Local authorities of Kenya
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Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling
local governance Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
in
urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...
s in
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
. From the 2013 general elections onwards Kenya will have three classes of local authorities: ''City'forms, ''Municipality'', and ''Town'' authorities. Subject to the Urban Areas and Cities Act of 2011, there are four authorities with city status:
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...
, the national capital,
Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town ...
,
Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victoria Basin. Apart from being an important p ...
and
Nakuru Nakuru is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County, and was formerly the capital of Rift Valley Province. As of 2019, Nakuru had an urban and rural population of 570,674 inhabitants, making it the largest ...
. Municipalities and towns are other forms of urban authorities and are generally named after their central town. Local authorities usually differ from divisional and
constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
boundaries used by the state administration. Under the former act of parliament local authority administration consisted of a mayor, town clerk and
councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
s. The number of councillors depended on population and area of each authority and they were elected by the public during the Kenya general elections held every five years or by-elections held in between. Authorities were divided into wards and each ward elects only one councillor. Wards have often common boundaries with administrative locations. Compared to many other countries, local authorities in Kenya were weak and are shadowed by state run
administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...
.Samuel O. Owuor, B. Charlery, M. Chretin and B. Schaffner: Urban planning and management in small and medium-size towns In: Les Cahiers d’Afrique de l’Est – Supplementary Issue, 23–48, September 2006 However, during the international Africities summit held in Nairobi September 2006, the Kenyan president
Mwai Kibaki Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013 and is regarded as one of Kenya's founding fathers. He had previously ser ...
promised to strengthen local authorities. Under Kenya's new devolved system of government, the elected councils were dissolved and are set to be replaced by boards, in the case of city councils, and administrators, in the case of municipal and town councils, appointed by the county governments.THE URBAN AREAS AND CITIES ACT, http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTAFRICA/Resources/257994-1335471959878/Urban_Areas_and_Cities_Act_2011.pdf


List of local authorities in Kenya

These are the local authorities, dissolved in 2013, that operated under the old local authorities act.


Nairobi County

**
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...
city


Kiambu County

** Kiambu municipality ** Kiambu county council ** Limuru municipality **
Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: *Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya *Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Centr ...
town council ** Karuri town council *
Thika District Thika District is a former administrative district in the Central Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Thika. The district was adjacent to the northeastern border of Nairobi. The district had a population of 645.71 In 2010, the district was e ...
**
Thika Thika Thika (pronounced ˆÎ¸ika is an industrial town and a major commerce hub in Kiambu County, Kenya, lying on the A2 road 42 kilometres (26 mi) Northeast of Nairobi, near the confluence of the Thika and Chania Rivers. Although Thika town is ...
municipality ** Thika county council ** Ruiru municipality


Kirinyaga County

**
Kerugoya Kerugoya is the biggest town in Kirinyaga County. Kerugoya is located 10 kilometres east of Karatina and 40 kilometres west of Embu. It is situated in the former District of Kirinyaga. Travel directions by road from Nairobi, is through Thika road ...
/ Kutus municipality ** Kirinyaga county council ** Sagana town council


Nyandarua County

** Ol Kalou town council ** Nyandarua county council


Nyeri County

** Nyeri municipality ** Nyeri county council **
Karatina Karatina is a town in Nyeri County, Kenya. It hosts a municipal council and the headquarters of Mathira East district. Karatina municipality has a total population of 6,852, all classified as urban (1999 census). It has six electoral wards, all ...
municipality ** Othaya town council


Murang'a County

* Murang'a District **
Murang'a Murang'a (or Muranga) is a town in Murang'a County of Kenya. Before the independence of Kenya in 1963, this town used to be called Fort Hall. It is the administrative centre of Murang'a County and is mainly inhabited by the Kikuyu people, Kikuy ...
municipality ** Murang'a county council **
Kangema Kangema is a settlement in Muranga County, Kenya. It is the birthplace of James Mwangi, the Group Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Equity Group Holdings Limited, the banking conglomerate with the largest customer base o ...
town council * Maragua District ** Maragua town council ** Maragua county council ** Kandara town council ** Makuyu town council


Kilifi County

** Kilifi town council ** Kilifi county council ** Mariakani town council


Kwale County

**
Kwale Kwale is a small town in and the capital of Kwale County, Kenya. It is located at around ; 30 km southwest of Mombasa and 15 km inland. The town has an urban population of 10,063 (2019 census). It is next to the Shimba Hills National ...
town council ** Kwale county council *
Malindi District Malindi District was a former administrative district in the Coast Province of Kenya. Its capital was the coastal town of Malindi. When it was eliminated and merged into Kilifi County in 2010, the district had a population of 544,30 Malindi Town i ...
** Malindi municipality ** Malindi county council


Lamu County

**
Lamu Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya. Situated by road northeast of Mombasa that ends at Mokowe Jetty, from where the sea channel has to be crossed to reach Lamu Island ...
county council


Mombasa County

**
Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town ...
municipality


Taita-Taveta County

** Taita-Taveta county council ** Taveta town council **
Voi Voi is the largest town in Taita-Taveta County in southern Kenya, in the former Coast Province. It lies at the western edge of the Taru Desert, south and west of the Tsavo East National Park. The Sagala Hills are to the south. Economy Voi is a ...
municipality


Tana River County

** Tana river- Hola ** Tana delta- Garseni ** Tana north - Bura


Embu County

**
Embu Embu may refer to: Places ; in Brazil * Embu das Artes * Embu-Guaçu ; in Kenya * Embu, Kenya * Embu County Other *Embu people of Kenya *Embu language Embu, also known as Kîembu, is a Bantu language of Kenya. It is spoken by the Embu peopl ...
municipality ** Embu county council ** Runyenjes municipality * Mbeere District ** Mbeere county council


Isiolo County

**
Isiolo Isiolo is a town in Isiolo County, of which it is the capital. It is located in the upper eastern region of Kenya and geographically considered the centre of the country Kenya. It lies 285 kilometres north of the capital Nairobi. The town grew a ...
county council


Kitui County

**
Kitui Kitui is a town and capital of Kitui County in Kenya, 180 kilometres east of Nairobi and 105 kilometres east of Machakos. it covers an area approximately 30,496.4 km squares and lies between latitudes 0°10 South and 3°0 South and longitudes ...
municipality ** Kitui county council *
Mwingi District Mwingi District was a former district of Kenya, located in the now defunct Eastern Province. The district had a population of 303.828 (1999 census). Its capital was Mwingi town. Local people are mostly of the Akamba tribe. North of Mwingi town, ...
**
Mwingi Mwingi is a town in the Kitui County in the Eastern Region of the Republic of Kenya. It has an urban population of 15,970 (2009 census). The town is located along the A3 Road between Nairobi and Garissa, north of its county capital Kitui, and eas ...
town council ** Mwingi county council


Makueni County

** Wote town council ** Makueni county council **
Mtito Andei Mtito Andei is a town in Makueni County, Kenya. Location Mtito Andei is located in Makueni County, in the country's southeastern region, , by road southeast of Nairobi, the capital. The geographic coordinates of Mtito Andei are:2° 41' 24.00" ...
town council


Machakos County

**
Machakos Machakos, also called Masaku is a town in Kenya, southeast of Nairobi. It is the capital of the Machakos County, Kenya. Its population is rapidly growing and was 150,041 as of 2009 and Machakos County had a population of 1,421,932 as of 201 ...
municipality ** Masaku county council ** Mavoko municipality (Athi River town) **
Kangundo Kangundo is a town in Kenya's Machakos County in the lower eastern region of Kenya. Kangundo-Tala Officially Kangundo- Tala's population is the 9th largest of any urban area in Kenya. Tala is part of Kangundo town council. Towns in Machakos C ...
town council ** Matuu town council


Marsabit County

** Marsabit county council ** Moyale county council


Meru County

* Meru Central District **
Meru Meru may refer to: Geography Kenya * Meru, Kenya, a city in Meru County, Kenya ** Meru County, created by the merger of *** Meru Central District *** Meru North District *** Meru South District * Meru National Park, a Kenyan wildlife park Tanz ...
municipality ** Meru county council *
Meru North District Meru North District was one of the unconstitutionally created districts of Kenya, located in that country's Eastern Province. In 1992, it was split from the large Meru District, along with Meru Central District, Meru South District (Nithi), and T ...
(Nyambene District) ** Maua 0796845615municipality ** Myambene county council


Tharaka-Nithi County

* Meru South District ** Chuka municipality ** Chogoria town council ** Meru south county council *
Tharaka District Tharaka-Nithi County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya located in Kenya's former Eastern Province. The county has an area of 2609 km2 and as of the 2019 census a population of 393,177. Tharaka-Nithi County is the home to the Chuka, Mutha ...
** Tharaka county council


