List of cities and towns in Kenya by population

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.

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.[1]

City/ TownStatusPopulationCountyRef
1. NairobiCapital5,454,000 Nairobi[2]
2. MombasaCity1,208,333 Mombasa[3]
3.NakuruCity570,674Nakuru[3]
4.RuiruMunicipality (Ruiru + Githurai)490,120Kiambu[3]
5.EldoretTown475,716Uasin 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.JujaMunicipality156,041Kiambu[4]
14.KitengelaMunicipality (Kitengela + Kisaju)154,643Kajiado[4]
15.KiambuMunicipality155,896Kiambu[4]
16.MalindiMunicipality119,859Kilifi[4]
17.ManderaMunicipality114,718Mandera[4]
18.KisiiMunicipality112,417Kisii/Nyamira[4]
19.KakamegaMunicipality107,227Kakamega[4]
20.MtwapaMunicipality90,677Kilifi[4]
21.WajirMunicipality90,116Wajir[4]
22.LodwarMunicipality82,970Turkana[4]
23.LimuruMunicipality81,316Kiambu[4]
24.MeruMunicipality80,191Meru[4]
25.NyeriMunicipality80,081Nyeri[4]
26.IsioloMunicipality78,650Isiolo[4]
27.UkundaMunicipality (Diani Municipality)77,686Kwale[4]
28.KiserianTown Council76,903Kajiado[4]
29.KilifiMunicipality74,270Kilifi[4]
30.NanyukiMunicipality72,813Laikipia/Nyeri[4]
31.BusiaMunicipality71,886Busia[4]
32.MigoriMunicipality71,668Migori[4]
33.BungomaMunicipality68,031Bungoma[4]
34.NarokMunicipality65,430Narok[4]
35.EmbuMunicipality64,979Embu[4]
36.MachakosMunicipality63,767Machakos[4]
37.El WakMunicipality60,732Mandera[4]
38.GilgilMunicipality60,711Nakuru[4]
39.KimililiMunicipality56,050Bungoma[4]
40.KerichoMunicipality53,804Kericho[4]
41.VoiMunicipality53,353Taita-Taveta[4]
42.WanguruMunicipality51,722Kirinyaga[4]
43.HabasweinTown Council49,599Wajir[4]
44.TuriMunicipality48,356Nakuru[4]
45.MoyaleOther Centre47,850Marsabit[4]
46.Homa BayMunicipality44,949Homa Bay[4]
47.KenolOther Centre44,086Muranga[4]
48.MasalaniTown Council43,642Garissa[4]
49.MurangaMunicipality43,314Muranga[4]
50.WebuyeMunicipality42,642Bungoma[4]
51.NjoroTown Council42,173Nakuru[4]
52.KapsabetMunicipality41,997Nandi[4]
53.MumiasMunicipal41,942Kakamega[4]
54.Kerugoya-KutusMunicipality39,188Kirinyaga[4]
55.NyahururuMunicipality37,650Laikipia/Nyandarua[4]
56.MarsabitMunicipality36,289Marsabit[4]
57.RhamuTown Council35,644Mandera[4]
58.SiayaMunicipality33,153Siaya[4]
59.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

CountyNumber of Cities/ Towns
(Top 100)
Kiambu7
Kajiado5
Bungoma, Kericho, Kilifi, Kisumu, Machakos, Nakuru, Kisii4
Busia, Homa Bay, Kajiado, Kakamega, Laikipia, Migori, Taita-Taveta3
Embu, Kitui, Meru, Murang'a, Nyamira, Siaya, Turkana, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga2
Baringo, Bomet, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Garissa, Isiolo, Kirinyaga, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Nandi, Narok, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Samburu, Tharaka-Nithi, Wajir, West Pokot.1

References