Kenyan cities Population tables |
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Cities |
Population List of cities |
Urban areas |
African Metro Areas |
The following is a list of the most populous cities, municipalities and towns of Kenya. In Kenya there are only five incorporated cities including the capital and largest city, Nairobi, the second largest and the coastal city of Mombasa, the third largest and inland port city of Kisumu,the newly elevated City of Nakuru that was upgraded from a Municipality to a city by President Uhuru Kenyatta on 1 December 2021 and the most recently elevated agricultural city of Eldoret . Two of the five cities, Nairobi and Mombasa, are cities whose county borders run the same as their city limits, so in a way they could be thought of as City-Counties. Apart from these five cities, there are numerous municipalities and towns with significant urban populations.
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. | Nairobi | Capital | 5,454,000 | Nairobi | [2] |
2. | Mombasa | City | 1,208,333 | Mombasa | [3] |
3. | Nakuru | City | 570,674 | Nakuru | [3] |
4. | Ruiru | Municipality (Ruiru + Githurai) | 490,120 | Kiambu | [3] |
5. | Eldoret | Municipality | 475,716 | Uasin Gishu | [3] |
6. | Kisumu | City | 397,957 | Kisumu | [3] |
7. | Kikuyu | Municipality | 323,881 | Kiambu | [3] |
8. | Ngong | Municipality (Ngong + O/Rongai) | 279,757 | Kajiado | [3] |
9. | Mavoko | Municipality (Mlolongo + Athi River + Syokimau + Katani + Githunguri) | 258,498 | Machakos | [4] |
10. | Thika | Municipality | 251,407 | Kiambu/Murang'a | [3] |
11. | Naivasha | Municipality | 198,444 | Nakuru | [3] |
12. | Karuri | Municipality (Ruaka + Ndenderu) | 194,342 | Kiambu | [3] |
13. | Juja | Municipality | 156,041 | Kiambu | [4] |
14. | Kitengela | Municipality (Kitengela + Kisaju) | 154,643 | Kajiado | [4] |
15. | Kiambu | Municipality | 155,896 | Kiambu | [4] |
16. | Malindi | Municipality | 119,859 | Kilifi | [4] |
17. | Mandera | Municipality | 114,718 | Mandera | [4] |
18. | Kisii | Municipality | 112,417 | Kisii/Nyamira | [4] |
19. | Kakamega | Municipality | 107,227 | Kakamega | [4] |
20. | Mtwapa | Municipality | 90,677 | Kilifi | [4] |
21. | Wajir | Municipality | 90,116 | Wajir | [4] |
22. | Lodwar | Municipality | 82,970 | Turkana | [4] |
23. | Limuru | Municipality | 81,316 | Kiambu | [4] |
24. | Meru | Municipality | 80,191 | Meru | [4] |
25. | Nyeri | Municipality | 80,081 | Nyeri | [4] |
26. | Isiolo | Municipality | 78,650 | Isiolo | [4] |
27. | Ukunda | Municipality (Diani Municipality) | 77,686 | Kwale | [4] |
28. | Kiserian | Town Council | 76,903 | Kajiado | [4] |
29. | Kilifi | Municipality | 74,270 | Kilifi | [4] |
30. | Nanyuki | Municipality | 72,813 | Laikipia/Nyeri | [4] |
31. | Busia | Municipality | 71,886 | Busia | [4] |
32. | Migori | Municipality | 71,668 | Migori | [4] |
33. | Bungoma | Municipality | 68,031 | Bungoma | [4] |
34. | Narok | Municipality | 65,430 | Narok | [4] |
35. | Embu | Municipality | 64,979 | Embu | [4] |
36. | Machakos | Municipality | 63,767 | Machakos | [4] |
37. | El Wak | Municipality | 60,732 | Mandera | [4] |
38. | Gilgil | Municipality | 60,711 | Nakuru | [4] |
39. | Kimilili | Municipality | 56,050 | Bungoma | [4] |
40. | Kericho | Municipality | 53,804 | Kericho | [4] |
41. | Voi | Municipality | 53,353 | Taita-Taveta | [4] |
