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KENYA
OFFICIAL NAME
Republic of Kenya
CAPITAL CITY
Nairobi, population 1,500,000
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 area:
582,650 sq km
land area:
569,250 sq km
comparative area:
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
International disputes:
administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
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
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mount Kenya 5,199 m
Natural resources:
gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
7%
forest and woodland:
4%
other:
85%
Irrigated land:
520 sq km (1989)
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
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic note:
the 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:
28,176,686 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
45% (male 6,362,160; female 6,226,333)
15-64 years:
53% (male 7,413,876; female 7,448,733)
65 years and over:
2% (male 328,649; female 396,935) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.27% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
33.38 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
10.3 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.83 male(s)/female
all ages:
1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
55.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
55.61 years
male:
55.53 years
female:
55.69 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.45 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Kenyan(s)
adjective:
Kenyan
Ethnic divisions:
Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Asian, European, and Arab 1%, other 15%
Religions:
Protestant (including Anglican) 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, other 8%
Languages:
English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population:
78.1%
male:
86.3%
female:
70%
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form:
Republic of Kenya
conventional short form:
Kenya
former:
British East Africa
Data code:
KE
Type of government:
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, and 1992
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 and head of government:
President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978) elected for a five-year term from the National Assembly by direct popular vote; election last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held by early 1998); results - President Daniel T. arap MOI was reelected with 37% of the vote; Kenneth MATIBA (FORD-ASILI) 26%; Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 19%, Oginga ODINGA (FORD-Kenya) 17%; Vice President George SAITOTI (since 10 May 1989) was appointed by the president
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Bunge):
election last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (188 total) KANU 100, FORD-Kenya 31, FORD-Asili 31, DP 23, smaller parties 3; president nominates 12 additional members; note - as of 9 April 1996 seat distribution was: KANU 106, FORD-Kenya 32, FORD-Asili 22, DP 22, smaller parties and vacancies 6
note:
first multiparty election since repeal of one-party state law in 1991
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party is Kenya African National Union (KANU), President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI; opposition parties include Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD-Kenya), Michael WAMALWA; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD-Asili), Kenneth MATIBA; Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), Mwai KIBAKI
Other political or pressure groups:
labor unions; Roman Catholic Church; unregistered SAFINA party with which prominent naturalist Richard Leakey is associated
International organization participation:
ACP, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Benjamin Edgar KIPKORIR
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
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Aurelia E. BRAZEAL
embassy:
corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi
mailing address:
P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone:
[254] (2) 334141
FAX:
[254] (2) 340838
Economy
Economic overview:
Kenya in recent years has had one of the highest natural rates of growth in population, but the statistics have been complicated by the large-scale movement of nomadic groups and of Somalis back and forth across the border. Population growth has been accompanied by deforestation, deterioration in the road system, the water supply, and other parts of the infrastructure. In industry and services, Nairobi's reluctance to embrace IMF-supported reforms had held back investment and growth in 1991-93. Nairobi's push on economic reform in 1994, however, helped support a 3.3% increase in output. The strong economy continued into 1995 with inflation cut sharply and GDP growth at 5%.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $36.8 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita:
$1,300 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
27%
industry:
19%
services:
54% (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (1995 est.)
Labor force:
by occupation:
agriculture 75%-80% (1993 est.), non-agriculture 20%-25% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
35% urban (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$2.4 billion
expenditures:
$2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $740 million (1990 est.)
Industries:
small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing; oil refining, cement; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
810,000 kW
production:
3.3 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
117 kWh (1993)
Agriculture:
coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Illicit drugs:
widespread harvesting of small, wild plots of marijuana and qat (chat); most locally consumed; transit country for Southwest Asian heroin moving to West Africa and onward to Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa
Exports:
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities:
tea 25%, coffee 18%, petroleum products 11% (1990)
partners:
EC 47%, Africa 23%, Asia 11%, US 4%, Middle East 3% (1991)
Imports:
$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment 29%, petroleum and petroleum products 15%, iron and steel 7%, raw materials, food and consumer goods (1989)
partners:
EC 46%, Asia 23%, Middle East 20%, US 5% (1991)
External debt:
$7 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient:
ODA, $589 million (1993)
Currency:
1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 - 56.715 (January 1996), 51.430 (1995), 56.051 (1994), 58.001 (1993), 32.217 (1992), 27.508 (1991)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Transportation
Railways:
total:
2,652 km
narrow gauge:
2,652 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways:
total:
62,573 km
paved:
8,322 km
unpaved:
54,251 km (1991 est.)
Waterways:
part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya
Pipelines:
petroleum products 483 km
Ports:
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 1 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total:
199
with paved runways over 3 047 m:
3
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m:
2
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
2
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
22
with paved runways under 914 m:
62
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m:
1
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
12
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
95 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones:
357,251 (1989 est.)
Telephone system:
in top group of African systems
domestic:
primarily microwave radio relay
international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
6
Televisions:
260,000 (1993 est.)
Defense
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49:
6,657,530
males fit for military service:
4,114,416 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $136 million, 1.9% of GDP (FY93/94)
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