Largest cities in Kenya by population
The 22 cities the United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2024 lists for Kenya: the capital and every city of 100,000 or more, with the latest figure the country reported. The largest is Nairobi with 4,395,749 people.
Who runs cities in Kenya?
Cities, municipalities and towns: Boards appointed by the governor and approved by the county assembly (not elected). Urban management delegated by the county; 4 cities and 55 municipalities by 2022.
How local power works in Kenya · Level 3: local councils worldwide
| # | City | Population | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi (capital) | 4,395,749 | 24 August 2019 |
| 2 | Mombasa | 1,208,112 | 24 August 2019 |
| 3 | Nakuru | 570,614 | 24 August 2019 |
| 4 | Ruiru | 490,035 | 24 August 2019 |
| 5 | Eldoret | 475,659 | 24 August 2019 |
| 6 | Kisumu | 397,853 | 24 August 2019 |
| 7 | Kikuyu | 323,825 | 24 August 2019 |
| 8 | Thika | 248,901 | 24 August 2019 |
| 9 | Naivasha | 198,399 | 24 August 2019 |
| 10 | Karuri | 194,289 | 24 August 2019 |
| 11 | Ongata Rongai | 172,516 | 24 August 2019 |
| 12 | Kitale | 162,154 | 24 August 2019 |
| 13 | Juja | 155,999 | 24 August 2019 |
| 14 | Kitengela | 154,327 | 24 August 2019 |
| 15 | Kiambu | 147,826 | 24 August 2019 |
| 16 | Mlolongo | 136,266 | 24 August 2019 |
| 17 | Garissa | 132,997 | 24 August 2019 |
| 18 | Malindi | 119,825 | 24 August 2019 |
| 19 | Mandera | 114,718 | 24 August 2019 |
| 20 | Kisii | 110,426 | 24 August 2019 |
| 21 | Kakamega | 107,205 | 24 August 2019 |
| 22 | Ngong | 102,308 | 24 August 2019 |
Countries define a city in different ways (the city proper, or the wider urban area) and report in different years, so cities in different countries are not always comparable.
More on Kenya: official statistics · government and power · regions
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
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