Kenyan Coastal county
Not to be confused with
Kilifi .
County in Kenya
Kilifi County is a County Located in the Kenyan coast. It was formed in 2010 as a result of a merger ofKilifi District andMalindi District ,Kenya . Its capital isKilifi and its largest town isMalindi .[ 2] census and covers an area of 12,245.90 km2 (4,728.17 sq mi).[ 3] [ 4]
The county is located north and northeast ofMombasa . Kilifi has fewer tourists thanMombasa County , however there is some tourism inKikambala ,Watamu ,Malindi andKilifi . The county is known for theRuins of Gedi , which includes mosques[ 5] [ 6]
Tourism and fishing in Kilifi County are the major economic activities due to its proximity to theIndian Ocean . The major tourist attractions in Kilifi County are the Ruins of Gedi,[ 7] Watamu Marine National Park ,[ 8] Malindi Museum ,[ 9] Rabai Museum ,[ 10] Kaya forest .[ 11] Mnarani ruins that date back to between the 14th and 17th century.[ 12]
Kilifi was in 2025 listed by theNew York Times among 'Top 52 Places to visit in 2025'.[ 2]
The county has a strong industrial sector with the Mabati Rolling Mill and the Athi River Cement Factory contributing heavily to the region's economy in employment provision and income generation.[ 13]
Opportunities exist in agriculture, particularly dairy and crop farming thanks to fertile soil and good weather. The county had a successful cashew nut milling industry.[ 14]
Kilifi county has a total population of 1,453,787, of which 704,089 are males, 749,673 are females and 25 are intersex persons. There are 298,472 households, with 4.4 persons per household on average, and a population density of 116 people per square kilometre.[ 15] [ 16] Mijikenda ,[ 17] Swahili ,[citation needed Bajuni ,[ 18] Indians , Arabs andEuropeans .
Historical population Year Pop. ±% 1979 430,986 — 1989 591,903 +37.3% 1999 825,855 +39.5% 2009 1,109,735 +34.4% 2019 1,440,958 +29.8% source:[ 19]
Christian (67.8%)Muslim (17.6%)Other Religions (4.3%) Atheist/No data (10.3%) Religion in Kilifi County
[ 20] Kilifi County has a Christian majority, with 68% of residents professing Christianity. 18% of residents are Muslim and 10% are atheist.
Administrative divisions [ edit ] Kilifi county has 7 sub-counties and 35 county assembly wards.[ 21]
The county has 7 Constituencies:[ 22]
Constituency Population(2009 census)
Area (km2 ) Number of wards Wards Kilifi North 207,587 405 7 Tezo , Sokoni,Kibarani , Dabaso,Matsangoni ,Watamu ,Mnarani Kilifi South 171,607 401 5 Junju ,Mwarakaya , Shimo la Tewa, Chasimba, MtepeniKaloleni 139,302 651 4 Mariakani ,Kayafungo ,Kaloleni ,Mwana Mwinga Rabai 113,622 241 4 Mwawesa, Ruruma, Kambe-Ribe, Rabai/Kisurutuni Ganze 137,664 2,942 4 Ganze, Bamba, Jaribuni, Sokoke Malindi 162,712 627 5 Jilore ,Kakuyuni , Ganda,Malindi Town , ShellaMagarini 177,241 6,979 6 Maarafa, Magarini,Gongoni , Adu,Garashi , Sabaki Total 1,109,735 12,245.90 35
Bahari Constituency , which was formed in 1988, was disbanded in 2013 and superseded by two new constituencies,Kilifi North Constituency andKilifi South Constituency .
Gideon Mung'aro is the current governor of Kilifi County, having served since August 2022.[ 23] Stewart Madzayo has represented Kilifi County in theSenate since 2017.[ 24] [ 25] Gertrude Mbeyu Mwanyanje is the woman representative elected in 2017.[ 26]
County Executive Committee Number The Governor 1 The Deputy Governor 1 The County Secretary 1 The CEC Members 10 Total 13
Source[ 27]
Kilifi County has 1071 ECD centres, 757 primary schools, 178 secondary schools, 13 youth polytechnics, and 280 adult education centres.[ 28]
Educational institutions in Kilifi County, 2014[ 29] Category Public Private Total Enrolment ECD Centres 602 469 1071 104,362 Primary schools 526 231 757 310,007 Secondary schools 132 46 178 47,010 Youth Polytechnics 13 0 13 Adult Education Centres 280 0 280
There are a total of 235 health facilities in the county with one county referral hospital.[ 30]
Health Facilities by Ownership[ 31] Government *FBO Private NGO TOTAL Hospitals 5 2 10 0 17 Health centres 13 0 1 3 17 Dispensaries 70 11 2 4 87 Clinics 1 0 109 4 113
Transport and Communication [ edit ] The county is covered by a network of 3,678.6 km of roads. Of this, 2,230.9 km is surfaced by earth, 1,091.5 km issurfaced by murram and 356.2 km is covered bybitumen .[ 30]
The county's main highways areMombasa Malindi highway and Kaloleni Mavueni.
There are 7 post offices, with 6,800 installed letter boxes, 6,120 rented letter boxes and 680 vacant letter boxes.[ 32]
The final scenes of the 1992 feature film“Nel continente nero” (“On the Black Continent”) by director Marco Rizi take place in Kilifi County, among the ruins ofGedi .[ 33] [ 34] The novel“MALI D’AFRICA” (by Sara Cardelli) describes an impossible love in Malindi.[ 35] Most of the events in the novel“Невозвращенец” (“The Non-Returnee”) byAndrei Gusev take place in Kilifi County and in Kilifi itself. The novel describes several years of life in Kilifi County, in the suburbs ofMalindi in the early 2020s of the Russian writer Andy and his wife Jennifer, who was born in Kenya.[ 36] [ 37] Villages and settlements [ edit ] ^ "Kiambu GCP" . Retrieved31 August 2021 .^a b Campbell, Paul."Kenyan Coast | Indian Ocean | Beach Holidays | Diani | Lamu | Mombasa" .travelbutlers.com .Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved17 October 2022 . ^ Government, Kilifi County."Position and Size" .Kilifi County Government .Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved29 May 2020 . ^ "2019 Kenya Population and House Census: Distribution of by Administrative Units. Volume 2" (PDF) .Africa Check . 2019. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "The Mosque in Islam | All About Turkey" .allaboutturkey.com . Retrieved17 October 2022 .^ Mark, Joshua J."Tomb" .World History Encyclopedia .Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved17 October 2022 . ^ "Ruins of Gedi" .Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved15 October 2022 .^ "About W.M.A. – Watamu Marine Association" . Retrieved15 October 2022 .^ "Malindi Museum: Malindi Museum Kenya 2020 guide" .Bwindi Forest National Park . Retrieved15 October 2022 .^ "Rabai Museum" .UpKenya .Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved15 October 2022 .^ "Kaya Forests – Kenya" .Sacred Land . Retrieved15 October 2022 .^ Kilifi County Archived 20 January 2013 at theWayback Machine ^ MRM (4 May 2020)."MABATI ROLLING MILLS (MRM) DONATES FOOD STUFFS TO FAMILIES IN KILIFI COUNTY" .MABATI ROLLING MILLS LIMITED . Retrieved29 May 2020 . ^ Government, Kilifi County."AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK & FISHERIES" .Kilifi County Government . Retrieved29 May 2020 . ^ Munene, Evans (4 November 2019)."2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Results" .Kenya National Bureau of Statistics .Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved29 May 2020 . ^ 2019 Kenya Population and House Census: Volume 1 – Population by County and Sub-county ISBN 9789966102096 Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "Details of the Mijikenda Tribe and People and their Culture in Kenya" .Go Visit Kenya .Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved17 October 2022 .^ "The Bajuni People" .Journey Kenya . 30 December 2013. Retrieved17 October 2022 .^ "KENYA: Administrative Division population statistics" .Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved2 July 2019 .^ "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV: Distribution of Population by Socio-Economic Characteristics" (PDF) .Kenya National Bureau of Statistics .Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved2 May 2021 .^ "The Report of the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission (IIBRC): Delimitation of Constituencies and Recommendations on Local Authority Electoral Units and Administrative Boundaries for Districts and Other Units" (PDF) .IEBC . 2010. Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 8 April 2022. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "Kilifi County" .Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved22 July 2013 .^ "Governors & Deputy Governors" .cog.go.ke . Archived fromthe original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "Members of the Senate | The Kenyan Parliament Website" .parliament.go.ke .Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "Stewart Mwachiru Shadrack Madzayo" .Mzalendo .Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "Gertrude Mbeyu Mwanyanje" .Mzalendo .Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "179. County executive committees – Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC)" .klrc.go.ke .Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "Ministry of Education" .education.go.ke .Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ "Publications" .Kenya National Bureau of Statistics .Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^a b "Kilifi County Statistical Abstract 2015" .Kenya National Bureau of Statistics .Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ Government, Kilifi County."Health Services Kilifi County" .Kilifi County Government .Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved29 May 2020 . ^ County Statistical Abstract Kilifi County 2015 Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved29 May 2020 .^ Nel continente nero Archived 15 February 2022 at theWayback Machine , IMDb.com.^ Nel continente nero Archived 15 February 2022 at theWayback Machine , Allmovie.com^ The impossible love in the italian Malindi Archived 6 November 2020 at theWayback Machine — about Sara Cardelli’ novel, 2017.^ "Невозвращенец" novel byAndrei Gusev , 2023^ Review of the novel "Невозвращенец" on the website of the public foundation "Union of Writers of Moscow", 2023
3°40′00″S 39°45′00″E / 3.66667°S 39.75°E /-3.66667; 39.75
$5.931 billion (12th)(2022)[1]
