Kenya
Country Profile
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF KENYA
Demography & Governance
GEOPHYSICAL DATA
| Location: |
On
East African Coast astride the equator. |
| Area: |
583,000
sq km |
| Climate: |
Tropical to sub-tropical depending on altitude. |
| Neighbours: |
Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania. |
| Seas: |
India Ocean |
| Lakes: |
Victoria,
Turkana, Baringo, Naivasha,Nakuru |
| Capital city |
Nairobi |
| Other
Cities |
Mombasa and Kisumu |
| Major
Towns |
Nakuru,
Eldoret, Nyeri |
| Mountains |
Mt.Kenya -17,000
ft above sea level – Third highest point in the world,
Mt. Elgon – 14,000 ft |
| Special features |
The Great Rift
Valley
The Equator
Lake Victoria
|
| Currency |
Kenyan
shilling (KES) |
PEOPLE
| Religion |
| Protestants |
45% |
| Roman
Catholic |
33% |
| Muslims |
10% |
| Indigenous
beliefs |
10% |
| Others
|
2% |
Political System |
Multiparty
democracy |
| Languages:
|
English,
Swahili and 10 other local languages |
| Population |
31.5
Million |
| Population
growth rate |
2.0% |
INFRASTRUCTURE:
Airports:
International
airports are located in Nairobi, Mombasa and Eldoret. There are
more than 150 other airports
and airstrips across the country
Seaports:
Mombasa is the principal seaport of Kenya and hosts one of the most
modern deep sea ports in Africa. It has 21
berths, 2 bulk oil jetties and dry bulk wharves. The port
can handle all sizes of ships and all types of cargo
Roads:
There is an extensive road network connecting most parts of
the country. All weather roads connect major commercial centers.
Railways:
Kenya is served by a single-track
railway system running from Mombasa through Nairobi to Uganda with branches to Nanyuki,
Kitale and Kisumu
FOREIGN RELATIONS
| International and Regional Memberships: |
EAC,COMESA,NEPAD,AU,IGAD, ACP-Cotonou,
WTO, UN |
| Diplomatic Missions abroad:
|
UK,Malaysia, Japan, China, India,
Australia, Germany, U.A.E, Italy, Switzerland (WTO/ITC),
USA, Canada,France, Belgium, Sweden, Russia, Uganda,
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania. |
| Diplomatic Missions in Kenya: |
China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Canada,
Colombia, Australia, France, US, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands,
Thailand, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa. |
SOCIAL DATA
Education:
Kenya has abundant, skilled
and educated labour. The Kenya education system consists
primarily of 8 years
primary education, 4 years secondary education, and 4 years
university education. In addition to university
level courses in engineering, medicine, computer science,
law, architecture, arts, education, dentistry,
agriculture, etc. there are also numerous technical courses
such as tailoring, accountancy, secretarial, masonry,
engineering,draughtmanship, computer programming, carpentry,
insurance, banking, language, hospitality trades,
which provide diploma courses. Other internationally recognized
education systems are also offered.The national
literacy rate is 78%.
Tertiary Education
| No.
of Public Universities |
6 |
| No.
of Private Universities |
17 |
| Public University Enrollment |
52,906 (2001/2002) |
| Private University Enrollment |
7,639
(2001/2002) |
| %
Female Enrollment at Public University |
32.2% |
| %
Female Enrollment at Private University |
54.5% |
Basic and Secondary Education
| Pre-Primary School Enrollment: |
1.163
million (2001) |
| Primary
School Enrollment: |
6.3
million (2001) |
| Secondary
School Enrollment: |
0.818
million (2001) |
| Technical
Education Enrollment at Polytechnics and Institutes
of Technology: |
17,282
(2000) |
Other
Education Institutions
International
Schools in Kenya: Japanese, Korean, Norwegian,
German, UK, US, Canadian, French,
Swedish
Health
Kenya has a variety of medical
institutions including Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan, Kenyatta National,
Mater etc. There are also public and private hospitals covering
the entire country.
Telecommunications
Kenya has a well established
telecommunication system. The country communication backbone
is provided by Telkom Kenya which is a government
parastatal. Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) is a regulator
in this industry providing the license. There is also developed
postal and courier services provided by government parastatal,
Postal Corporation of Kenya as well as other courier
companies.
Over
40 Internet service providers have been licensed to operate
in Kenya. They provide leased
line, dial up, wireless and other modern available technologies.
Power
Hydro-Electric
power is the main source of electricity in Kenya. It is supplied at 240
volts, 50 cycle single-phase and
at 415 volts, 50 cycles three-phase. Generation of electricity
is undertaken by Kenya Electricity Generation Company (KENGEN)
while the transmission and distribution is done by Kenya Power
and Lighting Company (KPLC). Power generation is undertaken
by both public and private companies.
Electricity
Regulatory Board is a government regulator charged with setting
up tariff rates and licensing.
Kenya has the second largest potential for geo thermal power
in the world.
Alternative sources of energy include: Biogas, Wind , Solar.
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