42. | Wanguru | Municipality | 51,722 | Kirinyaga | [4] |
43. | Habaswein | Town Council | 49,599 | Wajir | [4] |
44. | Turi | Municipality | 48,356 | Nakuru | [4] |
45. | Moyale | Other Centre | 47,850 | Marsabit | [4] |
46. | Homa Bay | Municipality | 44,949 | Homa Bay | [4] |
47. | Kenol | Other Centre | 44,086 | Muranga | [4] |
48. | Masalani | Town Council | 43,642 | Garissa | [4] |
49. | Muranga | Municipality | 43,314 | Muranga | [4] |
50. | Webuye | Municipality | 42,642 | Bungoma | [4] |
51. | Njoro | Town Council | 42,173 | Nakuru | [4] |
52. | Kapsabet | Municipality | 41,997 | Nandi | [4] |
53. | Mumias | Municipal | 41,942 | Kakamega | [4] |
54. | Kerugoya-Kutus | Municipality | 39,188 | Kirinyaga | [4] |
55. | Nyahururu | Municipality | 37,650 | Laikipia/Nyandarua | [4] |
56. | Marsabit | Municipality | 36,289 | Marsabit | [4] |
57. | Rhamu | Town Council | 35,644 | Mandera | [4] |
58. | Siaya | Municipality | 33,153 | Siaya | [4] |
59. | Mariakani | Municipality | 31,715 | Kwale/Kilifi | [4] |
60. | Maralal | Municipality | 31,350 | Samburu | [4] |
61. | Mairo-Inya | Municipality | 30,527 | Nyandarua | [4] |
62. | Kitui | Municipality | 29,062 | Kitui | [4] |
63. | Makutano | Town Council | 28,469 | West Pokot | [4] |
64. | Elburgon | Town Council | 28,359 | Nakuru | [4] |
65. | Watamu | Town Council | 27,857 | Kilifi | |
66. | Lamu | Municipality | 25,385 | Lamu | [4] |
67. | Kajiado | Municipality | 24,678 | Kajiado | [4] |
68. | Nyamira | Municipality | 24,483 | Nyamira | [4] |
69. | Isebania | Town Council | 23,891 | Migori | [4] |
70. | Karatina | Municipality | 23,552 | Nyeri | [4] |
71. | Kakuma | Town Council | 22,984 | Turkana | [4] |
72. | Lafey | Town Council | 22,882 | Mandera | [4] |
73. | Bondo | Municipality | 22,712 | Siaya | [4] |
74. | Kabarnet | Municipality | 22,474 | Baringo | [4] |
75. | Chuka | Municipality | 22,388 | Tharaka-Nithi | [4] |
76. | Kehancha | Municipality | 22,194 | Migori | [4] |
77. | Maua | Municipality | 22,121 | Meru | [4] |
78. | Taveta | Town Council | 22,018 | Taita-Taveta | [4] |
79. | Takaba | Town Council | 114,718 | Mandera | [4] |
80. | Eldama Ravine | Town Council | 21,385 | Baringo | [4] |
81. | Hola | Municipality | 20,912 | Tana River | [4] |
82. | Mai Mahiu | Other Centre | 20,823 | Nakuru | [3] |
83. | Rongo | Municipality | 20,688 | Migori | [4] |
84. | Oyugis | Municipality | 19,947 | Homabay | [4] |
85. | Wote | Municipality | 19,725 | Makueni | [4] |
86. | Emali | Municipality | 62,404 | Makueni/Kajiado | [4] |
87. | Garbatula | Other Centre | 17,443 | Isiolo | [4] |
88. | Mbale | Other Centre | 17,404 | Vihiga | [4] |
89. | Mwingi | Municipality | 17,025 | Kitui | [4] |
90. | Awendo | Municipality | 16,815 | Migori | [4] |
91. | Kiminini | Town Council | 16,560 | Trans Nzoia | [4] |
92. | Moi's Bridge | Other Centre | 16,355 | Uasin Gishu/Trans Nzoia | [4] |
93. | Mazeras | Other Centre | 16,254 | Kwale/Kilifi | [4] |
94. | Malaba | Municipality | 15,581 | Busia | [4] |
95. | Makindu | Town Council | 15,038 | Makueni | [4] |
96. | Banissa | Other Centre | 14,974 | Mandera | [4] |
97. | Msambweni | Other Centre | 14,951 | Kwale | [4] |
98. | Namanga | Other Centre | 14,922 | Kajiado | [4] |
99. | Mbita | Municipality | 14,916 | Homa Bay | [4] |
100. | Isinya | Other Centre | 14,429 | Kajiado | [4] |
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 |