{"id":48,"date":"2026-07-02T01:18:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T01:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/eastern\/isiolo\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T07:53:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T07:53:08","slug":"isiolo","status":"publish","type":"eastern","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/eastern\/isiolo\/","title":{"rendered":"Isiolo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Isiolo County is county 011 of Kenya’s 47, in the former Eastern Province. Its capital is Isiolo town, a trading centre where the tarmac from Nairobi meets the roads north into Kenya’s drylands. The county recorded 268,002 residents in the 2019 census and covers 25,336 square kilometres.<\/p>\n

Isiolo is arid and thinly settled. Most of its people live along the Ewaso Nyiro river or in small towns on the A2 highway and the Garbatulla road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fact<\/th>\nValue<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Capital<\/td>\nIsiolo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
County code<\/td>\n011<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Population (2019 census)<\/td>\n268,002<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Area<\/td>\n25,336.1 km²<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Former province<\/td>\nEastern<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sub-counties<\/td>\n3 (Isiolo, Merti, Garbatulla)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Constituencies<\/td>\n2 (Isiolo North, Isiolo South)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
County assembly wards<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Main languages<\/td>\nBorana, Somali, Samburu, Turkana, Swahili, English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Under Kenya’s devolved system the county governor is Abdi Ibrahim Guyo, and the county assembly sits at the capital.<\/p>\n

Towns and Villages in Isiolo County<\/h2>\n

Isiolo town is the only large urban centre. The four towns below carry recorded populations; the rest of the county’s settlements are small pastoralist centres, boreholes and market points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Town<\/th>\nRole<\/th>\nPopulation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Isiolo<\/td>\nCounty capital<\/td>\n78,650<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Garbatulla<\/td>\nSub-county centre<\/td>\n17,443<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kinna<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n11,175<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Merti<\/td>\nSub-county centre<\/td>\n10,990<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The full A–Z list of recorded towns and villages in Isiolo County follows. Sparse settlement is normal here: a county the size of Rwanda holds fewer than thirty gazetted places.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Banane<\/li>\n
  2. Barchuma Guda<\/li>\n
  3. Boji<\/li>\n
  4. Bulesa<\/li>\n
  5. Bulla Pesa<\/li>\n
  6. Crocodile Jaws<\/li>\n
  7. El Dera<\/li>\n
  8. Gafarsa<\/li>\n
  9. Garba<\/li>\n
  10. Garbatulla<\/li>\n
  11. Isiolo<\/li>\n
  12. Kaathene<\/li>\n
  13. Kampi Ya Juu<\/li>\n
  14. Kampi Ya Sheikh Omar<\/li>\n
  15. Kinna<\/li>\n
  16. Korbesa<\/li>\n
  17. Kubi Turkana<\/li>\n
  18. Kulamawe<\/li>\n
  19. Longopito<\/li>\n
  20. Mado Yaka<\/li>\n
  21. Madogali<\/li>\n
  22. Magado<\/li>\n
  23. Malka Galla<\/li>\n
  24. Merti<\/li>\n
  25. Ngutuk-E-Ngiron<\/li>\n
  26. Ol Doinyo Ng\u2018iro<\/li>\n
  27. Rapsu<\/li>\n
  28. Sericho<\/li>\n
  29. Somali Village<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Geography<\/h2>\n

    Isiolo lies just north of the equator, on the edge of the Kenyan highlands where they fall away into arid plain. Land drops from about 1,100 metres near Isiolo town to under 300 metres in the east. The Ewaso Nyiro river crosses the county from west to east, then turns south into the Lorian Swamp. That swamp holds water only in wet years.<\/p>\n

    Rainfall is low and unreliable, generally 150 to 650 millimetres a year. It comes in the long rains of March to May and the short rains of October to December. Thorn scrub and acacia bushland cover most of the county. Buffalo Springs and Shaba national reserves sit along the river, next to Samburu National Reserve across the county line.<\/p>\n

