This archive report was first published on 4 November 2019.
Kenya's population has grown significantly over the past decade, with provisional census data released on Monday showing a surge to 47.6 million people.
According to the data, the country's population has expanded by nine million in the last decade, with the most populous counties being Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kakamega, Bungoma, Meru, and Kilifi.
Nairobi has 4.4 million people, while both Kiambu and Nakuru have more than two million residents. Fifteen other counties have a population of over one million, led by Kakamega at 1.87 million, Bungoma at 1.67 million, Meru at 1.54 million, and Kilifi at 1.45 million.
President Uhuru Kenyatta released the census provisional report at State House Nairobi, where he said the data will guide planning and implementation of government development initiatives, including the Big Four Agenda.
"This is the first census to be conducted under the 2010 Constitution and was by and large fully funded by my Government," President Kenyatta said.
He directed all ministries, departments, and agencies to utilize the results, urging other arms of government, counties, stakeholders, and development partners to make use of the results in their planning processes.
Interestingly, counties in northern Kenya have the largest families, with Mandera leading the way with an average household size of 6.9 persons per family. In contrast, Nairobi has the lowest household size at 2.9.
