Background: 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.

Area
Total: 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 claims
Exclusive 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:

Natural 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%

Population: 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:

Birth rate: 44 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Environment
Current 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

Infant 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)

Literacy: 69% (male 80%, female 58%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Kenya

Government type: republic

Capital: Nairobi

Administrative divisions:

Independence: 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

Suffrage: 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:

Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation:
US:

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 overview:
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $9.7 billion, per capita $385 (1989 est.); real growth rate 2.3% (1991 est.)

Agriculture 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:

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

Budget: revenues $2.4 billion; expenditures $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.74 billion (FY90)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Exports: $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)

Exchange 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)

Electricity
Production: 730,000 kW capacity; 2,700 million kWh produced, 110 kWh per capita (1990)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 1% of GDP (1989 est.)

Airports:

Pipelines: petroleum products 483 km

Waterways:

Merchant marine: 1 petroleum tanker ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,727 GRT/5,558 DWT
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft

Illicit drugs: