| Kenyan cities Population tables |
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| Cities |
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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 4th City to get the Status of the City was Nakuru, that was upgraded from a municipality on 1 December 2021, the latest City to get this upgrade is Eldoret which was elevated on 15th August, 2024 in a colourful ceremony that happened alongside welcoming the Olympic Champions from Paris, France. 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.
Top 100 list
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.
| № | City/ Town | Status | Population | County | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Nairobi |
Capital | 4,828,000 | Nairobi |
|
| 2. |  Mombasa |
City | 1,208,333 | Mombasa |
|
| 3. | Nakuru | City | 570,674 | Nakuru | |
| 4. | Ruiru | Municipality (Ruiru + Githurai) | 490,120 | Kiambu | |
| 5. | Eldoret | City | 475,716 | Uasin Gishu | |
| 6. | Kisumu | City | 397,957 | Kisumu | |
| 7. | Kikuyu | Municipality | 323,881 | Kiambu | |
| 8. | Ngong | Municipality (Ngong + O/Rongai) | 279,757 | Kajiado | |
| 9. | Mavoko | Municipality (Mlolongo + Athi River + Syokimau + Katani + Githunguri) | 258,498 | Machakos | |
| 10. | Thika | Municipality | 251,407 | Kiambu/Murang'a | |
| 11. | Naivasha | Municipality | 198,444 | Nakuru | |
| 12. | Karuri | Municipality (Ruaka + Ndenderu) | 194,342 | Kiambu | |
| 13. | Kitale | Municipality | 162,560 | Trans Nzoia | |
| 14. | Juja | Municipality | 156,041 | Kiambu | |
| 15. | Kitengela | Municipality (Kitengela + Kisaju) | 154,643 | Kajiado | |
| 16. | Kiambu | Municipality | 155,896 | Kiambu | |
| 17. | Malindi | Municipality | 119,859 | Kilifi | |
| 18. | Mandera | Municipality | 114,718 | Mandera | |
| 19. | Kisii | Municipality | 112,417 | Kisii/Nyamira | |
| 20. | Kakamega | Municipality | 107,227 | Kakamega | |
| 21. | Mtwapa | Municipality | 90,677 | Kilifi | |
| 22. | Wajir | Municipality | 90,116 | Wajir | |
| 23. | Lodwar | Municipality | 82,970 | Turkana | |
| 24. | Limuru | Municipality | 81,316 | Kiambu | |
| 25. | Meru | Municipality | 80,191 | Meru | |
| 26. | Nyeri | Municipality | 80,081 | Nyeri | |
| 27. | Isiolo | Municipality | 78,650 | Isiolo | |
| 28. | Ukunda | Municipality (Diani Municipality) | 77,686 | Kwale | |
| 29. | Kiserian | Town Council | 76,903 | Kajiado | |
| 30. | Kilifi | Municipality | 74,270 | Kilifi | |
| 31. | Nanyuki | Municipality | 72,813 | Laikipia/Nyeri | |
| 32. | Busia | Municipality | 71,886 | Busia | |
| 33. | Migori | Municipality | 71,668 | Migori | |
| 34. | Bungoma | Municipality | 68,031 | Bungoma | |
| 35. | Narok | Municipality | 65,430 | Narok | |
| 36. | Embu | Municipality | 64,979 | Embu | |
| 37. | Machakos | Municipality | 63,767 | Machakos | |
| 38. | El Wak | Municipality | 60,732 | Mandera | |
| 39. | Gilgil | Municipality | 60,711 | Nakuru | |
| 40. | Kimilili | Municipality | 56,050 | Bungoma | |
| 41. | Kericho | Municipality | 53,804 | Kericho | |
| 42. | Voi | Municipality | 53,353 | Taita-Taveta | |
| 43. | Wanguru | Municipality | 51,722 | Kirinyaga | |
| 44. | Habaswein | Town Council | 49,599 | Wajir | |
| 45. | Turi | Municipality | 48,356 | Nakuru | |
| 46. | Moyale | Other Centre | 47,850 | Marsabit | |
