Urbanization rate in 2023 (3.7%) – UN Habitat Report
Urban population in 2023 (30%)
Urbanization is majorly contributed to by migration and when unplanned leads to growth of informal settlements characterized by overcrowding, lack of basic infrastructures such as sewage, safe drinking water, and decent housing, poverty, and inequality, and consequently increased poverty and delinquency.
Counties with High Levels of Urbanization
Counties with Low Levels of Urbanization
Counties With High Proportions of Households Using Unimproved Water
Proportions of Households Using Unclean Energy for Cooking in Urban Areas
Direction of Internal Migration
- More males (31.2%) than females (28.1%) migrating from urban to urban.
- More females (25.4%) than males (17.8%) migrating from rural to rural
Recent and lifetime migration
- Nairobi region has the highest positive net effect of recent internal migration, while Western region has the highest negative net effect.
- Nairobi, Rift Valley and Coast regions have positive net effect on lifetime migration while Western, Nyanza and Eastern have negative net effect.
Immigration
Highest number of immigrants to Kenya from 1999 to 2019 have been from other African countries, followed by immigrants from Asia, Europe, and America.
Emigration
The East African Community is a preferred region of first destination followed by the Arabian Gulf, rest of Africa, United States of America, and rest of Europe
Implications of Emigration on Remittance
- Amount of cash remittance has increased from 3 million USD in 2020 to approximately 5 million USD in 2024.
- America has remained the largest source of cash remittance to Kenya by Kenyans in diaspora, followed by Europe, Asia and Africa
Refugees and Asylum Seekers
- A steady increase in the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya, with their total population increasing from 510,599 in 2020 to 807,444 in 2024.
- Kenya’s refugee and asylum population is largely drawn from Somali, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia
