[1] At national level, sub-counties take a more administrative function like security, statistical purposes, provision of government services, etc.
In line with restructuring the national administration to fit with the devolved government system brought in by the 2010 Constitution, that came into full effect following elections in March 2013, the 8 provinces and their administrators and districts were replaced by County Commissioners at the county level, while former districts existing as of 2013 were re-organised as sub-counties, and had Deputy Commissioners appointed over them.
[3] At county government level, except for the parts which fall under urban areas, sub-counties coincide with the constituencies created under article 89 of the Constitution of Kenya.
[10] The creation of new districts has been criticised by opponents for being waste of money and a populist attempt to please local residents.
As a result, Kenya had only 46 legal districts (excluding Nairobi with its special constitutional status as the capital of the country).
All the former districts have disappeared (as well as the former 8 provinces whose devolution was transferred to the new 47 counties), and are now considered only as "sub-counties", without autonomy; they are used in urban areas for a limited organisation for providing public services locally.
These remaining sub-counties are transitional and could be replaced by more efficient cooperative structures grouping the local services in organised cities and their surrounding towns, either for dedicated missions or for temporary plans; so they may be deeply reorganised or disappear at any time.