Nairobi County

Introduction

Nairobi County is the capital and largest city in Kenya, with a total population of 4,828,000 in 2024.^[1] It covers 703.9 square kilometers and has a population density of 6,859 people per square kilometer.

Nairobi is bordered to the North by Kiambu County, the South by Kajiado County, and the East by Machakos County.

Nairobi has 11 sub-counties: Dagoretti, Embakasi, Kamukunji, Kasarani, Kibra, Lang’ata, Makadara, Mathare, Njiru, Starehe, and Westlands.

Nairobi County Economy

Nairobi County has the largest economy in the country at 3,379.4 billion, representing 27.5% of the average county Gross Value Added (GVA) between 2018 and 2022.^[2] It is followed by Kiambu (Ksh 721.2 billion), Nakuru (Ksh 600.5 billion), and Mombasa (Ksh 564.1 billion).

Between 2018 and 2022, Nairobi County contributed, on average, 36.9% of Gross Value Added (GVA) to manufacturing activities, 37.3% to services, and 0.2% to agriculture, forestry, and fishing activities.

Nairobi has the highest GCP per Capita of Ksh 723,335, followed by Mombasa (Ksh 439,390), Nyeri (Ksh 293,944), and Embu (Ksh 292,827).

Nairobi City County Poverty Rates

According to the 2022 Kenya Continuous Household Survey, Nairobi's overall headcount poverty rate was 16.5%, corresponding to 767,000 people living in poverty against a national overall headcount poverty rate of 39.8%. It also had a hardcore poverty rate of 1.3% and a food poverty rate of 54.8%. 

On average, Nairobians spent Ksh. 17,160 per adult equivalent on consumption, and a median consumption expenditure of Ksh. 10,925. 

The share of expenditure spent on food in Nairobi is 41.6%, with 58.4% spent on non-food items.^[3]

 The map below shows the poverty distribution by constituency in Nairobi: Dagoretti North 12.7%, Dagoretti South 18.5%, Embakasi Central 7%, Embakasi East 7.2%, Embakasi North 7.5%, Embakasi South 13.8%, Embakasi West 6.4%, Kamukunji 9.3%, Kasarani 11%, Kibra 26.3%, Lang'ata 12.7%, Makadara 7.3%, Mathare 14.5%, Mathare 14.5%, Starehe 20%, Ruaraka 11.1%, Roysambu 12.5%, and Westlands 17.9%. 

Nairobi County Demographics

According to the Kenya Population and Housing Census, Nairobi City had 2,192,452 men, 2,204,376 women, and 245 intersex people in 2019. Nairobi had a median age of 23 years in 2019.

The total number of households was 1,506,888, for an average household size of 2.9 people.^[4]

Population by sub-county

Marital status

The distribution of women aged 12 and above who are never married in Nairobi County was 43.5% in 2019. Those married monogamous comprised 47.2%, while 0.8% were married polygamous. The widowed population was 2.7%, 1.6% were divorced, and 4.1% were separated. 

Among men, 41.9% are never married, 53.9% are married monogamously, 1.5% polygamously, 0.5% widowed, 0.6% divorced, and 1.5% separated.^[5]

Total Fertility Rate

Nairobi City has a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.5, a drop from 3.0 in 2009. Nairobi's youth, comprising individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, have a TFR of 0.7. It has a Crude Birth Rate of 29 births per 1000 people, down from 36 births in 2009.[6]

Place of Death and Notification Status

In 2019, 72.6% of deaths in Nairobi City County occurred in a health facility, while 26.8% 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 Nairobi that were notified in 2019 was 90.8%. Overall, the share of deaths that were notified in Kenya in 2019 was 85.6%.

Nairobi County had a Crude Death Rate (CDR) of 9.2 deaths per 1,000 population in 2019. Overall, Kenya had a Crude Death Rate of 10.5%.

Religion

In 2019, Nairobi had 1,041,619 people who identified as being Catholic, 1,358,985 Protestants, 897,741 members of evangelical churches, 307,019 members of African Instituted Churches (AIC), 23,160 Orthodox, 326,809 Muslims, 38,141 Hindu, 7,029 Traditionists, 54,841 Atheists and non-religious, 225,003 identifying with other Christian denominations, and 46,401with other religions.

People with disabilities

A total of 42,703 people in Nairobi have a disability, comprising 19,374 males and 23,322 females. Those with a visual disability total 18,790, hearing 5,343, mobility 14,551, cognition 6,712, self-care 5,500, and communication 5,450. The total number of people with albinism in Nairobi is 525, consisting of 257 males and 268 females.^[7]

The total number of homeless people in Nairobi was 6,743, comprising 6,064 males and 679 females in 2019.

