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{{Short description|Country in Eastern Africa}}
{{refimprove|date=July 2007}}
{{About|the country|other uses}}
<!-- Please see talk page before removing refimprove tag. -->
{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{expert-subject|Africa|article}}
{{Use Kenyan English|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox Country
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
|native_name = ''Jamhuri ya Kenya''
{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Kenya
|common_name = Kenya | conventional_long_name = Republic of Kenya
| common_name = Kenya
|image_flag = Flag of Kenya.svg
| native_name = {{native name|sw|Jamhuri ya Kenya}}
|image_coat = Kenya_coat_of_arms.jpg
| image_flag = Flag of Kenya.svg
|national_motto = "]"{{nbsp|2}}<small>(])<br/>"Let us all pull together"</small>
| image_coat = File:Coat_of_arms_of_Kenya_(Official).svg
|image_map = LocationKenya.svg
| national_motto = "]"<br />({{langx|en|"Let us all pull together"}})
|national_anthem = '']''<small><br/>"O God of All Creation"</small>
| national_anthem = "]"<br />({{Langx|en|"O God of All Creation"}})<br /><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">]</div>
|official_languages = ]&nbsp;(since 1963), ]<ref>Constitution(1998)art. 53 "the official languages of the National Assembly shall be Kiswahili and English and the business of the National Assembly may be conducted in either or both languages."</ref>
| image_map = {{Switcher|]|Show globe|]|Show map of Africa|default=1}}
|other languages = gKĩkũyũ, Luhya, Luo, Maasai, Meru, Embu, Arabic, Somali, Hindi and numerous others.
| map_caption =
|demonym = Kenyan
| image_map2 =
|capital = ]
| capital = ]
|latd=1 |latm=16 |latNS=S |longd=36 |longm=48 |longEW=E
| coordinates = {{Coord|1|16|S|36|48|E|type:city}}
|government_type = ]
| largest_city = ]
|leader_title1 = ]
| official_languages = {{hlist |]|]<ref name="Conlang">Constitution (2009) Art. 7 "(1) The national language of the Republic is Swahili. (2) The official languages of the Republic are Swahili and English. (3) The State shall–-–- (a) promote and protect the diversity of language of the people of Kenya; and (b) promote the development and use of indigenous languages, Kenyan Sign language, Braille and other communication formats and technologies accessible to persons with disabilities."</ref>}}
| languages_type = ]
| languages = ]<ref name="Conlang" />
| ethnic_groups = {{unbulleted list
| 17.13% ]
| 14.35% ]
| 13.37% ]
| 10.65% ]
| 9.81% ]
| 5.85% ]
| 5.68% ]
| 5.23% ]
| 4.15% ]
| 13.78% others
}}
| ethnic_groups_year = 2019 census
| ethnic_groups_ref = <ref name="Census2019a">{{Cite web |title=2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV: Distribution of Population by Socio-Economic Characteristics |url=https://www.knbs.or.ke/?wpdmpro=2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-volume-iv-distribution-of-population-by-socio-economic-characteristics&wpdmdl=5730&ind=7HRl6KateNzKXCJaxxaHSh1qe6C1M6VHznmVmKGBKgO5qIMXjby1XHM2u_swXdiR |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605222711/https://www.knbs.or.ke/?wpdmpro=2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-volume-iv-distribution-of-population-by-socio-economic-characteristics&wpdmdl=5730&ind=7HRl6KateNzKXCJaxxaHSh1qe6C1M6VHznmVmKGBKgO5qIMXjby1XHM2u_swXdiR |archive-date=5 June 2020 |access-date=24 March 2020 |website=Kenya National Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>
| religion = <!-- direct figures from ReligionUNdata reference -->{{unbulleted list
|{{Tree list}}
* 85.5% ]
** 60.8% ]
** 20.6% ]
** 4.1% other ]
{{Tree list/end}}
|10.9% ]
|1.5% ]
|0.7% ]
|1.3% others}}
| religion_year = 2019 census
| religion_ref = <ref name="Census2019a" /><ref name="religious-freedom">{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/kenya/ |title=2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Kenya |publisher=United States Department of State |access-date=24 December 2023 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031131956/https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/kenya/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| demonym = Kenyan
| government_type = Unitary ]
| leader_title1 = ]
| leader_name1 = ]
| leader_title2 = ]
| leader_name2 = ]
| leader_title3 = ]
| leader_name3 = ]
| leader_title4 = ]
| leader_name4 = ]
| leader_title5 = ]
| leader_name5 = ]
| legislature = ]
| upper_house = ]
| lower_house = ]
| sovereignty_type = ]
| sovereignty_note1 = from the ]
| established_event1 = ]
| established_date1 = 957–1513
