Jump to content

List of cities and towns in Kenya by population

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kenya has five incorporated cities including the capital and largest city, Nairobi, the second-largest city of Mombasa, and the third-largest city, Kisumu. The fourth city to be awarded the status was Nakuru, which was upgraded from a municipality on 1 December 2021. The fifth was Eldoret, which was elevated on 15 August 2024. Apart from these five cities, there are numerous municipalities and towns with significant urban populations.

Top 100 list

[edit]

The list:

Capital city
City
Municipality
Others

The municipalities of Ruiru, Kikuyu, Thika, Mavoko, and Ngong which feature on the top 10 list of the most populated towns in Kenya also fall within the Nairobi Metropolitan region. Data for the largest urban centers in Kenya was provided under the Kenya Population Census of 2019.[1]

№ City/ Town Status Population County Ref
1. NairobiCapital4,397,073 Nairobi[2]
2. MombasaCity1,208,333 Mombasa[3]
3.NakuruCity570,674Nakuru[3]
4.RuiruMunicipality490,120Kiambu[3]
5.EldoretCity475,716Uasin Gishu[3]
6.KisumuCity397,957Kisumu[3]
7.KikuyuMunicipality323,881Kiambu[3]
8.NgongMunicipality (Ngong + O/Rongai)279,757Kajiado[3]
9.MavokoMunicipality (Mlolongo + Athi River + Syokimau + Katani + Githunguri)258,498Machakos[4]
10.ThikaMunicipality251,407Kiambu/Murang'a[3]
11.NaivashaMunicipality198,444Nakuru[3]
12.KaruriMunicipality (Ruaka + Ndenderu) 194,342Kiambu[3]
13.KitaleMunicipality162,560Trans Nzoia[4]
14.JujaMunicipality156,041Kiambu[4]
15.KitengelaMunicipality (Kitengela + Kisaju)154,643Kajiado[4]
16.KiambuMunicipality155,896Kiambu[4]
17.MalindiMunicipality119,859Kilifi[4]
18.ManderaMunicipality114,718Mandera[4]
19.KisiiMunicipality112,417Kisii/Nyamira[4]
20.KakamegaMunicipality107,227Kakamega[4]
21.MtwapaMunicipality90,677Kilifi[4]
22.WajirMunicipality90,116Wajir[4]
23.LodwarMunicipality82,970Turkana[4]
24.LimuruMunicipality81,316Kiambu[4]
25.MeruMunicipality80,191Meru[4]
26.NyeriMunicipality80,081Nyeri[4]
27.IsioloMunicipality78,650Isiolo[4]
28.UkundaMunicipality (Diani Municipality)77,686Kwale[4]
29.KiserianTown Council76,903Kajiado[4]
30.KilifiMunicipality74,270Kilifi[4]
31.NanyukiMunicipality72,813Laikipia/Nyeri[4]
32.BusiaMunicipality71,886Busia[4]
33.MigoriMunicipality71,668Migori[4]
34.BungomaMunicipality68,031Bungoma[4]
35.NarokMunicipality65,430Narok[4]
36.EmbuMunicipality64,979Embu[4]
37.MachakosMunicipality63,767Machakos[4]
38.El WakMunicipality60,732Mandera[4]
39.GilgilMunicipality60,711Nakuru[4]
40.KimililiMunicipality56,050Bungoma[4]
41.KerichoMunicipality53,804Kericho[4]
42.VoiMunicipality53,353Taita-Taveta[4]
43.WanguruMunicipality51,722Kirinyaga[4]
44.HabasweinTown Council49,599Wajir[4]
45.TuriMunicipality48,356Nakuru[4]
46.MoyaleOther Centre47,850Marsabit[4]
47.Homa BayMunicipality44,949Homa Bay[4]
48.KenolOther Centre44,086Muranga[4]
49.MasalaniTown Council43,642Garissa[4]
50.MurangaMunicipality43,314Muranga[4]
51.WebuyeMunicipality42,642Bungoma[4]
52.NjoroTown Council42,173Nakuru[4]
53.KapsabetMunicipality41,997Nandi[4]
54.MumiasMunicipal41,942Kakamega[4]
55.Kerugoya-KutusMunicipality39,188Kirinyaga[4]
56.NyahururuMunicipality37,650Laikipia/Nyandarua[4]
57.MarsabitMunicipality36,289Marsabit[4]
58.RhamuTown Council35,644Mandera[4]
59.SiayaMunicipality33,153Siaya[4]
60.MariakaniMunicipality31,715Kwale/Kilifi[4]
60.MaralalMunicipality31,350Samburu[4]
61.Mairo-InyaMunicipality30,527Nyandarua[4]
62.KituiMunicipality29,062Kitui[4]
63.MakutanoTown Council28,469West Pokot[4]
64.ElburgonTown Council28,359Nakuru[4]
65.WatamuTown Council27,857Kilifi
66.LamuMunicipality25,385Lamu[4]
67.KajiadoMunicipality24,678Kajiado[4]
68.NyamiraMunicipality24,483Nyamira[4]
69.IsebaniaTown Council23,891Migori[4]
70.KaratinaMunicipality23,552Nyeri[4]
71.KakumaTown Council22,984Turkana[4]
72.LafeyTown Council22,882Mandera[4]
73.BondoMunicipality22,712Siaya[4]
74.KabarnetMunicipality22,474Baringo[4]
75.ChukaMunicipality22,388Tharaka-Nithi[4]
76.KehanchaMunicipality22,194Migori[4]
77.MauaMunicipality22,121Meru[4]
78.TavetaTown Council22,018Taita-Taveta[4]
79.TakabaTown Council114,718Mandera[4]
80.Eldama RavineTown Council21,385Baringo[4]
81.HolaMunicipality20,912Tana River[4]
82.Mai MahiuOther Centre20,823Nakuru[3]
83.RongoMunicipality20,688Migori[4]
84.OyugisMunicipality19,947Homabay[4]
85.WoteMunicipality19,725Makueni[4]
86.EmaliMunicipality62,404Makueni/Kajiado[4]
87.GarbatulaOther Centre17,443Isiolo[4]
88.MbaleOther Centre17,404Vihiga[4]
89.MwingiMunicipality17,025Kitui[4]
90.AwendoMunicipality16,815Migori[4]
91.KimininiTown Council16,560Trans Nzoia[4]
92.Moi's BridgeOther Centre16,355Uasin Gishu/Trans Nzoia[4]
93.MazerasOther Centre16,254Kwale/Kilifi[4]
94.MalabaMunicipality15,581Busia[4]
95.MakinduTown Council15,038Makueni[4]
96.BanissaOther Centre14,974Mandera[4]
97.MsambweniOther Centre14,951Kwale[4]
98.NamangaOther Centre14,922Kajiado[4]
99.MbitaMunicipality14,916Homa Bay[4]
100.IsinyaOther Centre14,429Kajiado[4]

