1995 Edition

Area

total area: 582,650 sq km land area: 569,250 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

Climate

varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Coastline

536 km

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 natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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 - Desertification

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 sq km (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 Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation 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; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value

Terrain

low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (female 6,841,235; male 6,957,908) 15-64 years: 50% (female 7,277,061; male 7,085,925) 65 years and over: 2% (female 359,659; male 295,439) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

41.66 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

12.04 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Asian, European, and Arab 1%, other 15%

Infant mortality rate

73.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

by occupation: agriculture 75%-80% (1993 est.), non-agriculture 20%-25% (1993 est.)

Languages

English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 52.41 years male: 50.72 years female: 54.16 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 71% male: 81% female: 62%

Nationality

noun: Kenyan(s) adjective: Kenyan

Net migration rate

-19.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

28,817,227 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

0.99% (1995 est.)

Religions

Protestant (including Anglican) 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, other 8%

Total fertility rate

5.76 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Administrative divisions

7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western

Capital

Nairobi

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: Benjamin Edgar KIPKORIR chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101

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

FAX

[1] (202) 462-3829 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

[254] (2) 340838

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

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

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Kenya conventional short form: Kenya former: British East Africa

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 December (1963)

Other political or pressure groups

labor unions; Roman Catholic Church

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Aurelia BRAZEAL embassy: corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831 telephone: [254] (2) 334141

Agriculture

most important sector, accounting for 27% of GDP and 65% of exports; cash crops - coffee, tea; food products - corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs

Budget

revenues: $2.4 billion expenditures: $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $740 million (1990 est.)

Currency

1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $839 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.49 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $74 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $83 million

Electricity

capacity: 810,000 kW production: 3.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 117 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 - 44.478 (January 1995), 56.051 (1994), 58.001 (1993), 32.217 (1992), 27.508 (1991), 22.915 (1990)

Exports

$1.45 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: tea 25%, coffee 18%, petroleum products 11% (1990) partners: EC 47%, Africa 23%, Asia 11%, US 4%, Middle East 3% (1991)

External debt

$7 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Illicit drugs

widespread harvesting of small, wild plots of marijuana and qat; 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

$1.85 billion (f.o.b., 1994 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 46%, Asia 23%, Middle East 20%, US 5% (1991)

Industrial production

growth rate 3.9% (1991 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP

Industries

small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), processing agricultural products, oil refining, cement, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

30% (1994 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $33.1 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$1,170 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

3.3% (1994 est.)

Overview

Kenya in recent years has had one of the highest natural rates of growth in population, but the statistics have been complicated by the large-scale movement of nomadic groups and of Somalis back and forth across the border. Population growth has been accompanied by deforestation, deterioration in the road system, the water supply, and other parts of the infrastructure. In industry and services, Nairobi's reluctance to embrace IMF-supported reforms had held back investment and growth in 1991-93. Nairobi's push on economic reform in 1994, however, helped support a 3.3% increase in output.

Unemployment rate

35% urban (1994 est.)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

over 260,000 telephones; in top group of African systems local: NA intercity: consists primarily of microwave radio relay links international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Television

broadcast stations: 6 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 246 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 22 with paved runways under 914 m: 83 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 14 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 119

Highways

total: 64,590 km paved: 7,000 km unpaved: gravel 4,150 km; improved earth 53,440 km

Inland waterways

part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya

Merchant marine

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,883 GRT/6,255 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 1, oil tanker 1

Pipelines

petroleum products 483 km

Ports

Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa

Railroads

total: 2,650 km narrow gauge: 2,650 km 1.000-m gauge

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $136 million, 1.9% of GDP (FY93/94) ________________________________________________________________________ KINGMAN REEF (territory of the US)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 6,358,344; males fit for military service 3,932,506 (1995 est.)