2015 Edition

Background

Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when President Daniel MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform. KIBAKI's NARC coalition splintered in 2005 over a constitutional review process. Government defectors joined with KANU to form a new opposition coalition, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which defeated the government's draft constitution in a popular referendum in November 2005. KIBAKI's reelection in December 2007 brought charges of vote rigging from ODM candidate Raila ODINGA and unleashed two months of violence in which as many as 1,500 people died. African Union-sponsored mediation led by former UN Secretary General Kofi ANNAN in late February 2008 resulted in a power-sharing accord bringing ODINGA into the government in the restored position of prime minister. The power sharing accord included a broad reform agenda, the centerpiece of which was constitutional reform. In August 2010, Kenyans overwhelmingly adopted a new constitution in a national referendum. The new constitution introduced additional checks and balances to executive power and significant devolution of power and resources to 47 newly created counties. It also eliminated the position of prime minister following the first presidential election under the new constitution, which occurred on 4 March 2013. Uhuru KENYATTA, the son of founding president Jomo KENYATTA, won the March elections in the first round by a close margin and was sworn into office on 9 April 2013.

Area

land

569,140 sq km

total

580,367 sq km

water

11,227 sq km

Area - comparative

five times the size of Ohio; slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

Climate

varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Coastline

536 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Kenya 5,199 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

72.96 cu m/yr (2003)

total

2.74 cu km/yr (17%/4%/79%)

Geographic coordinates

1 00 N, 38 00 E

Geography - note

the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value

Irrigated land

1,032 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (5)

Ethiopia 867 km, Somalia 684 km, South Sudan 317 km, Tanzania 775 km, Uganda 814 km

total

3,457 km

Land use

arable land 9.8%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 37.4%

agricultural land

48.1%

forest

6.1%

other

45.8% (2011 est.)

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 hazards

recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons

volcanism

limited volcanic activity; the Barrier (elev. 1,032 m) last erupted in 1921; South Island is the only other historically active volcano

Natural resources

limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

30.7 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

41.56% (male 9,572,641/female 9,512,607)

15-24 years

18.66% (male 4,280,499/female 4,289,960)

25-54 years

33.17% (male 7,700,801/female 7,530,526)

55-64 years

3.76% (male 784,775/female 944,041)

65 years and over

2.85% (male 568,784/female 740,667) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

26.4 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

26% (2000 est.)

total number

2,146,058

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.4% (2009)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

45.5% (2008/09)

Death rate

6.89 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.1%

potential support ratio

19.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

80.9%

youth dependency ratio

75.8%

Drinking water source

urban: 81.6% of population

rural: 56.8% of population

total: 63.2% of population

urban: 18.4% of population

rural: 43.2% of population

total: 36.8% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.6% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

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

Health expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

5.3% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

33,000 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,366,900 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

female

34.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

43.92 deaths/1,000 live births

total

39.38 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.26 years (2015 est.)

male

62.3 years

total population

63.77 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

74.9% (2015 est.)

male

81.1%

total population

78%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies (2013)

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease

malaria, dengue fever, and Rift Valley fever

water contact disease

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

NAIROBI (capital) 3.915 million; Mombassa 1.104 million (2015)

Median age

female

19.4 years (2015 est.)

male

19.1 years

total

19.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Kenyan

noun

Kenyan(s)

Net migration rate

-0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.9% (2014)

Physicians density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

45,925,301

note

estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.93% (2015 est.)

Religions

Christian 82.5% (Protestant 47.4%, Catholic 23.3%, other 11.8%), Muslim 11.1%, Traditionalists 1.6%, other 1.7%, none 2.4%, unspecified 0.7% (2009 census)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 31.2% of population

rural: 29.7% of population

total: 30.1% of population

urban: 68.8% of population

rural: 70.3% of population

total: 69.9% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2009)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.31 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.34% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

25.6% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

47 counties; Baringo, Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Elgeyo/Marakwet, Embu, Garissa, Homa Bay, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kakamega, Kericho, Kiambu, Kilifi, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Kisumu, Kitui, Kwale, Laikipia, Lamu, Machakos, Makueni, Mandera, Marsabit, Meru, Migori, Mombasa, Murang'a, Nairobi City, Nakuru, Nandi, Narok, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Samburu, Siaya, Taita/Taveta, Tana River, Tharaka-Nithi, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga, Wajir, West Pokot

Capital

geographic coordinates

1 17 S, 36 49 E

name

Nairobi

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1963, 1969; latest drafted 6 May 2010, passed by referendum 4 August 2010, promulgated 27 August 2010 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Kenya

conventional short form

Kenya

former

British East Africa

local long form

Republic of Kenya/Jamhuri ya Kenya

local short form

Kenya

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert F. GODEC (since 16 January 2013)

embassy

US Embassy, United Nations Avenue, Nairobi; P. O. Box 606 Village Market, Nairobi 00621

