Kitui County at a glance

GEOGRAPHY

Location: Located in Eastern Kenya, it borders the following counties; Tana River to the East and South East, Taita Taveta to the South, Makueni and Machakos to the West, Embu to the North West, and Tharaka and Meru to the North.

Area (Km 2): 30,496.5 Km 2

Climate/Weather: Temperatures range from a minimum of 14°C to a maximum of 34°C. The rainfall ranges from 500mm to 1050mm per annum in different parts of the county.

Road Network: Bitumen Surface (Data Not Available), Gravel Surface (399.2 Km), Earth Surface (1072.2 Km)

Key National Monument(s): Tsavo East National Park, Mwingi National Reserve

POPULATION

Population: 1,012,709 (Male – 48 %, Female – 52 %)

Population Density: 33 people per Km 2

National Percentage: 2.6 %

Annual Growth Rate: 2.2%

Age Distribution: 0-14 years (46.6 %), 15-64 years (48.2 %), 65+ years (5.2 %)

Number of Households: 205,491

GOVERNMENT

County Capital: Kitui Town (proposed)

Number of Constituencies (2010): 6 (Mwingi North, Mwingi South, Kitui West, Kitui Central, Mutito, Kitui South)

Registered Voters: 321,800

National percentage: 2.6 %

Number of Districts (2010): 4 (Kitui, Mutomo, Mwingi, Kyuso)

Number of Local Authorities (2010): 4 (Municipal Council of Kitui, County Council of Kitui, Town Council of Mwingi, and County Council of Mwingi)

ECONOMICS

Poverty Level: 63%

Age Dependency Ratio: 100:108

Resources: Arable Land, Wildlife, Livestock, Forests, Minerals

Tourist Attractions: Mwingi National Reserve, Tsavo East National Park

Financial Services: 4 Commercial Banks, 8 Micro-Finance

Main Economic Activities/industries: Livestock keeping, Tobacco, Cotton, Coffee, Mangoes, Commercial businesses

Agricultural products: Livestock Products, Maize, Beans, Sorghum, Pigeon Peas, Cowpeas, Cassava, Millet

EDUCATION

Number of Institutions (2007): Primary (1,096), Secondary (181)

Primary: Enrolment (328,528)

Teacher to Pupil Ratio: 1: 41 (Public Schools)

Secondary: Enrolment (46,100)

Teacher to Pupil Ratio: 1:34 (Public Schools)

Tertiary: Over 60 (Comprised of University Satellite Campuses, Youth Polytechnics, Teacher Training Colleges, Medical Training College, Technical Colleges, and Several Commercial Colleges)
Adult Literacy Classes: Enrolment (Over 3,500)

HEALTH

Health Facilities: 261 - District Hospitals (3), Sub-District Hospitals (8), Dispensaries (189), Health Centres (23), Medical Clinics (30), Nursing Homes (5), Others (3)

Doctor to Population Ratio: 1:16,047 (Kitui District), 1:50,701 (Mwingi District)

Compiled by Institute of Economic Affairs: decentralization@ieakenya.or.ke