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

top of page


Background: Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978 when President Daniel 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 a constitutional review process. Government defectors joined with KANU to form a new opposition coalition the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) 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. African Union-sponsored mediation led by former UN Secretary General Kofi ANNAN in late February 2008 resulted in a power-sharing accord bringing ODINGA into the government in the restored position of prime minister. The power sharing accord included a broad reform agenda the centerpiece of which was constitutional reform. In August 2010 Kenyans overwhelmingly adopted a new constitution in a national referendum. The new constitution introduced additional checks and balances to executive power and significant devolution of power and resources to 47 newly created counties. It also eliminated the position of prime minister following the first presidential election under the new constitution which occurred on 4 March 2013. Uhuru KENYATTA the son of founding president Jomo KENYATTA won the March elections in the first round by a close margin and was sworn into office on 9 April 2013.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N 38 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 49
Land: 569,140 km²
Water: 11,227 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

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

Coastline: 536 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 1.12%
Other: 89.4% (2011)

Irrigated land: 1032 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 30.7 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons
Volcanism: limited volcanic activity; the Barrier (elev. 1032 m) last erupted in 1921; South Island is the only other historically active volcano

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


top of page


Population: 44,037,656 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 32
Growth rate: 2.27% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 40
Below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)

Nationality
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: Christian 82.5% (Protestant 47.4% Catholic 23.3% other 11.8%) Muslim 11.1% Traditionalists 1.6% other 1.7% none 2.4% unspecified 0.7% (2009 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 18.8% (male 4,148,153/female 4,147,896)
25-54 years: 32.4% (male 7,210,891/female 7,070,217)
55-64 years: 3.6% (male 719,374/female 876,458)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 529,873/female 678,124) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 76.6 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.9 %
Potential support ratio: 20.6 (2013)

Median age
Male: 18.8 years
Female: 19 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.27% (2013 est.)
Rank: 40

Birth rate: 30.08 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 44

Death rate: 7.12 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 128

Net migration rate: -0.23 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 121

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 4.36% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: NAIROBI (capital) 3.375 million; Mombassa 966,000 (2009)

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 signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.8

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 51
Male: 46.89 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 37.37 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 180
Male: 61.84 years
Female: 64.77 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.76 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 43

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 45.5% (2008/09)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.18 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 1.4 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 6.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 11
People living with hivaids: 1.5 million (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 4
Deaths: 80,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 6

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria dengue fever and Rift Valley fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2013)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 4.2% (2008)
Rank: 171

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.4% (2009)
Rank: 47

Education expenditures: 6.7% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 25

Literacy
Total population: 87.4%
Male: 90.6%
Female: 84.2% (2010 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2009)

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

Administrative divisions: 47 counties; Baringo Bomet Bungoma Busia Elgeyo/Marakwet Embu Garissa Homa Bay Isiolo Kajiado Kakamega Kericho Kiambu Kilifi Kirinyaga Kisii Kisumu Kitui Kwale Laikipia Lamu Machakos Makueni Mandera Marsabit Meru Migori Mombasa Murang'a Nairobi City Nakuru Nandi Narok Nyamira Nyandarua Nyeri Samburu Siaya Taita/Taveta Tana River Tharaka-Nithi Trans Nzoia Turkana Uasin Gishu Vihiga Wajir West Pokot

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 December 1963 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 12 December (1963); Madaraka Day 1 June (1963); Mashujaa Day 20 October (2010)

Constitution: previous 1963 1969; latest drafted 6 May 2010 passed by referendum 4 August 2010 promulgated 27 August 2010 (2013)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law Islamic law and customary law; judicial review in a new Supreme Court established pursuant to the new constitution

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: President Uhuru KENYATTA (since 9 April 2013); Deputy President William RUTO (since 9 April 2013); note - according to the 2008 power sharing agreement the role of prime minister was created though not well defined following the new constitution the position was abolished after the March 2013 elections
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); in addition to receiving a simple majority of votes 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 4 March 2013 (next to be held in 2018); vice president appointed by the president; note - the new constitution had set elections for August 2011 but elections were delayed to 2013
Election results: President Uhuru KENYATTA elected in first round; percent of vote - Uhuru KENYATTA 50.5% Raila ODINGA 43.7% Musalia MUDAVADI 4.0% other 1.8%

Legislative branch: bicameral parliament consists of a Senate (67 seats) and a National Assembly (349 seats); members to serve five-year terms
Elections: last held on 4 March 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ODM 96 TNA 89 URP 75 WDM-K 26 UDF 12 FORD-K 10 KANU 6 NFK 6 APK 5 FORD-P 4 Independents 4 other 16 National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ODM 96 TNA 89 URP 75 WDM-K 26 UDF 12 FORD-K 10 KANU 6 NFK 6 APK 5 FORD-P 4 Independents 4 other 16

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: chief and deputy chief justices nominated by Judicial Service Commission (JCS) and appointed by president with approval of the National Assembly; other judges nominated by the JCS and appointed by president; chief justice serves nonrenewable 10-year terms or till age 70 whichever comes first; other judges serve till age 70
Subordinate courts: High Court; Court of Appeal; courts martial; magistrates' courts; religious courts

