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the South. It is the Smallest County in Kenya by population.
Diani Beach is a beach on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Mombasa, in Kwale County.
Kwale is a small town in Mombasa and the capital of Kwale County, Kenya. It is located at 4°10′28″S39°27′37″E; 30 km southwest of Mombasa and 15 km inland. The town had an urban population of 10,063. It is next to the Shimba Hills National Reserve.
Kilifi County is a County Located in the Kenyan coast .It was formed in 2010 as a result of a merger of Kilifi District and Malindi District, Kenya. Its capital is Kilifi and its largest town is Malindi. The county had a population of 1,453,787 people following the 2019 census and covers an area of 12,245.90 km2 (4,728.17 sq mi).
Kwale County is a county in the former Coast Province of Kenya. Its capital is Kwale, although Ukunda is the largest town.
The Segeju are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group mostly based in Tanzania's Tanga Region and Kenya's Kwale County. Most Segeju reside in the small coastal strip between the Tanzanian city of Tanga and the Kenyan-Tanzanian border. However, some Segeju have migrated to urban areas in other parts of Tanzania or Kenya, in hopes of better employment opportunities and quality of life. Segeju migration to urban areas often results in severance of community ties, leading to a lack of transmission of important cultural traditions and language.
Mariakani is a town in Kenya lying on the boundary of Kaloleni and Kinango subcounties in the former Coast Province of Kenya, 36 kilometres northwest of the port city of Mombasa.
Msambweni in Swahili) is a small fishing town and constituency in Kwale County of southeastern Kenya, formerly in Kwale District of Coast Province. The origin of the name, Msambwe refers to a hardy and wild fruits tree indigenous to the area. A few remnants of the Msambwe trees are still existing at Mkunguni Beach, Sawa Sawa Village. By road, Msambweni is 55.4 kilometres (34.4 mi) south of Mombasa and 46.5 kilometres (28.9 mi) northeast of Lunga Lunga on the Tanzanian border. As of 2009, the town had a population of 11,985 people.
Ukunda is a coastal town in the southern part of Mombasa city. It is adjacent to Diani Beach, a major tourist attraction. The urban population was 77,686 in 2019.
Nairobi City County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya. With an estimated population of 5,454,000 in 2024, it is the third-smallest in area of the counties, yet the most populous. It also serves as the capital of Kenya. The county entity was effected in 2013, replacing Nairobi City Council, which had been the long-standing unit of local administration since before Kenya's independence. The city county consists of eleven gazetted sub-counties and eighty-five electoral wards. On the national level, Nairobi also sends seventeen Members of Parliament across the constituencies, one County Woman Representative to the National Assembly; and one senator to the Senate. The county government, which is allotted devolved functions as stated in the Constitution of Kenya, is headed by a county governor, who appoints his/her cabinet. The county's legislature is headed by the County Speaker, who presides over the County Assembly. The Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) are elected from single-member districts and represent their respective electoral wards. Additional MCAs are also nominated by political parties as a form of affirmative action.
Sub-counties, formerly 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.
Mombasa District was one of the districts of Kenya. Its capital and the only town was Mombasa.
Kwale District was an administrative district in the Coast Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Kwale, although Msambweni and Ukunda are larger. The district was created by the colonial government, making it one of the original districts of Kenya.
A kaya is a sacred site of the Mijikenda people in the former Coast Province of Kenya. Often located within sacred forests, a kaya is considered to be an intrinsic source of ritual power and the origin of cultural identity; it is also a place of prayer for members of the Mijikenda ethnic group. The settlement, ritual centre, and fortified enclosure associated with the forest are also part of the kaya. This ecozone is thought to be the only living example of what the ecosystem was like during the early settlement period of the East African coast. In the present day, the kaya is also referred to as a traditional organizational unit of the Mijikenda. Eleven of the approximately 60 separate makaya have been grouped together and inscribed as the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mombasa Mainland Desalination Plant (MMDP), is a planned water purification project in Kenya.