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Kikuyu most populous tribe in Kenya -census report

By Stephen Oketch February 21st, 2020 1 min read

Kikuyu is the most populous tribe with 8,148,668 people, according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census (KPHC) that was conducted in August 2019. It is followed by the Luhya at 6,823,842 and Kalenjin third with 6,358,113 persons.

Luo follows in fourth with 5,066,966 people followed by the Kamba at 4,663,910 and the Kenyan Somali sixth with 2,780,502. They are then followed by Kisii tribe with 2,703,235 people.

The Mijikenda was eight with 2, 488, 691 people and the Meru followed at 1,975,869 persons with the Maasai finishing off the top ten list with 1,189,522 people.

The report also lists the five least populous tribes. The Konso have 1,299 people at the time of enumeration closely followed by the El- Molo with 1,104; Gosha tribe had 685 people followed by the Kenyan American at 596 persons. The Dahalo had the least people with 575 persons.

The total urban population was 14,831,700 whereas the rural population was 32,732,596 as at 2019. The percentage of urban to total population increased from 24.1 per cent in 2009 to 31.2 per cent in 2019.

Most densely populated sub-locations in last year census are Kware in Nairobi County with 166,517 people, Tibwani in Mombasa County with 114,520, Mlolongo in Machakos County with 93,075, Tassia in Nairobi with 88,874 and Mowlem in Nairobi County with 88,039.

Administrative units

Nairobi City is the most populous urban centre with 4,397,073 people followed by Mombasa with 1,208, 333, Nakuru 590,674, Ruiru was fourth with 490,120 and Eldoret with 475,716 people.

Most Kenyans are below 35 years; 35,700,787 Kenyans are aged below 35 years which is a 75.1 percent compared to 30,237,255, a fall from the 78.3 percent in 2009.

Children aged between 0 and 14 years were 18,541,982 while adolescents classified as those aged between 10 and 19 were 11,631,929 in 2019. The youth population (18-34) was 13,777,600 compared to 11,809,518 in 2009.

The working population (15-64) stood at 27,151,134 in 2019 compared to 20,634,861 in 2009.

Elderly Kenyans, aged 65 and above are 1,870,493 in 2019 compared to 1,322,273 persons in 2009. Women accounted for 55.8 per cent of the elderly in 2019 compared to 54.8 percent in 2009.