Kenya

Republic of Kenya

republicIndependence 12 December 1963 (from UK)

Kenya as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 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
Position1 00 N, 38 00 E
Area582,650 sq km
LocationEastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
2003

Every edition of Kenya

Populationas each edition published it
31.64 million July 2003 est. · 24.64m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.27% 2003 est. · 3.18% in 1993
Median ageyears
18.4 years 2002 · 21.5 yrs in 2025
Life expectancyyears at birth
45.22 years 2003 est. · 54.07 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.47 children per woman 2003 est. · 6.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
63.36 deaths per 1,000 live births 2003 est. · 60 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,100 2002 est. · $320 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1.1% 2002 est. · -1% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978, when President Daniel Toroitich arap 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 are viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December of 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition, defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform.

Geography

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

18 fields

Land useshare of 582,650 sq km

arable land 7.03%permanent crops 0.91%other 92.06% (1998 est.)irrigated 670 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
582,650sq km
water: 13,400 sq kmland: 569,250 sq kmslightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Coastline
536km
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 NMterritorial sea: 12 NM
Highest point
5,199m
Mount Kenyalowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
3,477km
border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

Geographic coordinates

1 00 N, 38 00 E

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, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower

Natural hazards

recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons

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, 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

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

People

19 fields
Population
31,639,091
growth rate: 1.27% (2003 est.)
Note
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)

Per 1,000 population

Birth
28.81 (2003 est.)Death
16.01 (2003 est.)Net migration
-0.15
Net migration: note: according to UNHCR, by the end of 2001 Kenya was host to 220,000 refugees from neighboring countries, including: Somalia 145,000 and Sudan 68,000 (2003 est.)

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2003 est.)45.22
45.02 · 45.43Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)63.36
66.37 · 60.25
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)85.1%
90.6% · 79.7%Median age years (2002)18.4
18.2 · 18.5
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

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%

Religions

Protestant 45%Roman Catholic 33%indigenous beliefs 10%Muslim 10%other 2%note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely

Age structure

0-14 years:
41.3% (male 6,609,904; female 6,461,945)
15-64 years:
55.8% (male 8,900,615; female 8,766,698)
65 years and over:
2.9% (male 389,918; female 510,011) (2003 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: according to UNHCR, by the end of 2001 Kenya was host to 220,000 refugees from neighboring countries, including: Somalia 145,000 and Sudan 68,000 (2003 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.76 male(s)/female
total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.47 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

190,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Kenyan(s)
adjective:
Kenyan

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002) and Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002) and Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

63%
Mwai KIBAKI 63%Uhuru KENYATTA 30%election last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2007)

National Assembly or Bunge, 87 seats, elected 27 December 2002one dot, one seat

KANU 64FORD-P 14other 7ex-officio 2

Country name

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

Capital

Nairobi

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

12 December 1963 (from UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 December (1963)

Constitution

12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, and 2001

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
  • President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002) and Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 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 Moody AWORI (since 25 September 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%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (224 seats; 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called "nominated" members who are appointed by the president but selected by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals, 2 ex-officio members)

elections:
last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held by early 2007)
election results:
  • percent of vote by party - NA%;
  • seats by party - NARC 125, KANU 64, FORD-P 14, other 7;
  • ex-officio 2;
  • seats appointed by the president - NARC 7, KANU 4, FORD-P 1

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president); High Court

Political parties and leaders

  • 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

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • 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]

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNU, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy:
US Embassy, United Nations Ave., Gigiti; P. O. Box 606 Village Market Nairobi
mailing address:
Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone:
[254] (2) 537-800
FAX:
[254] (2) 537-810

Flag 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

Economy

Kenya, the regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, is hampered by corruption and reliance upon several primary goods whose prices remain low.

37 fields
Real growth rate
1.1%
(2002 est.)industrial production growth: 0.9% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate
40%
(2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)

agriculture 24%industry 13%services 63% (2001 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

18.3%
Uganda
12.9%
UK
7.1%
UAE
12%
Saudi Arabia
8.7%
8%
US
8.1%
7.6%
Netherlands
South Africa
7.1%
France
5.8%
China
5.5%
Japan
5%
4.9%
Pakistan
India
4.8%
4.4%
Tanzania
4.1%
Egypt
Exports $2.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)Imports $3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)(2002)

Budget

Revenues
$2.91 billionExpenditures
$2.97 billion (2000 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 71%hydro 17.7%other 11.3% (2001)nuclear 0%
Electricity production
4.033 billion (2001)Electricity consumption
3.981 billion (2001)Electricity imports
230 million (2001)

Economy - overview

Kenya, the regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, is hampered by corruption and reliance upon several primary goods whose prices remain low. Following strong economic growth in 1995 and 1996, Kenya's economy has stagnated, with GDP growth failing to keep up with the rate of population growth.

In 1997, the IMF suspended Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems, causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output. As a result, GDP contracted by 0.3% in 2000.

The IMF, which had resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1%. Growth fell below 1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence, meager donor support, and political infighting up to the elections.

In the key December 27, 2002 elections, Daniel Arap MOI's 24-year-old reign ended, and a new opposition government took on the formidable economic problems facing the nation. Substantial donor support and rooting out corruption are essential to making Kenya realize its substantial economic potential.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $32.89 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
2%
highest 10%:
37.2% (2000)

Labor force

10 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 75% 75%-80%

Industries

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

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

57,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$2.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$5.7 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$457 million (1997)

Currency

Kenyan shilling (KES)

Exchange rates

Kenyan shillings per US dollar - 78.75 (2002), 78.56 (2001), 76.18 (2000), 70.33 (1999), 60.37 (1998)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
540,000
(2001)
Fixed lines
310,000
(2001) · country code .ke

Telephone system

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 24, FM 18, shortwave 6 (2001)

Internet users

500,000 (2002)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

4
over 3,047 m
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
3
1,524 to 2,437 m
14
10
914 to 1,523 m
113
1
under 914 m
83
Paved 19Unpaved 211

Networkskm

Highways
63,942Railways
2,778
Highways: paved: 7,737 km · unpaved: 56,205 km (2000) · Railways: narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Railways

total:
2,778 km
narrow gauge:
2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways

total:
63,942 km
paved:
7,737 km
unpaved:
56,205 km (2000)

Waterways

NA note: part of the Lake Victoria system is within the boundaries of Kenya

Pipelines

refined products 752 km (2003)

Ports and harbors

Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa

Merchant marine

total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,893 GRT/6,320 DWT
ships by type:
petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)

Airports

230 (2002)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force

5 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 8,096,142 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 5,017,501 (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan, creating the "Ilemi triangle"

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Kenya.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/kenya/2003.

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