7 Most populated counties in Kenya
President Mwai Kibaki (right) unveils Kenya's last census held in 2009. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Kenya's first census was conducted in 1948.
- According to the last census carried out by KNBS in 2009, Kenya’s population stood at 38,610,097.
- The world marks World Population Day on July 11.
In Kenya, a census is conducted every 10 years by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). Kenya’s first census was conducted in 1948. This was 23 years after the colonial government appointed its first official statistician.
According to the last census carried out by KNBS in 2009, Kenya’s population stood at 38, 610,097 -- a 10-million spike from the 1999 census that showed Kenya’s population to be 28 million.
In 2016, KNBS published a report on the projected population of Kenya and it stood at 45.8 million.
KNBS is currently preparing to carry out the eighth census in Kenya’s history, that will be held in August 2019.
As we gear up to mark World Population Day on July 11, let us look at the seven most populated counties in Kenya as recorded in the 2009 census while comparing the numbers with the population projections published in a report by KNBS in 2016.
1. Nairobi County had a population of 3,138, 369 in the last census. The county has an area of 695.1sq.km. The projected population as of 2016 stands at 4,463,149.
2. Kakamega County recorded a population of 1,660,651 in the 2009 census. It has an area of 3,051.2 sq.km. Projected population of the county as per the 2016 report is 1,875,531.
3.Kiambu County had a population of 1,623,282 in 2009. The county has an area of 2543.4 sq.km. Projected population stands at 1,868,208.
A report by the Kenya National Bureau of Standards (KNBS) estimated Kenya's population as of 2016 at 45.8 million. PHOTO | FILE
4.Nakuru County had a population of 1,603,325 in the last census. It occupies an area of 7,495.1sq.km and its population projection stands at 2,031,247.
5.Bungoma County had a population of 1,374,477 in the last census. The county has an area of 3,592.8sq.km. The projected population stands at 1,553,434.
6.Meru County recorded a population of 1,356,301. It occupies an area 6,936.2 sq.km. Projected population of the county as per the 2016 report is 1,470,801.
7. Kisii County had a population of 1,152,282 in 2009. The county occupies an area of 1,317.5sq.km. Its projected population as per the 2016 report is 1,346,547.
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and his family participate in the 1969 national census at State House in Mombasa. PHOTO | FILE
Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: Statistical Abstract 2017
