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compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991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); Vice President George SAITOTI (since 10
May 1989); election last held on 29 December 1992 (next to be held NA
1997); results - President Daniel T. arap MOI was reelected with 37%
of the vote; Kenneth Matiba (FORD-ASILI) 26%; Mwai Kibaki (SP) 19%,
Oginga Odinga (FORD-Kenya) 17%
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Bunge): elections last held on 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: 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
Member of: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IMO, INTELSAT
(nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNOMIL, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO