Kisii County

Introduction

Kisii County had a population of 1,358,000 people in 2024. According to the 2019 census, Kisii had a population of 1,266,860 and a land area of 1,323 square kilometers. Kisii County had the fourth highest population density of 958 people per square kilometer, after Nairobi 6,247, Mombasa 5,495, and Vihiga 1,047.

The total number of households in Kisii County was 308,054, with an average household size of 4.1 people per household.

Kisii is bordered to the South by Narok, the South West by Migori, the West by Homa Bay, and the East by Nyamira.

Kisii has eleven sub-counties: Etago, Gucha, Gucha South, Kenyenya, Kisii Central, Kisii South, Kitutu Central, Marani, Masaba South, Nyamache, and Sameta.

Kisii County Economy

Kisii County's economy was worth 257.8 billion in 2022, representing 2.0% of the Gross County Product (GCP) while Nyamira County had a GCP of 144.7 billion, representing 1.2% of the total GCP. 

Kisii County contributed, on average, 3.7% to Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Activities between 2018 and 2022. This made Kisii County the sixth highest contributor to agricultural activities, behind Meru 7.6%, Nakuru 5.2%, Nyandarua 4.5%, Murang'a 4.1%, and Kiambu 4.0%. Moreover, Kisii County contributed, on average, 0.7% to manufacturing activities and 1.7% to service activities.

Kisii County had a GCP per Capita of Ksh 193,482, behind Nyamira County, with a GCP per Capita of Ksh 221,382.

Poverty Rates

Kisii County's overall headcount poverty rate of 37.2% was slightly lower than the national poverty rate of 38.6% in 2021. This represents 477,000 people who were living in poverty in Kisii. Kisii County also had a hardcore poverty rate of 4.9%, which was a national hardcore poverty rate of 5.8%. The number of people living in extreme poverty in the county was 63,000.

The map below shows the poverty distribution by constituency in Kisii County in 2019. Kitutu Chache North had a poverty rate of 36.6%, Kitutu Chache South 40.2%, Nyaribari Chache 36.8%, Nyaribari Masaba 33.4%, South Mugirango 38.4%, Bonchari 38.3%, Bobasi 36.1%, Bomachoge Chache 37.2%, and Bomachoge Borabu 41.2%.

The headcount food poverty rate in Kisii County in 2021 was 36.3% higher than the national food poverty estimates of 30.5%. The total number of people living in food poverty in Kisii was 466,000. Kisii had a mean monthly food and non-food expenditure of Ksh 2,901 and Ksh 2,599, respectively. The share of income spent on food was 57.5%, while 52.5% on non-food expenditure.

The mean and median per adult equivalent consumption expenditure in Kisii County were Ksh 5,501 and Ksh 4,672, respectively. In 2021, the Kenyan mean and median per adult equivalent consumption expenditures were Ksh 7,393 and Ksh 5,354, respectively. 

Kisii County Demographics

According to the 2019 Census, Kisii County had a population of 1,266,860 people, comprising 605,784 males, 661,038 females, and 38 intersex people. Kisii had a median age of 17 years in 2019.

Marital Status

Of men aged 12 and above in Kisii County, 46% were never married in 2019. Those married monogamous were 48.9%, while those married polygamous were 2.6%. Widowed men in Kisii County comprised 1.2% of those aged 12 and above, while the divorced and separated comprised 0.2% and 1.0%, respectively.

Among women aged 12 and above in Kisii, 36.1% were never married in 2019. Those married monogamous were 51.8%, while those married polygamous were 3.2%. Widowed women comprised 7.3% of the population aged 12 and above, while the divorced and separated consisted of 0.3% and 1.2%, respectively.

According to the KDHS, the median age at first marriage of women aged 20-49 in Kisii was 19.9 years. Among women aged 25-49, the median age at first marriage was 19.5 years. In men, the median age at first marriage of those aged 25-54 was 24.7 years, while the median age of first marriage among men aged 30-54 was 24.5 years in Kisii.

Polygyny

In 2022, the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey found that 5.7% of married women in Kisii County had co-wives. Moreover, 5.2% of these women had one co-wife, while 0.5% had more than two co-wives. The percentage of women without co-wives was 91.6%.