Garissa County

**
Garissa Garissa ( so, Gaarrisa) is the capital of Garissa County, Kenya. It is situated in the former North Eastern Province. Geography The Tana River, which rises in Mount Kenya east of Nyeri, flows through the Garissa. The Bour-Algi Giraffe Sanc ...
municipality ** Garissa county council * Ijara District **
Ijara Ijara is a town and Sub-County in Garissa County, Kenya. It was previously capital of the former Ijara District. It is located 100 km north of Lamu and 180 km south of Garissa. Alternate meanings ''Ijara'' means rent in Arabic. ...
county council


Mandera County

** Mandera town council ** Mandera county council


Wajir County

** Wajir county council *
Gucha District Gucha District was a former district in Nyanza Province, western Kenya. It was also known by the name: South Kisii District or Ogembo District. In 1999, its population was approximately 461,00 Its district headquarters were at Ogembo which houses mo ...
**
Ogembo Ogembo is a small farming town in Kisii County, Kenya. Her inhabitants are the abagusii community. The town started around 1860 by the locals and around 1920s it became a commercial center for the Indians and a government centre for the colonial r ...
town council ** Gucha county council ** Nyamarambe town council ** Nyamache town council ** Tabaka town council


Homa Bay County

** Homa Bay municipality ** Homa Bay county council


Kisii County

* Kisii Central District ** Kisii municipality ** Gusii county council ** Keroka town council ** Suneka town council ** Masimba town council


Nyamira County

**
Nyamira Nyamira is a town in Kenya. It is the capital of its Nyamira County Nyamira County is a county in the former Nyanza Province of Kenya. It shares common boundaries with what was known as Nyamira District. The main cash crops grown are bananas ...
town council ** Nyamira county council ** Nyansiongo town council


Kisumu County

**
Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victoria Basin. Apart from being an important p ...
municipality ** Kisumu county council


Migori County

* Kuria District **
Kehancha Kehancha is a town in Kenya's Migori County Migori County is a county in the former Nyanza Province of southwestern Kenya. It is located in Southwestern Kenya and borders Homa Bay County (North), Kisii County (North E), Narok (South East), ...
municipality * Migori District ** Migori municipality ** Migori county council ** Rongo town council **
Awendo Awendo is a town in Migori County, Kenya;also known as Sare Awendo. Sport * Green Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium A multi-purpose stadium is a type of stadium designed to be easily used by multiple types of events. While any stadium could ...
town council * Rachuonyo District ** Oyugis town council ** Kendu Bay town council ** Rachuonyo county council


Siaya County

** Siaya municipality ** Siaya county council ** Yala town council **
Ugunja Ugunja town is a market town in western Kenya, located in Ugunja Division, Siaya County. It has a population of approximately 17,000 and is rapidly growing. Ugunja Division had a population of 79,113 according to the 1999 Kenyan census. Most of th ...
town council ** Ukwala town council * Suba District ** Mbita Point town council ** Suba county council * Bondo District ** Bondo town council ** Bondo county council


Baringo County

*
Baringo District Baringo County is one of the 47 counties in Kenya. It is located in the former Rift Valley Province. Its headquarters and largest town is Kabarnet. The county is home to Lake Baringo. Geographical location Baringo bounded by Turkana County an ...
** Kabarnet municipality ** Baringo county council


Bomet County

** Bomet municipality ** Bomet county council * Buret District ** Litein town council ** Buret county council **
Sotik Sotik town is an urban centre situated in Sotik Sub-county within Bomet County in the Western region of Kenya and managed by Sotik Town Council. Initially, it was the home of Mugenik Barngetuny Araap Sitonik, a prominent Kipsigis prophet o ...
town council


Elgeyo Marakwet County

* Keiyo District **
Iten Iten is a town in Elgeyo-Marakwet County in the Republic of Kenya. Iten serves as the capital and is the largest town in the county. The town is located along the road between Eldoret and Kabarnet at the junction of the road heading to Kapsowar ...
/ Tambach town council ** Keiyo county council * Marakwet District ** Marakwet county council


Kajiado County

**
Kajiado Kajiado is a town in Kajiado County, Kenya. The town is located south of Nairobi, along the Nairobi – Arusha highway (A104 road). Kajiado has an urban population of 24,678 (2019 census). Local people are predominantly of the Maasai tribe. ...
town council ** Olkejuado county council


Kericho County

** Kericho municipality ** Kipsigis county council ** Londiani town council ** Kipkelion town council * Koibatek District ** Eldama Ravine town council ** Koibatek county council


Laikipia County

** Nanyuki municipality ** Laikipia county council ** Nyahururu municipality **
Rumuruti Rumuruti is a town in Laikipia County in Kenya's former Rift Valley Province. It is approximately 40 kilometers due north from Nyahururu, on the Nyahururu-Maralal road ( A4). Despite being smaller than either Nanyuki or Nyahururu, which are on the ...
town council


Nakuru County

**
Nakuru Nakuru is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County, and was formerly the capital of Rift Valley Province. As of 2019, Nakuru had an urban and rural population of 570,674 inhabitants, making it the largest ...
city ** Nakuru County Council ** Naivasha municipality ** Molo municipality ** Gilgil municipality


Nandi County

**
Kapsabet Kapsabet is a town in Kenya. It is the capital of Nandi County and is located 40 kilometres southwest of Eldoret on the way to Chavakali. The name Kapsabet comes from "Kap"- 'belong to/area of' and "sabit" or "sobet" – 'live' and has come t ...
municipality ** Nandi county council ** Nandi Hills town council


Narok County

**
Narok Narok (sometimes referred to as Narok Town) is a town west of Nairobi that supports Kenya's economy in south-west of the country, along the Great Rift Valley. Narok is the district capital of the Narok County and stands as the major centre of ...
town council ** Narok county council * Trans Mara District ** Trans Mara county council (Kilgoris)


Samburu County

** Maralal town council ** Samburu county council


Trans-Nzoia County

**
Kitale Kitale is an agricultural town in northern Rift Valley Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherangany Hills at an elevation of around . Its population is 106,187 as of 2009. Kitale is the headquarter town of Trans-Nzoia County. Kitale is r ...
municipality ** Nzoia county council


Turkana County

** Lodwar municipality ** Turkana county council ** Nanam Ward in Turkana West serves as the main source of minerals, contact Lokarach Titus for more details. 0720703380


Uasin Gishu County

**
Eldoret Eldoret is a principal town in the Rift Valley region of Kenya and serves as the capital of Uasin Gishu County. The town was referred to by white settlers as Farm 64, 64 and colloquially by locals as 'Sisibo'. As per the 2019 Kenya Population ...
municipality ** Wareng county council ** Burnt Forest town council


West Pokot County

** Kapenguria municipality ** Pokot county council **
Chepareria Chepareria is a town located in West Pokot County, Rift Valley Province of Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital ...
town council


Bungoma County

** Bungoma municipality ** Bungoma county council ** Kimilili municipality ** Sirisia town council ** Malakisi town council **
Webuye Webuye, previously named Broderick Falls, is an industrial town in Bungoma County, Kenya. Located on the main road to Uganda, the town is home to the Pan African Paper Mills, the largest paper factory in the region, as well as a number of heav ...
municipality *
Mount Elgon District Mount Elgon District (Mt. Elgon District) was an administrative district in the Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Kapsokwony. In 2010, it was merged into Bungoma County. Geography and demographics The district was located on south ...
** Mount Elgon county council


Busia County

** Busia municipality ** Busia county council ** Funyula town council **
Nambale Nambale is a settlement in Kenya's Busia County Busia is a county in the former Western Province of Kenya. It borders Kakamega County to the east, Bungoma County to the north, Lake Victoria and Siaya County to the south and Busia District, U ...
town council ** Port Victoria town council * Teso District ** Malaba town council ** Teso county council


Kakamega County

** Kakamega municipality ** Kakamega county council ** Malava town council *
Butere/Mumias District Butere/Mumias District was an administrative district in the Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Butere. The district had a population of 476,928 (1999 census) and an area of 939 km In 2010, the district was eliminated and incorpo ...
** Butere-Mumias county council **
Mumias Mumias is a town in Kakamega County of Kenya. The town has an urban population of 116,358 (2009 census). Mumias was the centre of the Mumias District. The town is linked by road to Kakamega (in east), Busia (west), Bungoma (north), Butere (south) ...
municipality * Lugari District ** Lugari county council


Vihiga County

**
Vihiga Vihiga is a town in Kenya located on the eastern side of the Kakamega Forest. Geography The town is along the road between Kisumu and Kakamega, and only five kilometres north of the equator. Vihiga bears the same name as its county, Vihiga Count ...
municipality ** Vihiga county council **
Luanda Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seapo ...
town council


See also

* Subdivisions of Kenya


References


External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110103012703/http://www.localgovernment.go.ke/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20071103080803/http://www.algak.net/ * http://treasury.go.ke/cbs.go.ke/pdf/authority.pdf {{DEFAULTSORT:Local Authorities Of Kenya Subdivisions of Kenya Government agencies of Kenya