| established_event2 = ]i control of Swahili coast
| established_date2 = 1698–1887
| established_event3 = ]
| established_date3 = 12 December 1963
| established_event4 = ]
| established_date4 = 12 December 1964
| established_event5 = ]
| established_date5 = 27 August 2010
| area_km2 = 580,367
| area_footnote = <ref name="unstats08">{{Cite web |year=2012 |title=Demographic Yearbook – Table 3: Population by sex, rate of population increase, surface area and density |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2012/Table03.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200826065042/https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2012/Table03.pdf |archive-date=26 August 2020 |access-date=4 September 2017 |publisher=United Nations Statistics Division}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=United Nations Statistics Division – Demographic and Social Statistics |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2012.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428204710/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2012.htm |archive-date=28 April 2015 |access-date=4 September 2017 |website=unstats.un.org}}</ref>
| area_rank = 48th <!-- Area rank should match ] -->
| area_sq_mi = 224,960 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
| percent_water = 2.3
| population_estimate = {{Increase}} 52,428,290<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.knbs.or.ke/|title=The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics|website=The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics|access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2024
| population_estimate_rank = 28th
| population_census = 47,564,296<ref name="KNBS2019">{{Cite web |date=4 November 2019 |title=2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Results |url=https://www.knbs.or.ke/?p=5621 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113183948/https://www.knbs.or.ke/?p=5621 |archive-date=13 November 2019 |access-date=15 November 2019 |website=Kenya National Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>
| population_census_rank =
| population_census_year = 2019
| population_density_km2 = 82
| population_density_sq_mi = auto<!--Do not remove per ]-->
| population_density_rank = 124th
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $375.36 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.KE">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=664,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Kenya) |publisher=] |website=IMF.org |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=13 October 2023 |archive-date=21 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021001107/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=664,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year = 2023
| GDP_PPP_rank = 59th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $7,160<ref name="IMFWEO.KE" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 142nd
| GDP_nominal = {{increase}} $116.39 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.KE" />
| GDP_nominal_year = 2023
| GDP_nominal_rank = 59th
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $2,220<ref name="IMFWEO.KE" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 150th
| Gini = 38.7 <!--number only-->
| Gini_year = 2021
| Gini_change = decrease<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini_ref = <ref name="GINI">{{Cite web |year=2019 |title=Gini index |url= https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=KE |url-status=live |access-date=17 October 2023 |publisher=World Bank Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615030226/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=KE |archive-date=15 Jun 2023 }}</ref>
| Gini_rank =
| HDI = 0.601 <!--number only-->
| HDI_year = 2022<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI_ref = <ref name="UNHDR">{{cite web|url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf|title=Human Development Report 2023/24|language=en|publisher=]|date=13 March 2024|page=289|access-date=13 March 2024|archive-date=13 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313164319/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
| HDI_rank = 146th
| currency = ]
| currency_code = KES
| time_zone = ]
| utc_offset = +3
| date_format = dd/mm/yy (])
| drives_on = left
| calling_code = ]
| cctld = ]
| footnotes = According to the CIA, estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of mortality because of AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex, than would otherwise be expected.{{big|<ref name=cia/>}}
}}


