Isiolo County is a county in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. The population was 268,002 according to the 2019 census. The capital and largest town in the county is Isiolo. Isiolo County is to be the first county to be developed as part of the Kenya Vision 2030 program. Other upcoming urban centres are: Garbatulla, Modogashe, Kinna, Merti and Oldonyiro. The county is home to the Sakuye, Somali and Borana tribes, there are a significant number of people from the Turkana, Samburu, Gabra and Garre communities.
The local topography is arid or semi-arid low plains. The Ewaso Nyiro River flows through the county and partly borders it. It borders Marsabit County to the north, Wajir County to the east, Garissa and Tana River counties to the south east, Meru County to the south, Laikipia County to the south west and Samburu County to the west.
Three different National Game Reserves are located in Isiolo County: Bisanadi National Reserve, Buffalo Springs National Reserve and Shaba National Reserve.
Isiolo county has a total population of 268,002 persons at the 2019 census, 139,510 are males; and 128,483 are females; and 9 intersex persons. There is an average of 4.6 persons per household and a population density of 11 persons per square km.
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Isiolo covers an area of 1,185.49 square kilometres, with 263.7 kilometres of murram road and 35 kilometres of bitumen in 2014. There are 1,149 installed letter boxes, 851 rented letter boxes and vacant letter boxes.
Isiolo airport is the major airport in the county.
As of 2018, the county has two constituencies (Isiolo North Constituency and Isiolo South Constituency), three sub-counties and ten wards.
There are a total of 10 county assembly wards, 71 locations and 144 sub-locations
Abdi Ibrahim Hassan Guyo is the third governor of Isiolo who took office in 2022, he is deputized by Dr. James Lowasa. Fatuma Dullo is the senator and also the first woman to be elected as a senator in Kenya. Mumina Bonaya is the sitting women representative for isiolo and the third to hold the office.
There are 213 ECD centres with enrolment of 5148 pupils, 124 primary schools of which 107 are public and 17 are private schools. 23 secondary schools are spread across the county of which 16 are public and 7 are private schools.
Furthermore, there are two youth polytechnics, three tertiary institutions and two vocational training centres in the county.
There are three hospitals in Isiolo County, two of which are government owned. One hospital is a faith based organisation. There are also five health centres, thirty three dispensaries, and three clinics.
Isiolo county has a total of 214 medical personnel of different specialties ranging from doctors to biochemists.
The four main crops in Isiolo are maize, beans, sorghum and Mung beans. Livestock is also sold and the four animals kept are cattle (indigenous), cattle (dairy), camels, sheep, and goats.
A total of 178 ponds were in various places in the county in 2014.
Source: USAid Kenya