Kitui County
| Kitui County | |
|---|---|
| County | |
|
Sunset at Tsavo East National Park mostly located in Kitui County | |
 Location in Kenya | |
| Coordinates: 1°29′S 38°23′E / 1.483°S 38.383°ECoordinates: 1°29′S 38°23′E / 1.483°S 38.383°E | |
| Country |
 Kenya |
| Formed | March 4th 2013 |
| Capital | Kitui |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Julius Malombe |
| Area | |
| • Total | 24,385.1 km2 (9,415.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 1,012,709 [1] |
| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
| Website | kitui.go.ke |
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 1,012,709 (2009 census) [2] and an area of 24,385.1 km².
Government
The county has four local authorities: Kitui municipality, Kitui county council, Mwingi and Mwingi county council.
Kitui county is divided into eight administrative divisions: Central (Kitui), Kabati, Chuluni, Mutitu, Mwitika, Mutomo (Ikanga), Ikutha and Yatta.
The county has Eight constituencies:
Kitui Rural Constituency
- Kitui South Constituency
- Kitui East Constituency
- Mwingi North Constituency
- Mwingi West Constituency
- Mwingi Central Constituency
Demographics
Local people are mostly of the Akamba ethnicity.
Climate
The climate is semi-arid; it receives roughly 71 cm (28 inches). A significant point however is that rainfall occurs practically only during the rainy seasons (one long around May and June, and one short, around September and October).
Services
Education
There are some private primary and secondary schools in the area. South Eastern Kenya University is a university located in Kitui with a campus in Mwingi. Kenyatta University has a campus in Kitui.
Statistics
| County | Statistics for the County (Percent) |
|---|---|
| Literacy | 74.7 |
| Attending School (15-18 Yrs) | 77.8 |
| Paved Roads | 2.4 |
| Good Roads | 39.9 |
| Electricity Access | 4.8 |
|
Statistics for the County | |
Source: USAid Kenya
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 (rice, corn meal)
- Mini-markets (sells things like Coca-cola, potatoes chips, bread, long-shelf milk)
- Mechanics
- Pubs
- Hotel and restaurant
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.
South Eastern Kenya Region
Urbanisation
| County | Urbanisation in South Eastern Kenya (Percent) |
|---|---|
| Machakos County | 52 |
| Kitui County | 13.8 |
| Makueni County | 11.8 |
| Kenya Average |
32.3 |
|
Urbanisation by County in South Eastern Kenya | |
Source: OpenDataKenya
Wealth/Poverty Level
| County | Poverty Level in South Eastern Kenya (Percent) |
|---|---|
| Machakos County | 59.6 |
| Kitui County | 63.1 |
| Makueni County | 64.1 |
| Kenya Average |
45.9 |
|
Poverty level by County | |
Source: OpenDataKenya Worldbank
See also
- Machakos County
- Makueni County
- Tana River County
- Taita Taveta County
- Embu County
- Meru County
- Tharaka Nithi County