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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 247 usable: 208 with permanent-surface runways: 18 with runways over 3,659 m: 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 43

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

64,590 km total; 7,000 km paved, 4,150 km gravel, remainder improved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya

Merchant marine [time series]

1 oil tanker ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,727 GRT/5,558 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 483 km

Ports [time series]

coastal - Mombasa, Lamu; inland - Kisumu

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

2,040 km 1.000-meter gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

in top group of African systems; consists primarily of radio relay links; over 260,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 16 AM; 4 FM, 6 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(territory of the US)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $294 million, 4.9% of GDP (FY88/89 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 5,912,744; fit for military service 3,654,738 (1993 est.); no conscription

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

most important sector, accounting for 25% of GDP and 65% of exports; cash crops - coffee, tea, sisal, pineapple; food products - corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs; food output not keeping pace with population growth, and crop production has been extended into marginal land

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $839 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7,490 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $74 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $83 million

Electricity [time series]

730,000 kW capacity; 2,540 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 -36.227 (January 1993), 32.217 (1992), 27.508 (1991), 22.915 (1990), 20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: tea 25%, coffee 18%, petroleum products 11% (1990) partners: EC 44%, Africa 25%, Asia 5%, US 5%, Middle East 4% (1990)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$7 billion (1992 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Illicit drugs [time series]

widespread wild, small-plot cultivation of marijuana and gat; most locally consumed; transit country for Southwest Asian heroin moving to West Africa and onward to Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa

Imports [time series]

$2.05 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: 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)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 5.4% (1989 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP

Industries [time series]

small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

30% (1992 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $8.3 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$320 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-1% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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, and in 1992 output fell.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 582,650 km2 land area: 569,250 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

Climate [time series]

varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Coastline [time series]

536 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt. Kenya

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis

Irrigated land [time series]

520 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 3,446 km, Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 3% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 4% other: 85%

Location [time series]

Eastern Africa, bordering the northwestern India Ocean between Tanzania and Somalia

Map references [time series]

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife

Note [time series]

the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa

Terrain [time series]

low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

8 provinces; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western

Capital [time series]

Nairobi

Constitution [time series]

12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, and 1992

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Denis Daudi AFANDE chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 387-6101 consulates general: Los Angeles and New York

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held on 29 December 1992; results - President Daniel T. arap MOI was reelected with 37% of the vote; Kenneth Matiba (FORD-ASILI) 26%; Mwai Kibaki (SP) 19%, Oginga Odinga (FORD-Kenya) 17% National Assembly: last held on 29 December 1992; results - (188 total) KANU 100, FORD-Kenya 31, FORD-Asili 31, DP 23, smaller parties 3; president nominates 12 additional members note: first multiparty election since repeal of one-party state law

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

12 December 1963 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal, High Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Daniel Teroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); Vice President George SAITOTI (since 10 May 1989)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Kenya conventional short form: Kenya former: British East Africa

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 12 December (1963)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

labor unions; exile opposition - Mwakenya and other groups

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

ruling party is Kenya African National Union (KANU), Daniel T. arap MOI, president; opposition parties include Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD-Kenya), Oginga ODINGA; FORD-Asili, Kenneth MATIBA; Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), Mwai KIBAKI; Kenya National Congress (KNC), Titus MBATHI; Kenya Social Congress (KSC), George ANYONA; Kenya National Democratic Alliance (KENYA), Mukara NG'ANG'A; Party for Independent Candidates of Kenya (PKK), Otieno OTOERA

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Smith HEMPSTONE, Jr. embassy: corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Nairobi or APO AE 09831 telephone: [254] (2) 334141 FAX: [254] (2) 340838 consulate: Mombasa

People

Birth rate [time series]

43.18 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

11.41 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Kikuyu 21%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 11%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Asian, European, and Arab 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

74.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

9.2 million (includes unemployed); the total employed is 1,370,000 (14.8% of the labor force) by occupation: services 54.8%, industry 26.2%, agriculture 19.0% (1989)

Languages [time series]

English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 54.07 years male: 52.27 years female: 55.92 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 69% male: 80% female: 58%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Kenyan(s) adjective: Kenyan

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

27,372,266 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.18% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 28%, Protestant (including Anglican) 26%, indigenous beliefs 18%, Muslim 6%

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.06 children born/woman (1993 est.)