Lamu County is county 005 of Kenya’s 47, the north-eastern corner of the coast. It covers 6,167.3 km² of mainland and islands, was part of the former Coast Province, and had 143,920 residents at the 2019 census — the third-smallest county population in Kenya. Lamu town, known locally as Amu, is the county capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The county governor is Issa Timamy.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Capital | Lamu (Amu) |
| County code | 005 |
| Population (2019 census) | 143,920 |
| Area | 6,167.3 km² |
| Former province | Coast |
| Sub-counties | 2 |
| Main languages | Swahili (Kiamu), Kibajuni, Somali, Pokomo, English |
Towns and Villages in Lamu County
Lamu County has two sub-counties, Lamu East and Lamu West, which are also its two constituencies. Lamu East covers the Pate island group and the northern mainland; Lamu West covers Lamu Island, Mokowe, Hindi, Mpeketoni and Witu. Island settlements such as Shela, Matondoni, Kipungani, Faza, Siyu, Pate and Ndau are reached only by boat. The mainland settlement scheme around Mpeketoni, opened in the 1970s, holds most of the county’s farmland.
| Town | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Lamu | Town, county capital | 25,385 |
| Mpeketoni | Town | 5,957 |
| Witu | Town | 5,380 |
| Mokowe | Mainland jetty town | 4,249 |
| Faza | Island town | 2,855 |
The full list below records 92 named towns, villages and localities across the county.
- Ankish
- Arosen
- Ashuwei
- Bajumwali
- Bargoni
- Baure
- Bodhei
- Bora Imani
- Cholechole
- Chundwa
- Corner Ya Daudi
- Dodori
- Duldul
- Faza
- Gamba
- Hidio
- Hindi
- Jipe
- Junja
- Katsaka Kairu
- Kiangwe
- Kibaoni
- Kibirikani
- Kiduruni
- Kijinitini
- Kikomani
- Kikoni
- Kililani
- Kilweni
- Kimara Maganga
- Kiongoni
- Kiongwe
- Kipungani
- Kiranga Makoe
- Kombo Kombo
- Koreni
- Kwa Bwana Keri
- Lamu
- Magogoni
- Magumba
- Majengo
- Majunguni
- Maleli
- Mambore
- Mambosasa
- Mangai
- Mapenya
- Mararani
- Mararui
- Mashundwani
- Matironi
- Matondoni
- Maziwa Matatu
- Milimani
- Milimani East
- Milimani West
- Mjono
- Mkokoni
- Mkunumbi
- Moa
- Mokowe
- Mpeketoni
- Msanga
- Msuakini
- Msumarini
- Mtambo
- Mtangatini
- Mvindeni
- Mwazi
- Myabogi
- Ndambwe
- Ndau
- Nginda
- Noju
- Nyangoro
- Oseni
- Pandanguo
- Pangani
- Pate
- Rubu
- Saadani
- Safarisi
- Shakani
- Shanga
- Shela
- Simambaya
- Simandaro
- Siyu
- Stesheni
- Takwa Milinga
- Wange
- Witu
Geography
The county has three parts: the Lamu Archipelago, a low mainland coastal plain, and the dry Boni hinterland. The archipelago’s main islands are Lamu, Manda, Pate, Kiwayu and Ndau, separated by mangrove-lined channels. Mangrove forest covers a large share of the shoreline and supplies the boriti poles traded across the Indian Ocean for generations.
Inland lie the Boni and Dodori national reserves and the Boni and Lungi forests, open-canopy dryland forest that is the home range of the Aweer people. The Kiunga Marine National Reserve protects coral and turtle nesting beaches along the northern shore. The Tana River delta reaches the county’s south-western edge. Rainfall averages 550 to 1,000 mm a year, and the land rarely rises above 50 m.
Lamu borders Tana River County to the south and west and Garissa County to the north. Somalia lies across the north-eastern border at Kiunga, and the Indian Ocean forms the eastern and southern boundary.
Demographics
The 2019 census counted 143,920 people — 76,103 men and 67,813 women — in 37,963 households. At about 23 people per km², Lamu is thinly settled, and much of the county is reserve, forest or water.
The Bajuni and Swahili communities are long established on the islands, alongside Arab-descended families whose presence in Lamu town dates to the fourteenth century. The mainland holds Pokomo, Orma, Somali and Aweer communities, plus Kikuyu, Kamba and Meru families settled at Mpeketoni and Witu from the 1970s. Kiamu, the local dialect of Swahili, is spoken in Lamu town; Kibajuni is spoken on Pate and Faza. Islam is the majority faith on the islands.
Economy and Local Life
Fishing is the backbone of the island economy, worked from dhows and outrigger canoes for reef fish, prawns, lobster and crab. Mangrove cutting for boriti poles, dhow building and repair at Matondoni, and carpentry in Lamu town are old trades still practised commercially. Donkeys remain the main transport on Lamu Island, which has almost no motor vehicles.
Tourism centres on Lamu Old Town, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 as the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, and on the beaches at Shela and Manda. The Maulidi festival each year and the November Lamu Cultural Festival draw visitors and pilgrims. On the mainland, Mpeketoni, Witu and Hindi grow maize, cotton, simsim, green grams, cowpeas, cashew, coconut and mango, and keep cattle and goats. The LAPSSET port at Manda Bay, whose first berths opened in 2021, is the county’s largest infrastructure project and is intended to serve South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Getting There
By road, the B8 runs from Malindi through Garsen to Mokowe on the mainland opposite Lamu Island, about 340 km from Mombasa and 500 km from Nairobi. Public buses run daily from Mombasa and Malindi to Mokowe. Motorised ferries and speedboats cross from Mokowe jetty to Lamu town in 20 to 40 minutes.
Manda Airport, on Manda Island, takes daily flights from Nairobi Wilson, Mombasa and Malindi; passengers reach Lamu town by a short boat transfer. There is no vehicle bridge to Lamu Island, and no road network on it. Boats also serve Faza, Siyu, Pate, Ndau and Mkokoni from Lamu jetty.
FAQ
What is the capital of Lamu County?
Lamu town, on Lamu Island, is the county capital. Its old quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How many towns and villages are in Lamu County?
This page lists 92 named towns, villages and localities, from Lamu and Mpeketoni to small island settlements such as Kipungani and Ndau.
Which sub-counties make up Lamu County?
Two: Lamu East and Lamu West. Both are also parliamentary constituencies.
What is the population of Lamu County?
The 2019 census recorded 143,920 residents, about 23 people per km².
How do you get to Lamu Island?
By boat from Mokowe jetty, reached on the B8 road, or by air to Manda Airport followed by a short boat transfer. No road or bridge reaches the island.
Are there cars on Lamu Island?
Almost none. Donkeys and handcarts carry goods through the narrow streets, and boats handle travel between settlements.