Lamu County
The county has a land surface of 6,273.1 km (2,422.1 sq mi), including the mainland and over 65 islands that form the Lamu Archipelago. The total length of the coastline is 130 km (81 mi), while the land water mass area stands at 308 km (119 sq mi). As of the 2019 census, Lamu County had a population of 143,920, making it the least populated county in Kenya.
Demographics
The county is made of a cosmopolitan population composed of communities such as Aweer, Oromo,Somalis, Swahilis, Arabs, Kore, Kikuyu, and other migrant communities from the rest of the country. The county has a total population of 143,920 of which 76,103 are males 67,813 females and 4 intersex persons. There are 37,963 households with an average household size of 3.7 persons per household and a population density of 23 people per square kilometre.
The LAPSSET project is expected to attract a huge migrant population estimated to be over one million. This will certainly overstretch the county's social services necessitating commensurate development planning for adequate service provision.
| 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: | ||
Religion
Administrative and political units
Administrative units
The county has 2 constituencies: Lamu West and Lamu East. These two also consist of the two districts referred to as the sub-counties in Lamu County. Lamu West has Amu Mkomani, Shela, Hindi, Mkunumbi, Hongwe, Bahari and Witu Divisions while Lamu East has Faza, Basuba and Kiunga Divisions. There are 10 wards, 23 locations, and 38 sub-locations in the county.
| 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 | |||
Political units
There are two constituencies and ten county assembly wards.
| Constituency | County wards | Land Area (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
Constituencies
- MP – Hon. Muthama, Stanley Muiruri Lamu West Constituency
- MP – Hon.Ruweida Mohammed Obo Lamu East Constituency
Source
Political leadership
H.E. Issa Abdalla Timamy is the current Governor and is deputized by H.E. Raphael Munyua. H.E. Yasin Twaha was the second Governor and was deputized by H.E. Aboud Bwana Abdulhakim First elected governor for the county was Issa Timamy and was deputized by H.E. Eric Kinyua Mugo. Anuar Loitiptip was the second elected senator after Abu Chiaba.The current Senator is Hon. Joseph Githuka The current Women Representative is Monica Mūthoni Marubu. Ruweida Mohamed Obo was the women representative and was elected in 2017, before her was Shakila Abdalla who was elected in 2013.
For Lamu County, the County Executive Committee comprises:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| The Governor | 1 |
| The Deputy Governor | 1 |
| The County Secretary | 1 |
| The CEC Members | 10 |
| Total | 13 |
Education
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.
Health
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.
HIV prevalence is at 3.5%, compared to the national 5.9%.
Transport and communication
The county is covered by 923.07 km of road network. Of this, 718.66 km is covered by earth surface, 198.41 km is murram surface and 6 km is covered by bitumen.
There are five Post Offices with 1,250 installed letter boxes, 653 rented letter boxes and 597 vacant letter boxes.
Trade and commerce
The main economic activities in the county include crop production, livestock production, fisheries, tourism and mining, most notably quarrying. Lamu is rich in minerals like titanium, salt, limestone, coral stones, and sand. Lamu town is termed as "the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa” but neighboring islands also have numerous archaeological remnants of history dating as far back as the 14th Century.
Among the challenges facing Lamu is population growth owing to migration into Lamu from other parts of the country, fueled partly by the anticipated opportunities accruing from the Lamu 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-developed infrastructure, and food insecurity.
There are 9 trading centers, 606 registered businesses, 465 licensed retail traders, 7 supermarkets, 27 licensed wholesale traders, and 98 registered hotels.
The county has two National reserves: Dodori, and Kiunga Marine, covering 877 km Dodori is a breeding ground for the East Lamu Topi, and consists of a variety of mammals and birdlife including lions, elephant shrew, hippo, pelicans, and many more. It has the most varied species of mangrove forest in Kenya at Dodori Creek. Kiunga Marine Reserve consists of several islands rich with biodiversity including valuable coral reefs, sea grass, extensive mangrove forests, and the endangered sea turtles and dugongs. Kiwayu Island, which is part of the reserve, is deemed as having the most pristine beach in Kenya.