About Laikipia County
Vision
The Greatest County with the Best Quality of Life
Mission
To enable every household in Laikipia County lead a prosperous life.
Core Values
People-Centeredness, Equity, Accountability, Efficiency, Professionalism, Integrity, Innovativeness, Passion.
About Laikipia County
Laikipia County, located on the Equator, is among the 47 counties in Kenya.
Its name is derived from the maasai name Laikipia, which means treeless plain, where different kinds of wildlife, including the Big 5, roam freely on the rangelands of Laikipia.
The county is cosmopolitan with about 23 communities comprising of Maasai, Samburu, Rendile, Somali, Pokots, Kalenjins, Meru, Kikuyu and Turkana among others. The county is largely rural in settlement with the main economic activities being crop farming, livestock rearing, tourism, retail and wholesale trade.
The county is a member of the Mt. Kenya and Aberdares Counties Economic Bloc and Amaya Triangle Initiative.
It covers an area of 9,462KM2 and ranks as the 15th largest county in terms of the land size.
The county has 5 administrative sub counties, 3 constituencies namely Laikipia East, Laikipia West and Laikipia North with a total of 15 electoral wards.
Administrative Units and Political Units
Laikipia County comprises of five administrative sub counties (formerly districts) namely Laikipia East, Laikipia North, Laikipia West, Laikipia Central and Nyahururu.
The sub county headquarters are at Nanyuki, Doldol, Rumuruti, Lamuria and Nyahururu respectively.
The county has three constituencies namely; Laikipia East, Laikipia West and Laikipia North.
There are 15 electoral wards; 5 in Laikipia East (Ngobit, Tigithi, Thingithu, Nanyuki, Umande), 6 in Laikipia West (Olmoran, Rumuruti Township, Githiga, Marmanet, Igwamiti, Salama) and 4 in Laikipia North (Mukogodo East, Mukogodo West, Segera, Sosian) constituencies.
Here is a map of Laikipia:
It borders the following Counties:
- Samburu County to the North
- Isiolo County to the North East
- Meru County to the East
- Nyeri County to the South East
- Nyandarua County to the South
- Nakuru County to the South West and
- Baringo County to the West.
Physiographic and Natural Conditions
The main drainage feature is Ewaso Nyiro basin with its tributaries having their source in the slopes of the Aberdares and Mt. Kenya. These tributaries include Nanyuki, Timau, Rongai, Burguret, Segera, Naromoru, Engare, Moyok, Ewaso Narok, Pesi and Ngobit rivers.
The Southwestern part of the county has the highest potential for forestry and mixed farming due to its favourable climatic conditions. The eastern and northerns parts of the county are suitable for grazing while the plateau lying in the central and the northern parts of the county is suitable for ranching.
The county is endowed with pastureland, rangeland, forests, wildlife, undulating landscapes and rivers among others. The high and medium potential land, which is suitable for crop farming, constitutes 20.5 per cent of the total countys land area. The remaining 79.5 per cent is low potential and suitable for livestock and wildlife. The major soils in the county are mainly loam, sand and clay.
The county has a gazetted forest area totalling to 580 Km2 comprising of both the indigenous and plantation forests. Laikipia County is richly endowed with wildlife widely distributed in most parts of the county extending to Aberdare, Samburu, Meru and Mt. Kenya wildlife corridors. Most of the wildlife is found in the large-scale private ranches, which occupy over 50 per cent of the total area of the county.
The county experiences a relief type of rainfall due to its altitude and location. The annual average rainfall between 400mm and 750mm. The areas nearest to the slopes of Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare Ranges record higher annual rainfall totals. North Marmanet receives over 900mm of rainfall annually. The Laikipia plateau receives about 500mm of rain annually, while Mukogodo Forest receives an average rainfall of about 706mm annually. The northern parts of the county represented by Dol Dol receive lower rainfall compared to the southern parts.
