KENYA
@Kenya:Introduction
Background: Ethnic divisions account for many of Kenya's problems. During the early 1990s, tribal clashes killed thousands and left tens of thousands homeless. Ethnically split opposition groups allowed the regime of Daniel Toroitich arap MOI, in power since 1978, to be reelected for a fourth term in 1997 in balloting marred by violence and fraud.
@Kenya: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, hydropower
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: 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
@Kenya:People
Population: 30,339,770 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 6,566,424; female 6,419,034) 15-64 years: 54% (male 8,284,719; female 8,238,121) 65 years and over: 3% (male 366,200; female 465,272) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.53% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 29.35 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 14.08 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 68.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.98 years male: 46.95 years female: 49.04 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.66 children born/woman (2000 est.)
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, European, and Arab) 1%
Religions: Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%,
Muslim 7%, other 1%
Languages: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.1% male: 86.3% female: 70% (1995 est.)
@Kenya: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 14 October 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government 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 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003); vice president appointed by the president election results: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI reelected; percent of vote - Daniel T. arap MOI (KANU) 40.6%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 31.5%, Raila ODINGA (NDP) 11.1%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-K) 8.4%, Charity NGILU (SDP) 7.8%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats, 12 appointed by the president, 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held between 1 December 2002 and 30 April 2003) election results: percent 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-K 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: Democratic Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai
KIBAKI]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Asili or FORD-A
; Forum for the Restoration of
Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K ; Forum for the
Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People ; Kenya
African National Union or KANU -
the governing party; National Development Party or NDP [Raila ODINGA,
president, Dr. Charles MARANGA, secretary general]; SAFINA [Farah
MAALIM, chairman, Mghanga MWANDAWIRO, secretary general]; Social
Democratic Party or SDP
Political pressure groups and leaders: human rights groups; labor
unions; Muslim organizations; National Convention Executive Council or
NCEC, a proreform coalition of political parties and nongovernment
organizations ; Protestant National Council of
Churches of Kenya or NCCK ; Roman Catholic and other
Christian churches; Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims or SUPKEM
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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel K. CHEMAI (recalled in November 1999) chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 387-6101 FAX: (202) 462-3829 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Johnnie CARSON embassy: US Embassy, Mombasa Road, Nairobi mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831 telephone: (2) 537-800 FAX: (2) 537-810
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
@Kenya:Economy
Economy - overview: Kenya is well placed to serve as an engine of growth in East Africa, but its economy is stagnating because of poor management and uneven commitment to reform. In 1993, the government of Kenya implemented a program of economic liberalization and reform that included the removal of import licensing, price controls, and foreign exchange controls. With the support of the World Bank, IMF, and other donors, the reforms led to a brief turnaround in economic performance following a period of negative growth in the early 1990s. Kenya's real GDP grew 5% in 1995 and 4% in 1996, and inflation remained under control. Growth slowed in 1997-99 however. Political violence damaged the tourist industry, and Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program lapsed due to the government's failure to maintain reform or address public sector corruption. A new economic team was put in place in 1999 to revitalize the reform effort, strengthen the civil service, and curb corruption, but wary donors continue to question the government's commitment to sound economic policy. 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 - $45.1 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,600 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 26% industry: 18% services: 56% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: 42% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 47.7% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 9.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 75%-80%
Unemployment rate: 50% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.91 billion expenditures: $2.97 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products processing; oil refining, cement; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 4.23 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 8.27% hydro: 82.74% nuclear: 0% other: 8.99% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 4.078 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 144 million kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products (1995)
Exports - partners: Uganda 16%, UK 13%, Tanzania 13%, Egypt 5%,
Germany 5% (1998)
Imports: $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, iron and steel
Imports - partners: UK 12%, UAE 9%, US 8%, Japan 8%, Germany 6%, India 4% (1998)
Debt - external: $6.5 billion (1998)
Economic aid - recipient: $457 million (1997)
Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 - 73.943 (December 1999), 70.326 (1999), 60.367 (1998), 58.732 (1997), 57.115 (1996), 51.430 (1995)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Kenya:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 290,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 6,000 (1999)
Telephone system: unreliable; little attempt to modernize domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; data commonly transferred by a very small aperature terminal (VSAT) international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 24, FM 8, shortwave 6 (1999)
Radios: 3.07 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (1997)
Televisions: 730,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7 (1999)
@Kenya:Transportation
Railways: total: 2,778 km narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge note: the line connecting Nairobi with the port of Mombasa is the most important in the country
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 4,893 GRT/6,255 DWT ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 230 (1999 est.)
Airports - with 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 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 209 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 110 under 914 m: 84 (1999 est.)
@Kenya:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service
Unit of the Police
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 7,482,095 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 4,631,987 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $197 million (FY98/99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY98/99)
@Kenya: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
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