Religion

As of 2019, there were 43,624 Catholics, 116,453 Protestants, 82,176 Evangelicals, 70,805 other Christians; 520,160 Muslims, 332 Hindus, 7,121 Animists; 4,703 from other religions and 12,551 who have no religion.^[8]

Topographic features^[9]

The coastline in Kwale County stretches for roughly 250 kilometres, which consists of corals, sands and alluvial deposits.

The Coastal Plain, the Foot Plateau, the Coastal Uplands, and the Nyika Plateau are the four principal topographical features of Kwale County.

The Coastal Plain is famous for its white sand beaches. This land formation is made up of eroded reef material, such as coral sand when it is deposited on the inshore side of the reef. Furthermore, this region has one of the most productive coral reefs, including coral flats, lagoons, reef platforms and fringing reefs. These reefs occupy an estimated total area of 50,000 Ha, with stony coral covering 30%-40% of the total reef population.

Behind the Coastal Plain lies the Foot Plateau at an altitude of 60–135 meters above sea level.

From the Foot Plateau, the Coastal Uplands (also known as "Shimba Hills"), ascends steeply, reaching an altitude of 135–462 meters above the sea level. This geographical area consist of numerous sandstone hills, which include the Shimba Hills (420m), Tsimba (350m), Mrima (323m) and Dzombo (462m).

On the western boundary of the county, the Nyika Plateau (commonly referred to as the "hinterland") gently climbs from roughly 180 meters and covers more than half of the county. A basement rocks system lies beneath the plateau, which also contains random reddish sand soils patches. Since the soil in these regions are semi-arid and low-fertile, livestock rearing became the main activity at the hinterland.

Seven major rivers and numerous minor streams form the county's drainage system. The main rivers and streams are Ramisi, Marere, Pemba, Mkurumuji, Umba, Mwachema and the Mwachi River. Out of these seven rivers, three are permanent (Marere, Mwaluganje, and the Ramisi River). All these rivers flow into the Indian Ocean.

Climate

The county has a monsoon climate; it is hot and dry from January to April, with the coolest months being June to August.

Rainfall is divided into two seasons: short rains from October to December, and long rains from March to June/July. The county's average temperature is 24.2 °C. In the coastal low lands, temperature ranges from 26.30 °C to 26.60 °C; in Shimba Hills, 25.00 °C to 26.60 °C, and in the hinterland, 24.60 °C to 27.50 °C.

Annual rainfall varies between 400 and 1,680 mm.^[3][9]

Historically, flooding has occurred in Kwale County in the central eastern parts of the county which is caused by intense rains. Climate experts and farmers have seen a significant change of climate conditions which have greatly affected agriculture production and the livelihood of the people of Kwale County. Significant increase of heat has led to frequency of drought in the county.^{[10][11]: 10}

Background

Since 2014, Australian-based Business for Development (B4D) has partnered with ASX-listed Base Titanium Limited (BTL), a mineral sands producer in Kwale County, to initiate programs that support local farming communities in their endeavours to improve the returns from their agricultural activities

Together with the Cotton On Group (COG), Australia's largest global retailer, the Government of the Republic of Kenya, and the local Kwale Government, the Kwale Agribusiness Program (KAP) was established.

The program's purpose is to transition smallholder agricultural communities in the region from subsistence farming to more economically focused, and thus more profitable, farming practices. The main products of this program are cotton, grain, pulses, and livestock, including stock feed.^[18]

Program Objectives

The KAP model has demonstrated that industrialisation of the Kenyan cotton sector is attainable through long-term improvements in farming methods, quality control, productivity, and increased profit margin retention by the farming community.

Over the next five years, the primary objective will be to execute the KAP model across Kenya's cotton growing communities. Through the growth and replication of the KAP model across Kenya, the initiative will contribute to the revival of the cotton sector in Kenya. To that end, the following goals have been set.^[19]

1. Kenyan smallholder farmers will have increased voice, agency, and capacity.
2. Farmers have increased resilience through improved food security, nutrition, and diversified income.
3. Established partnerships and contractual certainty delivers increased profits for farmers and global buyers and guarantees supply.
4. Development of new localised cotton processing capacity will deliver increased national support and export of Kenyan cotton and lint.

PAVI Kwale Farmers' Co-operative

The society's name is derived from ‘pamba na viazi’, the Swahili words for cotton and potatoes. The development of the PAVI Kwale Farmers' Co-operative^[20] has provided additional aid by giving the farmers a united voice in discussions with COG and other customers, suppliers, government, and supportive partners.^[19]

Through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MoALF) and the Kwale County Government, PAVI has been able to obtain technical assistance and additional resources. Both levels of government have expressed a strong desire to assist PAVI's agriculture prospects. A stock mill has been built, and negotiations for the development of a cooperatively operated cotton gin are currently underway.