'''Kenya''', officially the '''Republic of Kenya''' ({{langx|sw|Jamhuri ya Kenya}}), is a country in ]. With a population of more than 47.6 million in the 2019 census,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2019 Kenya population and housing census – population by county and sub county – Kenya Data Portal |url=https://kenya.opendataforafrica.org/msdpnbc/2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-population-by-county-and-sub-county?county=1001880-limuru |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416222406/https://kenya.opendataforafrica.org/msdpnbc/2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-population-by-county-and-sub-county?county=1001880-limuru |archive-date=16 April 2021 |access-date=2 January 2021 |website=kenya.opendataforafrica.org}}</ref> Kenya is the ] in the world<ref name="KNBS2019"/> and ] in Africa. Kenya's capital and largest city is ], while its oldest and second-largest city, is the major port city of ], situated on ] in the ] and the surrounding mainland. Mombasa was the capital of the ], which included most of what is now Kenya and southwestern Somalia, from 1889 to 1907. Other important cities include ] and ]. Kenya is bordered by ] to the northwest, ] to the north, ] to the east, ] to the west, ] to the south, and the ] to the southeast.
|leader_title2 = ]


Kenya's ], ] and ] vary widely, ranging from cold snow-capped mountaintops (Batian, Nelion and Point Lenana on ]) with vast surrounding forests, wildlife and fertile agricultural regions to temperate climates in western and rift valley counties and further on to dry less fertile ] and ] areas and absolute deserts (] and ]).
|leader_name1 = ]


Kenya's earliest inhabitants were ]s, like the present-day ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=African Hunter-Gatherers: Survival, History and Politics of Identity |url=https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/68396/1/ASM_S_26_257.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104052710/https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/68396/1/ASM_S_26_257.pdf |archive-date=4 November 2018 |access-date=2021-10-18 |website=repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The East African Bushmen |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271694891 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109200619/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271694891_The_Myth_of_the_East_African_%27Bushmen%27 |archive-date=9 January 2022 |access-date=2021-10-18 |website=researchgate.net |language=en}}</ref> According to archaeological dating of associated artifacts and skeletal material, ] first settled in Kenya's lowlands between 3,200 and 1,300 BC, a phase known as the Lowland ]. ]-speaking ] (ancestral to Kenya's Nilotic speakers) began migrating from present-day ] into Kenya around 500 BC.<ref name="EhretCHS" /> ] settled at the coast and the interior between 250 BC and 500 AD.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wonders Of The African World |url=http://www.pbs.org/wonders/Episodes/Epi2/swahi_2.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019091759/http://www.pbs.org/wonders/Episodes/Epi2/swahi_2.htm |archive-date=19 October 2019 |access-date=2021-10-18 |website=pbs |language=en}}</ref>
|leader_name2 = ]


European contact began in 1500 AD with the ], and effective colonisation of Kenya began in the 19th century during the ]. Modern-day Kenya emerged from ] established by the ] in 1895 and the subsequent ], which began in 1920. Numerous disputes between the UK and the colony led to the ], which began in 1952, and the declaration of independence in 1963. After independence, Kenya remained a member of the ]. The ] was adopted in 2010 and replaced the ].
|largest_city = Nairobi
|area_km2 = 580,367
|area_sq_mi = 224,080 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|area_rank = 47th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|percent_water = 2.3
|population_estimate = 34,707,817<sup><small>1</small></sup>
|population_estimate_year = July 2005
|population_estimate_rank = 34th
|population_census = 31,138,735
|population_census_year = 8 February 2007
|population_density_km2 = 59
|population_density_sq_mi = 153 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|population_density_rank = 140th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
|GDP_PPP = $48.33 billion <!--IMF -->
|GDP_PPP_rank = 76th
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $1,445
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 156th
|HDI_year = 2004
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.491
|HDI_rank = 152nd
|HDI_category = <font color="#e0584e">low</font>
|FSI = 91.3 {{increase}} 2.7
|FSI_year = 2007
|FSI_rank = 31st
|FSI_category = <font color="#FF0000">Alert</font>
|sovereignty_type = ]
|sovereignty_note = from the ]
|established_event1 = Date
|established_date1 = ] ]
|established_event2 = Republic declared
|established_date2 = ] ]
|currency = ]
|currency_code = KES
|time_zone = ]
|utc_offset = +3
|time_zone_DST = ''not observed''
|utc_offset_DST = +3
|cctld = ]
|calling_code = 254 <sup><small>2</small></sup>
|footnotes = 1. According to cia.gov, estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.
|footnotes = 2. 005 from Tanzania and Uganda.
}}
The '''Republic of Kenya''' is a ] in ]. It is bordered by ] to the north, ] to the east, ] to the south, ] to the west, and ] to the northwest, with the ] running along the southeast ]. The country is named after ], a significant landmark mountain.


