1.
[syn: Kenya, Republic of Kenya]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Kenya \Kenya\ prop. n.
A country in East Africa, formerly a British colony.
[WordNet 1.5]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Kenya
n 1: a republic in eastern Africa; achieved independence from
the United Kingdom in 1963; major archeological discoveries
have been made in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya [syn:
Kenya, Republic of Kenya]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Kenya
Introduction Kenya
------------------
Background: Founding president and liberation
struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led
Kenya from independence until his
death in 1978, when current
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. The country faces a period
of political uncertainty because MOI
is constitutionally required to step
down at the next election that has
to be held by early 2003.
Geography Kenya
---------------
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian
Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 582,650 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of
Nevada
Land boundaries: total: 3,477 km
border countries: Ethiopia 861 km,
Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km,
Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline: 536 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to
the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m
Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt
barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets,
wildlife, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 7.03%
permanent crops: 0.91%
other: 92.06% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 670 sq km (1998 est.)
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: 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 Kenya
------------
Population: 31,138,735
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 2002 est.)
Age structure: 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.)
Population growth rate: 1.15% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 27.61 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 14.68 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -1.48 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 (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: 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.)
Infant mortality rate: 67.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.02 years
female: 47.85 years (2002 est.)
male: 46.2 years
Total fertility rate: 3.34 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 13.5% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 2.2 million (2000 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 180,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan
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
Languages: English (official), Kiswahili
(official), numerous indigenous
languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 78.1%
male: 86.3%
female: 70% (1995 est.)
Government Kenya
----------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Kenya
conventional short form: Kenya
former: British East Africa
Government type: republic
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
Legal system: 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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Daniel
Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October
1978); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Daniel
Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October
1978); 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 from among the members
of the National Assembly 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 29 December 1997 (next to be
held by early 2003); vice president
appointed by the president
election results: President Daniel
Toroitich arap MOI reelected;
percent of vote - Daniel T. arap MOI
(KANU) 40.6%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP)
31.5%, Raila ODINGA (NDP) 11.1%,
Michael WAMALWA (FORD-K) 8.4%,
Charity NGILU (SDP) 7.8%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or
Bunge (222 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)
elections: last held 29 December
1997 (next to be held by early 2003)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - KANU
107, FORD-A 1, FORD-K 17, FORD-
People 3, DP 39, NDP 21, SDP 15,
SAFINA 5, smaller parties 2; seats
appointed by the president - KANU 6,
FORD-K 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA
1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (chief justice is
appointed by the president); High
Court
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Kenya or DP
[Mwai KIBAKI]; Forum for the
Restoration of Democracy-Asili or
FORD-A [Kenneth MATIBA, chairman];
Forum for the Restoration of
Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K [Michael
Kijana WAMALWA]; Forum for the
Restoration of Democracy-People or
FORD-People [Kimaniwa NYOIKE,
chairman]; Kenya African National
Union or KANU [President Daniel
Toroitich arap MOI] - the governing
party; National Development Party or
NDP [Raila ODINGA]; SAFINA [Farah
MAALIM, chairman]; Social Democratic
Party or SDP [James ORENGO,
chairman]
Political pressure groups and human rights groups; labor unions;
leaders: 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]
International organization ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO,
participation: G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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,
UNMOP, UNU, UPU, 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Johnnie
US: CARSON
embassy: US Embassy, Mombasa Road,
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
-------------
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 continue to decline.
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%, and Kenya is unlikely
to see growth above 2% in 2002.
Substantial IMF and other foreign
support is essential to prevent a
further decline in real per capita
output.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $31
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 24%
industry: 13%
services: 63% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2%
percentage share: highest 10%: 37.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini 44.5 (1994)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 10 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 75%-80%
Unemployment rate: 40% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.91 billion
expenditures: $2.97 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.)
Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic,
furniture, batteries, textiles,
soap, cigarettes, flour),
agricultural products processing;
oil refining, cement; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: -0.7% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 4.616 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 21.66%
hydro: 70.4%
other: 7.94% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 4.433 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 140 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane,
fruit, vegetables; dairy products,
beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: tea, horticultural products, coffee,
petroleum products, fish, cement
Exports - partners: UK 13.5%, Tanzania 12.5%, Uganda
12.0%, Germany 5.5% (2000)
Imports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation
equipment, petroleum products, motor
vehicles, iron and steel, resins and
plastics
Imports - partners: UK 12%, UAE 9.8%, Japan 6.5%, India
4.4% (2000)
Debt - external: $8 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $457 million (1997)
Currency: Kenyan shilling (KES)
Currency code: KES
Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings per US dollar -
78.597 (January 2002), 78.563
(2001), 76.176 (2000), 70.326
(1999), 60.367 (1998), 58.732 (1997)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Kenya
--------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 310,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 540,000 (2001)
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)
Radios: 3.07 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (2002)
Televisions: 730,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ke
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 65 (2001)
Internet users: 250,000 (2001)
Transportation Kenya
--------------------
Railways: 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
Highways: total: 63,800 km
paved: 8,932 km
unpaved: 54,868 km (2001)
Waterways: NA
note: part of the Lake Victoria
system is within the boundaries of
Kenya
Pipelines: petroleum products 483 km
Ports and harbors: Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa
Merchant marine: 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.)
Airports: 231 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 20
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 211
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 111
under 914 m: 85 (2001)
Military Kenya
--------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 7,938,865 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 4,915,090 (2002
service: est.)
Military expenditures - dollar $179.2 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 1.8% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Kenya
--------------------------
Disputes - international: 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
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