FAX

[254] (20) 363-6157

mailing address

American Embassy Nairobi, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-8900

telephone

[254] (20) 363-6000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Robinson GITHAE (since 18 November 2014)

consulate(s)

New York

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles

FAX

[1] (202) 462-3829

telephone

[1] (202) 387-6101

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Uhuru KENYATTA (since 9 April 2013); Deputy President William RUTO (since 9 April 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Uhuru KENYATTA elected president in first round; percent of vote - Uhuru KENYATTA (TNA) 50.1%, Raila ODINGA (ODM) 43.7%, Musalia MUDAVADI (UDF) 4.0%, other 2.2%

elections/appointments

president and deputy president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); in addition to receiving an absolute majority popular vote, the presidential candidate must also win at least 25% of the votes cast in each of more than half of the 47 counties to avoid a runoff; election last held on 4 March 2013 (next to be held in 2017 or 2018)

head of government

President Uhuru KENYATTA (since 9 April 2013); Deputy President William RUTO (since 9 April 2013); note - position of the prime minister abolished after the March 2013 elections

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large Maasai warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center; black symbolizes the majority population, red the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green stands for natural wealth, and white for peace; the shield and crossed spears symbolize the defense of freedom

Government type

republic

Independence

12 December 1963 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of chief and deputy chief justices and 5 judges)

judge selection and term of office

chief and deputy chief justices nominated by Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and appointed by president with approval of the National Assembly; other judges nominated by the JSC and appointed by president; chief justice serves nonrenewable 10-year terms or till age 70 whichever comes first; other judges serve till age 70

subordinate courts

High Court; Court of Appeal; courts martial; magistrates' courts; religious courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review in a new Supreme Court established pursuant to the new constitution

Legislative branch

description

bicameral parliament consists of the Senate (67 seats; 47 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 20 directly elected by proportional representation vote - 16 women, 2 representing youth, and 2 representing the disabled; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly (349 seats; 290 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 47 women in single-seat constituencies elected by simple majority vote, and 12 members nominated by the National Assembly - 6 representing youth and 6 representing the disabled; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Jubilee Alliance (TNA 17, URP 12, NARC 1); CORD Coalition (ODM 17, FORD-K 5, WDM-K 5, other 1); Amani Coalition (KANU 3, UDF 3); APK 3; National Assembly - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Jubilee ALliance (TNA 89, URP 75, NARC 3), CORD Coalition (ODM 96, WDM-K 26, FORD-K 10, other 9), Amani Coalition (UDF 12, KANU 6, NFK 6), APK 5, FORD-P 4, independent 4, other 4

elections

last held on 4 March 2013 (next to be held in 2017 or 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Graham HYSLOP, Thomas KALUME, Peter KIBUKOSYA, Washington OMONDI, and George W. SENOGA-ZAKE/traditional, adapted by Graham HYSLOP, Thomas KALUME, Peter KIBUKOSYA, Washington OMONDI, and George W. SENOGA-ZAKE

name

"Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu" (Oh God of All Creation)

note

adopted 1963; based on a traditional Kenyan folk song

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 December (1963); Madaraka Day, 1 June (1963); Mashujaa Day (or Heroes' Day), 20 October (2010)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: black, red, green, white

Political parties and leaders

Alliance Party of Kenya or AKP [Kiraitu MURUNGI]

Amani Coalition (includes UDF, KANU, NFK) [Musalia MUDAVADI]

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy or CORD (includes ODM, WDM-K, FORD-K) [Raila ODINGA]

Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K [Moses WETANGULA]

Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-P [Henry OBWOCHA]

Jubilee Alliance (includes TNA, URP, NARC) [Uhuru KENYATTA]

Kenya African National Union or KANU [Gideon MOI]

National Rainbow Coalition or NARC [Charity NGILU]

New Ford Kenya or NFK [Eugene WAMALWA]

Orange Democratic Movement Party of Kenya or ODM [Raila ODINGA]

The National Alliance or TNA [Uhuru KENYATTA]

United Democratic Forum Party or UDF [Musalia MUDAVADI]

United Republican Party or URP [William RUTO]

Wiper Democratic Movement-K or WDM-K (formerly Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya or ODM-K) [Kalonzo MUSYOKA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya or CIPK [Sheikh Mohammed DOR]

Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya

Kenya Association of Manufacturers

Kenya Human Rights Commission or KHRC [Professor Makau MUTUA]

Kenya Private Sector Alliance

Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice (umbrella group of more than 30 NGOs)

Muslim Human Rights Forum [Ali-Amin KIMATHI]

National Muslim Leaders Forum or NAMLEF [Abdullahi ABDI]

Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Canon Peter Karanja MWANGI]

Roman Catholic church

Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Hassan Ole NAADO, secretary general]

other

labor unions, other Christian churches

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, fish, pork, poultry, eggs

Budget

expenditures

$15.05 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$11.78 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

7% (31 December 2010)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

16.5% (31 December 2014 est.)

17.31% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$5.01 billion (2014 est.)

-$4.788 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$16.77 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$13.18 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

42.5 (2008 est.)

44.9 (1997)

Economy - overview

Kenya is the economic and transport hub of East Africa. Kenya’s real GDP growth has averaged around 5% for the past several years. According to recently rebased national statistics, Kenya’s GDP for 2013 was $55.3 billion, placing Kenya among the low middle income countries with per capita income of $1,300. Agriculture remains the backbone of the Kenyan economy, contributing 25% of GDP. About 80% of Kenya’s population of roughly 42 million work at least part-time in the agricultural sector, including livestock and pastoral activities. Over 75% of agricultural output is from small-scale, rain-fed farming or livestock production. While Kenya has a growing entrepreneurial middle class, faster growth and poverty reduction is hampered by corruption and by reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. Inadequate infrastructure threatens Kenya's long-term position as the largest East African economy, although the KENYATTA administration has prioritized infrastructure development. International financial lenders and donors remain important to Kenya's economic growth and development, but Kenya has also successfully raised capital in the global bond market. Kenya issued its first sovereign bond offering in mid-2014, generating $2 billion at 6% interest; the funds are slated to be used for infrastructure projects. Nairobi has contracted with a Chinese company to begin construction of a new standard gauge railway, but the project allegedly has been beset by corruption and fraud. Unemployment is high at around 40%. The country has chronic budget deficits and is in the process of devolving some state revenues and responsibilities to the counties. Inflationary pressures and sharp currency depreciation peaked in early 2012 but have since abated following low global food and fuel prices and monetary interventions by the Central Bank. Recent terrorism in Kenya and the surrounding region threatens Kenya's important tourism industry.

Exchange rates

Kenyan shillings (KES) per US dollar -

87.63 (2014 est.)

86.123 (2013 est.)

84.53 (2012 est.)

88.811 (2011 est.)

79.233 (2010 est.)

Exports

$6.271 billion (2014 est.)

$5.796 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish, cement

Exports - partners

Uganda 11.8%, US 7.7%, Netherlands 7.5%, Tanzania 7.4%, Zambia 5.7%, UK 5.6%, Egypt 4.4%, Pakistan 4.3%, UAE 4.1% (2014)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

16.9%

government consumption

14%

household consumption

81.1%

imports of goods and services

-32.1%

investment in fixed capital

20.5%

investment in inventories

-0.5%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

29.3%

industry

17.7%

services

53% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,100 (2014 est.)

$2,900 (2013 est.)

$2,800 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2014 est.)

5.7% (2013 est.)

4.5% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$60.77 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$132.4 billion (2014 est.)

$125.8 billion (2013 est.)

$118.9 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

13.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

11.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

13.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

37.8% (2005)

lowest 10%

1.8%

Imports

$16.47 billion (2014 est.)

$15.53 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics

Imports - partners

China 23.4%, India 21.3%, US 7.6%, UAE 6%, Japan 4.5% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2014 est.)

Industries

small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, clothing, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, horticulture, oil refining; aluminum, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.9% (2014 est.)

5.7% (2013 est.)

Labor force

17.7 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

75%

industry and services

25% (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$14.79 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$10.2 billion (31 December 2011)

$14.46 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

43.4% (2012 est.)

Public debt

58.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

55.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$9.259 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.599 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$24.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$18.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$350.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$335.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$4.171 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.39 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$34 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$23.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$11.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$9.134 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

18.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

40% (2013 est.)