    Isiolo borders Marsabit County<\/a> to the north, Wajir County<\/a> to the east, and Garissa County<\/a> and Tana River County<\/a> to the south-east. Meru County<\/a> lies to the south, Laikipia County<\/a> to the south-west and Samburu County<\/a> to the west.<\/p>\n

    Demographics<\/h2>\n

    The 2019 census counted 268,002 people, up from 143,294 in 2009. Density averages about 11 people per square kilometre, one of the lowest figures in Kenya, and much of that population sits inside Isiolo town.<\/p>\n

    The Borana are the largest community, alongside Somali, Sakuye, Samburu, Turkana, Gabra and Meru residents. Borana and Somali are the common home languages; Swahili and English are the official languages of school and government. Islam and Christianity are both widely practised.<\/p>\n

    Economy and Local Life<\/h2>\n

    Livestock keeping is the main livelihood. Households run cattle, camels, goats and sheep on communal rangeland and move herds toward the Ewaso Nyiro and the Nyambene foothills in dry seasons. Isiolo’s livestock market draws traders from Meru, Nairobi and the northern counties.<\/p>\n

    Irrigated plots along the river grow maize, beans, sorghum, cowpeas and green grams. Isiolo town runs on trade, transport and public services, and it is the staging post for fuel, food and building supplies heading north. Tourism adds income through the reserves and the lodges along the river. Miraa from neighbouring Meru moves through the town daily.<\/p>\n

    Getting There<\/h2>\n

    The A2 highway from Nairobi reaches Isiolo town after about 285 kilometres through Nanyuki or Meru, and continues north to Marsabit and Moyale. The road east from Isiolo runs through Modogashe toward Wajir and Mandera; the southern branch serves Garbatulla, Kinna and Sericho.<\/p>\n

    Isiolo International Airport sits on the edge of town and handles scheduled and charter flights. Airstrips serve Merti, Sericho and the reserve lodges. Buses and matatus run daily to Nairobi, Meru, Nanyuki, Marsabit and Wajir. Beyond the highway, most county roads are earth and become impassable after heavy rain.<\/p>\n

    FAQ<\/h2>\n

    What is the capital of Isiolo County?<\/h3>\n

    Isiolo town is the county capital and its largest urban centre, with 78,650 residents at the 2019 census.<\/p>\n

    How many towns and villages are in Isiolo County?<\/h3>\n

    This directory lists 29 gazetted towns and villages. Isiolo is arid and thinly populated, so recorded settlements are few and widely spaced.<\/p>\n

    Which sub-counties make up Isiolo County?<\/h3>\n

    Three: Isiolo, Merti and Garbatulla. They fall under two constituencies, Isiolo North and Isiolo South, and ten county assembly wards.<\/p>\n

    What is the population of Isiolo County?<\/h3>\n

    268,002 at the 2019 census, spread over 25,336 square kilometres — roughly 11 people per square kilometre.<\/p>\n

    How far is Isiolo from Nairobi?<\/h3>\n

    About 285 kilometres by road on the A2 highway, generally four to five hours by bus.<\/p>\n

    What is Isiolo County code?<\/h3>\n

    Isiolo is county 011 of Kenya’s 47 counties, in the former Eastern Province.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Isiolo County is county 011 of Kenya’s 47, in the former Eastern Province. Its capital is Isiolo town, a trading centre where the tarmac from Nairobi meets the roads north into Kenya’s drylands. The county recorded 268,002 residents in the 2019 census and covers 25,336 square kilometres. Isiolo is arid and thinly settled. Most of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Isiolo County: Towns, Villages, Population & Map","_seopress_titles_desc":"Isiolo County (code 011): 268,002 people, 25,336 km2, capital Isiolo, 3 sub-counties. Full A-Z list of 29 towns and villages, plus population and map facts.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"class_list":["post-48","eastern","type-eastern","status-publish","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/eastern\/48","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/eastern"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/eastern"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/kenya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}