Kilifi is located in the former Coast Province, about 420km south-east of Nairobi and 60km north of Mombasa. It covers an area of 12,609.74 square kilometers. Kilifi shares its borders with four other counties; Mombasa and Kwale to the south, Tana River to the north, and Taita Taveta to the west. Kilifi County constitutes seven constituencies: Kilifi North, Kilifi South, Kaloleni, Rabai, Ganze, Malindi, and Magarini.
Population size and composition
The population of the county is estimated to be 1,498,647 in 2018 as projected from the Kenya Population and Housing Census of 2009, composed of 723,204 male and 775,443 Female. The population is projected to rise to 1,591,901 (out of which 45% are male and 55% female) and 1,841,958 out of which 47.8% males and 52.2% females in 2020 and 2025, respectively, at a mean inter-censual annual growth rate of 3.05 percent. The males represent 46.5 percent while the females represent 53.6 percent of the total population indicating a male: female ratio of 1:1.15. The county’s dependency ratio stands at 101.45 percent.
Child Population
The infant population is projected at 20,713 in 2017 representing 2.4 percent of the total county population. The under 5 years in the County have 154,651 children who are below five years old. This is about 18 per cent of the total population. Primary School Age Group (6-13) in the county, there are 239,035 children who are within the primary school going age. Of this, 54.9 per cent are boys while 45.1 per cent are girls. There will be need to put up more primary schools and employ more teachers to cater for the growing number of the school going children. The primary school enrollment is however low for both genders but worse for the girl child. There is, therefore need to carry out enrollment drives throughout the county. In addition, a programmes on the provision of sanitary towels need to be enhanced to retain the girl child in school.
