1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

1 00 N, 38 00 E -- Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

land area

569,250 sq km

total area

582,650 sq km

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

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; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

1 00 N, 38 00 E

Geographic 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

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

border countries

Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

total

3,446 km

Land use

arable land

3%

forest and woodland

4%

meadows and pastures

7%

other

85%

permanent crops

1%

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

Terrain

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

highest point

Mount Kenya 5,199 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 6,362,160; female 6,226,333) 15-64 years: 53% (male 7,413,876; female 7,448,733) 65 years and over: 2% (male 328,649; female 396,935) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

33.38 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

10.3 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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

55.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

55.69 years (1996 est.)

male

55.53 years

total population

55.61 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

70%

male

86.3%

total population

78.1%

Nationality

adjective

Kenyan

noun

Kenyan(s)

Net migration rate

-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

28,176,686 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.27% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

4.45 children born/woman (1996 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

Data code

KE

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Benjamin Edgar KIPKORIR

telephone

[1] (202) 387-6101

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state and head of government

President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978) elected for a five-year term from the National Assembly by direct popular vote; election last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held by early 1998); results - President Daniel T. arap MOI was reelected with 37% of the vote; Kenneth MATIBA (FORD-ASILI) 26%; Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 19%, Oginga ODINGA (FORD-Kenya) 17%; Vice President George SAITOTI (since 10 May 1989) was appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (202) 462-3829

[254] (2) 340838

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles and New York

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)

International organization participation

ACP, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Kenya

conventional short form

Kenya

former

British East Africa

National Assembly (Bunge)

election last held 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 - as of 9 April 1996 seat distribution was: KANU 106, FORD-Kenya 32, FORD-Asili 22, DP 22, smaller parties and vacancies 6

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; unregistered SAFINA party with which prominent naturalist Richard Leakey is associated

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 of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Aurelia E. BRAZEAL

embassy

corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi

mailing address

P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831

telephone

[254] (2) 334141

Agriculture

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

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$2.4 billion

Currency

1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $589 million (1993)

Economic 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. The strong economy continued into 1995 with inflation cut sharply and GDP growth at 5%.

Electricity

capacity

810,000 kW

consumption per capita

117 kWh (1993)

production

3.3 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 - 56.715 (January 1996), 51.430 (1995), 56.051 (1994), 58.001 (1993), 32.217 (1992), 27.508 (1991)

Exports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $36.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

27%

industry

19%

services

54% (1992 est.)

GDP per capita

$1,300 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

widespread harvesting of small, wild plots of marijuana and qat (chat); 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

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

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

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.7% (1995 est.)

Labor force

by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

35% urban (1994 est.)

Highways

paved

8,322 km

total

62,573 km

unpaved

54,251 km (1991 est.)

Railways

narrow gauge

2,652 km 1.000-m gauge

total

2,652 km

Waterways

part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of