Kenya

republicIndependence 12 December 1963 (from UK

Kenya as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalNairobi

Area582,650 km2

Populationas each edition published it

26.16 million July 1992 · 24.64m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.18% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 54.07 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.2 children per woman 1992 · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

68 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 60 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $320 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -1% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Total area

582,650km2

Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

Coastline

536km

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

3,477km

Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

Disputes

administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis

Climate

varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Terrain

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

Natural resources

gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife

Land use

arable land 3%;
permanent crops 1%;
meadows and pastures 7%;
forest and woodland 4%;
other 85%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value;
deforestation;
soil erosion;
desertification;
glaciers on Mt. Kenya

Note

the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa

People

14 fields

Population

26,164,473

(July 1992), growth rate 3.6% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

44Death

8Net migration

Religions

Protestant 38%Roman Catholic 28%indigenous beliefs 26%Muslim 6%

Labor force

9.2million

(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)

Literacy

69%

(male 80%, female 58%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Kikuyu 21%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 11%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Asian, European, and Arab 1%

Languages

English and Swahili (official); numerous indigenous languages

Government

Republic

19 fields

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

12 December 1963 (from UK; formerly British East Africa)

Constitution

12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, and 1991

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

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)

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), Oginga ODINJA;
Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), KIBAKI;
note - some dozen other opposition parties

Elections

President:: last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held before March 1993); results - President Daniel T. arap MOI was reelected
National Assembly:: last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held before March 1993); will be first multiparty election since repeal of one-party state law

Other political or pressure groups

labor unions; exile opposition - Mwakenya and other groups

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

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 AE 09831);
telephone [254] (2) 334141;
FAX [254] (2) 340838;
there is a US Consulate in 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

Economy

Kenya's 3.6% annual population growth rate - one of the highest in the world | - presents a serious problem for the country's economy.

17 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

14.3%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$6.0billion

(December 1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$2.4 billionExpenditures

$2.8 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $0.74 billion (FY90)

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.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $9.7 billion, per capita $385 (1989 est.); real growth rate 2.3% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%, but there is a high level of unemployment and underemployment

Exports

$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: tea 25%, coffee 21%, petroleum products 7% (1989)
partners:: EC 44%, Africa 25%, Asia 5%, US 5%, Middle East 4% (1988)

Imports

$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 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 17% of GDP

Electricity

730,000 kW capacity; 2,700 million kWh produced, 110 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

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

Agriculture

most important sector, accounting for 29% of GDP, about 19% 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

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

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

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 249 total, 214 usable

permanent-surface runways

21runways | over 3,659 m

2runways 2,440-3,659 m

2runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

64,590Railroads

2,040

Highways: ; 7,000 km paved, 4,150 km gravel, remainder improved earth

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