Kenya

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Kenya

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Jamhuri ya Kenya/Republic of Kenya Area 582,600 sq km/224,941 sq mi Capital Nairobi Language English, Kiswahili (both official), many local dialects Religion Roman Catholic 28%, Protestant 8%, Muslim 6%, traditional tribal religions Time difference GMT +3 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 1 June, 10, 20 October, 12, 25–26 December; variable: Good Friday, Easter Monday, end of Ramadan


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri Major ports Mombasa Physical features mountains and highlands in west and centre; coastal plain in south; arid interior and tropical coast; semi-desert in north; Great Rift Valley, Mount Kenya, Lake Nakuru (salt lake with world's largest colony of flamingos), Lake Turkana (Rudolf) Airports three international airports, three other airports, and about 150 smaller airfields; total passengers carried: 1.7 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 2,700 km/1,678 mi; total passenger journeys: 2.8 million (2002) Roads total road network: 63,942 km/39,732 mi, of which 12.1% paved (2000 est); passenger cars: 11.1 per 1,000 people (2000 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Mwai Kibaki from 2002 Political system authoritarian nationalist Political executive unlimited presidency Administrative divisions seven provinces and the Nairobi municipality Political parties Kenya African National Union (KANU), nationalist, centrist; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy–Kenya (FORD–Kenya), left of centre; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy–Asili (FORD–Asili), left of centre; Democratic Party (DP), centrist; Safina, centrist Death penalty retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes but can be considered abolitionist in practice Armed forces 24,100; plus paramilitary forces of 5,000 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 1.5 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 7 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 1.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Kenyan shilling GDP (US$) 18 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5.4 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 18 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 1,170 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 13% (2006 est) Unemployment 40% (2002 est) Labour force 19% agriculture, 19% industry, 62% services (2002) Foreign debt (US$) 6.5 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UK, USA, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, South Africa Resources soda ash, fluorspar, salt, limestone, rubies, gold, vermiculite, diatonite, garnets Industries food processing, petroleum refining and petroleum products, textiles and clothing, leather products, chemicals, cement, paper and paper products, beverages, tobacco, ceramics, rubber and metal products, vehicle assembly, tourism Exports horticultural products, tea, coffee, iron and steel. Principal market: Uganda 14% (2005) Imports crude petroleum, motor vehicles, industrial machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, basic manufactures. Principal source: United Arab Emirates 13% (2005) Arable land 8% (2006 est) Agricultural products coffee, tea, maize, wheat, sisal, sugar cane, pineapples, cotton, horticulture; dairy products


POPULATION

Population 35,105,500 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.6% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 60 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 42 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 43%, 15–59 53%, 60+ 4% (2005 est) Ethnic groups main ethnic groups are the Kikuyu (about 21%), the Luhya (14%), the Luo (13%), the Kalenjin (11%), the Kamba (11%), the Kisii (6%), and the Meru (5%); there are also Asian, Arab, and European minorities Life expectancy 51 (men); 49 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 120 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 8 Literacy rate 90% (men); 79% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 1.3 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.6 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 6.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 140,000 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 89 (urban); 46 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 0.8 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 13.5 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 221 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 48 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 1 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 3.2 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

8th century Arab traders began to settle along coast of East Africa. 16th century Portuguese defeated coastal states and exerted spasmodic control over them. 18th century Sultan of Oman reasserted Arab overlordship of East African coast, making it subordinate to Zanzibar. 19th century Europeans, closely followed by Christian missionaries, began to explore inland. 1887 British East African Company leased area of coastal territory from sultan of Zanzibar. 1895 Britain claimed large inland region as East African Protectorate. 1903 Railway from Mombasa to Uganda built using Indian labourers, many of whom settled in the area; British and South African settlers began to farm highlands. 1920 East African Protectorate became crown colony of Kenya, with legislative council elected by white settlers (and by Indians and Arabs soon afterwards). 1923 Britain rejected demand for internal self-government by white settlers. 1944 First African appointment to legislative council; Kenyan African Union (KAU) founded to campaign for African rights. 1947 Jomo Kenyatta became leader of KAU, which was dominated by Kikuyu tribe. 1952 Mau Mau (Kikuyu secret society) began terrorist campaign to drive white settlers from tribal lands; Mau Mau largely suppressed by 1954 but state of emergency lasted for eight years. 1953 Kenyatta charged with management of Mau Mau activities and imprisoned by the British; released in 1959, but exiled to northern Kenya. 1956 Africans allowed to elect members of legislative council on restricted franchise. 1960 Britain announced plans to prepare Kenya for majority African rule. 1961 Kenyatta allowed to return to help negotiate Kenya's independence. 1963 Achieved independence. 1964 Became a republic with Kenyatta as president. 1969 Became one-party state under Kenyan African National Union (KANU). 1978 Kenyatta died; succeeded as president by Daniel arap Moi. 1984 Violent clashes between government troops and the ethnic Somali population at Wajir. 1989 Moi announced release of political prisoners. 1991 A multiparty system was conceded after an opposition group was launched. 1997 Demonstrations for more democratic reform; Constitutional Review Commission established. 1998 Bombing of US embassy in Nairobi killed over 230 people and injured 5,000; anti-US Islamic group claimed responsibility. 1999 Agreement to establish East African Community (EAC) with Tanzania and Uganda, envisaging creation of common market and eventual political federation. 2002 Islamic terrorist attacks on Israeli interests in Mombasa; coalition of opposition parties ousted KANU in elections; Democratic Party leader Mwai Kibaki elected president. 2004 Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai won Nobel Peace Prize. 2004–07 Food crisis due to drought; Kibaki government increasingly tainted by allegations of high-level corruption.


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