List of cities and towns in Kenya by population
Kenyan cities Population tables |
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Cities |
Population List of Cities |
Urban areas |
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African Metro Areas |
The following is a list of the most populous cities, municipalities and towns of Kenya. In Kenya there are only four 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 and the newly elevated City of Nakuru that was upgraded from a Municipality to a city by President Uhuru Kenyatta on December 1st 2021. Two of the four 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 four cities, there are numerous municipalities and towns with significant urban populations.
Nairobi Metro Within Kenya
Nairobi County (red)
Kajiado County (green)
Machakos County (yellow)
Kiambu County (purple)
Top 2 list[]
The list:
Metro Area | |
Capital City of Kenya | |
County Capital |
The towns of Ruiru, Kikuyu and Thika which feature on the top 10 list of the most populated towns in Kenya also fall within the Nairobi Metropolitan region.
№ | City/ Town | Status | Population | County | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nairobi Metro | Metro | 6,547,547 | Nairobi Kajiado Machakos Kiambu |
[1] | |
1. | ![]() |
City | 4,394,073 | ![]() |
[2] |
2. | ![]() |
City | 1,208,333 | ![]() |
[3] |
3. | Kisumu | City | 721,082 | Kisumu | [4] |
4. | Nakuru | City | 570,674 | Nakuru | [4] |
5. | Ruiru | Municipality | 490,120 | Kiambu | [4] |
6. | Eldoret | Municipality | 475,716 | Uasin Gishu | [4] |
7. | Kikuyu | Municipality | 323,881 | Kiambu | [4] |
8. | Thika | Municipality | 251,407 | Kiambu/Murang'a | [4] |
9. | Meru | Municipality | 240,900 | Meru | [4] |
10. | Kangundo-Tala | Town Council | 218,557 | Machakos | [4] |
11. | Malindi | Municipality | 207,253 | Kilifi | [4] |
12. | Naivasha | Municipality | 181,966 | Nakuru | [4] |
13. | Kitui | Municipality | 155,896 | Kitui | [4] |
14. | Machakos | Municipality | 150,041 | Machakos | [4] |
15. | Mlolongo | Municipality | 139,853 | Machakos | [4] |
16. | Athi River (Mavoko) | Municipality | 139,380 | Machakos | [4] |
17. | Karuri | Town Council | 129,934 | Kiambu | [4] |
18. | Nyeri | Municipality | 125,357 | Nyeri | [4] |
19. | Kilifi | Town Council | 122,899 | Kilifi | [4] |
20. | Garissa | Town Council | 119,696 | Garissa | [4] |
21. | Vihiga | Municipality | 118,696 | Vihiga | [4] |
22. | Wote | Municipality | 116,696 | Makueni | [4] |
23. | Mumias | Municipality | 116,358 | Kakamega | [4] |
24. | Bomet | Municipality | 110,963 | Bomet | [4] |
25. | Molo | Town Council | 107,806 | Nakuru | [4] |
26. | Ngong | Other Centre | 107,188 | Kajiado | [4] |
27. | Kitale | Municipality | 106,187 | Trans-Nzoia | [4] |
28. | Litein | Town Council | 104,600 | Kericho | [4] |
29. | Limuru | Municipality | 104,282 | Kiambu | [4] |
30. | Kericho | Municipality | 104,282 | Kericho | [4] |
31. | Kimilili | Municipality | 94,927 | Bungoma | [4] |
32. | Awasi | Other Centre | 93,369 | Kisumu | [4] |
33. | Kakamega | Municipality | 91,768 | Kakamega | [4] |
34. | Kapsabet | Municipality | 91,030 | Nandi | [4] |
35. | Mariakani | Town Council | 89,321 | Kilifi | [4] |
36. | Kiambu | Municipality | 88,869 | Kiambu | [4] |
37. | Mandera | Town Council | 87,692 | Mandera | [4] |
38. | Nyamira | Town Council | 84,239 | Nyamira | [4] |
39. | Mwingi | Town Council | 83,803 | Kitui | [4] |
40. | Kisii | Municipality | 283,000 | Kisii | [4] |
41. | Wajir | Other Centre | 82,800 | Wajir | [4] |
42. | Rongo | Town Council | 82,066 | Migori | [4] |
43. | Bungoma | Municipality | 81,151 | Bungoma | [4] |
44. | Ahero | Town Council | 76,828 | Kisumu | [4] |
45. | Nandi Hills | Town Council | 73,626 | Nandi | [4] |
46. | Makuyu | Town Council | 71,913 | Murang’a | [4] |
47. | Kapenguria | Town Council | 71,477 | West Pokot | [4] |
48. | Taveta | Town Council | 67,505 | Taita-Taveta | |
49. | Narok | Town Council | 67,505 | Narok | [4] |
50. | Ol Kalou | Town Council | 66,015 | Nyandarua | [4] |
