Socio-Economic Atlas of Kenya Population Distribution & Dynamics
2.12 Main Religions Kenya is a country of multiple cultures forming one nation. This diversity may at times lead to friction, but above all it is a vital source of development potential. Combining the experiences and strengths of different cultures fosters innovation in all fields of development. At the same time, intercultural collaboration is capable of advancing Kenyan society and enabling the country to tackle the challenges of a globalizing world with its own unique vision of development. For this reason, the present atlas includes three maps on Kenya’s religious and cultural diversity (maps 2.12 to 2.14). The primary purpose of these maps is not to highlight individual cultures, but rather to indicate the degree to which they are intermixed throughout the country. Map 2.12 displays Kenya’s main religions, their distribution, and how they are mixed. These religions are depicted here because they may play a role in many of the topics touched upon in this atlas, including the nature and dynamics of demography. In the 2009 census, each member of a household was asked to indicate his or her religion. People’s responses were categorized between several “main” religions, keeping in mind that the actual religious diversity is greater. To illustrate the distribution patterns in map 2.12, the main religion of each area – county or sub-location – was determined by identifying the particular faith cited by 50% or more of the total population in that specific area. For areas in which no single religion was cited by at least 50% of the population, the colour white is used to indicate that there is no main religion in that area. Five different religious categories reached the 50% threshold in multiple sub-locations: Catholicism, Protestantism, other forms of Christianity, Islam, and Traditionalism. These five categories are therefore differentiated on the map. The county map and table confirm the generally perceived distribution of religions in Kenya, with Islam representing the main religion throughout much of the north-eastern, eastern, and coastal regions, while forms of Christianity represent the main religion in the highlands and neighbouring areas. Viewed nationally, the breakdown is as follows: due to population densities in the highlands, followers of Christian faiths comprise 85% of the population (24% Catholics; 61% Protestants and other Christians); followers of Islam comprise 12%, and followers of other religions including Traditionalism comprise 3%. Despite this generally observed distribution pattern, it must be noted that there are ten Kenyan counties in which none of these religious categories account for 50% of the population: Nairobi, Kirinyaga, Marsabit, Laikipia, Turkana,
West Pokot, Kakamega, Busia, Siaya, and Kisumu. It is also interesting to note that there are only six counties – Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Vihiga, and Kericho – in which one religion accounts for more than 80% of the population.
It is also noticeable that in certain towns and, in particular, in Nairobi, there are many sub-locations that have no main religion. This indicates that religious and cultural diversity increases in economic centres. The rural–urban graph confirms this observation. It shows that urban sub-locations reach their highest share in the class with no majority religion. It further reveals that sub-locations dominated by Catholicism, other forms of Christianity, or Traditionalism are mainly concentrating in rural areas. By contrast, Protestantism and Islam are spread more evenly between rural and urban areas. Overall, the degree of religious and cultural diversity tends to be greater in areas experiencing higher levels of in-migration (see map 2.04). In most cases, these areas are also economic centres and hubs of innovative activity. The following map (2.13) explores this relationship further.
Number of Protestants and other Christians*
Number of Muslims*
Number of people of other faiths*
Nairobi
851.2
1,862.4
221.4
93.1
Mombasa
167.7
387.6
337.9
15.5
Kwale
39.9
152.6
424.0
12.0
Kilifi
97.5
528.0
210.3
73.9
8.3
30.1
197.3
0.9
Lamu
11.6
32.7
52.3
1.1
Taita Taveta
Tana River
The main map – showing patterns at the sub-location level – confirms the county-level observation that there are only few regions in Kenya where a single faith is so dominant that it captures almost the entire population. In many areas, differently coloured sub-locations are visible in the mix, e.g. Catholics are spread throughout the country – with the exception of the north-east – and appear to some extent in the coastal region, while Traditionalists may be found in Marsabit, Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Baringo, Narok, Isiolo, and Kilifi counties. Further, there are many regions featuring sub-locations for which no main religion may be identified. These non-designated sub-locations are found, in particular, in the Lake region and parts of central Kenya, where a mix of different Christian faiths prevails, or in the coastal region and Mombasa, where they reflect the coexistence of Muslims and Christians.
Number of Catholics*
67.0
181.6
20.9
2.3
Garissa
4.6
9.6
601.9
0.2
Wajir
1.2
1.7
654.7
0.2
Mandera
1.2
1.1
1,020.4
0.2
Marsabit
60.0
24.7
132.6
68.7
Isiolo
26.1
14.8
88.1
9.6
Meru
337.9
943.5
11.4
21.7
Tharaka Nithi
117.0
233.9
0.8
4.3
Embu
157.2
334.9
2.5
8.3
Kitui
253.8
688.7
6.2
23.9
Machakos
430.6
627.1
6.7
11.5
Makueni
290.3
557.7
4.9
12.2
Nyandarua
112.8
430.2
0.6
14.4
Nyeri
203.2
454.3
4.0
8.9
Kirinyaga
175.3
327.2
2.0
10.4
Murang’a
246.8
658.0
3.0
12.2
Kiambu
441.9
1,086.8
13.5
25.5
Turkana
369.9
243.1
25.4
126.4
West Pokot
191.9
230.4
2.6
54.1
Samburu
135.1
43.0
2.2
32.4
Trans Nzoia
196.8
577.4
8.3
15.2
Uasin Gishu
205.5
622.0
13.1
15.6
Elgeyo Marakwet
189.4
165.4
1.0
2.7
Nandi
186.2
524.7
5.0
14.3
Baringo
89.3
356.1
4.2
77.7
Laikipia
130.3
220.8
7.1
15.1
Nakuru
312.2
1,113.6
19.7
29.2
Narok
145.2
514.8
3.9
101.1
Kajiado
143.4
473.6
18.3
22.7
Kericho
101.6
593.2
2.3
10.2
Bomet
132.7
550.1
0.6
15.7
Kakamega
336.3
1,164.9
90.2
47.4
Vihiga
21.9
499.2
4.6
20.2
279.7
1,026.1
19.6
25.8
Busia
274.9
420.0
14.1
22.3
Siaya
225.1
553.7
3.1
44.8
Kisumu
210.1
674.3
14.4
47.0
Homa Bay
185.9
726.4
5.7
31.8
Migori
199.1
667.1
6.4
26.6
Kisii
405.1
717.4
2.2
10.0
Nyamira
154.4
430.2
0.6
3.8
8,924.7
22,676.6
4,292.3
1,243.2
Bungoma
KENYA
* in thousands
54
Data Source 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census (Variable P16: Religion), Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
2.12 Rural–Urban Distribution of Main Religions Total population (in thousands) in all sub-locations falling in a given religion class 2,928
20,440
451
3,670
323
10,302
100% rural%
Rural and urban shares of each religion class
County
80%
urban%
60%
40%
20%
0% Catholic
Protestant
Other Christian
Muslim
Main religion Urban
Rural
2.12 Main Religions at County Level
Refer to main map for definition of classes
Traditionalist
No main religion