Stage two — building the game
County Map
Two thirds of Kenya’s league clubs sit in Nairobi while the overwhelming majority of Kenyans live elsewhere. That is not a complaint, it is the opportunity: 47 counties, a median age of 20 and a population growing by more than a million people a year. This map puts the 2019 census next to the football plan and keeps it current with the live national estimate — population today, the women-to-men ratio, schooling, county GDP at purchasing power parity, and the jobs, teams, coaching places and health savings each county would gain. The eighteen counties carrying the most people and the most output — the Priority 18 — are highlighted as their own tier, because that is where the next decade of growth has to start.
Kenya population, live
58,789,485
Projected figure = 2019 census figure x (live national estimate / 2019 census national total). The 2019 census counted 47,564,296 people across the 47 counties; the live national estimate is read from Worldometer, so every county, youth and per-capita number on this site moves with it.
Hover or tap a county · click to pin it · scroll or use the buttons to zoom, drag to pan
Facility in progress
Nairobi County
Population (2019 census)
4,397,073
Population today (projected)
5,434,773
2019 census x 1.235998 (Worldometer)
Women per man
1.005
2,204,376 women · 2,192,452 men
Households
1,506,888
Density
6,247/km²
704 km²
GDP (PPP) estimate
$96.3bn
Estimated using Nairobi's 27.5% share of the national Gross County Product (KNBS 2023) applied to Kenya's 2023 national GDP PPP.
Youth (15–24)
945,112
In secondary school
195,431
In primary school
524,310
This county’s share
9.24% of Kenyans
Jobs
446
+1,623 build person-years
Teams
385
10,013 matches a year
Health savings
$1.4m
Per year, at Kenyan health costs
Coaching places
302
203 referee places
Players served
29,139
Total annual value
$23.9m
Economic, health and social
Allocated by this county's share of the 2019 census population; professional club jobs are allocated only across the counties the Kenya Premier League has identified.
Infrastructure under way
- Nairobi Commuter Rail upgrade
- Nairobi Expressway phase extensions
- Affordable Housing projects in Mukuru and Kibera
Programme headquarters. Crown Crane Park modular stadium and arena and the proposed Typhoon Sports Village sit here, alongside two thirds of all league clubs.
Headquarters · Stadium and arena · Academy · Coach education
3 proposals submitted here
Census figures: KNBS 2019 Population and Housing Census · source · GDP, enrolment and projects: AI researched estimate · Projected to today from Worldometer
Full county dossierProposed steps for NairobiCompare with another countyPropose something here Nairobi’s proposed steps pack (PDF) Download Nairobi’s business case (PDF)The Priority 18
Where the people and the money already are
Every county is scored on three things: its 2019 census population, its county GDP and its county GDP at purchasing power parity. Population carries 40% of the score, the two economic measures 30% each — young people first, paying customers second. The eighteen highest scores are where the maps, the facility siting and every financial model on this site are focused. The other twenty-nine counties still host courts, still appear on the map and can still bring a proposal forward.
People in the Priority 18
27,283,013
57.4% of Kenya
Their combined GDP
$88.7bn
$249bn at PPP
Share of national output
71.7%
On Gross County Product shares
Counties with a KPL club
13 of 18
5 league counties outside
| Rank | County | Population | GDP | GDP PPP | Population index | GDP index | PPP index | Score | In the 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi | 4,397,073 | $34.29bn | $96.3bn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Priority 18 |
| 2 | Kiambu | 2,417,735 | $7.37bn | $20.7bn | 0.54985 | 0.21493 | 0.21495 | 0.348904 | Priority 18 |
| 3 | Nakuru | 2,162,202 | $6.12bn | $17.2bn | 0.49174 | 0.17848 | 0.17861 | 0.303823 | Priority 18 |
