Lamu County | |
|---|---|
 Lamu, Lamu Island | |
 Flag | |
 Location in Kenya | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| Formed | 4 March 2013 |
| Capital | Lamu |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Issa Timamy |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,273.1 km2 (2,422.1 sq mi) |
| • Land | 6,273.1 km2 (2,422.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 110 m (360 ft) |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 143,920 |
| • Density | 23/km2 (59/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | |
| • GDP |  $935.7 Million (44th)(2022)[1] |
| • Per Capita | $5,736 (2022) (13th) |
| GDP (NOMINAL) | |
| • GDP | $343 Million (2022) (44th) |
| • Per Capita | $2,106 (2022) (13th) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Website | www |
Lamu County is acounty inKenya located along the North Coast[2] of the country and is one of the six Coastal Counties[3] inKenya. Its capital is the town ofLamu. It bordersTana River County to the southwest,Garissa County to the north,Somalia to the northeast, and theIndian Ocean to the South. It is the smallest county in Kenya by population.
The county has a land surface of 6,273.1 km2 (2,422.1 sq mi), including the mainland[4] and over 65 islands that form theLamu Archipelago. The total length of the coastline[5] is 130 km (81 mi), while the land water mass[6] area stands at 308 km2 (119 sq mi).[7][8]
The county is made of a cosmopolitan population composed of communities such asAweer,Oromo,Somalis,Swahilis,Arabs,Kore,Kikuyu, and other migrant communities from all over the country. The county had a total population of 143,920 of which 76,103 were males 67,813 females and 4 intersex persons during the 2019 census of Kenya. There were 37,963 households with an average household size of 3.7 persons per household and a population density of 23 people per square kilometre.[9]
TheLAPSSET project was in 2016 expected to attract a huge migrant population, estimated at over one million people. This will certainly overstretch the county's social services necessitating commensurate development planning for adequate service provision.[10]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 42,299 | — |
| 1989 | 56,783 | +34.2% |
| 1999 | 72,686 | +28.0% |
| 2009 | 101,539 | +39.7% |
| 2019 | 143,920 | +41.7% |
| source:[11] | ||
The county has 2 constituencies:Lamu West andLamu East. These two also consist of the two districts referred to as the sub-counties in Lamu County.[13] Lamu West has Amu Mkomani, Shela, Hindi,Mkunumbi,Hongwe, Bahari andWitu Divisions while Lamu East hasFaza,Basuba andKiunga Divisions. There are 10 wards, 23 locations, and 38 sub-locations in the county.[14]
| Administrative divisions | |||
| Division | Population* | Urban pop.* | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amu | 17,310 | 12,839 | Lamu |
| Faza | 7,474 | 0 | Faza |
| Hindi | 7,072 | 1,335 | |
| Kiunga | 3,310 | 0 | Kiunga |
| Kizingitini | 6,010 | 0 | Kizingitini |
| Mpeketoni | 25,530 | 773 | Mpeketoni |
| Witu | 5,980 | 1,322 | Witu |
| Total | 72,686 | 16,269 | - |
| * 1999 census. Sources[15][16] | |||
There are two constituencies and ten county assembly wards.
| Constituency | County wards | Land Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|
| LAMU WEST | Shella | 54.7 |
| Mkomani | 172.5 | |
| Hindi | 1150.8 | |
| Mkunumbi | 1366.1 | |
| Hongwe | 128.5 | |
| Bahari | 123.3 | |
| Witu | 975.4 | |
| LAMU EAST | Faza | 79.2 |
| Basuba | 1708.7 | |
| Kiunga | 513.9 | |
| TOTAL | 6273.1 | |
| Source: Lamu County CIDP 2013-2017[17] | ||
Source[22]
In 2020 Issa Abdalla Timamy was the Governor, deputized by Raphael Munyua. Yasin Twaha was the second Governor, deputized by Aboud Bwana Abdulhakim[23][24] First elected governor for the county wasIssa Timamy, deputized by Eric Kinyua Mugo.Anuar Loitiptip was the second elected senator afterAbu Chiaba.The Senator was Joseph Githuka[25][26] The Women Representative was Monica Mūthoni Marubu. Ruweida Mohamed Obo was the women representative and was elected in 2017, before her wasShakila Abdalla who was elected in 2013.[27][28]
For Lamu County,[29] the County Executive Committee comprises:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| The Governor | 1 |
| The Deputy Governor | 1 |
| The County Secretary | 1 |
| The CEC Members | 10 |
| Total | 13 |
Lamu has 203 ECD centers, 139 primary schools and 25 secondary schools. There are also 58 adult training institutions, 6 vocational training centers as well as 3 universities.[30]
There are a total of 45 health facilities in the county, as well as one county referral hospital. The county has 316 health personnel of different cadre.[31]
HIV prevalence is at 3.5%, compared to the national 5.9%.[32]
The county is covered by 923.07 km of road network. Of this, 718.66 km is covered by earth surface, 198.41 km ismurram surface and 6 km is covered bybitumen.[when?][33][34]
There are five Post Offices with 1,250 installed letter boxes, 653 rented letter boxes and 597 vacant letter boxes.[35][36]
The main economic activities in the county include crop production, livestock production, fisheries, tourism andmining, most notably quarrying. Lamu is rich in minerals liketitanium,salt,limestone, coral stones,[37] andsand. Lamu town is termed as "the oldest and best-preservedSwahili settlement inEast Africa” but neighboring islands also have numerous archaeological remnants of history dating as far back as the 14th Century.
Among the challenges facing Lamu ispopulation growth owing to migration into Lamu from other parts of the country, fueled partly by the anticipated opportunities accruing from theLamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor. Other challenges include landlessness and poor land management, insufficient social services such as healthcare and education, inadequate supply of piped and fresh water, under-developedinfrastructure, andfood insecurity.
There are 9 trading centers, 606 registered businesses, 465 licensed retail traders, 7 supermarkets, 27 licensed wholesale traders, and 98 registered hotels.[35]
The county has two National reserves:Dodori, and Kiunga Marine,[38] covering 877 km2.Dodori is a breeding ground for the East Lamu Topi, and consists of a variety ofmammals and birdlife including lions,elephant shrew, hippo,pelicans, and many more. It has the most varied species ofmangrove forest in Kenya at Dodori Creek. Kiunga Marine Reserve consists of severalislands rich with biodiversity including valuablecoral reefs, sea grass, extensivemangrove forests, and the endangeredsea turtles anddugongs. Kiwayu Island,[39] which is part of the reserve, is deemed as having the most pristine beach in Kenya.
2°18′0″S40°42′0″E / 2.30000°S 40.70000°E /-2.30000; 40.70000
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