Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling
local governance in
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
s in
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
.
From the 2013 general elections onwards Kenya will have three classes of local authorities: ''City'', ''Municipality'', and ''Town'' authorities. Subject to the Urban Areas and Cities Act of 2011, there are five authorities with city status:
Nairobi
Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
, the national capital,
Mombasa
Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
,
Kisumu
Kisumu ( ) is the third-largest city in Kenya located in the Lake Victoria area in the former Nyanza Province. It is the second-largest city after Kampala in the Lake Victoria Basin. The city has a population of slightly over 600,000. The ...
,
Nakuru and
Eldoret
Eldoret is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It serves as the capital of Uasin Gishu County. Located in western Kenya and lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about at the Eldoret International Air ...
. 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 (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...
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, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...
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
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
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: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...
.
[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.
He served in various leadership positions in Kenya's government including ...
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 city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
city
Kiambu County
**
Kiambu municipality
** Kiambu county council
**
Limuru
Limuru is a town in central Kenya. It serves as both a parliamentary constituency and an administrative division. As of 2004, the town's population was approximately 4,800, which significantly increased to 159,314 by the 2019 census.
Location
Li ...
municipality
**
Kikuyu town council
**
Karuri town council
*
Thika District
**
Thika municipality
** Thika county council
**
Ruiru municipality
**
Juja Municipality
Kirinyaga County
**
Kerugoya/
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 municipality
**
Othaya town council
Murang'a County
*
Murang'a District
**
Murang'a
Murang'a is a town in Murang'a County of Kenya. It is the administrative headquarters of Murang'a County and is mainly inhabited by the Kikuyu community. Before the Kenyan independence in 1963, the town was known as Fort Hall. Fort Hall was ...
municipality
** Murang'a county council
**
Kangema 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
Malindi District
***
Malindi
Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Sabaki River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi was 119,859 as of the 2019 census. It is the largest urban centr ...
municipality
*** Malindi county council
Kwale County
**
Kwale town council
** Kwale county council
Lamu County
**
Lamu county council
Mombasa County
**
Mombasa
Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
municipality
Taita-Taveta County
** Taita-Taveta county council
**
Taveta town council
**
Voi 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, the Bantu language spoken by them
{{Disamb, geo ...
municipality
** Embu county council
**
Runyenjes municipality
*
Mbeere District
** Mbeere county council
Isiolo County
**
Isiolo county council
Kitui County
**
Kitui municipality
** Kitui county council
*
Mwingi District
**
Mwingi town council
** Mwingi county council
Makueni County
**
Wote town council
** Makueni county council
**
Mtito Andei town council
Machakos County
**
Machakos municipality
** Masaku county council
**
Mavoko municipality (Athi River town)
**
Kangundo town council
**
Matuu town council
Marsabit County
**
Marsabit county council
**
Moyale county council
Meru County
*
Meru Central District
**
Meru municipality
** Meru county council
*
Meru North District (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 county council
Garissa County
**
Garissa municipality
** Garissa county council
*
Ijara District
**
Ijara county council
Mandera County
**
Mandera town council
** Mandera county council
Wajir County
**
Wajir county council
Homa Bay County
**
Homa Bay
Homa Bay is a town (and eponymous bay) on the south shore of Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, in western Kenya. It lies near Mount Homa (in the Luo language ''Got Marahuma'' or ''God Uma'' famous mountain" and Ruma National Park, the latter note ...
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 town council
** Nyamira county council
**
Nyansiongo town council
*
Gucha District
**
Ogembo town council
** Gucha county council
**
Nyamarambe town council
**
Nyamache town council
**
Tabaka town council
Kisumu County
**
Kisumu
Kisumu ( ) is the third-largest city in Kenya located in the Lake Victoria area in the former Nyanza Province. It is the second-largest city after Kampala in the Lake Victoria Basin. The city has a population of slightly over 600,000. The ...
municipality
** Kisumu county council
Migori County
*
Kuria District
**
Kehancha municipality
*
Migori District
**
Migori
Luo people, Migori county 044, also known as Suna-Migori, is a multi-ethnic municipal town which acts as the capital of Migori County, Kenya. The town is located 63 kilometers south of Kisii, Kenya, Kisii town and 22 km north of the T ...
municipality
** Migori county council
**
Rongo town council
**
Awendo town council
*
Rachuonyo District
**
Oyugis town council
**
Kendu Bay town council
** Rachuonyo county council
Siaya County
**
Siaya
Siaya is a municipality and the capital of Siaya County, Kenya. It is located northwest of Kisumu. The urban center had a population of 33,153 in 2019.