51. | Kakuma | Other Centre | 65,814 | Turkana | [4] |
52. | Webuye | Municipality | 65,280 | Bungoma | [4] |
53. | Malaba | Town Council | 63,324 | Busia | [4] |
54. | Mbita Point | Town Council | 62,974 | Homa Bay | [4] |
55. | Ukunda | Other Centre | 62,529 | Kwale | [4] |
56. | Wundanyi | Other Centre | 62,404 | Taita-Taveta | [4] |
57. | Busia | Municipality | 61,715 | Busia | [4] |
58. | Runyenjes | Municipality | 61,604 | Embu | [4] |
59. | Migori | Municipality | 100,000 | Migori | [4] |
60. | Town Council | 60,831 | Kakamega | [4] | |
61. | Suneka | Town Council | 60,730 | Kisii | [4] |
62. | Embu | Municipality | 60,673 | Embu | [4] |
63. | Ogembo | Town Council | 60,289 | Kisii | [4] |
64. | Homa Bay | Municipality | 59,844 | Homa Bay | [4] |
65. | Lodwar | Municipality | 58,218 | Turkana | [4] |
66. | Kitengela | Other Centre | 58,167 | Kajiado | [4] |
67. | Ukwala | Town Council | 57,081 | Siaya | [4] |
68. | Keroka | Town Council | 54,655 | Nyamira | [4] |
69. | Matuu | Town Council | 53,144 | Machakos | [4] |
70. | Oyugis | Town Council | 52,354 | Kisumu | [4] |
71. | Nyahururu | Municipality | 51,434 | Laikipia | [4] |
72. | Kipkelion | Town Council | 49,939 | Kericho | [4] |
73. | Luanda | Town Council | 49,346 | Vihiga | [4] |
74. | Nanyuki | Municipality | 49,233 | Laikipia | [4] |
75. | Maua | Municipality | 49,012 | Meru | [4] |
76. | Mtwapa | Other Centre | 48,625 | Kilifi | [4] |
77. | Isiolo | Other Centre | 46,128 | Isiolo | [4] |
78. | Eldama Ravine | Town Council | 45,799 | Baringo | [4] |
79. | Voi | Municipality | 45,483 | Taita-Taveta | [4] |
80. | Siaya | Municipality | 45,353 | Siaya | [4] |
81. | Nyansiongo | Town Council | 45,313 | Nyamira | [4] |
82. | Londiani | Town Council | 44,953 | Kericho | [4] |
83. | Iten/Tambach | Town Council | 44,448 | Elgeyo-Marakwet | [4] |
84. | Chuka | Municipality | 43,470 | Tharaka-Nithi | [4] |
85. | Malakisi | Town Council | 41,784 | Bungoma | [4] |
86. | Juja | Other Centre | 40,446 | Kiambu | [4] |
87. | Ongata Rongai | Other Centre | 40,178 | Kajiado | [4] |
88. | Bondo | Town Council | 39,224 | Siaya | [4] |
89. | Moyale | Other Centre | 37,387 | Marsabit | [4] |
90. | Maralal | Town Council | 35,472 | Samburu | [4] |
91. | Gilgil | Other Centre | 35,293 | Nakuru | [4] |
92. | Nambale | Town Council | 34,735 | Busia | [4] |
93. | Tabaka | Town Council | 34,724 | Kisii | [4] |
94. | Muhoroni | Town Council | 34,457 | Kisumu | [4] |
95. | Kerugoya/Kutus | Municipality | 34,014 | Kirinyaga | [4] |
96. | Ugunja | Town Council | 33,878 | Siaya | [4] |
97. | Yala | Town Council | 33,646 | Siaya | [4] |
98. | Rumuruti | Town Council | 32,993 | Laikipia | [4] |
99. | Burnt Forest | Town Council | 32,649 | Uasin Gishu | [4] |
100. | Maragua | Town Council | 32,315 | Murang’a | [4] |
101. | Kendu Bay | Town Council | 31,699 | Homa Bay | [4] |
102. | Ruai | Town Council | 32,315 | Nairobi | [4] |
103. | Kamulu | Town Council | 26,448 | Nairobi | [4] |
№ | City | Status | Population | County | Ref |
Distribution[]
County | Number of Cities/ Towns (Top 100) |
---|---|
Kiambu | 7 |
Kisii, Kisumu, Siaya | 5 |
Bungoma, Kericho, Kilifi, Machakos, Nakuru | 4 |
Busia, Homa Bay, Kajiado, Kakamega, Laikipia, Migori, Taita-Taveta | 3 |
Embu, Kitui, Meru, Murang'a, Nyamira, Turkana, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga | 2 |
Baringo, Bomet, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Garissa, Isiolo, Kirinyaga, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nandi, Narok, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Samburu, Tharaka-Nithi, Wajir, West Pokot. | 1 |
References[]
- ^ "Kenya Census 2009 | PDF | Census | Waste Management".
- ^ The World Factbook
- ^ Business Daily. Investors fault Mombasa’s new master plan Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) 2009 Census Vol 1 Table 3 Rural and Urban Population Retrieved on 22 January 2014.
- Kenya geography-related lists
- Lists of cities by population
- Populated places in Kenya