Home Countries Maps Stock reports Links Contact



GENERAL INFORMATION
MARKET INFORMATION
FINANCIAL SERVICES
   
FACT BOX :  

location: EAST AFRICA / bordering Ethiopia, Somalia,Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda, Sudan

capital: Nairobi, population 3.1 million (13% of the total).

population: 99.8 million

languages: Swahili and English (official), local languages derived from Bantu or Nilotic sources.

religion: 80% Christian, indiginous belief systems and small group of Sunni Moslem

currency: Kenyan Shilling (KES)

  

 


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

Kenya declared independent from Britain in 1963, shortly after the Mau-Mau rebellion of 1952-56, and became a republic the following year. The early period was characterised by conflict with Somali rebels, but a period of reconciliation otherwise. The government became increasingly autocratic, with increasing Kikuyu-Luo / Kalenjin tension. Multi-party elections resumed in 1992, but elections since have been marred by violence and accusations of electoral fraud.

POPULATION, LANGUAGE & RELIGION:

The official languages are Swahili and English. However, the major tribes - Kikuyu, Luhya, Luo, Kalenjin etc. – have their own languages, derived either from Bantu or Nilotic sources. The total population is 39.8 million people. Nearly 80% of the population is Christian, with Protestants being slightly more numerous. About 10% of the population follows indigenous belief systems, while the ethnic Somali population has also brought in a sizable minority of Sunni Moslems.

CRIME & CORRUPTION RANKINGS:

Governance 22nd,
Press Freedom 96th,
Corruption 146th,
Property Rights 82th

ECONOMY:

Nominal GDP for 2009e was approximately KSh2,340 billion (USD31 billion), equivalent to USD770 per capita, with a Gini coefficient of c.0.42. Agriculture accounts for 26% of the economy, and also accounts for the major export categories of tea and horticultural products. Transport & communication is also a significant sector partially due to tourism. Kenya is ranked 8th in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of ease of doing business, with good scores in Credit availability.

NATURAL & AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES:

Natural resources make a modest contribution to the Kenyan economy, mostly derived from soda ash and fluorspar mining. There are also Gold, Nickel, Titanium and Zirconium deposits which are of commercial value. Kenya also meets half of global ruby demand, although the product is generally of low quality. Mean average rainfall is around 630mm per annum, although external water sources provide a further 250 cubic metres per capita. This provides 10 million hectares of cultivable land, or 0.25 hectares per capita.

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE:

Regionally, Kenya is a founding member of the East African Community (EAC), together with Uganda and Tanzania, and subsequent additions, Rwanda and Burundi. The EAC currently proposes Monetary Union by 2012, but most observers assume this will be delayed until at least 2015.