Garissa County is county 007 of Kenya’s 47, in the former North Eastern Province. Its capital is Garissa town, which stands on the east bank of the Tana River and is the commercial hub of north-eastern Kenya. The county recorded 841,353 residents in the 2019 census across 45,720 square kilometres.
The Tana is the defining feature. Irrigated farms and permanent settlement follow the river, while the drier plains east and south of it are grazing land held under communal use.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Capital | Garissa |
| County code | 007 |
| Population (2019 census) | 841,353 |
| Area | 45,720.2 km² |
| Former province | North Eastern |
| Sub-counties | 6 (Garissa Township, Balambala, Lagdera, Dadaab, Fafi, Ijara) |
| Constituencies | 6 |
| County assembly wards | 30 |
| Main languages | Somali, Swahili, English |
Under Kenya’s devolved system the county governor is Nathif Jama Adam, and the county assembly sits at the capital.
Towns and Villages in Garissa County
Garissa town holds most of the county’s urban population. The towns below carry recorded populations; the rest of the settlements listed are villages, wells and grazing centres on the plains.
| Town | Role | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Garissa | County capital | 163,399 |
| Mado Gashi | Town | 11,814 |
| Ijara | Sub-county centre | 11,792 |
| Dadaab | Refugee complex and town | 11,525 |
| Bura | Town | 6,496 |
The full A–Z list of recorded towns and villages in Garissa County follows. Names in this region are often written several ways in Somali and in English, so a place may also appear under a variant spelling.
- Alinjur
- Bata
- Bura
- Dadaab
- Dar es Salaam
- Digira
- Dueadera
- Elaa
- Fafsula
- Garissa
- Garsegaba
- Habul
- Hagadera
- Haridfi
- Haruru
- Higlet
- Ijara
- Ilkabere
- Jilole
- Kolbio
- Kotile
- Kundi
- Libat
- Liboi
- Lughena
- Mado Gashi
- Rigmio
- Roka
- Sangoleaku
- Sardho
- Sarim
- Sheikh bin Dam
- Sumat
- Tokocho
- Tukeli
- Welaluit Dardesa
- Yerei
Geography
Garissa is flat, low and dry, mostly between 70 and 400 metres above sea level. The Tana River enters from the north-west and flows south through Balambala, Garissa town and Bura before crossing into Tana River County. It is the only permanent river, and its floodplain carries riverine forest and doum palm.
Rainfall averages about 275 millimetres a year, falling in March to May and October to December, and evaporation is high. Away from the river, the county is red-soil bushland and open thorn plain grazed by camels, cattle and goats. Boni Forest and Arawale National Reserve lie in the south, and Kenya’s border with Somalia runs along the eastern edge through Liboi.
Garissa borders Wajir County and Isiolo County to the north and Tana River County to the west. Lamu County lies to the south, and Somalia to the east.
Demographics
The 2019 census counted 841,353 people, up from 623,060 in 2009. Density is about 18 people per square kilometre. Population is concentrated in Garissa town, along the Tana, and in the Dadaab refugee complex, which has housed people from Somalia since 1991.
Residents are overwhelmingly Somali, including Ogaden, Abdwak, Auliyahan and Aulihan lineages, with smaller Orma, Munyoyaya and Kenyan-of-other-origin communities in the river settlements. Somali is the common home language; Swahili and English are used in schools and offices. The census recorded 97.6 per cent of residents as Muslim.
Economy and Local Life
Livestock keeping is the largest livelihood. Boran cattle, Galla goats, black-headed Persian sheep and camels are raised for sale in Garissa’s livestock market. It is one of the biggest in East Africa and supplies meat to Nairobi and Mombasa.
Irrigated farming along the Tana produces maize, sorghum, rice, green grams, watermelon, bananas and mangoes. Garissa town supports wholesale trade, transport, banking, a referral hospital and Garissa University. Cross-border trade with Somalia and the aid economy around Dadaab both employ substantial numbers. Charcoal, gum arabic and honey add smaller cash incomes.
Getting There
The A3 highway runs from Nairobi through Thika and Mwingi to Garissa town, about 370 kilometres, and continues east to Liboi on the Somali border. A bridge carries the road over the Tana at Garissa. The southern route links Garissa to Hola, Garsen and the coast.
Garissa Airport handles scheduled and charter flights, and airstrips serve Dadaab, Ijara and Bura. Buses run daily to Nairobi and to the coast via Hola. Roads off the highway are earth or murram and cut easily during the rains. Travel to Dadaab, Fafi and Ijara is slower in April and November.
FAQ
What is the capital of Garissa County?
Garissa town is the county capital and the largest town in north-eastern Kenya, with 163,399 residents in 2019.
How many towns and villages are in Garissa County?
This directory lists 37 gazetted towns and villages, most of them small settlements along the Tana River or on the grazing plains.
Which sub-counties make up Garissa County?
Six: Garissa Township, Balambala, Lagdera, Dadaab, Fafi and Ijara. Each is also a constituency, and the county has 30 wards.
What is the population of Garissa County?
841,353 at the 2019 census, across 45,720 square kilometres — about 18 people per square kilometre.
How far is Garissa from Nairobi?
About 370 kilometres east on the tarmacked A3 highway through Thika and Mwingi, usually six to seven hours by bus.
What is Garissa County code?
Garissa is county 007 of Kenya’s 47 counties, in the former North Eastern Province.