Important information about Kenya and Africa

Physical Location

Kenya is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Tanzania and Somalia. It covers an area about twice the size of Nevada. Kenya has a tropical climate along the coast, turning increasingly arid farther inland. Low plains rise into central highlands bisected by the Great Rift Valley, with a fertile plateau in the west. Natural resources include gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower, and rubies.

People

Over 31 million people live in Kenya. Both English and Swahili are official languages of Kenya, while numerous indigenous languages are spoken as well. Ethnically, Kenya is comprised primarily of Africans (99%) including the following groups: Kikuyu (22%) Luhya (14%) Luo (13%) Kalenjin (12%) and Kamba (11%). The country's religious groups include Protestant (38%) Roman Catholic (28%) indigenous beliefs (8%) and others.

Government

In December 2002, Miwai Kibaki ended the 24 year rule of Kenya’s second president, Daniel arap Moi in a landslide. Moi’s earlier designation of the son of the first president as his successor, caused a number of cabinet resignations and solidified the opposition. The elections took place against a backdrop of economic adversity caused by a recession which was due to drop in tourism. International terrorist activities, and spiraling criminal and political violence account for the drop in tourism.

Economy & Market Structure

The strength of the tourist industry coupled with years of growth in manufacturing and services has made Kenya, especially Nairobi, the commercial center of East Africa. But after 4 decades of independence, most Kenyans remain impoverished citizens of a struggling state. The richest 10% of the population own an estimated 40% of the wealth. The poorest 30% own only 10%. In the past, economic growth has not greatly improved poverty rates. Kenya has a relatively large middle class that resents repression and corruption from government sources but is fearful of anarchy especially in the face of interethnic clashes.

The social structure has been burdened by the influx of some 300,000 refugees from the neighboring states of Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. In addition, the population growth rate has only recently been reduced from 3.0%. More than half of all Kenyans are younger than 15 years old. Pressure on arable land is enormous. Creating employment for the number of agrarian workers relocated to urban settings will also be difficult.

Areas of Concern

Water pollution; deforestation; soil erosion, poaching and water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria are Kenya’s primary environmental concerns. Growth of the economy to benefit all classes is an elusive goal. Managing interethnic violence has not been made easier with the influx of around 300,000 refugees. In addition, the effect of AIDs on 13% of the population will exert pressure.

Kenya st