Kenya is a ] ] republic, in which elected officials represent the people and the president is the head of state and government.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 December 2007 |title=Victorian Electronic Democracy – Final Report – Table of ContentsVictorian Electronic Democracy – Final Report – Glossary |url=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/SARC/E-Democracy/Final_Report/Glossary.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213045132/http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/SARC/E-Democracy/Final_Report/Glossary.htm |archive-date=13 December 2007 |access-date=29 January 2019}}</ref>
== History ==
Kenya is a member of the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], as well as other international organisations. It is also a ] of the ]. With a ] of 1,840,<ref>{{Cite web |title=GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$) – Kenya |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD?locations=KE&year_high_desc=true |access-date=3 May 2022 |website=worldbank.org |publisher=World Bank |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415193034/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD?locations=KE&year_high_desc=true |url-status=live }}</ref> Kenya is a lower-middle-income economy. ] is the second largest in eastern and central Africa, after Ethiopia, with Nairobi serving as a major regional commercial hub.<ref name="second-largest-economy">{{cite news | url=https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/african-giants-the-10-largest-economies-on-the-continent/1w6srcq | title=African giants: The 10 largest economies on the continent | work=Business Insider Africa | date=24 July 2023 | accessdate=26 November 2023 | author=Oluwole, Victor | archive-date=3 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103100903/https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/african-giants-the-10-largest-economies-on-the-continent/1w6srcq | url-status=live }}</ref> Agriculture is the largest sector; tea and coffee are traditional cash crops, while fresh flowers are a fast-growing export. The ] is also a major economic driver, particularly tourism. Kenya is a member of the ] trade bloc,<ref>{{Cite web |title=East African Community |url=https://www.eala.org/uploads/The_Treaty_for_the_Establishment_of_the_East_Africa_Community_2006_1999.pdf |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=eala.org |language=en |archive-date=24 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224100426/https://www.eala.org/uploads/The_Treaty_for_the_Establishment_of_the_East_Africa_Community_2006_1999.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=East African Federation |url=https://www.eac.int/political-federation |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=eac.int |language=en |archive-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215003829/https://www.eac.int/political-federation |url-status=live }}</ref> though some international trade organisations categorise it as part of the ].<ref>Maxwell, Daniel, and Ben Watkins. "Humanitarian information systems and emergencies in the Greater Horn of Africa: logical components and logical linkages." Disasters 27.1 (2003): 72–90.</ref> Africa is Kenya's largest export market, followed by the European Union.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mwangi S. Kimenyi |last2=Francis M. Mwega |last3=Njuguna S. Ndung'u |date=May 2016 |title=The African Lions: Kenya country case study |url=http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2016/05/16-kenya-country-case-study/kenya-country-case.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527210738/http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2016/05/16-kenya-country-case-study/kenya-country-case.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2016 |access-date=23 May 2016 |publisher=The Brookings Institution}}</ref>
{{main|History of Kenya}}
]s have discovered many fossils of ] animals in Kenya. At one of the rare ] ] sites in Africa, two hundred ] ] and ] fossils have been discovered in Kenya, dating from the ], over 200 million years ago. The fossils were found in an excavation conducted by a team from the ] and the ] in July-August 2004 at ], near ].<ref>AFP ABC News, "Kenya's first dinosaur dig yields fossil wealth," ''ABC News Online'', 2005-03-10, webpage: </ref>


==Etymology==
Fossils found in East Africa suggest that primates roamed the area more than 20 million years ago. Recent finds near Kenya's Lake Turkana indicate that ] such as '']'' (1.8 and 2.5 million years ago) and '']'' (1.8 million to 350,000 years ago) are possible direct ancestors of modern '']'' and lived in Kenya during the ] epoch. In 1984 one particular discovery made at ] by famous palaeoanthropologist ] and ] was the skeleton of a ] belonging to ''Homo erectus'' from 1.6 million years ago. Previous research on early hominids is particularly identified to ] and ], who are responsible for the preliminary archaeological research at ] and ]. Later work at the former was undertaken by ].
The Republic of Kenya is named after ]. The earliest recorded version of the modern name was written by German explorer ] in the 19th century. While travelling with a Kamba caravan led by the long-distance trader ], Krapf spotted the mountain peak and asked what it was called. Kivoi told him "''Kĩ-Nyaa''" or "''Kĩlĩma- Kĩinyaa''", probably because the pattern of black rock and white snow on its peaks reminded him of the feathers of the male ostrich.<ref name="sullivan">{{Cite book |last=Sullivan |first=Paul |title=Kikuyu Districts |publisher=Mkuki na Nyota Publishers |year=2006 |location=Dar es Salaam, Tanzania}}</ref> In archaic ], the word 'nyaga' or more commonly 'manyaganyaga' is used to describe an extremely bright object. The Agikuyu, who inhabit the slopes of Mt. Kenya, call it Kĩrĩma Kĩrĩnyaga (literally 'the mountain with brightness') in ], while the Embu call it "Kirinyaa". All three names have the same meaning.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://www.kenyaembassy.com/aboutkenyahistory.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526191351/http://www.kenyaembassy.com/aboutkenyahistory.html |archive-date=26 May 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016}}</ref>


