Cancer was the second most common cause of death among Kenyan women in 2024, while pneumonia remained the leading killer of men, according to the Kenya Vital Statistics Report 2024 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

The report reveals that out of 50,926 recorded female deaths, 4,498 were attributed to cancer. In comparison, pneumonia was responsible for 5,244 of the 62,451 registered male deaths last year.

KNBS data highlights a significant increase in cancer-related deaths over recent years. The disease, which ranked fifth in 2021, rose to fourth place in 2022, before climbing to second in both 2023 and 2024 as a leading cause of death within health facilities.

Pneumonia, which has consistently been the top cause of male deaths since 2021, also affected women in large numbers. It was the leading killer of females in 2021 and 2023, while cardiovascular diseases were the top causes among women in 2020 and 2022.

Within health institutions, pneumonia, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions were the primary causes of fatalities. Outside of hospitals, sudden deaths, pneumonia, and cancer led in mortality figures.

HIV/AIDS, notably, appeared among the top ten causes of death for females but did not rank similarly for males.

In 2024, 152,398 death certificates were issued nationwide, marking a decline from the 225,468 certificates issued in 2023. Nairobi recorded the highest number of death certificates (16,306), followed by Kiambu (8,171), the National Registry (7,222), Kisumu (6,535), and Uasin Gishu (6,215).

Conversely, the lowest numbers of death certificates were issued in Samburu (423), Turkana (520), Lamu (544), Bomet (613), and West Pokot (613).

The report also notes that 28,762 children under the age of five died in 2024, 14,873 boys and 13,887 girls. Turkana County had the highest proportion of under-five deaths relative to total county deaths (33.5%), followed by West Pokot (29.4%) and Mombasa (24.6%). Wajir (1.3%), Mandera (1.7%), and Marsabit (1.9%) registered the lowest proportions.

Nairobi reported the highest number of infant deaths at 3,281, with Nakuru (1,508), Kiambu (1,267), and Mombasa (1,092) trailing behind. The least infant deaths were recorded in Mandera (4), Wajir (13), and Marsabit (15). Neonatal deaths also saw a decline, dropping from 12,175 in 2023 to 10,930 in 2024.

The report further notes that men accounted for the majority of deaths among single (62.5%), married (63.3%), and divorced (63.5%) individuals. Women, however, made up most deaths among the widowed at 76.8%.

Kiambu recorded the highest proportion of deaths among single persons at 25.6%, followed by Kajiado at 24%.