| 4 | Mombasa | 1,208,333 | $6.48bn | $18.2bn | 0.2748 | 0.18898 | 0.18899 | 0.223311 | Priority 18 |
| 5 | Kakamega | 1,867,579 | $2.99bn | $8.4bn | 0.42473 | 0.0872 | 0.08723 | 0.222221 | Priority 18 |
| 6 | Machakos | 1,421,932 | $4.38bn | $12.3bn | 0.32338 | 0.12773 | 0.12773 | 0.20599 | Priority 18 |
| 7 | Meru | 1,545,714 | $3.67bn | $10.3bn | 0.35153 | 0.10703 | 0.10696 | 0.204809 | Priority 18 |
| 8 | Bungoma | 1,670,570 | $2.67bn | $7.5bn | 0.37993 | 0.07787 | 0.07788 | 0.198697 | Priority 18 |
| 9 | Kisumu | 1,155,574 | $3.63bn | $10.2bn | 0.26281 | 0.10586 | 0.10592 | 0.168658 | Priority 18 |
| 10 | Kilifi | 1,453,787 | $1.96bn | $5.5bn | 0.33063 | 0.05716 | 0.05711 | 0.166533 | Priority 18 |
| 11 | Uasin Gishu | 1,163,186 | $2.88bn | $8.1bn | 0.26454 | 0.08399 | 0.08411 | 0.156246 | Priority 18 |
| 12 | Narok | 1,157,873 | $2.49bn | $7bn | 0.26333 | 0.07262 | 0.07269 | 0.148925 | Priority 18 |
| 13 | Kajiado | 1,117,840 | $2.35bn | $6.6bn | 0.25422 | 0.06853 | 0.06854 | 0.142809 | Priority 18 |
| 14 | Murang'a | 1,056,640 | $2.14bn | $6bn | 0.24031 | 0.06241 | 0.06231 | 0.13354 | Priority 18 |
| 15 | Kitui | 1,136,187 | $1.67bn | $4.7bn | 0.2584 | 0.0487 | 0.04881 | 0.132613 | Priority 18 |
| 16 | Migori | 1,116,436 | $1.6bn | $4.5bn | 0.2539 | 0.04666 | 0.04673 | 0.129577 | Priority 18 |
| 17 | Busia | 893,681 | $1.37bn | $3.85bn | 0.20324 | 0.03995 | 0.03998 | 0.105275 | Priority 18 |
| 18 | Taita Taveta | 340,671 | $0.61bn | $1.7bn | 0.07748 | 0.01779 | 0.01765 | 0.041624 | Priority 18 |
| 19 | Kisii | 1,266,860 | $2.62bn | $7.35bn | 0.28811 | 0.07641 | 0.07632 | 0.161063 | Courts only |
| 20 | Homa Bay | 1,131,950 | $1.42bn | $4bn | 0.25743 | 0.04141 | 0.04154 | 0.127857 | Courts only |
| 21 | Trans Nzoia | 990,341 | $1.87bn | $5.25bn | 0.22523 | 0.05453 | 0.05452 | 0.122807 | Courts only |
| 22 | Kericho | 901,777 | $2.03bn | $5.7bn | 0.20509 | 0.0592 | 0.05919 | 0.117553 | Courts only |
| 23 | Makueni | 987,653 | $1.57bn | $4.4bn | 0.22462 | 0.04579 | 0.04569 | 0.117292 | Courts only |
| 24 | Siaya | 993,183 | $1.32bn | $3.7bn | 0.22587 | 0.0385 | 0.03842 | 0.113424 | Courts only |
| 25 | Nandi | 885,711 | $1.85bn | $5.2bn | 0.20143 | 0.05395 | 0.054 | 0.112957 | Courts only |
| 26 | Bomet | 875,689 | $1.74bn | $4.9bn | 0.19915 | 0.05074 | 0.05088 | 0.110146 | Courts only |
| 27 | Turkana | 926,976 | $1.37bn | $3.85bn | 0.21082 | 0.03995 | 0.03998 | 0.108307 | Courts only |
| 28 | Nyeri | 759,164 | $2.24bn | $6.3bn | 0.17265 | 0.06533 | 0.06542 | 0.108285 | Courts only |
| 29 | Kwale | 866,820 | $1.42bn | $4bn | 0.19714 | 0.04141 | 0.04154 | 0.103741 | Courts only |
| 30 | Nyandarua | 638,289 | $2.31bn | $6.5bn | 0.14516 | 0.06737 | 0.0675 | 0.098525 | Courts only |
| 31 | Garissa | 841,353 | $1.12bn | $3.15bn | 0.19134 | 0.03266 | 0.03271 | 0.096147 | Courts only |
| 32 | Mandera | 867,457 | $0.61bn | $1.7bn | 0.19728 | 0.01779 | 0.01765 | 0.089544 | Courts only |
| 33 | Kirinyaga | 610,411 | $1.5bn | $4.2bn | 0.13882 | 0.04374 | 0.04361 | 0.081733 | Courts only |
| 34 | Wajir | 781,263 | $0.61bn | $1.7bn | 0.17768 | 0.01779 | 0.01765 | 0.081704 | Courts only |
| 35 | Nyamira | 605,576 | $1.5bn | $4.2bn | 0.13772 | 0.04374 | 0.04361 | 0.081293 | Courts only |
| 36 | Embu | 608,599 | $1.32bn | $3.7bn | 0.13841 | 0.0385 | 0.03842 | 0.07844 | Courts only |
| 37 | Baringo | 666,763 | $0.86bn | $2.41bn | 0.15164 | 0.02508 | 0.02503 | 0.075689 | Courts only |
| 38 | Vihiga | 590,013 | $1.25bn | $3.5bn | 0.13418 | 0.03645 | 0.03634 | 0.075509 | Courts only |
| 39 | Laikipia | 518,560 | $1.18bn | $3.3bn | 0.11793 | 0.03441 | 0.03427 | 0.067776 | Courts only |
| 40 | West Pokot | 621,241 | $0.56bn | $1.57bn | 0.14129 | 0.01633 | 0.0163 | 0.066305 | Courts only |
| 41 | Elgeyo Marakwet | 454,480 | $0.64bn | $1.81bn | 0.10336 | 0.01866 | 0.0188 | 0.052582 | Courts only |
| 42 | Marsabit | 459,785 | $0.33bn | $0.93bn | 0.10457 | 0.00962 | 0.00966 | 0.047612 | Courts only |
| 43 | Tharaka Nithi | 393,177 | $0.56bn | $1.56bn | 0.08942 | 0.01633 | 0.0162 | 0.045527 | Courts only |
| 44 | Tana River | 315,943 | $0.36bn | $1bn | 0.07185 | 0.0105 | 0.01038 | 0.035004 | Courts only |
| 45 | Samburu | 310,327 | $0.28bn | $0.8bn | 0.07058 | 0.00817 | 0.00831 | 0.033176 | Courts only |
| 46 | Isiolo | 268,002 | $0.25bn | $0.7bn | 0.06095 | 0.00729 | 0.00727 | 0.028748 | Courts only |
| 47 | Lamu | 143,920 | $0.36bn | $1bn | 0.03273 | 0.0105 | 0.01038 | 0.019356 | Courts only |
The method
Method ------ The eighteen are a named list, not a formula. They are the counties that already host Kenya Premier League and National Super League football, or that sit on the central corridor of road, rail, power and stadium infrastructure running from Kisumu and Kakamega in the west, through Nakuru, Nairobi and Kiambu, down to Mombasa and Kilifi on the coast. That corridor is where the professional game is played today and where a modular stadium, an academy and a professional club can be built, supplied and filled. Every county is still scored on three published measures, each normalised against the strongest county, so the list can be argued with rather than taken on trust: 1. Population, from the 2019 KNBS census. 2. County GDP, derived from the county's share of Gross County Product applied to national GDP. 3. County GDP at purchasing power parity, on the same share basis. Population carries 40% of the score and the two economic measures 30% each, because a football programme needs young people first and paying customers second. Scores set the order inside the eighteen and rank every county outside it. The remaining twenty-nine counties still host courts, still appear on the map and can still bring forward a proposal, but they are not where a stadium or an academy is proposed first. Eighteen is not an arbitrary number. It is the size of a national top division, the number of county academies proposed, and the number of modular stadiums in the plan.
Sources
County GDP and GDP PPP are our estimates, built from each county's Gross County Product share applied to the national figures, and published so they can be challenged. The eighteen are chosen for league football and infrastructure; the scores order them. Ranking decides where the programme starts, not who is allowed to play.
Head to head
Compare two counties
Pick any two counties and see who has the people, the schools, the youth and the pitches. It is the fastest way to see how unevenly Kenyan football investment is spread.
County A
County B
Nairobi · Facility in progress
Programme headquarters. Crown Crane Park modular stadium and arena and the proposed Typhoon Sports Village sit here, alongside two thirds of all league clubs.
Headquarters · Stadium and arena · Academy · Coach education
Priority 18 county
Kisumu · Proposal received
Western hub for futsal courts, county league support and coach badges, with league club presence already established.
Futsal courts · Coach education · County league
Priority 18 county
Population, households and density are 2019 census actuals. Youth, schooling, GDP (PPP) and projects are researched estimates and are still being filled in county by county. Send better data.
Proposed steps
What the plan looks like in one county
Every county has its own version of the proposed steps, priced from its own population and its own share of the allocation. Two tracks: standing up a licensed professional club, and organising the community game around it.
Eight steps
The Professional Game
Incorporation, governance and land, then a business plan and trademark, consents, a club base, squad and coach licensing, FKF club licensing and a modular stadium.
Open the steps →Eight steps
The National Game
A county football plan, constituted and safeguarded clubs, courts and pitch upgrades, leagues, coaches and referees, schools and girls, and a route into the professional club.
Open the steps →Stage 2 of 4 — Building The Game
So what follows
Courts, leagues, coaches, academies and licensed clubs are the machine. On their own they are a shopping list. What turns them into a case is what they cost, what they return and who pays for them.