Ludwig Krapf recorded the name as both ''Kenia'' and ''Kegnia''.<ref name="Krapf">{{Cite book |last=Krapf |first=Johann Ludwig |title=Travels, Researches, and Missionary Labours in Eastern Africa |publisher=Frank Cass & Co. Ltd |year=1860 |location=London |author-link=Johann Ludwig Krapf}}</ref><ref name="krapf_452">{{Cite journal |last=Krapf |first=Johann Ludwig |author-link=Johann Ludwig Krapf |date=13 May 1850 |title=Extract from Krapf's diary |journal=Church Missionary Intelligencer |volume=i |page=452}}</ref><ref name="foottit">{{Cite book |last=Foottit |first=Claire |title=Kenya |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides Ltd |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84162-066-4 |series=The Brade Travel Guide |orig-year=2004}}</ref> Some have said that this was a precise notation of the African pronunciation {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɛ|n|j|ə}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ratcliffe, B. J. |date=January 1943 |title=The Spelling of Kenya |journal=Journal of the Royal African Society |volume=42 |issue=166 |pages=42–44 |jstor=717465}}</ref> An 1882 map drawn by Joseph Thompsons, a Scottish geologist and naturalist, indicated Mt. Kenya as Mt. Kenia.<ref name="sullivan" /> The mountain's name was accepted, '']'', as the name of the country. It did not come into widespread official use during the early colonial period, when the country was referred to as the ]. The official name was changed to the ] in 1920.
=== Pre-colonial history ===
] which dates from the 13th century.]]


==History==
]- speaking people from northern Africa moved into the area that is now Kenya beginning around 2000 BC. ] traders began frequenting the Kenya coast around the 1st century AD. Kenya's proximity to the Arabian Peninsula invited colonization, and Arab and Persian settlements sprouted along the coast by the 8th century. During the first millennium AD, ] and ] peoples moved into the region, and the latter now comprise three-quarters of Kenya's population.
{{Main|History of Kenya}}
{{For timeline}}


===Human prehistory===
In the centuries preceding colonization, the Swahili coast of Kenya was part of the east African region which traded with the Arab world and India especially for ] and ] (the ] tribe is said to have originated from slaves escaping from Arab lands some time around the year 1700.). Initially these traders came mainly from ] states, but later many also came from ] (such as ]).
], a 1.6-million-year-old ] fossil belonging to '']''


]]
], a Bantu language with many ] loan words, developed as a '']'' for trade between the different peoples.