Among married men aged 15-49 in Kisii, 2% had more than two wives, while 98% had one wife.

Marriage Registration

Among married women in Kisii, 12.4% had their marriages registered by the civil authorities. In comparison, 11.3% were registered and had a marriage certificate in 2022.

Teenage Marriages

The proportions of married males and females aged 12-15 in Kisii County in 2019 were 4.6% and 4.7%, respectively. Among males in Kisii aged 12-18, those married 4.7%, while married women aged 12-18 was 6.8%.

Kisii County had a teenage pregnancy rate of 14.2%, representing women aged 15-19 who have ever been pregnant.

Total Fertility Rate

Kisii County had a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.8 births in 2019, a 44.7% decline from 5.1 births in 2009. This was lower than Kenya’s TFR of 3.4 births, with Kisii having one of the lowest TFRs in the country alongside Nyamira 2.7, Nairobi 2.5, Kiambu 2.7, Kirinyaga 2.7, Nyeri 2.9, Makueni 2.8, Machakos 2.7, and Mombasa 2.9 births.

The total fertility rate of the youth in Kisii County aged 15-24 was 1.1 births compared to the national youth TFR of 1.0 births.

The Crude Birth Rate in Kisii County in 2019 was 23.5 births per 1,000 population, representing a 58.4% decline from 56.5 births per 1,000 population in 2009. The overall crude birth rate in Kenya in 2019 was 27.9 births per 1,000 people, a decline of 27.2% from 38.4 births in 2009.

Place of Birth and Notification Status

The percentage of births occurring in health facilities in Kisii was 95.3%, while those occurring in non-health facilities was 4.7%. The national average for recent births in health facilities in 2019 was 85.8%, with 14% occurring in non-health facilities.

In the 12 months preceding the 2019 census, the percentage of notified births was 94.9% in Kisii County, while 5% were not notified. Overall, 90.4% of births in the country during the same period were notified, while 9.3% were not.

Place of Death and Notification Status

In 2019, 70.2% of deaths in Kisii County occurred in a health facility, while 29.3% occurred in the community. In Kenya, 59% of deaths in 2019 occurred in a health facility, while 40% did not occur in a health facility.

The share of deaths in Kisii County that were notified in 2019 was 92.3%. Overall, the share of deaths that were notified in Kenya in 2019 was 85.6%.

Kisii County had a Crude Death Rate (CDR) of 9.8 deaths per 1,000 population in 2019. Overall, Kenya had a Crude Death Rate of 10.5%.

Religious Affiliation

Most residents of Kisii County are Protestants 575,994, followed by Catholics 429,285, and Evangelical Churches 188,751.

Development

1. The Rural Access Index (RAI) in Kisii County was 87%, representing the percentage of the population living within two kilometers of an all-weather road in 2019.
2. Household access to electricity in Kisii County was 39.5% in 2019, up from 8.1% in 2009.
3. Household access to improved sanitation in Kisii County was 74.9% in 2019, up from 64.0% in 2009.
4. Household access to safe drinking water in Kisii County was 52.1% in 2019, up from 50.9% in 2009.
5. Kisii had 99.4% of its public primary schools connected to electricity, the 9^th highest in the country in 2019.

The share of the population in Kisii County owning mobile phones in 2019 was 43.4%. Among women, 73.6% owned any type of mobile phone in Kisii County in 2022, while 31.2% owned a smartphone.

Among men, 75.8% in Kisii owned any kind of mobile phone in 2022, while 41.5% owned a smartphone. The percentage of men and women who had used a mobile phone for financial transactions in the year preceding the 2022 KDHS survey was 79.0% and 76.0%, respectively.

See Also

1. Nyamira County
2. Migori County
3. Homa Bay County

References

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8. Commission on Revenue Allocation. (2022). Kenya County Factsheet (3rd ed., p. 120).
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18. KNBS. (2019). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Distribution of population by socioeconomic status (Vol. IV, p. 422).
19. Commission on Revenue Allocation. (2022). Kenya County Factsheet (3rd ed., p. 120).