Kilifi County

Kilifi County
An African pied wagtail in Kilifi, Kenya
Flag of Kilifi County
Coat of arms of Kilifi County
Location in Kenya
Location in Kenya
CountryKenya
Formed4 March 2013
CapitalKilifi
Government
 • GovernorGideon Mung'aro
Area
 • Total12,245.9 km2 (4,728.2 sq mi)
Population
(2019)
 • Total1,453,787
 • Density120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Websitewww.kilifi.go.ke

Kilifi County 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. Kilifi county is one of the five counties that make up the Kenyan Coast. The county has a population of 1,453,787 people following the 2019 census which covers an area of 12,245.90 km2 (4,728.17 sq mi).

The county is located north and northeast of Mombasa. Kilifi has fewer tourists than Mombasa County, however there is some tourism in Kikambala, Watamu, Malindi and Kilifi. The county is known for the Ruins of Gedi, which includes mosques and tombs dating from the 11th to the 17th century.

Tourism

Tourism and fishing in Kilifi County are the major economic activities due to its proximity to the Indian Ocean. The major tourist attractions in Kilifi County are the Ruins of Gedi, Watamu Marine National Park, the Malindi Museum, the Rabai Museum, Matungu Beach, and the Kaya forest. It also contains the Mnarani ruins that date back to between the 14th and 17th century.

Economy

The county has a strong industrial sector with the Mabati Rolling Mill and the Athi River Cement Factory contributing heavily to the region's economy in employment provision and income generation.

Agriculture

Opportunities exist in agriculture, particularly dairy and crop farming thanks to fertile soil and good weather. The county had a successful cashew nut milling industry. Maize and cassava are the main subsistence crops and the main cash crops grown in the county include coconuts, cashew nuts, sisal, citrus fruits, mangoes and pineapples .

Demographics

Kilifi county has a total population of 1,453,787, of which 704,089 are males, 749,673 are females and 25 are intersex persons. There are 298,472 households, with 4.4 persons per household on average, and a population density of 116 people per square kilometre. The major communities living in Kilifi County include Mijikenda, Swahili, Bajuni, Indians, Arabs and Europeans.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1979 430,986—    
1989 591,903+37.3%
1999 825,855+39.5%
2009 1,109,735+34.4%
2019 1,453,787+31.0%
source:

Religion

 Christian (68%)
 Muslim (18%)
 Other Religions (4%)
 Atheist (10%)

Religion in Kilifi County

Kilifi County has a Christian majority, with 68% of residents professing Christianity. 18% of residents are Muslim and 10% are atheist.

Administrative divisions

Kilifi county has 7 sub-counties and 35 county assembly wards.

Constituencies

The county has 7 Constituencies:

Constituency Population

(2009 census)

Area (km2) Number of wards Wards
Kilifi North 207,587 405 7 Tezo, Sokoni, Kibarani, Dabaso, Matsangoni, Watamu, Mnarani
Kilifi South 171,607 401 5 Junju, Mwarakaya, Shimo la Tewa, Chasimba, Mtepeni
Kaloleni 139,302 651 4 Mariakani, Kayafungo, Kaloleni, Mwana Mwinga
Rabai 113,622 241 4 Mwawesa, Ruruma, Kambe-Ribe, Rabai/Kisurutuni
Ganze 137,664 2,942 4 Ganze, Bamba, Jaribuni, Sokoke
Malindi 162,712 627 5 Jilore, Kakuyuni, Ganda, Malindi Town, Shella
Magarini 177,241 6,979 6 Maarafa, Magarini, Gongoni, Adu, Garashi, Sabaki
Total 1,109,735 12,245.90 35

Bahari Constituency, which was formed in 1988, was disbanded in 2013 and superseded by two new constituencies, Kilifi North Constituency and Kilifi South Constituency.

Politics

Gideon Mung'aro is the current governor of Kilifi County, having served since August 2022.Stewart Madzayo has represented Kilifi County in the Senate since 2017. Gertrude Mbeyu Mwanyanje is the woman representative elected in 2017.

County Executive Committee
Number
The Governor 1
The Deputy Governor 1
The County Secretary 1
The CEC Members 10
Total 13

Source

Education

Kilifi County has 1071 ECD centres, 757 primary schools, 178 secondary schools, 13 youth polytechnics, and 280 adult education centres.

Educational institutions in Kilifi County, 2014
Category Public Private Total Enrolment
ECD Centres 602 469 1071 104,362
Primary schools 526 231 757 310,007
Secondary schools 132 46 178 47,010
Youth Polytechnics 13 0 13
Adult Education Centres 280 0 280

Health

There are a total of 235 health facilities in the county with one county referral hospital.

Health Facilities by Ownership
Government *FBO Private NGO TOTAL
Hospitals 5 2 10 0 17
Health centres 13 0 1 3 17
Dispensaries 70 11 2 4 87
Clinics 1 0 109 4 113

Transport and Communication

The county is covered by a network of 3,678.6 km of roads. Of this, 2,230.9 km is surfaced by earth, 1,091.5 km is surfaced by murram and 356.2 km is covered by bitumen.

The county's main highways are Mombasa Malindi highway and Kaloleni Mavueni.

There are 7 post offices, with 6,800 installed letter boxes, 6,120 rented letter boxes and 680 vacant letter boxes.

Image gallery

Villages and settlements

See also

3°40′00″S 39°45′00″E / 3.66667°S 39.75°E / -3.66667; 39.75


This page was last updated at 2024-03-24 15:56 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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