]s such as '']'' (1.8 to 2.5 million years ago) and '']'' (1.9 million to 350,000 years ago) are possible direct ancestors of modern '']'', and lived in Kenya in the ] epoch.<ref name="Isaac">{{Cite book |last=Glynn Llywelyn Isaac |first=Barbara Isaac |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qwEoAQAAMAAJ&pg=PAxiii |title=Olorgesailie: archeological studies of a Middle Pleistocene lake basin in Kenya |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1977 |page=xiii |isbn=978-0-226-38483-2 |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415094804/https://books.google.com/books?id=qwEoAQAAMAAJ&pg=PAxiii |url-status=live }}</ref> During excavations at Lake Turkana in 1984, palaeoanthropologist ], assisted by ], discovered the ], a 1.6-million-year-old ''Homo erectus'' fossil. East Africa, including Kenya, is one of the earliest regions where modern humans ('']'') are believed to have lived. Evidence was found in 2018, dating to about 320,000 years ago, of the early emergence of ], including long-distance trade networks (involving goods such as obsidian), the use of pigments, and the possible making of projectile points. The authors of three 2018 studies on the site suggest that complex and modern behaviours had already begun in Africa around the time of the emergence of ''Homo sapiens''.<ref name="NPR-593591796">{{Cite news |last=Chatterjee |first=Rhitu |author-link=Rhitu Chatterjee |date=15 March 2018 |title=Scientists Are Amazed By Stone Age Tools They Dug Up In Kenya |work=] |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/03/15/593591796/scientists-are-amazed-by-stone-age-tools-they-dug-up-in-kenya |url-status=live |access-date=15 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315193655/https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/03/15/593591796/scientists-are-amazed-by-stone-age-tools-they-dug-up-in-kenya |archive-date=15 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="The Atlantic-555674">{{Cite news |last=Yong |first=Ed |author-link=Ed Yong |date=15 March 2018 |title=A Cultural Leap at the Dawn of Humanity – New finds from Kenya suggest that humans used long-distance trade networks, sophisticated tools, and symbolic pigments right from the dawn of our species. |work=] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/a-deeper-origin-of-complex-human-cultures/555674/ |url-status=live |access-date=15 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117002023/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/a-deeper-origin-of-complex-human-cultures/555674/ |archive-date=17 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="Brooks">{{Cite journal |vauthors=Brooks AS, Yellen JE, Potts R, Behrensmeyer AK, Deino AL, Leslie DE, Ambrose SH, Ferguson JR, d'Errico F, Zipkin AM, Whittaker S, Post J, Veatch EG, Foecke K, Clark JB |year=2018 |title=Long-distance stone transport and pigment use in the earliest Middle Stone Age |journal=Science |volume=360 |issue=6384 |pages=90–94 |bibcode=2018Sci...360...90B |doi=10.1126/science.aao2646 |pmid=29545508 |doi-access=free |issn=0036-8075}}</ref>
The ] of Kenya descend from early agricultural and herding communities from western Kenya's early pre-colonial history. The Luo people and dialects of their language have historic roots across the ] region. Chief among the powerful families to which the Luo trace their ancestry were the Sahkarias of Kano, the Jaramogis of Ugenya, and the Owuors of Kisumo, whose clans married several wives and had multitudes of grandchildren and heirs to various chieftainships. Leaders of these lineages typically had multiple wives and intermarried with their neighbours in ] and ]. The Luo tribe, through intermarriages and wars, are part of the genetic admixture that includes all modern East African ethnic groups as well as members of ] Kingdom, the Toro Kingdom, and the ] of modern day ]. In recent times, the Luo have had many enemies with whom they fought for access to water, cattle, and land including the Nandi, Kipsigis and the Kisii. As a result of these wars were peace treaties and intermarriages were resolved resulting in a mixture of cultural ideals and practices. As with all so-called tribes of modern day East Africa, Luo history is intricately interwoven with the histories of their friends, enemies and neighbors and attest to the complexity of East African precolonial history.


=== Colonial history === ===Neolithic===
The first inhabitants of present-day Kenya were ] groups, akin to the modern ] speakers.<ref name="EhretC18">Ehret, C. (2002) ''The Civilizations of Africa: a History to 1800'', University Press of Virginia, {{ISBN|0-8139-2085-X}}.</ref> These people were later largely replaced by agropastoralist ] (ancestral to Kenya's Cushitic speakers) from the ].<ref name="EhretHRSC">Ehret, C. (1980) ''The historical reconstruction of Southern Cushitic phonology and vocabulary'', Kölner Beiträge zur Afrikanistik 5, Bd., Reimer, Berlin.</ref> During the early ], the regional climate shifted from dry to wetter conditions, providing an opportunity for the development of cultural traditions such as agriculture and ], in a more favourable environment.<ref name=EhretC18/>


Around 500 BC, ]-speaking ] (ancestral to Kenya's Nilotic speakers) started migrating from present-day southern Sudan into Kenya.<ref name="EhretCHS">Ehret, C. (1983) ''Culture History in the Southern Sudan'', J. Mack, P. Robertshaw, Eds., British Institute in Eastern Africa, Nairobi, pp. 19–48, {{ISBN|1-872566-04-9}}.</ref><ref name="AmbroseALR">Ambrose, S.H. (1982). "Archaeological and linguistic reconstructions of history in East Africa." In Ehert, C., and Posnansky, M. (eds.), ''The archaeological and linguistic reconstruction of African history'', University of California Press, {{ISBN|0-520-04593-9}}.</ref><ref name="AmbroseSG">Ambrose, S.H. (1986) ''Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika'' 7.2, 11.</ref> Nilotic groups in Kenya include the ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="ILO">{{Cite book |url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=_84Gg-o5BhYC|page=55}} |title=Traditional occupations of indigenous and tribal peoples: Emerging trends |date=2000 |publisher=International Labour Organization |isbn=9789221122586 |language=en}}</ref>
], below ], has railway to ] (center), south of ] & ]. (click map to enlarge)]]</br>


