Kenya

• 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

party to:

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

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• 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

0-14 years:

41.1% (male 6,462,430; female 6,327,457)

15-64 years:

56.1% (male 8,769,546; female 8,694,329)

65 years and over:

2.8% (male 385,361; female 499,612) (2002 est.)

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.77 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Kenyan(s)

adjective:

Kenyan

conventional long form:

Republic of Kenya

conventional short form:

Kenya

former:

British East Africa

• based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and 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• constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991

chief of state:

President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002) and Vice President Michael Kijana WAMALWA (since 3 January 2003) note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002) and Vice President Michael Kijana WAMALWA (since 3 January 2003) note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• in addition to receiving the largest number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential candidate must also win 25% or more of the vote in at least five of Kenya's seven provinces and one area to avoid a runoff;
• election last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2007);
• vice president appointed by the president

election results:

President Mwai KIBAKI elected; percent of vote - Mwai KIBAKI 63%, Uhuru KENYATTA 30%

• Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People [Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman];
• Kenya African National Union or KANU [Uhuru KENYATTA];
• National Rainbow Coalition or NARC [Mwai KIBAKI] - the governing party

• human rights groups;
• labor unions;
• Muslim organizations;
• National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of political parties and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha KIBWANA];
• Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava MUSYIMI];
• Roman Catholic and other Christian churches;
• Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY, chairman]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Yusuf Abdulraham NZIBO

consulate(s) general:

offices in Los Angeles and New York are closed; mission to the UN remains open

FAX:

[1] (202) 462-3829

telephone:

[1] (202) 387-6101

chancery:

2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission:

Ambassador Johnnie CARSON

embassy:

US Embassy, P. O. Box 30137 Mombasa Road (near St. James Hospital), Nairobi

mailing address:

Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831

telephone:

[254] (2) 537-800

FAX:

[254] (2) 537-810

• 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

lowest 10%:

2%

highest 10%:

37% (2000)

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

general assessment:

unreliable; little attempt to modernize except for service to business

domestic:

trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system

international:

satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

total:

2,778 km

narrow gauge:

2,778 km 1.000-m gauge

note: the line connecting Nairobi with the port of Mombasa is the most important in the country

total:

63,300 km

paved:

8,940 km

unpaved:

54,360 km (2001)

total:

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,893 GRT/6,320 DWT

ships by type:

petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)

• since colonial times, Kenya's administrative boundary has extended beyond its treaty boundary into Sudan creating the "Ilemi Triangle";
• arms smuggling and Oromo rebel activities prompt strict border regime with Somalia

• 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