Kenya
Local government information correct as of 2009
 Key facts
POPULATION (Census 2009): 38,610,097
AREA: 580,367 sq km
CAPITAL: Nairobi
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION TO GDP: 1.1%
CURRENCY: Kenyan shilling (KES)
HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT: President Mwai Kibaki
SHARED WITH: Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: democratic republic
PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: unicameral
STATE STRUCTURE: unitary
LANGUAGES: Swahili and English (official).
NATIONAL ELECTIONS: last: 2007; turnout: - next: 2012
LOCAL ELECTIONS: last: 2007; turnout: - next: 2012
Summary
Kenya is a democractic republic with two spheres of government; national and local. There is no constitutional provision for local government and the principal relevant legislation is the Local Government Act 1977. Local government is overseen by the Ministry of Local Government and comprises 175 single-tiered council areas: three city councils, 43 municipal councils, 62 town councils and 67 rural county councils. Local authorities are responsibile for collecting taxes and user fees and charges, they also receive revenue from central government block grants through the Local Authorities Transfer Fund (LATF). The only statutory responsibility of all local authorities is the burial of the destitute generally however, local authorities have resonsibility for local services, including but not limited to, markets, refuse collection, local road maintenance and street lighting.
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