By the first millennium AD, ]-speaking farmers had moved into the region, initially along the coast.<ref name="EhretACA">Ehret, C. (1998) ''An African Classical Age : Eastern and Southern Africa in World History, 1000 B.C. to A.D. 400.'', University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, pp. xvii, 354, {{ISBN|0-8139-2057-4}}.</ref> The Bantus originated in West Africa along the ] in what is now eastern ] and western ].<ref name="WayneSmith">Smith, C. Wayne (1995) ''Crop Production: Evolution, History, and Technology'', John Wiley & Sons, p. 132, {{ISBN|0-471-07972-3}}.</ref> The Bantu migration brought new developments in agriculture and ] to the region.<ref name=WayneSmith/> Bantu groups in Kenya include the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]-Watuweta, Wapokomo, and ], among others.
The ] were the first ]ans to explore Kenya, ] having visited ] in 1498. Portuguese rule centered mainly on the coastal strip ranging from ] to Mombasa. The Portuguese colonial presence in ] officially begins after 1505, when flagships under the command of ] bombarded and plundered ], an island located in what is now southern ]. Following this, the Portuguese sacked Mombasa following the refusal of the town's leadership to pay tribute. Attacks followed on Hoja (now known as Ungwana, located at the mouth of the ]), Barawa, Angoche, ] and other coastal towns until the western ] was a safe haven for Portuguese commercial interests and tribute was paid to the Portuguese crown by all of the city-states along the East African coast. The Portuguese colonial presence in East Africa served two primary purposes: the extraction of tribute from coastal polities and the control of trade within the Indian Ocean through piracy. The first objective was only mildly successful by all accounts as local East African rulers rebelled against the Portuguese frequently. However, Portuguese naval vessels were very disruptive to commerce within the western Indian Ocean and were able to demand high tariffs on items transported through the sea due to their strategic control of ports and shipping lanes. The construction of Fort Jesus in Mombasa in 1593 was meant to solidify Portuguese hegemony in the region, but their influence was clipped by the ], ] and ] ] incursions into the region during the seventeenth century. The Omani Arabs posed the most direct challenge to Portuguese influence in East Africa and besieged Portuguese fortresses, openly attacked loser naval vessels and completely expelled the Portuguese from the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts by 1730.


Notable prehistoric sites in the interior of Kenya include the (possibly archaeoastronomical) site ] on the west side of ] and the walled settlement of ] in ].
Omani Arab ] of the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts brought the once independent ] under closer foreign scrutiny and domination than was experienced during the Portuguese period. Like their predecessors, the Omani Arabs were primarily able only to control the coastal areas, not the interior. However, the creation of clove ], intensification of the ] and relocation of the Omani capital to ] in 1839 by ] had the effect of consolidating the Omani power in the region. Arab governance of all the major ports along the East African coast continued until British interests aimed particularly at ending the slave trade and creation of a ] system began to put pressure on Omani rule. By the late ], the slave trade on the open seas had been completely outlawed by the British and the Omani Arabs had little ability to resist the British navy’s ability to enforce the directive. The Omani presence continued in Zanzibar and ] until the 1964 ], but the official Omani Arab presence in Kenya was checked by German and British seizure of key ports and creation of crucial trade alliances with influential local leaders in the 1880s. However, the Omani Arab legacy in East Africa is currently found through their numerous descendants found along the coast that can directly trace ancestry to ] and are typically the wealthiest and most politically influential members of the Kenyan coastal community.
], about 1899]]


===Swahili trade period===
However, most historians consider that the colonial history of Kenya dates from the establishment of a ] protectorate over the Sultan of ]'s coastal possessions in 1885, followed by the arrival of the ] in 1888. Incipient imperial rivalry was forestalled when Germany handed its coastal holdings to Britain in 1890. This followed the building of the ] passing through the country. This was resisted by some tribes, notably the ] led by '']'' ] for ten years from 1895 to 1905, the British eventually built the railway. It is believed that the ''Nandi'' were the first tribe to be put in a native reserve to stop them from disrupting the building of the railway. During the railway construction era, there was a significant inflow of Indian peoples who provided the bulk of the skilled manpower required for construction. These people remained in Kenya and formed the core of several distinct Indian communities such as the and communities.
{{Further|Swahili culture|Sultanate of Zanzibar}}
] carved wooden door in ]]]


