Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro has announced that the
county’s own-source revenue has hit the Sh1.5 billion mark, the highest level
in the county’s history.
On Wednesday, Mung’aro said the county’s collections rose from Sh1.003 billion in the 2022-23 financial year to Sh1.209 billion in 2023-24, before increasing to Sh1.513 billion in the 2024-25 period.
This reflects growth rates of 20.4 per cent in the 2023-24 financial year and 25.2 per cent in the 2024-25 financial year.
“We are now targeting Sh1.875 billion in the current financial year, and we are planning to install security cameras at all revenue collection points to safeguard the gains,” Mung’aro said.
Delivering the 2025 State of the County Address at the Kilifi County Assembly, the governor said the county had recorded growth across key sectors, including revenue, health, water, housing, education, trade and tourism, over the past three years.
During his two-hour address, Mung’aro said the progress reflects deliberate and coordinated efforts to modernise county systems, strengthen governance and uplift the quality of life for residents.
In the health sector, annual collections have jumped from under Sh100 million to over Sh550 million, driven by digitisation and automation.
The county has renovated 21 facilities, opened new dispensaries, promoted 957 health workers, hired 191 and recorded a drop in HIV prevalence from 3.5 per cent in 2022 to 2.5 per cent in 2024, with 94 per cent of patients now on ARVs.
Water access has improved from 65 per cent in 2022 to 69 per cent in 2025, supported by the laying of 744kms of pipeline, drilling of 49 boreholes and construction or rehabilitation of 12 water pans.
However, the governor noted that supply remains insufficient in some areas due to the limited capacity of primary water sources, adding that the county is working with national agencies and development partners on long-term solutions.
Housing has also seen major progress under the national affordable housing programme.
Mung’aro reported that 1,200 units are currently under construction, with 400 already completed and occupied.
He said the projects are transforming urban planning, creating jobs and giving young families and low-income earners a chance to own decent homes.
In education, the Mung’aro highlighted improvements in both access and quality. A total of 2,122 students from Kilifi are now benefiting from full scholarships to national schools. The school feeding programme has boosted enrolment from 46,938 learners in 2023-24 to 57,802 in 2025.
The county has strengthened early childhood development by training 1,100 ECDE teachers and equipping 406 centres with digital learning devices.
Vocational training centres have also grown, with more than 2,900 graduates recorded in 2024 and new ICT labs established under the KEMFSED programme to equip youth with digital and emerging technology skills.
Tourism and trade have shown notable progress, with 32 fully operational markets developed across the county to support small traders and streamline commerce.
Mung’aro said the 2024 Kilifi Investment Conference attracted more than $1.1 billion in commitments, reinforcing Kilifi’s standing as an emerging coastal investment hub.
The county has also participated in nine major international tourism fairs and hosted major cultural and international events, including the Mekatilili wa Menza Festival, the Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference and the Essence of Africa Conference in Malindi, boosting its profile and driving tourism traffic to local destinations.
On infrastructure, the governor said the county continues to rehabilitate and upgrade roads across all subcounties to ease mobility, open agricultural zones and support commerce.
He said improved connectivity remains crucial to sustaining growth in trade, agriculture and tourism.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Governor Gideon Mung’aro’s State of the County Address paints Kilifi as a county experiencing steady, structured growth driven by digitisation, infrastructure expansion and social investments. The jump in own-source revenue to Sh1.5 billion signals stronger fiscal discipline and improved efficiency.
