Five populations of the tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (collected from Kilifi, South Nyanza, and Uasin Gishu districts, and a Muguga laboratory strain) were subjected to isoenzyme analysis. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) of 11 enzymes on agarose gels was used to determine genetic differences between the tick populations. The isoenzyme profile results of the 11 enzymes investigated indicated that four loci, peptidase 1 (PEP 1:EC 3.4.11.1), PEP 2:EC 3.4.11.1, malate dehydrogenase (MDH:EC 1.1.1.37) and glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI:EC 5.3.1.9) showed differences in the populations. The Uasin Gishu population was distinct from all others. Ten out of the eleven enzymes studied were polymorphic in most of the populations while only one (i.e. PEP 7) was monomorphic.