Lamu County
County in Kenya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lamu County is a county in Kenya located along the North Coast[2] of the country and is one of the six Coastal Counties[3] in Kenya. Its capital is the town of Lamu. It borders Tana River County to the southwest, Garissa County to the north, Somalia to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the South. It is the smallest county in Kenya by population.
Lamu County | |
|---|---|
Lamu, Lamu Island | |
 Flag | |
 Location in Kenya | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| Formed | 4 March 2013 |
| Capital | Lamu |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Issa Timamy |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,273.1 km2 (2,422.1 sq mi) |
| • Land | 6,273.1 km2 (2,422.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 110 m (360 ft) |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 143,920 |
| • Density | 22.942/km2 (59.421/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | |
| • GDP |  $935.7 Million (44th)(2022)[1] |
| • Per Capita | $5,736 (2022) (13th) |
| GDP (NOMINAL) | |
| • GDP | $343 Million (2022) (44th) |
| • Per Capita | $2,106 (2022) (13th) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Website | www |
The county has a land surface of 6,273.1 km2 (2,422.1 sq mi), including the mainland[4] and over 65 islands that form the Lamu Archipelago. The total length of the coastline[5] is 130 km (81 mi), while the land water mass[6] area stands at 308 km2 (119 sq mi).[7][8]
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 all over the country. The county had a total population of 143,920 of which 76,103 were males 67,813 females and 4 intersex persons during the 2019 census of Kenya. There were 37,963 households with an average household size of 3.7 persons per household and a population density of 23 people per square kilometre.[9]
The LAPSSET project was in 2016 expected to attract a huge migrant population, estimated at over one million people. This will certainly overstretch the county's social services necessitating commensurate development planning for adequate service provision.[10]
| 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:[11] | ||
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.[13] 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.[14]
Political units
There are two constituencies and ten county assembly wards.
Constituencies
- MP – Muthama, Stanley Muiruri[18] Lamu West Constituency[19]
- MP – Ruweida Mohammed Obo[20] Lamu East Constituency[21]
Source[22]
Political leadership
In 2022 Issa Abdalla Timamy was the Governor, deputized by Raphael Munyua. Yasin Twaha was the second Governor, deputized by Aboud Bwana Abdulhakim[23][24] First elected governor for the county was Issa Timamy, deputized by Eric Kinyua Mugo. Anuar Loitiptip was the second elected senator after Abu Chiaba.The Senator was Joseph Githuka[25][26] The Women Representative was 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.[27][28]
For Lamu County,[29] 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.[30]
Health
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.[when?][33][34]
The main point of entry to Lamu is through air via Manda Airport (LAU) which gives you access to the islands via boats/dhows. It's also possible to use buses. In Lamu, most locals prefer to walk barefoot (grounding) and they rely heavily on donkeys as a means of transportation (for both people and goods).
There are five Post Offices with 1,250 installed letter boxes, 653 rented letter boxes and 597 vacant letter boxes.[35][36]
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,[37] 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.[35]
The county has two National reserves: Dodori, and Kiunga Marine,[38] covering 877 km2. 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,[39] which is part of the reserve, is deemed as having the most pristine beach in Kenya.