Development

1. The Rural Access Index (RAI) of Nairobi County was 95% in 2019, with most of the population living within 2km of an all-weather road.
2. Households accessing electricity in Nairobi in 2019 were 96.7%.
3. Households accessing improved sanitation in Nairobi in 2019 were 96.4%.
4. Households accessing safe drinking water in Nairobi in 2019 were 84.2%.

Nairobi had a mobile ownership of 69.1% in 2019, with 70.1% of men and 68.2% of women owning mobile phones. The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey recorded that 93.3% of respondents in Nairobi owned mobile phones, and 76.6% owned smartphones in 2022.

Education in Nairobi

According to the 2019 census, 84.3% of Nairobi residents have completed primary school education or higher.

ECDE education in Nairobi

The school-going population aged 3-5 in Nairobi totaled 285,051 pupils, comprising 142,964 boys and 142,087 girls. Nairobi, therefore, had a Gross Enrolment Rate of 92.8% at the ECDE level, with boys having a GER of 93.2% and girls 92.4%.

On the other hand, the Net Enrolment Rate (NER) at the ECDE level in Nairobi was 69.2%, with boys having an NER of 68.3% and girls 70.1%. The gender parity index was 0.99 in the Gross Enrolment Rate and 1.03 in the Net Enrolment Rate.

The rate of pupils participating in organized learning in Nairobi, measured as a percentage of pupils in school a year before primary school or those aged 5, was 87.2%, with participation rates among males being 87.2% and females being 87.6%.

Nairobi had an out-of-school rate of 27.1% at the ECDE level, reflecting the percentage of children aged 3-5 who did not attend school. Boys had a higher out-of-school rate of 28.0% compared to girls 26.1%.

Primary school education in Nairobi

According to the 2019 census, the total number of pupils enrolled in primary school in Nairobi was 651,784, consisting of 331,329 girls and 320,455 boys. However, this represents a 36.5% variation compared with the Ministry of Education Records in the same year, which recorded 414,045 pupils, of whom 205,640 were male and 208,405 were female.

Gross Enrollment Rate and Net Enrollment Rate

The total number of enrolled primary school pupils aged 6-13 in Nairobi was 647,031, of whom 318,720 were male, and 328,311 were female, yielding a total Gross Enrolment Rate of 100.7%. The female GER was 100.9%, while that of males was 100.5%.

On the other hand, the Net Enrolment Rate of school-going Nairobi pupils was 86.1%, consisting of a NER of 85.4% among males and 86.8% among females. The gender parity index in the GER and NER at the primary school level in Nairobi was 1.00 and 1.02, respectively.^[11]

The overall gross intake ratio representing the percentage of primary school pupils entering the last grade at 13 was 107%, representing 75,376 pupils. Females had a gross intake ratio of 108.1% and males 106.0%.^[12]

Out-of-school rate

In primary school, Nairobi had an out-of-school rate of 1.8%, representing the number of children aged 6-13 who were not in school. The out-of-school rate for females and males was 1.8%.

The percentage of over-age pupils in primary schools in Nairobi was 24.1, reflecting 26.6% of males and 21.7% of females^[13]. Nairobi had a primary school dropout rate of 5.9%, with girls (6.4%) having a higher dropout rate than boys (5.4%).^[14]

Scholastic progression and retardation

The rate of scholastic retardation in Nairobi is 13.7% representing the percentage of pupils enrolled in specific grade levels despite being older than the official age category for that particular grade. Scholastic retardation was 14.2% in males and 13.2% in females.

On the other hand, Nairobi had a scholastic progression rate of 79.5%, representing the mobility of students from one grade to another. Males had a scholastic progression rate of 78.3% and females 80.5%.

Transition rate

According to the Basic Education Statistical Booklet, Nairobi had a primary to secondary transition rate of 90.2%. Girls had a transition rate of 90.1%, and boys had 90.4%^[15].

Secondary school education in Nairobi

According to the 2019 census, the total number of enrolled secondary school students in Nairobi was 283,506, consisting of 135,432 males and 148,074 females. This represents a variation of 64.8% compared to official Ministry of Education records from the same year, which recorded 99,746 secondary school students, of whom 51,288 were male and 48,458 were female.

GER and NER in secondary school

The total number of students aged 14-17 enrolled in Nairobi was 268,373, representing a total Gross Enrolment Rate of 105.6% and a total Net Enrolment Rate of 64.2%. The GER was 108% in males and 103% in females.

On the other hand, the NER was 62.3% in males and 65.9% in females. The gender parity index in the GER and NER was 0.96 and 1.06, respectively.

The total gross enrolment ratio to the last grade in secondary education of Nairobi was 141.9%, representing 69,153 students aged 17 who were moving into Form 4. The gross intake ratio was 151.4% in males and 133.7% in females. The gender parity index in the gross-intake ratio at this level was 0.88.

Secondary school completion rate

The secondary education completion rate in Nairobi was 46.1%, representing the percentage of students who delayed completing secondary school by 3-5 years above the official secondary school completion age of 17.

Out-of-school rate

The out-of-school rate in Nairobi was 3.8%, representing students aged 14-17 who were out of school. The out-of-school rate for males and females in Nairobi was 3.1% and 4.4%, respectively.

Over-age secondary school students

The percentage of over-age secondary school students in Nairobi was 39.3%, representing older students for their grades. Among males, the percentage of over-age pupils in Nairobi was 43.9%, while in females, it was 35.1%.

Dropout rate

In secondary school, Nairobi had a dropout rate of 6.1%, with girls having a higher dropout rate of 6.9% than men at 5.4%.^[16]

School infrastructure in Nairobi

According to the third edition of the Kenya County Factsheets, Nairobi had 988 ECDE centers, of which 768 were private and 220 were public. The total number of primary schools was 1,105, with 907 private and 198 public. The number of public secondary schools in Nairobi was 103, while private schools were 283 for 386 secondary schools.

ECDE school infrastructure

According to the 2020 Basic Education Statistical Booklet, the learner-to-teacher ratio at the pre-primary level in Nairobi schools was 24. Private schools had a learner-to-teacher ratio of 21, while public schools had a learner-to-teacher ratio of 37. The learner-to-classroom ratio was 52 in public ECDEs and 30 in private ECDEs.

The pupil-to-toilet ratio in public pre-primary schools in Nairobi was 33 for boys and 27 for girls. In private schools, the pupil-to-toilet ratio in pre-primary schools in Nairobi was 18 for boys and 16 for girls.

The percentage of pre-primary schools in Nairobi with functional internet was 15.1 in public schools and 58.7 in private schools.

Primary school infrastructure

Nairobi has an average school size of 1,155 students in public schools and 225 students in private schools. The pupil-to-teacher ratio in Nairobi is 61 in public primary schools and 13 in private primary schools. The pupil-to-classroom ratio is 55 in public primary schools in the city and 12 in private primary schools.^[17].

The pupil-toilet ratio in public schools in Nairobi is 47 for boys and 38 for girls. In private primary schools, the pupil-to-toilet ratio is 22 for boys and 19 for girls.

Secondary school infrastructure

The average secondary school size in Nairobi is 759 students in public schools and 147 students in private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio in secondary schools in Nairobi was 29 in public schools and 14 in private schools. The student-to-classroom ratio was 47 in public secondary schools in Nairobi and 21 in private schools.

The student-to-toilet ratio in secondary schools in Nairobi was 30 for boys in public schools and 22 for girls. In private schools, the ratio was 15 in boys and 13 in girls.

Adult and Continuing Education Centers (ACE)

Nairobi had 252 adult and continuing education centers, with 6,422 enrolled men and 8,203 enrolled women.

Academic performance

According to the NASMLA class seven results, Nairobi had a mathematics mean score of 580.1 against a national average of 496.1^[18]. In English, Nairobi had a mean score of 639.2 against a national average of 501.5. In Kiswahili, Nairobi had a mean score of 580.6 compared to a national average of 500.1. Nairobi's mean score in science was 610.7, while the national average was 501.9.

The NASMLA measures student performance by assessing competence levels across several levels in mathematics, English, Kiswahili, and science.

Healthcare in Nairobi County

Nairobi has 1,115 hospitals, of which 4 are public level five or six hospitals, and 3 are private level five or six hospitals. The total number of level four hospitals is 97, of which 8 are public and 89 are private. The county also has 196 private level-three hospitals and 44 that are public. There are 771 level two hospitals in Nairobi, with 87 being public and 684 that are private.

Health infrastructure and insurance coverage

Nairobi has a bed density of 14 people per 10,000 population and 26 health workers per 10,000 population.^[19]

 Health insurance coverage in the county is 46.3%, with 40.5% of the population covered by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and 11.7% covered by private or commercial insurance plans^[20].

The average out-of-pocket expenditure on outpatient and inpatient services in Nairobi was Ksh 2,679 and 1,129, respectively, in 2019.

Health Outcomes

Life expectancy in Nairobi County

Nairobi's life expectancy at birth is 62.6 years for males and 65.2 years for females. At 60 years, the life expectancy for males is 16.6 years and 17.5 years for females. The life expectancy at age 70 is 10.3 for males and 10.8 for females.

As of 2019, Nairobi had 102,086 people who were 60+ years old and 31,735 who were 70+ years old. 2.5% of those 60 years and above are male, and 2.2% are female. Among individuals 70 years and above, 0.7% are male and 0.8% are female.

