Somali people will occupied the third position of the largest communities in next twenty years, a survey released by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows.
The Former Northern Districts said to have highest number of family growing thanks to polygamy and rapid human reproduction.
The families in Mandera, Garissa and Wajir towns have families that 1 1/2 bigger than the major towns including Mombasa and Nairobi.
According to the survey, the average Somali families consist of eight to nine members despite the harsh climate that hangs over the region.
“Relatively high average household sizes were recorded in arid and semi arid counties (ASAL) of Wajir, Garissa and Mandera,” said Mr. Zachary Mwangi, the KNBS Director General.
The Data has said that Wajir had secured to be the first town with the biggest families at 6.6 children per household, followed by Mandera, 6.4 and 5.5 members per household.
Kenya’s Parliament majority leader, Adan Barre Duale has attributed the fast growing in the Muslim dominated areas to culture and Islam which forbid Family planning.
“In 2009, though the number of people given were not genuine and even went to court, but this new report being released a year before the next census confirms that the number were correct,” said Duale.
The 2009 population and housing census reported that the districts in Northeastern, the population grew faster than in any other part in Kenya leading some of the government officials disagree with the result.
The results from the eight districts — Mandera Central, Mandera East, Mandera West, Wajir and Garissa — had population growth rates that deviated significantly from the patterns noted in the rest of the country.
The countywide census indicated that Lagdera had 245,123 people, Wajir East 224,418, Mandera Central 417,294, Mandera East 288,687 and Mandera West 319,772.
The population growth suggests that the average woman in the region gives birth to more than 16 children in her lifetime.
Kenya government which holds its census after ten years is planning to conduct its census next year.
Discussion about this post