Kitui County

Introduction

Kitui County is located in Eastern Province and had a total population of 1,244,000 people in 2024. In 2019, the county had a population of 1,136,187 people, comprising 262,942 households and an average household size of 4.3 people per square kilometer. 

Kitui has a total land area of 30,429.5 square kilometers and a population density of 37 people per square kilometer. 

Kitui is bordered to the North by Meru and Tharaka Nithi, to the East by Tana River, to the South by Taita Taveta, to the South West by Makueni County, and to the West by Machakos and Embu. 

Sub counties in Kitui County include Ikutha, Katulani, Kisasi, Kitui Central, Kitui West, Kyuso, Lower Yatta, Matinyani, Migwani, Mumoni, Mutitu, Mutitu North, Mutomo, Mwingi Central, Mwingi East, Nzambani, Thagicu, and Tseikuru.

Kitui County Economy

Kitui County had an average Gross County Product at current prices of Ksh 161.7 billion between 2018 and 2022, representing an average county contribution to Gross Value Added of 1.3%.

Kitui County's average contribution to agriculture, forestry, and fishing activities was 2.1%, while its contribution to manufacturing was 0.5%. The county contributed, on average, 1.4% to service activities. 

Kitui County had a Gross County Product per capita of Ksh 133,037 in 2022.

Poverty Rates

Kitui County had an overall headcount poverty rate of 55.2%, with a total of 637,000 people estimated to live in poverty. By comparison, Kenya had an overall poverty rate of 38.6% in 2021.

In 2021, the hardcore poverty rate in Kitui County was 15.5%, with an estimated 180,000 people living in extreme poverty. Overall, in the same year, Kenya had a hardcore poverty rate of 5.8%. 

Kitui also had a food poverty rate of 34.2%, with roughly 396,000 people estimated to live in food poverty. In contrast, Kenya had a food poverty rate of 30.5% in 2021.

The table below shows the distribution of poverty by constituency in Kitui County in 2019: Kitui Central 39.4%, Kitui East 50.7%, Kitui Rural 39.3%, Kitui South 56.3%, Kitui West 33.4%, Mwingi Central 58%, Mwingi North 37.3%, and Mwingi West 19.2%.

 The mean monthly food and non-food expenditure in Kitui County was Ksh 3,302 and Ksh 1,688, respectively, in 2021. The share of expenditure on food was 72.5%, while the share on non-food items was 27.5%.

The major sources of household food consumption in Kitui County were purchase or stock 90.5%, own production 6.9%, and gifts 2.6%.

The mean and median per adult equivalent consumption expenditure in Kitu was Ksh 4,990 and Ksh 3,739 in 2021.

Kitui County Demographics

Kitui had a total population of 1,136,187 people in 2019, consisting of 549,003 males, 587,151 females, and 33 intersex. Kitui had a median age of 17 years in 2019.

The table below shows the population distribution in Kitui County by sub-county and sex.

Marital Status

The percentage distribution of women aged 12 and above in Kitui County who were never married in 2019 was 39.7%, while those in monogamous unions were 50%. On the other hand, the percentage distribution of women in polygamous marriages was 2.5%, while the widowed were 5.8%. The percent distribution of the divorced and separated in Kitui County was 0.7% and 1.2%, respectively.

Among men aged 12 and above in Kitui, the percentage distribution of the never-married was 53.3%. In comparison, the distribution of those married monogamously was 41.5%. On the other hand, the percentage of those in polygamous unions in Kitui was 1.8%, while the widowed in the county was 1.1%. Additionally, 0.7% of Kitui were divorced, and 1.5% were separated in 2019.

According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, the median age at first marriage among women aged 25-49 in Kitui County was 20.6 years, while the median age at first marriage among men aged 30-54 in the county was 26.4 years.

Polygyny

The percentage of women aged 15-49 in Kitui County who had one or more co-wives in 2022 was 1.2%, while those without co-wives were 94.3%.

Among men aged 15-49 in Kitui, 99.1% had one wife, and 0.9% had more than two wives in 2022.

Marriage Registration

The percentage of women in Kitui whose current marriage was registered with civil authorities in 2022 was 16.5%, while those whose marriage was registered and had a marriage certificate was 15.7%.

Teenage Marriages

The proportion of married males aged 12-15 in Kitui County was 3.7%, while the proportion of married females of the same age group was 3.9% in 2019. Additionally, the proportion of married females aged 12-18 in Kitui was 4.8% in 2019.

The teenage pregnancy rate in Kitui County, comprising of women aged 15-19 who have ever been pregnant, was 9.2% in 2022.

Total Fertility Rate

Kitui County had a Total Fertility Rate of 3.2 births per woman in 2019, a decline of 35% from 4.9 births in 2009. By comparison, Kenya had a Total Fertility Rate of 3.4 births per woman in 2019, a drop of 28.6% from 4.8 births per woman in 2009.

The total youth fertility rate of Kitui County in 2019 was 1.1 births per woman. The national youth fertility rate in the same year was 1 birth per woman.

The Crude Birth Rate of Kitui County in 2019 was 22.7 births per 1,000 population in 2019, a decrease of 46.9% from 42.8 births per 1,000 population in 2009. Nationally, Kenya had a Crude Birth Rate of 27.9 births per 1,000 population in 2019, a decrease of 27.2% from a Crude Birth Rate of 38.4 births in 2009.

Place of Birth and Notification Status

The share of recent births in Kitui County that occurred in a health facility was 81.8% in 2019, while those occurring in a non-health facility were 18.1%. In Kenya, the share of births occurring in a health facility was 85.8%. In comparison, those occurring in a non-health facility were 14%.

The share of recent births in Kitui that were notified was 88.5%, while those that were not notified were 11.2% in 2019. In Kenya, the share of births that were notified was 90.4% in 2019, while those not notified were 9.3%. 

Place of Death and Notification Status

In 2019, 58.6% of deaths in Kitui County occurred in a health facility, while 40.5% 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 Kitui County that were notified in 2019 was 92%. Overall, the share of deaths that were notified in Kenya in 2019 was 85.6%.

Kitui County had a Crude Death Rate (CDR) of 7.4 deaths per 1,000 population in 2019. Overall, Kenya had a Crude Death Rate of 10.5%.

Religious Affiliation

The majority of residents of Kitui County are Protestants 500,806, followed by members of Evangelical Churches 248,778, and Catholics 235,032.

Development

1. The Rural Access Index (RAI) in Kitui County was 56%, representing the percentage of the population living within two kilometers of an all-weather road in 2019.
2. Household access to electricity in Kitui County was 17.2% in 2019, up from 4.8% in 2009.
3. Household access to improved sanitation in Kitui County was 78.5% in 2019, up from 54% in 2009.
4. Household access to safe drinking water in Kitui County was 38.5% in 2019, up from 27.2% in 2009.
5. Kitui had 62.6% of its public primary schools connected to electricity, ranking 35^th nationally in 2019.

The share of the population in Kitui County owning mobile phones in 2019 was 42.9%. Among women, 73.9% owned any type of mobile phone in Kitui County in 2022, while 25.9% owned a smartphone.

Among men, 77.1% in Kitui owned any kind of mobile phone in 2022, while 42.9% 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 78.3% and 73.7%, respectively^.

See Also

1. Machakos County
2. Makueni County
3. Mombasa County

References

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19. Commission on Revenue Allocation. (2022). Kenya County Factsheet (3rd ed., p. 120).