Political parties and leaders: Wiper Democratic Movement or WDM [Kalonzo MUSYOKA]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C CD COMESA EAC EADB FAO G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MONUSCO NAM OPCW PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNMISS UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
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 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) 363-6,157

Flag description: 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

National symbols: lion

National anthem
Lyrics and 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

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Kenya has been hampered by corruption and by reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. Low infrastructure investment threatens Kenya's long-term position as the largest East African economy. In the key December 2002 elections Daniel 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. Unemployment is very high. The country has experienced chronic budget deficits inflationary pressures and sharp currency depreciation - as a result of high food and fuel import prices. The discovery of oil in March 2012 provides an opportunity for Kenya to balance its growing trade deficit if the deposits are found to be commercially viable and Kenya is able to develop a port and pipeline to export its oil.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 84

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 76

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 196

Gross national saving:
Rank: 126

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 17.2%
Investment in fixed capital: 20.4%
Investment in inventories: -0.3%
Exports of goods and services: 27.3%
Imports of goods and services: -44.5%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 17.4%
Services: 53.6% (2012 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: 4.5% (2012 est.)
Rank: 66

Labor force: 19.11 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 31
By occupation industry and services: 25% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate: 40% (2001 est.)
Rank: 187

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.9 (1997)
Rank: 49

Budget
Expenditures: $9.485 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -5.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 170

Taxes and other revenues: 18.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 175

Public debt: 53.4% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 56

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 14% (2011 est.)
Rank: 195

Central bank discount rate:

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15.05% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 41

Stock of narrow money: $7.32 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 82

Stock of broad money: $17.89 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 84

Stock of domestic credit: $18.25 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 78

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 67

Current account balance: $-3.333 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 161

Exports: $5.792 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 104
Commodities: tea horticultural products coffee petroleum products fish cement
Partners: Uganda 10.3% Tanzania 10% Netherlands 7.7% UK 7.2% US 6.3% Egypt 4.8% Democratic Republic of the Congo 4.4% (2012)

Imports: $14.16 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 87
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment petroleum products motor vehicles iron and steel resins and plastics
Partners: India 20.9% China 15.4% UAE 9.8% Saudi Arabia 6.9% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $4.265 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 88

Debt external: $10.26 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 97

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $2.618 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 94

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $299.4 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 84

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 7.33 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 105
Consumption: 6.15 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 106
Exports: 31 million kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 83
Imports: 31 million kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 99
Installed generating capacity: 1.698 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 110
Generation sources fossil fuels: 41.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 167
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 115
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 44.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 52
Generation sources other renewable sources: 13.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 16

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 181
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 136
Crude oil imports: 31,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 63
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 147

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 32,240 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 88
Products consumption: 79,410 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 87
Products exports: 1266 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 104
Products imports: 52,160 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 68

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 147
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 158
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 126
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 211
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 153

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 12.62 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 96

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 251,600 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 124
Mobile cellular: 30.732 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 33

Telephone 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 65 per 100 persons in 2011
International: country code - 254; landing point for the EASSy TEAMS and SEACOM fiber-optic submarine cable systems; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2011)

Broadcast media: about a half-dozen privately owned TV stations and a state-owned TV broadcaster that operates 2 channels; satellite and cable TV subscription services 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 stations including provincial stations broadcasting in local languages; transmissions of several international broadcasters available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ke
Hosts: 71,018 (2012)
Hosts rank: 88
Users: 3.996 million (2009)
Users rank: 59

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: 1.8% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 78

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 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 (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 197 (2013)
Rank: 28
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 107
With unpaved runways: 60 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 4 km; refined products 928 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 71
Narrow gauge: 2,066 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 30
Paved: 11,189 km
Unpaved: 149,689 km

Waterways: none specifically the only significant inland waterway in the country is the part of Lake Victoria within the boundaries of Kenya; Kisumu is the main port and has ferry connections to Uganda and Tanzania (2011)

Merchant marine
Rank: 124

Ports and terminals: Kisumu Mombasa


top of page


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 million refugees including Ugandans who flee across the border periodically to seek protection from Lord's Resistance Army 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
IDPs: at least 300,000 (2007-08 post-election violence; the status of the estimated 300,000 IDPs from the 2007-08 post-election violence who found refuge in host communities rather than camps - and IDPs displaced through natural disasters drought development and environmental projects land disputes cattle rustling and inter-communal violence - is not captured in Kenya's national database; in 2012 inter-communal violence displaced approximately 118,000 people and floods displaced an estimated 100,000) (2012)
Stateless persons: 20,000 (2012); note - the stateless population is composed of Nubians Kenyan Somalis and coastal Arabs; the Nubians are descendants of Sudanese soldiers recruited by the British to fight for them in East Africa more than a century ago; they did not receive Kenyan citizenship when the country became independent in 1963; only recently have Nubians become a formally recognized tribe and had less trouble obtaining national IDs; Galjeel and other Somalis who have lived in Kenya for decades are lumped in with more recent Somali refugees and denied ID cards

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