Wajir County | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Wajir County in Kenya | |
| Coordinates:1°44′50″N40°04′08″E / 1.74722°N 40.0689°E /1.74722; 40.0689 | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| Formed | 4 March 2013 |
| Capital | Wajir |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Ahmed Jiir[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 55,840.6 km2 (21,560.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2019)[2] | |
• Total | 981,263 |
| • Density | 17.5726/km2 (45.5128/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| GDP (PPP) | $1.442B (30th)[3] |
| Per Capita (PPP) | $1,701 (46th)[4] |
| GDP (nominal) | $529 Million USD(30th) |
| Per Capita (nominal) | $624(46th)[5] |
| Website | www |
Wajir County is acounty in the formerNorth Eastern Province ofKenya. Its capital and largest town isWajir. The county had a population of 781,263 during the 2019 Census.[6] It has an area of 55,840.6 km2 (21,560.2 sq mi). The county is bordered to the north byEthiopia, to the northeast byMandera County, to the east bySomalia, to the south byGarissa County, to the west byIsiolo County and to the northwest byMarsabit County.
The county consists of a featureless plain that rises from around 150 metres (492 ft) above sea level in the south and east to 400 metres (1312 ft) in the north. The area is prone to seasonal flooding as well as seasonal swamps. Wajir county has a semi-arid climate with annual rainfall of around 240 mm (9.44 in).[7]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 139,319 | — |
| 1989 | 122,769 | −11.9% |
| 1999 | 319,261 | +160.1% |
| 2009 | 661,941 | +107.3% |
| 2019 | 781,263 | +18.0% |
| source:[8] | ||
| Urban Centre | 2019 Population[9] |
|---|---|
| Wajir South | 98,814 |
| Habaswein | 98,814 |
| Buna | 49,886 |
| Tarbaj | 156,232 |
| Eldas | 98,509 |
| Kutulo | 54,218 |
| Wajir East | 119,654 |
| Wajir North | 62,206 |
| Wajir West | 135,828 |
Religion in Wajir County[10]
| Religion (2019 Census) | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Islam | 767,312 | 98.97% |
| Catholicism | 3.060 | 0.39% |
| Protestant | 1,298 | 0.17% |
| African Instituted Churches | 263 | 0.03% |
| Evangelical Churches | 247 | 0.03% |
| Orthodox | 20 | 0.00% |
| Other Christian | 2,280 | 0.29% |
| Hindu | 609 | 0.08% |
| Traditionalists | 3 | 0.00% |
| Other | 86 | 0.01% |
| Atheists | 39 | 0.00% |
| Unknown | 50 | 0.01% |
| Not Stated | 35 | 0.00% |
As of 2019, Wajir County is divided into 7 sub-counties:[2]
| Sub-county | Population | Land area (Sq. km) | Pop. density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eldas | 98,509 | 4,444.0 | 12 |
| Habaswein | 98,814 | 6,912.5 | 17 |
| Tarbaj | 156,232 | 9,650.9 | 9 |
| Wajir East | 119,654 | 4,055.1 | 27 |
| Wajir North | 112,206 | 8,042.9 | 15 |
| Wajir South | 116,814 | 7,732.6 | 18 |
| Wajir West | 135,828 | 9,042.3 | 13 |
Wajir County is divided into fourteen administrative divisions:
| Division | Population* | Pop. density* | Area (km2) | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buna | 29,160 | 5 | x | Buna |
| Bute | 14,684 | 20 | x | Bute |
| Central | 51,006 | 22 | x | Wajir |
| Diff | 19,052 | 3 | x | |
| Eldas | 9,166 | 4 | x | Eldas |
| Sarman | 29,166 | 4 | x | Sarman |
| Griftu | 42,333 | 6 | x | Griftu |
| Gurar | 18,087 | 7 | x | Gurar |
| Habaswein | 17,467 | 6 | x | Habaswein |
| Hadado | 19,787 | 5 | x | Hadado |
| Kotulo | 44,218 | 8 | x | Kotulo |
| Lafaley | 5,883 | 12 | x | |
| Lagboqol | 15,699 | 3 | x | Lagboqol |
| Tarbaj | 82,758 | 4 | x | Tarbaj |
| Wajir-Bor | 17,046 | 4 | x | |
| Total | 366,847 | 4 | x | |
| * 1999 census[11] | ||||
