1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (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
administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary; 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
Land boundaries
3,477 km total; Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Land use
arable land 3%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 4%; other 85%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies, 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
Total area
582,650 km2; land area: 569,250 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
45 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Kikuyu 21%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 11%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Asian, European, and Arab 1%
Infant mortality rate
69 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
9.2 million (includes unemployed); the total employed is 1.37 million (14.8% of the labor force); services 54.8%, industry 26.2%, agriculture 19.0% (1989)
Language
English and Swahili (official); numerous indigenous languages
Life expectancy at birth
60 years male, 64 years female (1991)
Literacy
69% (male 80%, female 58%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Kenyan(s); adjective--Kenyan
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
390,000 (est.)
Population
25,241,978 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
Religion
Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, Muslim 6%
Total fertility rate
6.4 children born/woman (1991)
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, Jr.; 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 by March 1993); results--President Daniel T. arap MOI was reelected; National Assembly--last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held by 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 (since 10 May 1989)
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 (Bunge)
Long-form name
Republic of Kenya
Member of
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, 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 29% 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
Budget
revenues $2.0 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (FY89)
Currency
Kenyan shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $839 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.7 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $74 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $83 million
Electricity
730,000 kW capacity; 2,700 million kWh produced, 110 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1--24.427 (January 1991), 22.915 (1990), 20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988), 16.454 (1987), 16.226 (1986), 16.432 (1985)
Exports
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--tea 25%, coffee 21%, petroleum products 7% (1989); partners--EC 44%, Africa 25%, Asia 5%, US 5%, Middle East 4% (1988)
External debt
$5.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July-30 June
GDP
$8.5 billion, per capita $360; real growth rate 4% (1990 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
$2.4 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment 29%, petroleum and petroleum products 15%, iron and steel 7%, raw materials, food and consumer goods (1989 est.); partners--EC 45%, Asia 11%, Middle East 12%, US 5% (1988)
Industrial production
growth rate 5.4% (1989 est.); accounts for 17% of GDP
Industries
small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
10.9% (1990 est.)
Overview
A serious underlying economic problem is Kenya's 3.6% 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 4.9% in the 1986-90 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
249 total, 213 usable; 22 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 47 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 of the Police
Defense expenditures
$100 million, 1.0% of GDP (1989 est.) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 5,444,247; 3,362,290 fit for military service; no conscription