| Geography Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 582,650 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km
Area—comparative:
Slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries:
total: 3,446 km
border countries:
Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km,
Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km,
Uganda 933 km
Coastline:
536 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
Varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Terrain:
Low plains rise to central highlands bisected
by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m
Natural resources:
Gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 37%
forests and woodland: 30%
other: 25% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
660 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
Recurring drought in northern and eastern regions;
flooding during rainy seasons
Environment—current issues:
Water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from
increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification;
poaching
Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography—note:
Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions
in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied
wildlife of scientific and economic value
People
Population:
28,808,658 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (m 6,244,321; fe 6,104,181)
15-64 years: 54% (m 7,845,083; fe 7,826,442)
65 years and over: 3% (m 343,449; fe 445,182)
Population growth rate:
1.59% (1999 est.)
Birth rate:
30.8 births/1,000 population
Death rate:
14.58 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate:
-0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 m/fe
under 15 years: 1.02 m/fe
15-64 years: 1 m/fe
65 years and over: 0.77 m/fe
total population: 1 m/fe
Infant mortality rate:
59.07 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.02 years
male: 46.56 years female: 47.49 years
Total fertility rate:
3.88 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan
Ethnic groups:
Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%,
Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%,
Meru 6%, other African 15%,
non-African (Asian, Euro, and Arab) 1%
Religions:
Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 28%,
indigenous beliefs 26%, Muslim 7%, other 1%
Languages:
English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read/write
total population: 78.1%
male: 86.3% female: 70% (1995 est.)
Economy
Since 1993, the government of Kenya has implemented a program of economic
liberalization and reform. Steps have included the removal of import licensing and price
controls, removal of foreign exchange controls, fiscal and monetary restraint, and
reduction of the public sector through privatizing publicly owned companies and downsizing
the civil service. With the support of the World Bank, IMF, and other donors, these
reforms have led to a turnaround in economic performance following a period of negative
growth in the early 1990s. Kenya's real GDP grew at 5% in 1995 and 4% in 1996, and
inflation remained under control. Growth slowed in 1997-98. Political violence damaged the
tourist industry, and the IMF allowed Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program to
lapse due to the government's failure to enact reform conditions and to adequately address
public sector corruption. Moreover, El Nino rains destroyed crops and damaged an already
crumbling infrastructure in 1997 and 1998. Long-term barriers to development include
electricity shortages, the government's continued and inefficient dominance of key
sectors, endemic corruption, and the country's high population growth rate.
GDP:
Purchasing power parity—$43.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate:
1.6% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita:
Purchasing power parity—$1,550 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 29%
industry: 17%
services: 54% (1997)
Population below poverty line:
42% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by % share:
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 47.7% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (1998)
Labor force:
9.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force—by occupation:
Agriculture 75%-80%, nonagriculture 20%-25%
Unemployment rate:
50% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.6 billion
expenditures: $2.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries:
Small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes,
flour), agricultural products processing; oil refining, cement; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
3.8% (1995)
Electricity—production:
3.81 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 10.5%
hydro: 81.63%
nuclear: 0%
other: 7.87% (1996)
Electricity—consumption:
3.985 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports:
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports:
175 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products:
Coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables;
dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Exports:
$2 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities:
Tea 18%, coffee 15%, petroleum products (1995)
Exports—partners:
Uganda 16.1%, Tanzania 12.8%, UK 10.4%, Germany 7.5% (1996)
Imports:
$3.05 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities:
Machinery and transportation equipment 31%,
consumer goods 13%, petroleum products 12% (1995)
Imports—partners:
UK 13.2%, UAE 8.2%, South Africa 7.6%, Germany 7.4% (1996)
Debt—external:
$6.45 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid—recipient:
$642.8 million (1995)
Currency:
1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1—61.802 (Jan. 1999), 60.367 (1998), 58.732 (1997),
57.115 (1996), 51.430 (1995), 56.051 (1994)
Fiscal year:
1 July—30 June
Communications
Telephones:
383,676 (1997); 3,077 cellular telephone subscribers (1998)
Telephone system:
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations—4 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 24, FM 7, shortwave 2
Radios:
5 million
Television broadcast stations:
8 (of which six are government-controlled and two are commercial) (1997)
Televisions:
500,000
Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,652 km
narrow gauge: 2,652 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways:
total: 63,800 km
paved: 8,868 km
unpaved: 54,932 km (1996 est.)
Waterways:
Part of the Lake Victoria system is within the boundaries of Kenya
Pipelines:
Petroleum products 483 km
Ports and harbors:
Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,883 GRT/6,255 DWT
ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)
Airports:
232 (1998 est.)
Airports—Paved runways:
total: 21
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 14 (1998 est.)
Airports—Unpaved runways:
total: 211
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 113
under 914 m: 83 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police
Manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 7,094,151 (1999 est.)
Fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,397,008 (1999 est.)
Expenditures—$ figure:
$197 million (FY98/99)
Expenditures—% of GDP:
1.9% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international:
Administrative boundary with Sudan does
not coincide with international boundary
Illicit drugs:
Widespread harvesting of small, wild plots of marijuana and qat (chat); transit
country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and, sometimes, North America; Indian
methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kenya
conventional short form: Kenya
former: British East Africa
Data code:
KE
Government type:
Republic
Capital:
Nairobi
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 area*;
Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*,
North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Independence:
12 December 1963 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Constitution:
12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964;
reissued with amendments 1979, 1983,
1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1997
Legal system:
Based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review
in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional
amendment of 1982 making Kenya
a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 10/14/78);
note—president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President MOI (since 10/14/78);
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote from among the members of the National
Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 12/2997
(next to be held by early 2003); vice president appointed by the president
election results: President Daniel T. arap MOI reelected;
% of vote—Daniel T. arap MOI (KANU) 40.12%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 31.09%, Raila ODINGA
(NDP) 10.2%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-Kenya) 8.29%, Charity NGILU (SDP) 7.71%
Legislative branch:
Unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats, 12 appointed by the president, 210
members elected by popular vote to serve 5-yr terms)
elections: last held 12/29/97 (next to be held between 12/1/02 and 4/30/03)
election results: %of vote by party—NA;
Seats by party—KANU 107, FORD-A 1, FORD-K 17,
FORD-People 3, DP 39, NDP 21, SDP 15, SAFINA 5,
smaller parties 2;
Seats appointed by the president—KANU 6,
FORD-Kenya 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA 1
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal, chief justice is appointed by the president; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party: Kenya African National Union or KANU
[President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI]
opposition party: Democratic Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai KIBAKI]; Forum for the
Restoration of Democracy-Asili or FORD-A
[Martin SHIKUKU, chairman];
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K
[Michael Kijana WAMALWA];
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or
FORD-People [Raymond MATIBA];
National Development Party or NDP [Raila ODINGA,
president and Dr. Charles MARANGA, secretary general];
Social Democratic Party or SDP [Anyang N'YANGO, secretary general];
SAFINA [Farah MAALIM, chairman, Mghanga
MWANDAWIRO, secretary general]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of political parties
and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha KIBWANA]; Roman Catholic and other Christian
churches; human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations; Protestant National
Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava MUSYIMI]; Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims
or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY, chairman]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM,
OAU, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOP,
UNOMIL, UNOMSIL, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel K. CHEMAI
chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Prudence B. BUSHNELL
embassy:
USAID Building, The Crescent, Parklands, Nairobi (temporary location)
mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone: [254] (2) 751613 FAX: [254] (2) 743204
Flag description:
Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green;
the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield
covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center |