1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Coastline
536 km
Comparative area
slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Disputes
international boundary and Administrative Boundary with Sudan; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
Environment
unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt. Kenya
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
3,477 km total; Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Land use
3% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 85% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Natural resources
gold, limestone, diotomite, salt barytes, magnesite, feldspar, sapphires, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Note
Kenyan Highlands one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa
Terrain
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
582,650 km2; land area: 569,250 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
45 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
21% Kikuyu, 14% Luhya, 13% Luo, 11% Kalenjin, 11% Kamba, 6% Kisii, 6% Meru, 1% Asian, European, and Arab
Infant mortality rate
60 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
9,003,000; 78% agriculture, 22% nonagriculture
Language
English and Swahili (official); numerous indigenous languages
Life expectancy at birth
62 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Literacy
59.2%
Nationality
noun--Kenyan(s); adjective--Kenyan
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
390,000 (est.)
Population
24,639,261 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)
Religion
38% Protestant, 28% Roman Catholic, 26% indigenous beliefs, 6% Muslim
Total fertility rate
6.5 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North-Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Capital
Nairobi
Communists
may be a few Communists and sympathizers
Constitution
12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, and 1988
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Denis Daudi AFANDE; Chancery at 2249 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-6101; there are Kenyan Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York; US--Ambassador Smith HEMPSTONE; Embassy at the corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi (mailing address is P. O. Box 30137, Nairobi or APO New York 09675); telephone [254] (2) 334141; there is a US Consulate in Mombasa
Elections
President--last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held February 1993); results--President Daniel T. arap Moi was reelected; National Assembly--last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held March 1993); results--KANU is the only party; seats--(202 total, 188 elected) KANU 200
Executive branch
president, vice president, Cabinet
Flag
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
Independence
12 December 1963 (from UK; formerly British East Africa)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, High Court
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Daniel Teroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); Vice President George SAITOTI
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 in 1982 made Kenya a de jure one-party state
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly
Long-form name
Republic of Kenya
Member of
ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Other political or pressure groups
labor unions; exile opposition--Mwakenya and other groups
Political parties and leaders
only party--Kenya African National Union (KANU), Daniel T. arap Moi, president
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
most important sector, accounting for 30% of GDP, about 80% of the work force, and over 50% of exports; cash crops--coffee, tea, sisal, pineapple; food products--corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products; food output not keeping pace with population growth
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $771 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $74 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $83 million
Budget
revenues $2.3 billion; expenditures $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.71 billion (FY87)
Currency
Kenyan shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Electricity
587,000 kW capacity; 2,250 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1--21.749 (December 1989), 20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988), 16.454 (1987), 16.226 (1986), 16.432 (1985)
Exports
$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 20%, tea 18%, manufactures 15%, petroleum products 10% (1987); partners--Western Europe 45%, Africa 22%, Far East 10%, US 4%, Middle East 3% (1987)
External debt
$6.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July-30 June
GDP
$8.5 billion, per capita $360; real growth rate 4.9% (1989 est.)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis used mostly for domestic consumption; widespread cultivation of cannabis and qat on small plots; transit country for heroin and methaqualone en route from Southwest Asia to West Africa, Western Europe, and the US
Imports
$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment 36%, raw materials 33%, fuels and lubricants 20%, food and consumer goods 11% (1987); partners--Western Europe 49%, Far East 20%, Middle East 19%, US 7% (1987)
Industrial production
growth rate 4.8% (1987 est.)
Industries
small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.3% (1988)
Overview
A serious underlying economic problem is Kenya's 3.8% annual population growth rate--one of the highest in the world. In the meantime, GDP growth in the near term has kept slightly ahead of population--annually averaging 5.2% in the 1986-88 period. Undependable weather conditions and a shortage of arable land hamper long-term growth in agriculture, the leading economic sector.
Unemployment rate
NA%, but there is a high level of unemployment and underemployment
Communications
Airports
247 total, 211 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 45 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
14 major transport aircraft
Highways
64,590 km total; 7,000 km paved, 4,150 km gravel, remainder improved earth
Inland waterways
part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya; principal inland port is at Kisumu
Pipelines
refined products, 483 km
Ports
Mombasa, Lamu
Railroads
2,040 km 1.000-meter gauge
Telecommunications
in top group of African systems; consists of radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiocommunication stations; 260,000 telephones; stations--11 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTLESAT
Military and Security
Branches
Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, Air Force; paramilitary General Service Unit
Defense expenditures
1.0% of GDP, or $100 million (1989 est.)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 5,240,551; 3,235,557 fit for military service; no conscription