Siaya municipality has five wards: Mjini, Siaya Central, Siaya East, Siaya North and Siaya ...
municipality
** Siaya county council
**
Yala town council
**
Ugunja 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
**
Kabarnet
Kabarnet is a town in Baringo County, Kenya. According to the 2019 census, the town had a population of 22,474 with 10,943 (48.8%) of them being males and 11,531(51.1%) of them being females.
Geography
At an altitude of 1,815 metres (5,957 fe ...
municipality
** Baringo county council
Bomet County
**
Bomet municipality
** Bomet county council
*
Buret District
**
Litein town council
** Buret county council
**
Sotik town council
Elgeyo Marakwet County
*
Keiyo District
Keiyo District (also known as ''Elgeyo district'' or Elgeiyo) is a defunct Districts of Kenya, administrative district in the former Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The district was formed in 1994, when the Elgeyo-Marakwet District was split into tw ...
**
Iten/
Tambach town council
** Keiyo county council
*
Marakwet District
** Marakwet county council
Kajiado County
**
Kajiado town council
**
Olkejuado county council
Kericho County
**
Kericho municipality
** Kipsigis county council
**
Londiani
Londiani is a town in Kericho County, Kenya. It is 49 km from Kericho, which is about a 50-minute drive. As of 2009, it had a total population of 44,953.
Transport
Londiani is located in the Kipkelion East Constituency between Nakuru an ...
town council
**
Kipkelion town council
*
Koibatek District
**
Eldama Ravine town council
** Koibatek county council
Laikipia County
**
Nanyuki
Nanyuki is a market town in Laikipia County of Kenya lying northwest of Mount Kenya along the A2 road (Kenya), A2 road and at the terminus of the branch railway from Nairobi. The name is derived from Enyaanyukie Maasai word for resemblance.
It ...
municipality
** Laikipia county council
**
Nyahururu municipality
**
Rumuruti town council
Nakuru County
**
Nakuru city
**
Nakuru County Council
**
Naivasha municipality
**
Molo municipality
**
Gilgil municipality
Nandi County
**
Kapsabet municipality
** Nandi county council
**
Nandi Hills town council
Narok County
**
Narok 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 municipality
** Nzoia county council
Turkana County
**
Lodwar municipality
** Turkana county council
Uasin Gishu County
**
Eldoret
Eldoret is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It serves as the capital of Uasin Gishu County. Located in western Kenya and lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about at the Eldoret International Air ...
municipality
**
Wareng county council
**
Burnt Forest town council
**
moi's bridges town Council
West Pokot County
**
Kapenguria municipality
** Pokot county council
**
Chepareria town council
Bungoma County
**
Bungoma municipality
** Bungoma county council
**
Kimilili municipality
**
Sirisia town council
**
Malakisi town council
**
Webuye municipality
*
Mount Elgon District
Mount Elgon District (Mt. Elgon District) was an districts of Kenya, administrative district in the Western Province (Kenya), Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Kapsokwony. In 2010, it was merged into Bungoma County.
Geography and de ...
** Mount Elgon county council
Busia County
**
Busia municipality
** Busia county council
**
Funyula town council
**
Nambale 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 county council
**
Mumias municipality
*
Lugari District
**
Lugari county council
Vihiga County
**
Vihiga municipality
** Vihiga county council
**
Luanda
Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...
town council
See also
*
Subdivisions of Kenya
The subdivisions of Kenya have been in place since 2010, replacing the old system. Under the Constitution of 2010 and other reforms to Provincial Administration the country acquired a new system of Counties. The previous Provinces were scrapped ...
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