1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 582,650 km2 land area: 569,250 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Climate
varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Coastline
536 km
Environment
unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt. Kenya
International disputes
administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
Irrigated land
520 km2 (1989)
Land boundaries
total 3,446 km, Ethiopia 830 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%
Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the northwestern India Ocean between Tanzania and Somalia
Map references
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Note
the Kenyan Highlands comprise 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
People and Society
Birth rate
43.18 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
11.41 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Kikuyu 21%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 11%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Asian, European, and Arab 1%
Infant mortality rate
74.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
9.2 million (includes unemployed); the total employed is 1,370,000 (14.8% of the labor force) by occupation: services 54.8%, industry 26.2%, agriculture 19.0% (1989)
Languages
English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 54.07 years male: 52.27 years female: 55.92 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 69% male: 80% female: 58%
Nationality
noun: Kenyan(s) adjective: Kenyan
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
27,372,266 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
3.18% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 28%, Protestant (including Anglican) 26%, indigenous beliefs 18%, Muslim 6%
Total fertility rate
6.06 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
8 provinces; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Capital
Nairobi
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Daniel Teroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); Vice President George SAITOTI (since 10 May 1989)
Constitution
12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, and 1992
Digraph
KE
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Denis Daudi AFANDE chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 387-6101 consulates general: Los Angeles and New York
Executive branch
president, vice president, Cabinet
FAX
[254] (2) 340838 consulate: Mombasa
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)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, High Court
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
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)
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, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Kenya conventional short form: Kenya former: British East Africa
National Assembly
last held on 29 December 1992; results - (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
National holiday
Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Other political or pressure groups
labor unions; exile opposition - Mwakenya and other groups
Political parties and leaders
ruling party is Kenya African National Union (KANU), Daniel T. arap MOI, president; opposition parties include Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD-Kenya), Oginga ODINGA; FORD-Asili, Kenneth MATIBA; Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), Mwai KIBAKI; Kenya National Congress (KNC), Titus MBATHI; Kenya Social Congress (KSC), George ANYONA; Kenya National Democratic Alliance (KENYA), Mukara NG'ANG'A; Party for Independent Candidates of Kenya (PKK), Otieno OTOERA
President
last held on 29 December 1992; 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%
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Smith HEMPSTONE, Jr. embassy: corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Nairobi or APO AE 09831 telephone: [254] (2) 334141
Economy
Agriculture
most important sector, accounting for 25% of GDP and 65% of exports; cash crops - coffee, tea, sisal, pineapple; food products - corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs; food output not keeping pace with population growth, and crop production has been extended into marginal land
Budget
revenues $2.4 billion; expenditures $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.74 billion (FY90)
Currency
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 (1970-89), $7,490 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $74 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $83 million
Electricity
730,000 kW capacity; 2,540 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 -36.227 (January 1993), 32.217 (1992), 27.508 (1991), 22.915 (1990), 20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988)
Exports
$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: tea 25%, coffee 18%, petroleum products 11% (1990) partners: EC 44%, Africa 25%, Asia 5%, US 5%, Middle East 4% (1990)
External debt
$7 billion (1992 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
Illicit drugs
widespread wild, small-plot cultivation of marijuana and gat; 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
Imports
$2.05 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 29%, petroleum and petroleum products 15%, iron and steel 7%, raw materials, food and consumer goods (1989) partners: EC 45%, Asia 11%, Middle East 12%, US 5% (1988)
Industrial production
growth rate 5.4% (1989 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP
Industries
small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
30% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $8.3 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$320 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
-1% (1992 est.)
Overview
Kenya's 3.6% annual population growth rate - one of the highest in the world - presents a serious problem for the country's economy. 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. In 1991, deficient rainfall, stagnant export volume, and sagging export prices held economic growth below the all-important population growth figure, and in 1992 output fell.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
total: 247 usable: 208 with permanent-surface runways: 18 with runways over 3,659 m: 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 43
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
Merchant marine
1 oil tanker ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,727 GRT/5,558 DWT
Pipelines
petroleum products 483 km
Ports
coastal - Mombasa, Lamu; inland - Kisumu
Railroads
2,040 km 1.000-meter gauge
Telecommunications
in top group of African systems; consists primarily of radio relay links; over 260,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 16 AM; 4 FM, 6 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $294 million, 4.9% of GDP (FY88/89 est.)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 5,912,744; fit for military service 3,654,738 (1993 est.); no conscription