Tano County, Constituency, and Ward: Understanding Kenya's Administrative Structure
Kenya's 47 counties, 290 constituencies, and 1,450 wards are the map every campaign runs on. Here is how the layers nest and which offices are contested at each.
The three-tier structure
Kenya's devolved government is organized into three administrative layers that also define electoral boundaries:
| Level | Count | Elects |
|---|---|---|
| County | 47 | Governor (countywide), plus Senator and Woman Representative to the National Assembly |
| Constituency | 290 | Member of the National Assembly (MNA) |
| Ward | 1,450 | Member of the County Assembly (MCA) |
Why this matters for campaigns
A campaign's geography is dictated by the office being contested:
| Office | Level contested |
|---|---|
| Governor / Senator | County |
| MNA | Constituency |
| MCA | Ward |
Polling stations (the physical places people vote) sit below the ward level — they are not an administrative boundary but a logistical layer managed by the IEBC.
The codes
The IEBC assigns official numeric codes to each level: a 2-digit county code, a constituency code, and a ward code. These codes are the real primary keys used across electoral data — consistent nationwide and stable across cycles.
Related in Civic & Electoral Glossary
IEBC Forms 34A, 34B, and 34C: How Votes Become Results
The paperwork chain that turns polling-station tallies into a declared winner. A plain-language reference for agents and observers on what each form records and why your signature matters.
IEBC Forms 35A, 35B, and 36: Parliamentary and County Results
The paperwork chain for parliamentary and county-level results. A plain-language reference for agents and observers on what each form records and how it flows from polling station to declaration.