Kitui County


Kitui County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Kitui, although Mwingi is also another major urban centre. The county has a population of 1,136,187. and an area of 30,430 km². It lies between latitudes 0°10 South and 3°0 South and longitudes 37°50 East and 39°0 East.
Kitui County shares its borders with seven counties; Tharaka-Nithi and Meru to the north, Embu to the northwest, Machakos and Makuenito the west, Tana River to the east and southeast, and Taita-Taveta to the south.

History

The name Kitui means ‘a place where iron goods are made’. The Kamba iron-smiths who settled in the county many years before the colonial period are the ones who named the area Kitui.

Demographics

Kitui county has a total population of 1,136,187 of which 549,003 are males, 587,151 females and33 intersex persons. There are 262,942 household with an average household size of 4.3 persons per household and a population density 37 people per square kilometre.
Sub-CountyMaleFemaleIntersexTotal
Ikutha39,98642,976282,964
Katulan23,15023,957147,108
Kisasi22,64623,49646,142
Kitui Centra52,12353,8635105,991
Kitui West.33,88736,983170,871
Kyuso36,78940,077176,867
Lower Yatta31,7 0 131,62863,329
Matinyani23,36224,448147,811
Migwani33,52541,726479,255
Mumoni.13,74815,59629,344
Mutitu26,38828,896355,287
Mutitu North.10,33710,877121,215
Mutomo54,81958,5316113,356
Mwingi Central..52,33956,174108,713
Mwingi East40,31444,820585,139
Nzambani22,92923,857246,788
Thagicu7,1417,994115,136
Tseikuru19,61921,25240,871
Total549,003587,151331,136,187

Source
The population is mostly made up of people of the Akamba ethnicity. Tharaka people, a section of the Ameru, are also found in Kitui County mainly in Tharaka ward. There is also a growing Somali presence.

Administration and Political Units

Administrative Units

There are eight sub counties, forty county assembly wards, one hundred and sixty seven locations and four hundred and eleven sub-locations.
Further, the sub-counties are divided into smaller units called wards. There are 40 wards which are further divided into 247 villages.

Administrative Sub-Counties

  • Kitui West Sub-County
  • Kitui Central Sub-County.
  • Kitui Rural Sub-County.
  • Kitui South Sub-County.
  • Kitui East Sub-County.
  • Mwingi North Sub-County.
  • Mwingi West Sub-County.
  • Mwingi Central Sub-County
Source

Electoral Constituencies

Source

Political Leadership

is the governor and second to hold office after Julius Malombe and she is deputised by Gideon Nzau Wathe. Enoch Kiio Wambua is the senator join office in 2017 after unseating the first senator David Musila. Irene Muthoni Kasalu is the women representative and second holder of this office after Nyiva Mwendwa.
For Kitui County, the County Executive Committee comprises of:-
Number
The Governor1
The Deputy Governor1
The County Secretary1
The CEC Members10
Total13

kSource

'''Members of Parliament 2017-2022 (Kitui County)'''

  • Hon. Mulu, Benson Makali of Wiper Democratic Party Kenya Member of Parliament Kitui Central Constituency
  • Hon. Mbai, Nimrod Mbithuka of Jubilee Party Member of Parliament Kitui East Constituency
  • Hon. Mboni, David Mwalika of chama cha uma party Member of Parliament Kitui Rural Constituency
  • Hon. Nyamai, Rachael Kaki of Jubilee Party Member of Parliament Kitui South Constituency
  • Hon. Nyenze, Edith of Wiper Democratic Party Kenya Member of Parliament Kitui West Constituency
  • Hon. Mulyungi, Gideon Mutemi of Wiper Democratic Party Kenya Member of Parliament Mwingi Central Constituency
  • Hon. Nzengu, Paul Musyimi of Wiper Democratic Party of Kenya Member of Parliament Mwingi North Constituency
  • Hon. Nguna, Charles Ngusya of Wiper Democratic Party of Kenya Member of Parliament Mwingi West Constituency

    Education

The are 1826 ECD centres 1476 primary schools and 384 secondary schools. The county has also 5 teachers training colleges, 311 adult training institutions and 1 technical training institutions.
CategoryPublicPrivateTotalEnrolment
ECD Centres1518308182690,731
Primary schools13181581476346,022
Secondary schools3741038473,385
Teachers Training Colleges325
Technical Training Institutes101
Universities101
University Campuses505
Adult Education Centres311031112,438

Source

Health

The are a total of 256 health facilities in the county with one county referral hospital. County has 2,084 health personnel of different cadre.
HIV prevalence is at 4.2% below the national 5.9%.
Government*FBOPrivateNGOTOTAL
Hospitals112114
Health centres38240
Dispensaries1831018201
Clinics31

Source

Major towns

Major towns in the county include Kitui, Mwingi, Mutomo, Kwa Vonza, Mutitu, Ikutha, Kabati, Migwani, Mutonguni, Mbitini and Kyuso.

Climate

The climate is semi-arid; it receives roughly 71 cm. A significant point however is that rainfall occurs practically only during the rainy seasons. The terms Long and Short Rains has nothing to do with amount of rainfall received but rather on the length of the rainy seasons.

Urbanisation

Source:

Education

The are 1826 ECD centres 1476 primary schools and 384 secondary schools. The county has also 5 teachers training colleges, 311 adult training institutions and 1 technical training institutions.
CategoryPublicPrivateTotalEnrolment
ECD Centres1518308182690,731
Primary schools13181581476346,022
Secondary schools3741038473,385
Teachers Training Colleges325
Technical Training Institutes101
Universities101
University Campuses505
Adult Education Centres311031112,438

Source
Kitui School and Muthale Girls are the only national schools in Kitui County. Other major secondary schools are St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School, Kyuso Boys Sec, St. Joseph's Seminary at Mwingi, St, Benedict Ikutha Boys' high school, Kisasi Boys' Secondary School, Matinyani Boys' Secondary, Mutonguni Secondary School, St. Luke's Yatta Boys' Secondary School,Katheka boys high school Mutito Boys' Secondary School and Mwingi Boys' Secondary School. Major girls' schools include Mulango Girls' High School, St. Angela's High School,Mbitini Girls' Secondary School, Chuluni Girls' Secondary School, Mutito Girls' Secondary School and Mutomo Girls' Secondary School. Other notable secondary schools are St.Ursula Girls-Tungutu, St. Aquinas Kyangwithya Boys, Nzambani Boys, Maliku Girls, Thitani Girls, Zombe Girls, Migwani Boys, Katheka Boys, Kabaa secondary school and St. Lawrence Kaluva Secondary School
Kathungi Secondary School, which is also found in Kitui County, is famous for its football championship in the country. Kathungi were the 2013 national silver medalists. Alongside the national champions Upper Hill, they represented Kenya in East Africa Secondary School games held in Lira, Uganda.
South Eastern Kenya University is a public university located in Kitui with the Main Campus at Kwa Vonza and other campuses at Mwingi and Kitui towns. Kenyatta University has a campus at Kwa Vonza while Moi University has a campus at Kyuso in Mwingi North sub-county. University of Nairobi also has a campus in Kitui town. Kenya Medical Training College has campuses in Kitui and Mwingi.

Statistics

Source:

Health

The are a total of 256 health facilities in the county with one county referral hospital. County has 2,084 health personnel of different cadre.
HIV prevalence is at 4.2% below the national 5.9%.
Government*FBOPrivateNGOTOTAL
Hospitals112114
Health centres38240
Dispensaries1831018201
Clinics31

Source
Kitui County has several hospitals and health centres to meet the health needs of residents, among them Kitui County Referral Hospital, Mwingi Sub-County General Hospital, Kitui Nursing Home, Neema Hospital, Jordan Hospital, mission-run hospitals such as Muthale Mission hospital and some private health centres.

Economy

The vast majority of the economy is based on sustenance farming, despite the fact that the agriculture is an extremely challenging endeavor giving the sporadic rainfall. A logical move therefore would be a transition to non-agricultural industries.
During a recent, informal survey of the businesses in the town of Ikutha in southern Kitui County, the following businesses were identified:
  • Butcheries
  • Food Staples
  • Mini-markets
  • Mechanics
  • Pubs
  • Hotels and restaurants

    Industries

Situated in Kitui town is a cotton ginnery where cotton farmers from around the county can deliver their harvest. It is the only major industry in the region, and was set up way back in 1935. Kitui is a semi-arid region and not many crops fare well there apart from cotton, hence the ginnery plays a major role creating income for the many cotton farmers in the region.

Minerals

Kitui county has large deposits of coal in Mui Basin, having low energy content/calorific value, meaning it produces less heat when burned. It also has sulphur. The coal could potentially supply the 1,000 MW Lamu Coal Power Station, and the 960-megawatt Kitui coal plant.
Mutomo/Ikutha district contains limestone.

Wealth/Poverty Level

Source:

Tourism

  • Tsavo East National Park
  • South Kitui National Reserve
  • Mwingi National Reserve
  • Ikoo Valley
  • Ngomeni Rock Catchment.

    Nzambani Rock

Also in Kitui county is one of the largest Rock outcrops in Kenya which is locally known as "Ivia ya Nzambani". Situated past Kitui Town, about 1 km from Chuluni Market is the Nzambani Rock which is famous for the tales and myths of its origin. Activities here include hiking and rock climbing.

Religion and traditional culture

Christianity is the dominant religion in Kitui County. Roman Catholics make about 15% of the county's population. Other Christian denominations in the county include The Africa Brotherhood Church, the African Inland Church, Anglican Church of Kenya, Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Independent Presbyterian Church, Redeemed Gospel Church and many others. Kitui county has a significant number of Muslims and several mosques can be spotted around the county's major urban centres. Few people in the county still hold on to traditional beliefs. They believe in a god called Mulungu or Ngai - the creator of everything on Earth.

Notable people