Statistical information Kenya 1992

Kenya in the World
Kenya - Introduction 1992
top of pageBackground: Revered 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 which were marred by violence and fraud but are viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 582,650 km²
Land: 569,250 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries: 3,477 km; Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline: 536 km
Maritime claimsExclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
ElevationNatural 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%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 26,164,473 (July 1992), growth rate 3.6% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Kenyan(s; adjective - Kenyan
Ethnic groups: 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
Religions:
Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%,
Muslim 6%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 44 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt. Kenya
Current issues note: the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 69% (male 80%, female 58%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Kenya
Government type: republic
Capital: Nairobi
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast,
Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Dependent areasIndependence: 12 December 1963 (from UK; formerly British East Africa)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
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
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
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 2,249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 387-6,101; 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 30,137,
Nairobi or APO AE 9,831); telephone 254 (2) 334,141; FAX 254 (2) 340,838; there is a US Consulate in Mombasa
Diplomatic representationFlag 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: 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
Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
growth rate 5.4% (1989 est.); accounts for 17% of
GDP
Labor force: 9.2 million (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)
Organized labor: 390,000 (est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%, but there is a high level of unemployment and underemployment
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $2.4 billion; expenditures $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.74 billion (FY90)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: 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.)
Commodoties: 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)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 - 28.466 (January 1992), 27.508 (1991), 22.915 (1990), 20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988), 16.454 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 730,000 kW capacity; 2,700 million kWh produced, 110 kWh per capita (1990)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaKenya - Communication 1992
top of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 1% of GDP (1989 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsKenya - Transportation 1992
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
249 total, 214 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 2
with runways over 3,659 m; 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 46
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: petroleum products 483 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways:
part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of
Kenya; principal inland port is at Kisumu
Merchant marine: 1 petroleum tanker ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,727 GRT/5,558 DWT
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
Ports and terminalsKenya - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit 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