Kenya

total:

1.58 cu km/yr (30%/6%/64%)

per capita:

46 cu m/yr (2000)

• 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, 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

• 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

noun:

Kenyan(s)

adjective:

Kenyan

at birth:

1.02 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.83 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria and Rift Valley fever

water contact disease:

schistosomiasis

animal contact disease:

rabies (2009)

conventional long form:

Republic of Kenya

conventional short form:

Kenya

local long form:

Republic of Kenya/Jamhuri ya Kenya

local short form:

Kenya

former:

British East Africa

name:

Nairobi

geographic coordinates:

1 17 S, 36 49 E

time difference:

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

• 7 provinces and 1 area*;
• Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western;
• note - the constitution promulgated in August 2010 designates 47 yet-to-be-defined counties as first-order administrative units

• Independence Day, 12 December (1963);
• Madaraka Day, 1 June;
• Mashujaa Day, 20 October

• 27 August 2010;
• the new constitution abolishes the position of prime minister and establishes a bicameral legislature;
• many details have yet to be finalized and will require significant legislative action

chief of state:

President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002); Vice President Stephen Kalonzo MUSYOKA (since 10 January 2008);

head of government:

• President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002);
• Vice President Stephen Kalonzo MUSYOKA (since 10 January 2008);
• Prime Minister Raila Amolo ODINGA (since 17 April 2008);
• note - according to the 2008 powersharing agreement the role of the prime minister was not well defined;
• constitutionally, the president remains chief of state and head of government, but the prime minister is charged with coordinating government business

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president and chaired by the prime minister, who is the leader of the largest party in parliament; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second 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 on 27 December 2007 (next to be held in December 2012);
• vice president appointed by the president;
• note - the new constitution sets elections for August 2011 but this date is expected to slip

election results:

President Mwai KIBAKI reelected; percent of vote - Mwai KIBAKI 46%, Raila ODINGA 44%, Kalonzo MUSYOKA 9%, other 3.4%

• unicameral National Assembly or Bunge usually referred to as Parliament (224 seats; 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 nominated members appointed by the president but selected by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals, 2 ex-officio members);
• note - the constitution promulgated in August 2010 changes the legislature to a bicameral parliament consisting of a 290 member National Assembly and a 94 member Senate;
• parliament members will serve five year terms

elections:

last held on 27 December 2007 (next to be held in December 2012)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - ODM 99, PNU 46, ODM-K 16, KANU 14 other 35;
• ex-officio 2;
• seats appointed by the president - ODM 6, PNU 3, ODM-K 2, KANU 1

• Court of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president);
• High Court;
• note - the constitution promulgated in August 2010 specifies three superior courts consisting of a Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and High Court, and three subordinate courts consisting of Magistrate courts, Kadhis courts (sentences according to Muslim law), and Courts Martial

• Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-Kenya [Musikari KOMBO];
• Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People [Reuben OYONDI];
• Kenya African National Union or KANU [Uhuru KENYATTA];
• National Rainbow Coalition-Kenya or NARC-Kenya [Martha KARUA];
• Orange Democratic Movement or ODM [Raila ODINGA];
• Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya or ODM-K [Kalonzo MUSYOKA];
• Party of National Unity or PNU [Mwai KIBAKI];
• Shirikisho Party of Kenya or SPK [Chirau Ali MWAKWERE]

• Council of Islamic Preachers of Kenya or CIPK [Sheikh Idris MOHAMMED];
• Kenya Human Rights Commission [L. Muthoni WANYEKI];
• 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 and other Christian churches;
• Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY]

other:

labor unions

chief of mission:

Ambassador Elkanah ODEMBO Absalom

chancery:

2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 387-6101

FAX:

[1] (202) 462-3829

consulate(s) general:

Los Angeles

consulate(s):

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador J. Scott GRATION

embassy:

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

mailing address:

Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831

telephone:

[254] (20) 363-6000

FAX:

[254] (20) 363-410

• 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

name:

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

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

note: adopted 1963; the anthem is based on a traditional Kenyan folk song

agriculture:

75%

industry and services:

25% (2007 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.8%

highest 10%:

37.8% (2005)

• 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

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

domestic:

• sole fixed-line provider, Telkom Kenya, is slated for privatization;
• multiple providers in the mobile-cellular segment of the market fostering a boom in mobile-cellular telephone usage with teledensity reaching 50 per 100 persons in 2009

international:

• country code - 254;
• The East Africa Marine System (TEAMS) and the SEACOM undersea fiber-optic cable systems;
• satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

• about a half-dozen privately-owned TV stations and a state-owned television broadcaster that operates 2 channels;
• satellite and cable TV subscription services are available;
• state-owned radio broadcaster operates 2 national radio channels and provides regional and local radio services in multiple languages;
• a large number of private radio broadcasters, including provincial stations broadcasting in local languages;
• transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

total:

2,066 km

country comparison to the world: 71

narrow gauge:

2,066 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

total:

160,886 km

country comparison to the world: 31

paved:

11,197 km

unpaved:

149,689 km (2008)

total:

1

country comparison to the world: 156

by type:

petroleum tanker 1

registered in other countries:

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

• 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 (2011)

males age 16-49:

9,768,140

females age 16-49:

9,466,257 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

6,361,268

females age 16-49:

6,106,870 (2010 est.)

male:

422,104

female:

416,927 (2010 est.)

• Kenya served as an important mediator in brokering Sudan's north-south separation in February 2005;
• Kenya provides shelter to almost a quarter of a million refugees, including Ugandans who flee across the border periodically to seek protection from Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) 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

refugees (country of origin):

• 173,702 (Somalia);
• 73,004 (Sudan);
• 16,428 (Ethiopia)

IDPs:

250,000-400,000 (2007 post-election violence; KANU attacks on opposition tribal groups in 1990s) (2007)

• 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