| 47. | Homa Bay | Municipality | 44,949 | Homa Bay | |
| 48. | Kenol | Other Centre | 44,086 | Muranga | |
| 49. | Masalani | Town Council | 43,642 | Garissa | |
| 50. | Muranga | Municipality | 43,314 | Muranga | |
| 51. | Webuye | Municipality | 42,642 | Bungoma | |
| 52. | Njoro | Town Council | 42,173 | Nakuru | |
| 53. | Kapsabet | Municipality | 41,997 | Nandi | |
| 54. | Mumias | Municipal | 41,942 | Kakamega | |
| 55. | Kerugoya-Kutus | Municipality | 39,188 | Kirinyaga | |
| 56. | Nyahururu | Municipality | 37,650 | Laikipia/Nyandarua | |
| 57. | Marsabit | Municipality | 36,289 | Marsabit | |
| 58. | Rhamu | Town Council | 35,644 | Mandera | |
| 59. | Siaya | Municipality | 33,153 | Siaya | |
| 60. | Mariakani | Municipality | 31,715 | Kwale/Kilifi | |
| 60. | Maralal | Municipality | 31,350 | Samburu | |
| 61. | Mairo-Inya | Municipality | 30,527 | Nyandarua | |
| 62. | Kitui | Municipality | 29,062 | Kitui | |
| 63. | Makutano | Town Council | 28,469 | West Pokot | |
| 64. | Elburgon | Town Council | 28,359 | Nakuru | |
| 65. | Watamu | Town Council | 27,857 | Kilifi | |
| 66. | Lamu | Municipality | 25,385 | Lamu | |
| 67. | Kajiado | Municipality | 24,678 | Kajiado | |
| 68. | Nyamira | Municipality | 24,483 | Nyamira | |
| 69. | Isebania | Town Council | 23,891 | Migori | |
| 70. | Karatina | Municipality | 23,552 | Nyeri | |
| 71. | Kakuma | Town Council | 22,984 | Turkana | |
| 72. | Lafey | Town Council | 22,882 | Mandera | |
| 73. | Bondo | Municipality | 22,712 | Siaya | |
| 74. | Kabarnet | Municipality | 22,474 | Baringo | |
| 75. | Chuka | Municipality | 22,388 | Tharaka-Nithi | |
| 76. | Kehancha | Municipality | 22,194 | Migori | |
| 77. | Maua | Municipality | 22,121 | Meru | |
| 78. | Taveta | Town Council | 22,018 | Taita-Taveta | |
| 79. | Takaba | Town Council | 114,718 | Mandera | |
| 80. | Eldama Ravine | Town Council | 21,385 | Baringo | |
| 81. | Hola | Municipality | 20,912 | Tana River | |
| 82. | Mai Mahiu | Other Centre | 20,823 | Nakuru | |
| 83. | Rongo | Municipality | 20,688 | Migori | |
| 84. | Oyugis | Municipality | 19,947 | Homabay | |
| 85. | Wote | Municipality | 19,725 | Makueni | |
| 86. | Emali | Municipality | 62,404 | Makueni/Kajiado | |
| 87. | Garbatula | Other Centre | 17,443 | Isiolo | |
| 88. | Mbale | Other Centre | 17,404 | Vihiga | |
| 89. | Mwingi | Municipality | 17,025 | Kitui | |
| 90. | Awendo | Municipality | 16,815 | Migori | |
| 91. | Kiminini | Town Council | 16,560 | Trans Nzoia | |
| 92. | Moi's Bridge | Other Centre | 16,355 | Uasin Gishu/Trans Nzoia | |
| 93. | Mazeras | Other Centre | 16,254 | Kwale/Kilifi | |
| 94. | Malaba | Municipality | 15,581 | Busia | |
| 95. | Makindu | Town Council | 15,038 | Makueni | |
| 96. | Banissa | Other Centre | 14,974 | Mandera | |
| 97. | Msambweni | Other Centre | 14,951 | Kwale | |
| 98. | Namanga | Other Centre | 14,922 | Kajiado | |
| 99. | Mbita | Municipality | 14,916 | Homa Bay | |
| 100. | Isinya | Other Centre | 14,429 | Kajiado |
Distribution
| 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
- 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
- "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.
- ^ 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
- ^ "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.
