Kilifi
Encyclopedia
Kilifi is a town on the Kenyan coast, home to many resorts. It sits on the estuary
of the Rare River in Kenya
. The beach
itself is known as Bofa Beach and is said to be one of the best beaches in Kenya
. The town lies on the Kilifi Creek between Malindi
and Mombasa
. Kilifi is capital of the Kilifi District
. The town has an urban population of 30,394 (1999 census http://treasury.go.ke/cbs.go.ke/pdf/authority.pdf).
The town is known for its beach
and for the ruins of Mnarani, including mosque
s and tomb
s, dating from the 14th to the 17th century.
Geography:
The town is located on 39.84 degrees East and 3.63 degrees south.
The towns sits on both sides of the estuary and are linked by the Kilifi Bridge. One side is called Mnarani and the other is the main Kilifi Town. Kilifi bridge gives you access to the splendid view of the estuary.
The weather is generally warmer throughout the year (above 25 degrees) with two seasons of moderate rainfall (about 800-1000mm). The long rains that start around March to July and the short rains that start around October to December.
The terrain is generally flat with sandy-loamy soils. Common trees are Cocos lucifera, Anacadium occidentale, Azadirachta indica, Mangifera indica.
Common birds are the crow, kites and hawks.
People:
Kilifi is a cosmopolitan town with mixed ethnic groups. The predominant inhabitants are from the Mijikenda groups (mainly Giriama and Chonyi). Other groups include the Islamic Swahili-Arab descendants as well as other groups from inland Kenya like the Kikuyu, Meru, Kamba and Luo. There is a handful of Europeans mainly British, German and Italian.
Economy:
Like every coastal town, fishing is one of the historical economic activities. With time, the town has slowly been transforming from a fishing village to basic industrial and service.
The growth of the town was mainly fuelled by the cashew nut milling factory between 1976 and 1990. The town almost became a ghost town when the factory was closed due to decline in nuts supply, mismanagement of the factory and increased global competition. Other industrial activities include milk processing at Kilifi Plantations.
Since 2008 with the transformation of the Kilifi institute of Agriculture into a University(Pwani University). There has been substantial expansion of the service sector as a result of this. Banking activity has been growing with about 4 banks (KCB, Barclays, Postbank, Imperial and Equity) as well as microfinance institutions. Retail business and hotels have historically been significant economic activities. 3 to 4 star hotels you will find here are like Sea Horse Hotel, Mnarani Club, Kilifi Bay Hotel and Baobab Lodge. Others are privately owned beach villas.
Health:
The Kilifi District Hospital serves all of Kilifi District, and also supports the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, a large medical research center collaborative between Kenya's KEMRI
and the British Wellcome Trust
, known internationally for its work on malaria and bacterial and viral childhood infections. Several other private clinics can be found here.
Notable Organizations:
The town also includes a number of notable non-profit organizations serving the surrounding rural communities, including World Vision
, Plan International, and KOMAZA
.
You can visit www.kilifi.com to more about kilifi
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of the Rare River in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. The beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
itself is known as Bofa Beach and is said to be one of the best beaches in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. The town lies on the Kilifi Creek between Malindi
Malindi
Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi is 117,735 . It is the capital of the Malindi District.Tourism is the major industry in Malindi. The city is...
and Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
. Kilifi is capital of the Kilifi District
Kilifi District
Kilifi District is an administrative district in the Coast Province of Kenya. Its capital is coastal town Kilifi. The district has a population of 281,552 .The district is located north and northeast of Mombasa...
. The town has an urban population of 30,394 (1999 census http://treasury.go.ke/cbs.go.ke/pdf/authority.pdf).
The town is known for its beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
and for the ruins of Mnarani, including mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s, dating from the 14th to the 17th century.
Geography:
The town is located on 39.84 degrees East and 3.63 degrees south.
The towns sits on both sides of the estuary and are linked by the Kilifi Bridge. One side is called Mnarani and the other is the main Kilifi Town. Kilifi bridge gives you access to the splendid view of the estuary.
The weather is generally warmer throughout the year (above 25 degrees) with two seasons of moderate rainfall (about 800-1000mm). The long rains that start around March to July and the short rains that start around October to December.
The terrain is generally flat with sandy-loamy soils. Common trees are Cocos lucifera, Anacadium occidentale, Azadirachta indica, Mangifera indica.
Common birds are the crow, kites and hawks.
People:
Kilifi is a cosmopolitan town with mixed ethnic groups. The predominant inhabitants are from the Mijikenda groups (mainly Giriama and Chonyi). Other groups include the Islamic Swahili-Arab descendants as well as other groups from inland Kenya like the Kikuyu, Meru, Kamba and Luo. There is a handful of Europeans mainly British, German and Italian.
Economy:
Like every coastal town, fishing is one of the historical economic activities. With time, the town has slowly been transforming from a fishing village to basic industrial and service.
The growth of the town was mainly fuelled by the cashew nut milling factory between 1976 and 1990. The town almost became a ghost town when the factory was closed due to decline in nuts supply, mismanagement of the factory and increased global competition. Other industrial activities include milk processing at Kilifi Plantations.
Since 2008 with the transformation of the Kilifi institute of Agriculture into a University(Pwani University). There has been substantial expansion of the service sector as a result of this. Banking activity has been growing with about 4 banks (KCB, Barclays, Postbank, Imperial and Equity) as well as microfinance institutions. Retail business and hotels have historically been significant economic activities. 3 to 4 star hotels you will find here are like Sea Horse Hotel, Mnarani Club, Kilifi Bay Hotel and Baobab Lodge. Others are privately owned beach villas.
Health:
The Kilifi District Hospital serves all of Kilifi District, and also supports the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, a large medical research center collaborative between Kenya's KEMRI
KEMRI
The Kenya Medical Research Institute is a medical research centre in East Africa's. It is located in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.Established in 1979, KEMRI has played an important role in the fight against malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases in Kenya, and in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.KEMRI...
and the British Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
, known internationally for its work on malaria and bacterial and viral childhood infections. Several other private clinics can be found here.
Notable Organizations:
The town also includes a number of notable non-profit organizations serving the surrounding rural communities, including World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
, Plan International, and KOMAZA
KOMAZA
KOMAZA is a social enterprise that develops economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in East Africa’s unfertile and drought-prone regions...
.
External links
Information Guide Mtwapa City Kilifi DistrictYou can visit www.kilifi.com to more about kilifi