Wajir, Mandera, Lamu and Samburu ranked among the safest counties in Kenya

Wajir, Mandera, Lamu, Samburu and Tana River are the safest counties to live in Kenya.

According to the 2025 Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), these five counties recorded the lowest number of crimes reported to police in 2024, reflecting their relative safety compared to other parts of the country.

Wajir registered 358 reported crimes, followed by Mandera with 373 cases, Lamu with 401, Samburu with 414 and Tana River with 436.

Garissa recorded 646 cases, followed by Taita Taveta (760), Elgeyo Marakwet (802), Isiolo (825), and West Pokot (849). Marsabit reported 898 incidents, Baringo 942, Kwale 1,006, Laikipia 1,157, and Turkana 1,169.

Other counties with fewer than 2,000 cases included Siaya (1,296), Nyamira (1,349), Tharaka-Nithi (1,373), Vihiga (1,415), Nyandarua (1,462), Nandi (1,534), Busia (1,572), Embu (1,720), Bomet (1,814), Kirinyaga (1,869), Homa Bay (1,870) and Trans Nzoia (1,879).

Counties with relatively higher numbers of reported crimes included Kericho and Kakamega, each recording 1,976 and 1,991 cases, respectively. Narok and Kakamega had 1,991 cases each, while Kajiado had 2,078, Nyeri 2,296, and Uasin Gishu 2,304. Migori and Makueni recorded 2,388 and 2,442 cases, respectively. Kitui had 2,664, Mombasa 2,689, Kilifi 2,725 and Kisumu 2,822.

The highest crime numbers were recorded in Bungoma with 3,188 cases, Murang’a with 3,509, Machakos with 4,028, Nakuru with 4,664, Meru with 5,487, Kiambu with 8,865 and Nairobi leading at 9,717.

Nairobi City Police Command registered the highest share of all crimes reported at 9.6 per cent, followed by Kiambu at 8.8 per cent and Meru at 5.4 per cent.

While the national total number of reported crimes declined by 3.5 per cent to 101,200 in 2024, some counties recorded sharp increases. Marsabit had the highest percentage rise at 41.0 per cent, followed by Narok (34.3 per cent), West Pokot (28.6 per cent), and Migori (23.2 per cent).

Taita Taveta led in the percentage decline of reported crimes at 32.4 per cent, followed by Trans Nzoia (22.1 per cent) and Machakos (15.7 per cent).

They also noted that the number of persons reported to have committed crimes dropped by 1.1 per cent to 103,256, with male offenders decreasing by 1,121 and female offenders by 13. Nairobi recorded the highest drop in the number of individuals reported, with 1,363 fewer suspects.

However, Marsabit, Narok and Mandera recorded the highest percentage increases in persons reported to have committed crimes at 46.4, 34.8 and 29.2 per cent, respectively. Taita Taveta and Trans Nzoia again led in percentage decline at 29.5 and 20.8 per cent, respectively.

The survey further revealed that the number of child protection cases handled by the Department of Children Services fell by 10.8 per cent to 169,300 in 2024.

Additionally, police recovered 4,548 rounds of ammunition during the year, a sharp increase from 2,248 rounds in 2023. A total of 104 illegally held firearms were repossessed, down from 179 in 2023, while 31 firearms were surrendered, compared to 117 in the previous year.

Police also seized 26,858 kilogrammes of dangerous drugs in 2024, nearly double the 14,259 kilogrammes intercepted in 2023.

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The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission traced assets worth Sh16 billion during the review period, of which Sh2.9 billion was recovered.

Court statistics showed that 516,100 new cases were filed, while 509,800 were concluded, with 635,300 cases pending at the end of the year.

According to KNBS, most convicted persons, at 63.5 per cent, were serving sentences between one month and two years. During the same period, 534 children and 1,069 foreign nationals were committed to prison. The number of offenders serving probation sentences declined by 27.4 per cent to 5,912.

It also notes that the ratio of police to civilians worsened from 1:479 to 1:512, while the ratio of prison officers to inmates improved from 1:8 to 1:7, and that of probation officers to non-custodial offenders improved from 1:12 to 1:10.

Meanwhile, applications for national identity cards dropped from 1.3 million in 2023 to 1.0 million in 2024. The number of new identity cards produced decreased by 3.4 per cent to 1,065,000. The report states that the Immigration Department issued 621,800 passports and 6,400 work permits during the period under review.

Further, the State Department for Refugee Services had registered 823,900 refugees and asylum seekers by 2024, with Dadaab Camp accounting for 50.5 per cent. The National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) registered 602,100 persons with disabilities as of June 2024.