40% (2001 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

13.45 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

31,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

6.284 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

42 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

43.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

44.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

12.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

37 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.816 million kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

7.618 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

83,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

1,266 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

52,160 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

32,240 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

about a half-dozen large-scale privately owned media companies with TV and radio stations, as well as a state-owned TV broadcaster, provide service nationwide; satellite and cable TV subscription services available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates 2 national radio channels and provides regional and local radio services in multiple languages; many private radio stations broadcast on a national level along with over 100 private and non-profit provincial stations broadcasting in local languages; transmissions of several international broadcasters available (2014)

Internet country code

.ke

Internet users

percent of population

36.7% (2014 est.)

total

16.5 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 24, FM 82, shortwave 6 (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

sole fixed-line provider, Telkom Kenya, privatized and as of 2013 is 70% owned by France Telecom; multiple providers in the mobile-cellular segment of the market fostering a boom in mobile-cellular telephone usage with teledensity reaching 65 per 100 persons in 2011

general assessment

inadequate; fixed-line telephone system is small and inefficient; trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system

international

country code - 254; landing point for the EASSy, TEAMS and SEACOM fiber-optic submarine cable systems; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

180,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

75 (2014 est.)

total

33.6 million

Television broadcast stations

8 (2008)

Airports

197 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

6

over 3,047 m

5

total

16

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

60 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

14

914 to 1,523 m

107

total

181

Merchant marine

registered in other countries

5 (Comoros 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, unknown 1) (2010)

Pipelines

oil 4 km; refined products 928 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Mombasa

major seaport(s)

Kisumu, Mombasa

Railways

narrow gauge

3,334 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

total

3,334 km

Roadways

note

includes 99 km of urban and other roads (2013)

paved

11,189 km

total

160,878 km

unpaved

149,689 km

Waterways

none specifically; the only significant inland waterway is the part of Lake Victoria within the boundaries of Kenya; Kisumu is the main port and has ferry connections to Uganda and Tanzania (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

9,466,257 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

9,768,140

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

6,106,870 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

6,361,268

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

416,927 (2010 est.)

male

422,104

Military branches

Kenya Defence Forces: Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, Kenya Air Force (2012)

Military expenditures

1.96% of GDP (2012)

1.88% of GDP (2011)

1.96% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary service (under 18 with parental consent), with a 9-year obligation (7 years for Kenyan Navy); applicants must be Kenyan citizens and provide a national identity card (obtained at age 18) and a school-leaving certificate; women serve under the same terms and conditions as men; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2012)

Disputes - international

Kenya served as an important mediator in brokering Sudan's north-south separation in February 2005; Kenya provides shelter to an estimated 580 thousand refugees, including Ugandans who flee across the border periodically to seek protection from Lord's Resistance Army rebels; Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists; the boundary that separates Kenya's and Sudan's sovereignty is unclear in the "Ilemi Triangle," which Kenya has administered since colonial times

Illicit drugs

widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa; significant potential for money-laundering activity given the country's status as a regional financial center; massive corruption, and relatively high levels of narcotics-associated activities

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

309,200 (represents people displaced since the 1990s by ethnic and political violence and land disputes and who sought refuge mostly in camps; persons who took refuge in host communities or were evicted in urban areas are not included in the data; data is not available on pastoralists displaced by cattle rustling, violence, natural disasters, and development projects; the largest displacement resulted from 2007-08 post-election violence (2014)

refugees (country of origin)

420,199 (Somalia - includes registered asylum seekers); 91,827 (South Sudan); 31,023 (Ethiopia - includes registered asylum seekers); 22,049 (Democratic Republic of Congo - includes registered asylum seekers); 10,443 (Sudan - includes registered asylum seekers); 7,292 (Burundi - includes registered asylum seekers) (2015)

stateless persons

20,000 (2014); note - the stateless population is composed of Nubians, Kenyan Somalis, and coastal Arabs; the Nubians are descendants of Sudanese soldiers recruited by the British to fight for them in East Africa more than a century ago; they did not receive Kenyan citizenship when the country became independent in 1963; only recently have Nubians become a formally recognized tribe and had less trouble obtaining national IDs; Galjeel and other Somalis who have lived in Kenya for decades are lumped in with more recent Somali refugees and denied ID cards

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Kenya is a source, transit, and destination country for adults and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Kenyan children are forced to work in domestic service, agriculture, fishing, cattle herding, street vending, begging, and prostitution; Kenyan economic migrants to other East African countries, South Sudan, Europe, the US, and the Middle East are at times exploited in domestic servitude, massage parlors or brothels, or forced manual labor; children from Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda are subjected to forced labor and prostitution in Kenya; children, often Somalis, living in the Dadaab refugee camp complex may be forced into prostitution or forced to work on tobacco farms

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Kenya does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has written but not implemented a plan to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking; corruption among officials and inadequate police training and resources continued to hamper efforts to bring traffickers to justice in 2013; efforts to assist and care for child trafficking victims remained strong, but relatively few services were provided to adults trafficked domestically or identified in situations of forced labor or prostitution abroad; the Department of Children’s Services and an NGO continued to operate a hotline for reporting child trafficking, labor, and abuse; almost 400 recruitment agencies were inspected in conjunction with the lifting of the ban on sending domestic workers to the Middle East in 2013 (2014)