Local authorities of Kenya


Local authorities in Kenya are the bodies controlling local governance in urban areas in Kenya.
From the 2013 general elections onwards Kenya will have three classes of local authorities: City, Municipality, and Town authorities. Subject to the Urban Areas and Cities Act of 2011, there are five authorities with city status: Nairobi, the national capital, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret. Municipalities and towns are other forms of urban authorities and are generally named after their central town.
Local authorities usually differ from divisional and constituency boundaries used by the state administration.
Under the former act of parliament local authority administration consisted of a mayor, town clerk and councillors. The number of councillors depended on population and area of each authority and they were elected by the public during the Kenya general elections held every five years or by-elections held in between. Authorities were divided into wards and each ward elects only one councillor. Wards have often common boundaries with administrative locations.
Compared to many other countries, local authorities in Kenya were weak and are shadowed by state run administration. However, during the international Africities summit held in Nairobi September 2006, the Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki promised to strengthen local authorities.
Under Kenya's new devolved system of government, the elected councils were dissolved and are set to be replaced by boards, in the case of city councils, and administrators, in the case of municipal and town councils, appointed by the county governments.

List of local authorities in Kenya

These are the local authorities, dissolved in 2013, that operated under the old local authorities act.

Nairobi County

Kiambu County

Kirinyaga County

Nyandarua County

  • * Ol Kalou town council
  • * Nyandarua county council

Nyeri County

Murang'a County

Murang'a District

Kilifi County

Kwale County

  • * Kwale town council
  • * Kwale county council

Lamu County

  • * Lamu county council

Mombasa County

Taita-Taveta County

  • * Taita-Taveta county council
  • * Taveta town council
  • * Voi municipality

Tana River County

  • * Tana river- Hola
  • * Tana delta- Garseni
  • * Tana north - Bura

Embu County

Isiolo County

Kitui County

Makueni County

Machakos County

Marsabit County

Meru County

Meru Central District

Tharaka-Nithi County

Meru South District

Garissa County

Mandera County

  • * Mandera town council
  • * Mandera county council

Wajir County

Homa Bay County

  • * Homa Bay municipality
  • * Homa Bay county council

Kisii County

Kisii Central District

Nyamira County

Kisumu County

  • * Kisumu municipality
  • * Kisumu county council

Migori County

Kuria District

Siaya County

Baringo County

Baringo District
  • * Kabarnet municipality
  • * Baringo county council

Bomet County

Elgeyo Marakwet County

Keiyo District

Kajiado County

Kericho County

Laikipia County

Nakuru County

Nandi County

Narok County

Samburu County

Trans-Nzoia County

  • * Kitale municipality
  • * Nzoia county council

Turkana County

  • * Lodwar municipality
  • * Turkana county council

Uasin Gishu County

West Pokot County

Bungoma County

Busia County

Kakamega County

Vihiga County

  • * Vihiga municipality
  • * Vihiga county council
  • * Luanda town council