# Counties of Kenya

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. 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, and special woman members to the National Assembly.
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.

## Establishment

County governments were established in all 47 counties 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 and the 2019 census:
| Code | County | Former Province | Area (km$^2$) | Population (2009 Census) | Population (2019 Census) | Capital | Postal Abbreviations |
| 1 | Mombasa | Coast | 212.5 | 939,370 | 1,208,333 | Mombasa | MSA |
| 2 | Kwale | Coast | 8,270.3 | 649,931 | 866,820 | Kwale | KWL |
| 3 | Kilifi | Coast | 12,245.9 | 1,109,735 | 1,453,787 | Kilifi | KLF |
| 4 | Tana River | Coast | 35,375.8 | 240,075 | 315,943 | Hola | TRV |
| 5 | Lamu | Coast | 6,497.7 | 101,539 | 143,920 | Lamu | LMU |
| 6 | Taita–Taveta | Coast | 17,083.9 | 284,657 | 340,671 | Wundanyi | TVT |
| 7 | Garissa | North Eastern | 45,720.2 | 623,060 | 841,353 | Garissa | GRS |
| 8 | Wajir | North Eastern | 55,840.6 | 661,941 | 781,263 | Wajir | WJR |
| 9 | Mandera | North Eastern | 25,797.7 | 1,025,756 | 867,457 | Mandera | MDR |
| 10 | Marsabit | Eastern | 66,923.1 | 291,166 | 459,785 | Marsabit | MRS |
| 11 | Isiolo | Eastern | 25,336.1 | 143,294 | 268,002 | Isiolo | ISL |
| 12 | Meru | Eastern | 7,003.1 | 1,356,301 | 1,545,714 | Meru | MRU |
| 13 | Tharaka-Nithi | Eastern | 2,609.5 | 365,330 | 393,177 | Kathwana | TNT |
| 14 | Embu | Eastern | 2,555.9 | 516,212 | 608,599 | Embu | EMB |
| 15 | Kitui | Eastern | 24,385.1 | 1,012,709 | 1,136,187 | Kitui | KTU |
| 16 | Machakos | Eastern | 5,952.9 | 1,098,584 | 1,421,932 | Machakos | MCK |
| 17 | Makueni | Eastern | 8,008.9 | 884,527 | 987,653 | Wote | MKN |
| 18 | Nyandarua | Central | 3,107.7 | 596,268 | 638,289 | Ol Kalou | NDR |
| 19 | Nyeri | Central | 2,361.0 | 693,558 | 759,164 | Nyeri | NYR |
| 20 | Kirinyaga | Central | 1,205.4 | 528,054 | 610,411 | Kerugoya | KRG |
| 21 | Murang'a | Central | 2,325.8 | 942,581 | 1,056,640 | Murang'a | MRG |
| 22 | Kiambu | Central | 2,449.2 | 1,623,282 | 2,417,735 | Kiambu | KMB |
| 23 | Turkana | Rift Valley | 98,597.8 | 1,100,399 | 1,504,976 | Lodwar | TRK |
| 24 | West Pokot | Rift Valley | 8,418.2 | 512,690 | 621,241 | Kapenguria | WPK |
| 25 | Samburu | Rift Valley | 20,182.5 | 223,947 | 310,327 | Maralal | SBR |
| 26 | Trans-Nzoia | Rift Valley | 2,469.9 | 818,757 | 990,341 | Kitale | TNZ |
| 27 | Uasin Gishu | Rift Valley | 2,955.3 | 894,179 | 1,163,186 | Eldoret | UGS |
| 28 | Elgeyo-Marakwet | Rift Valley | 3,049.7 | 369,998 | 454,480 | Iten | EMK |
| 29 | Nandi | Rift Valley | 2,884.5 | 752,965 | 885,711 | Kapsabet | NDI |
| 30 | Baringo | Rift Valley | 11,075.3 | 555,561 | 666,763 | Kabarnet | BRG |
| 31 | Laikipia | Rift Valley | 8,696.1 | 399,227 | 518,560 | Rumuruti | LKP |
| 32 | Nakuru | Rift Valley | 7,509.5 | 1,603,325 | 2,162,202 | Nakuru | NKR |
| 33 | Narok | Rift Valley | 17,921.2 | 850,920 | 1,157,873 | Narok | NRK |
| 34 | Kajiado | Rift Valley | 21,292.7 | 687,312 | 1,117,840 | Kajiado | KJD |
| 35 | Kericho | Rift Valley | 2,454.5 | 752,396 | 901,777 | Kericho | KRC |
| 36 | Bomet | Rift Valley | 1,997.9 | 730,129 | 875,689 | Bomet | BMT |
| 37 | Kakamega | Western | 3,033.8 | 1,660,651 | 1,867,579 | Kakamega | KKG |
| 38 | Vihiga | Western | 531.3 | 554,622 | 590,013 | Mbale | VHG |
| 39 | Bungoma | Western | 2,206.9 | 1,375,063 | 1,670,570 | Bungoma | BGM |
| 40 | Busia | Western | 1,628.4 | 743,946 | 893,681 | Busia | BSA |
| 41 | Siaya | Nyanza | 2,496.1 | 842,304 | 993,183 | Siaya | SYA |
| 42 | Kisumu | Nyanza | 2,009.5 | 968,909 | 1,155,574 | Kisumu | KSM |
| 43 | Homa Bay | Nyanza | 3,154.7 | 963,794 | 1,131,950 | Homa Bay | HBY |
| 44 | Migori | Nyanza | 2,586.4 | 917,170 | 1,116,436 | Migori | MGR |
| 45 | Kisii | Nyanza | 1,317.9 | 1,152,282 | 1,266,860 | Kisii | KSI |
| 46 | Nyamira | Nyanza | 912.5 | 598,252 | 605,576 | Nyamira | NMR |
| 47 | Nairobi | Nairobi | 694.9 | 3,138,369 | 4,397,073 | Nairobi | NBI |
| | | | 581,309.0 | 38,610,997 | 47,564,296 | 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). The functions of governments assigned to counties by the fourth schedule of the Constitution of Kenya are:

### Agriculture

* Crop and animal husbandry
* Livestock sale yards
* County abattoirs (slaughterhouses)
* Plant and animal disease control
* Fisheries
* Kishada

### County health services

* County health facilities and pharmacies
* Ambulance services
* Promotion of primary health care
* Licensing and control of undertakings that sell food to the public
* Veterinary services (excluding regulation of the profession)
* Cemeteries, funeral parlors and crematoria
* Refuse removal, refuse dumps and solid waste disposal.
* Food distribution and Free services for pregnant mothers

### Pollution, nuisances and advertising control

* Control of air pollution, noise pollution, other public nuisances and outdoor advertising

### Cultural activities, public entertainment and public amenities

* Betting, casinos and other forms of gambling
* Racing
* Liquor licensing
* Cinemas
* Video shows and hiring
* Libraries
* Museums
* Sports and cultural activities and facilities
* County parks, beaches and recreation facilities
* Ice skating
* Sport fishing
* Golf
* Horse racing
* Rugby
* soccer

### County transport

* County roads
* Street lighting
* Traffic and parking
* Public road transport
* Ferries and harbors, excluding the regulation of international and national shipping and matters related thereto
* SGR- Madaraka Express (modern railway experience).

### Trade development and regulation

* Markets
* Trade licenses, excluding regulation of professions
* Fair trading practices
* Local tourism
* Cooperative societies

### County planning and development

* Statistics
* Land surveying, planning and mapping of resources
* Boundaries and fencing
* Housing
* Electricity and gas reticulation and energy regulation

### Education and childcare

* Pre-primary education, village polytechnics, homecraft center's and childcare facilities
* Adult education and national exam registration for the same.

### Policy implementation

* Implementation of specific national government policies on natural resources and environmental conservation
* Soil and water conservation
* Forestry

### County public works and services

* Stormwater management systems in built-up areas
* Water and sanitation 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

* Ensuring and coordinating the participation of communities and locations in governance at the local level
* Assisting communities and locations to develop the administrative capacity for the effective exercise of the functions and powers and participation in governance at the local level

## County executive committee

The county governor and the deputy county governor are the chief executive and deputy chief executive of the county, respectively. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission 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. Each county will be run by an executive committee, consisting of:
* A governor, elected directly by the people
* A deputy, elected as running mate of the successful candidate for governorship
* A number of committee members not exceeding a third (or ten where a county assembly has more than 30 members) of the members of the respective county assembly
* A county secretary, nominated by the governor and approved by the county assembly, who will double up as head of the county public service, and secretary to the county executive committee
Uniquely among democracies, Kenyan law requires governors to have a recognised university degree.

## County assemblies

The counties each have an assembly whose members are elected from single-member constituencies known as wards. 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. 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.