Map of Kenya | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence in 1963 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 were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI running as the candidate of the multiethnic united opposition group the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform. KIBAKI's NARC coalition splintered in 2005 over the constitutional review process. Government defectors joined with KANU to form a new opposition coalition the Orange Democratic Movement which defeated the government's draft constitution in a popular referendum in November 2005. KIBAKI's reelection in December 2007 brought charges of vote rigging from ODM candidate Raila ODINGA and unleashed two months of violence in which as many as 1500 people died. UN-sponsored talks in late February produced a powersharing accord bringing ODINGA into the government in the restored position of prime minister.


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Location: Eastern Africa bordering the Indian Ocean between Somalia and Tanzania

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N 38 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 580,367 km²
Rank: 48
Land: 569,140 km²
Water: 11,227 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

Land boundaries
Total: 3,477 km
Border countries: (5) Ethiopia 861 km; Somalia 682 km; Sudan 232 km; Tanzania 769 km; Uganda 933 km

Coastline: 536 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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
Extremes highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m

Natural resources: limestone soda ash salt gemstones fluorspar zinc diatomite gypsum wildlife hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 8.01%
Permanent crops: 0.97%
Other: 91.02% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1030 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 30.2 km³ (1990)

Natural hazards: recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons

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


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Population: 39,002,772
Rank: 33
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 2.691% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 25
Below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Kenyan
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%

Languages: English (official) Kiswahili (official) numerous indigenous languages

Religions: Protestant 45% Roman Catholic 33% Muslim 10% indigenous beliefs 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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.3%
15-64 years: 55.1% (male 10,784,119/female 10,702,999)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 470,218/female 563,145) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.7 years
Male: 18.6 years
Female: 18.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.691% (2009 est.)
Rank: 25

Birth rate: 36.64 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 31

Death rate: 9.72 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 68

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 77

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 22% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

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
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 54.7 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 44
Male: 57.56 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 51.78 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.86 years
Rank: 188
Male: 57.49 years
Female: 58.24 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.56 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 38

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 6.7% (2003 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 10
People living with hivaids: 1.2 million (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 8
Deaths: 150,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths rank: 4

Major infectious diseases
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)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 6.9% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 27

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 85.1%
Male: 90.6%
Female: 79.7% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 10 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 9 years (2004)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Nairobi
Geographic coordinates: 1 17 S 36 49 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 December 1963 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 12 December (1963)

Constitution: 12 December 1963; amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979 1982 1986 1988 1991 1992 1997 2001; note - a new draft constitution was defeated by popular referendum in 2005

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mwai KIBAKI ; Vice President Stephene Kalonzo MUSYOKA (since 10 January 2008);
Head of government: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002); Vice President Stephene Kalonzo MUSYOKA (since 10 January 2008); note - the roles of the president and prime minister are not well defined at this juncture; 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 headed by the prime minister who is the leader of the largest party in parliament
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 27 December 2007 (next to be held in December 2012); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: President Mwai KIBAKI reelected; percent of vote - Mwai KIBAKI 46% Raila ODINGA 44% Kalonzo MUSYOKA 9%

Legislative branch: 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 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 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

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

Political parties and leaders: 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]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C COMESA EAC EADB FAO G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MINURSO MONUC NAM OPCW PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIL UNMIS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Peter Rateng Oginga OGEGO
In the us chancery: 2,249 R Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-6,101
In the us fax: [1] (202) 462-3,829
In the us consulate general: Los Angeles
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michael RANNEBERGER
From the us embassy: US Embassy United Nations Avenue Nairobi; P. O. Box 606 Village Market Nairobi 00621
From the us mailing address: Box 21A Unit 64,100 APO AE 9,831
From the us telephone: [254] (20) 363-6,000
From the us fax: [254] (20) 363-410

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa Kenya has been hampered by corruption and by reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. 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 0.2% 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 1.2%. Growth lagged at 1.1% in 2002 because of erratic rains low investor confidence meager donor support and political infighting up to the elections. In the key December 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. After some early progress in rooting out corruption and encouraging donor support the KIBAKI government was rocked by high-level graft scandals in 2005 and 2006. In 2006 the World Bank and IMF delayed loans pending action by the government on corruption. The international financial institutions and donors have since resumed lending despite little action on the government's part to deal with corruption. Post-election violence in early 2008 coupled with the effects of the global financial crisis on remittance and exports reduced GDP growth to 2.2% in 2008 down from 7% the previous year.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 84
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 166

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 193
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.8%
Industry: 16.7%
Services: 59.5% (2007 est.)

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

Industries: 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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.8% (2008 est.)
Rank: 52

Labor force: 17.37 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 34
By occupation agriculture: 75%
By occupation industry and services: 25% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 40% (2001 est.)
Rank: 188

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.8%
Highest 10: 37.8% (2005)

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.9 (1997)
Rank: 53

Budget
Revenues: $6.648 billion
Expenditures: $8.167 billion (2008 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 74.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Rank: 24

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 9.7% (2007 est.)
Rank: 216

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 13.34% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 56

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $10.67 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 69

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 71

Current account balance: -$1.102 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 139

Exports: $4.123 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 108
Commodities: tea horticultural products coffee petroleum products fish cement
Partners: UK 10% Netherlands 9.2% Uganda 9% Tanzania 8.7% US 6.3% Pakistan 5.6% (2008)

Imports: $8.381 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 90
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment petroleum products motor vehicles iron and steel resins and plastics
Partners: India 14.1% UAE 11.5% China 10% Saudi Arabia 8% South Africa 5.7% Japan 5.1% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.355 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 94

Debt external: $6.713 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 92

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $1.891 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 92

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $31.4 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 81

Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KES) per US dollar - 68.358 (2008 est.) 68.309 (2007) 72.101 (2006) 75.554 (2005) 79.174 (2004)


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Electricity
Production: 5.223 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 113
Consumption: 4.863 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 106
Exports: 58.3 million kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 22.5 million kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 174
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 170
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 163
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 158
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 164

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 252,300 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 119
Mobile cellular: 16.234 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 41

Telephone system
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 system
Domestic: no recent growth in fixed-line infrastructure and the sole 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
International: country code - 254; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ke
Hosts: 32,913 (2009)
Hosts rank: 90
Users: 3.36 million (2008)
Users rank: 56

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 56

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.) for voluntary service with a 9-year obligation (2007)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 181 (2009)
Rank: 33
With paved runways total: 16
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 165
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 105
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 50 (2009)

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 4 km; refined products 928 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 2,778 km
Rank: 59
Narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 63,574 km
Rank: 70
Paved: 9,273 km
Unpaved: 54,301 km
Note: there also are 114,226 km of unclassified roads 2000 km paved and 112,226 unpaved for a national total of 177,800 km (2008)

Waterways: part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya (2007)

Merchant marine
Total: 1
Rank: 160
By type: petroleum tanker 1
Registered in other countries: 6 (Bahamas 1 Comoros 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 Tuvalu 1 unknown 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Mombasa


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Disputes international: 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 and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 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)

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