Adult and old age mortality rates

The adult mortality rate in Nairobi, expressed as a probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60 years, is 0.266 among males and 0.23 among females. The old age mortality rate expressed as the probability of death between age 20 and 60 was 0.633 for males and 0.594 for females.

The crude death rate in the county, estimated from recent household deaths, was 9.2 per 1,000 people. 

Place of occurrence and death registration

The proportion of deaths occurring in health facilities in Nairobi between 2018 and 2019 was 72.6%, with 26.8% occurring in non-health facilities. The proportion of notified deaths in the same period was 90.8%.

Prevalence of HIV

In 2017, the overall prevalence of HIV in Nairobi among adults aged 15-49 was 6.1%, with 182,856 people living with HIV. The HIV prevalence was 4.7% among males and 7.5% in females. The county recorded an HIV incidence of 2.2 per 1,000 people and a total of 2,232 HIV-related deaths.

HIV in children

Among children between ages 0-14, 8,137 were living with HIV, with the county recording 660 new infections and 380 HIV-related deaths in 2017.

HIV in adolescents

Among adolescents aged 10-19, those living with HIV were 10,604, with 1,222 new cases and 155 HIV-related deaths. Among young adults aged 15-24, those living with HIV were 24,918, with 2,587 new cases in that age group and 294 HIV-related deaths.

The cumulative number of people living with HIV, both adults and children, was, therefore, 190,993 people. The total number of HIV-related deaths was 2,612, with 7,159 new cases.^[24]

In 2021, the total number of people living with HIV in Nairobi was 153,818, with 3,828 new infections in that year. The total number of people who died of AIDS in the county was 1,300.[25]

Antiretroviral Coverage

Antiretroviral Coverage (ART) in Nairobi was 77% in 2017, compared to a national average of 75%. The total number of adults on ART in that year was 140,724. ART uptake in children was 94% compared to a national average of 82%. The total number of children on ART was 7,611.

The Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) coverage in Nairobi was 90% compared to a national average of 76%. The need for PMTCT among pregnant women in Nairobi was 7,809, with 7,056 women covered.

The mother-to-child transmission rate (MTCT) in Nairobi was 8.5%, which is against a national average of 11.5%.^[26]

Among women aged 15-49 living in Nairobi, 90% said they have ever been tested for HIV compared to 89% among men.

Nairobi City County Finance

In the financial year (FY) 2023/24, Nairobi County approved a supplementary budget of Ksh 42.29 billion, comprising Ksh 8.45 billion (20%) and Ksh 33.83 billion (80%) allocation for development and recurrent expenditures, respectively.

The budget estimates represented an increase of 6.7% compared to the previous year when it was Ksh 39.61 billion and comprised Ksh 9.24 billion for development and Ksh 30.37 billion for recurrent expenditures.

Nairobi County Revenue Performance

The main sources of revenue for Nairobi County in FY 2023/2024 included:

• Equitable share – Ksh 18.47 billion
• Conditional grants and additional allocations – Ksh 434.23 million
• Own Source Revenue – Ksh 12.81 billion
• Cash balances – Ksh 1.25 billion

Own Source Revenue in Nairobi City County

Nairobi County generated a total of Ksh 12.81 billion from local sources of revenue, inclusive FIF and AIA. The major sources of revenue included:

• Rates – Ksh 3.48 billion (28%)
• Single Business Permit – Ksh 2.39 billion (19%)
• Parking fees – Ksh 1.97 billion (16%)
• Building permits and Approval – Ksh 1.23 billion (10%)
• Health/Hospital Fees/FIF – Ksh 1.07 billion (8%)
• Other – Ksh 2.39 billion (19%)

Expenditure in Nairobi County

On recurrent expenditures, Nairobi County spent Ksh18,270,031,113 on personnel emoluments and Ksh10,250,570,505 on operations and maintenance. On development expenditures, Nairobi County spent Ksh 3,268,531,845.

The total expenditure in FY 2023/24 was Ksh31,789,133,463.

Pending Bills in Nairobi County

As of the end of FY 2023/24, Nairobi had an outstanding pending bill of Ksh 118.44 billion.

Nairobi County Travel Expenditure

In the FY 2023/24 Nairobi County spent Ksh 861,570,000 on Domestic travel and Ksh 328,330,000 on foreign travel. The total expenditure on travel in Nairobi was Ksh 1,189,900,000.

MCA Sitting Allowance in Nairobi County

The average sitting allowance for Members of the County Assembly in Nairobi was Ksh 39,955 compared to the national average of Ksh 59,508.

See Also

1. Mombasa County
2. Kiambu County
3. Kisumu County
4. Nakuru County 

References