Distribution

[edit]
County Number of Cities/ Towns
(Top 100)
Kiambu 7
Kajiado 5
Bungoma, Kericho, Kilifi, Kisumu, Machakos, Nakuru, Kisii 4
Busia, Homa Bay, Kajiado, Kakamega, Laikipia, Migori, Taita-Taveta 3
Embu, Kitui, Meru, Murang'a, Nyamira, Siaya, Turkana, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga 2
Baringo, Bomet, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Garissa, Isiolo, Kirinyaga, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Nandi, Narok, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Samburu, Tharaka-Nithi, Wajir, West Pokot. 1

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (21 February 2020). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume II: Distribution of Population by Administrative Units (Report). Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. p. 241. Retrieved 20 July 2023. Table 2.5: Distribution of Population by Urban Centres, Sex* and County
  2. ↑ "2019 KPHC – Analytical Report on Population Projections Vol XVI". Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. September 2022. p. 38. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (21 February 2020). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume II: Distribution of Population by Administrative Units (Report). Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. p. 241. Retrieved 3 March 2020. Distribution of Population by Urban Centres Nairobi City: 4,397,073; Mombasa: 1,208,333; Nakuru: 570,674; Ruiru: 371,111; Eldoret: 475,716; Kisumu: 397,957
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 "2009 Census Vol 1 Table 3 Rural and Urban Population | Open Data Portal". Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016. 2009 Census Vol 1 Table 3 Rural and Urban Population Retrieved on 22 January 2014.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Kenya_by_population&oldid=1366429407"