The Kenyan coast had served as host to communities of ]ers and Bantu subsistence farmers, hunters, and fishers who supported the economy with agriculture, fishing, metal production, and trade with foreign countries. These communities formed the earliest city-states in the region, which were collectively known as ].<ref name="pbs.org">{{Cite web |title=Wonders of the African World |url=https://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_e2.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301223400/http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_e2.htm |archive-date=1 March 2020 |access-date=16 April 2010 |publisher=]}}</ref>
At the outbreak of the ] in August 1914, the governors of ] (as the Protectorate was generally known) and ] agreed a truce in an attempt to keep the young colonies out of direct hostilities. However ] took command of the German military forces, determined to tie down as many British resources as possible. Completely cut off from Germany by the ], von Lettow conducted an effective ] campaign, living off the land, capturing British supplies, and remaining undefeated. He eventually surrendered in ] eleven days after the ] was signed in 1918. To chase von Lettow the British deployed ] troops from ] and then needed large numbers of porters to overcome the formidable logistics of transporting supplies far into the interior by foot. The ] was formed and ultimately mobilised over 400,000 Africans, contributing to their long-term politicisation.
]


By the 1st century CE, many of the ] such as ], ], and ] began to establish trading relations with ]. This led to the increased economic growth of the Swahili states, the introduction of ], ] influences on the Swahili ], ], as well as the Swahili city-states becoming members of a larger trade network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History and Origin of Swahili – Jifunze Kiswahili |url=http://www.swahilihub.com/JifunzeKiswahili/-/1306806/1333292/-/jbyx02z/-/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621021817/http://www.swahilihub.com/JifunzeKiswahili/-/1306806/1333292/-/jbyx02z/-/index.html |archive-date=21 June 2016 |access-date=17 July 2016 |publisher=swahilihub.com}}</ref><ref name="Nanjira">{{Cite book |last=Nanjira |first=Daniel Don |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LZuxGsXVPoMC&pg=PA114 |title=African Foreign Policy and Diplomacy from Antiquity to the 21st Century |date=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9780313379826 |language=en |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415153548/https://books.google.com/books?id=LZuxGsXVPoMC&pg=PA114 |url-status=live }}</ref> Many historians had long believed that the city-states were established by Arab or Persian traders, but archaeological evidence has led scholars to recognise the city-states as an indigenous development which, though subjected to foreign influence due to trade, retained a Bantu cultural core.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Spear, Thomas |year=2000 |title=Early Swahili History Reconsidered |journal=The International Journal of African Historical Studies |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=257–290 |doi=10.2307/220649 |jstor=220649}}</ref>
During the early part of the ], the interior central highlands were settled by British and other European farmers, who became wealthy farming ] and ]. By the 1930s, approximately 30,000 white ]s lived in the area and were offered undue political powers because of their effects on the economy. The area was already home to over a million members of the ] tribe, most of whom had no land claims in European terms (but the land belonged to the ethnic group), and lived as itinerant ]s. To protect their interests, the settlers banned the growing of coffee, introduced a hut ], and the landless were granted less and less land in exchange for their labour. A massive exodus to the cities ensued as their ability to provide a living from the land dwindled.


] evidence has found that the Swahili people were of mixed African and Asian (particularly Persian) ancestry.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Brielle|first1=E. S.|last2=Fleisher|first2=J.|last3=Wynne-Jones|first3=S.|display-authors=etal|year=2023|title=Entwined African and Asian genetic roots of mediaeval peoples of the Swahili coast|journal=Nature|volume=615|issue=7954 |pages=866–873|doi=10.1038/s41586-023-05754-w|doi-access=free|pmid=36991187 |pmc=10060156|bibcode=2023Natur.615..866B }}</ref> The ] was a medieval ] centred at ], in modern-day Tanzania. At its height, its authority stretched over the entire length of the ], including Kenya.<ref>شاكر مصطفى, ''موسوعة دوال العالم الأسلامي ورجالها الجزء الثالث'', (دار العلم للملايين: 1993), p. 1360</ref> Since the 10th century, rulers of Kilwa would go on to build elaborate coral mosques and introduce copper coinage.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nicolini |first=Beatrice |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVwhcDDhHQkC&pg=PA62 |title=Makran, Oman, and Zanzibar: Three-Terminal Cultural Corridor in the Western Indian Ocean, 1799–1856 |date=1 January 2004 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004137806 |page=62 |language=en |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=18 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518180826/https://books.google.com/books?id=kVwhcDDhHQkC&pg=PA62#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 1951, ] became ] in Kenya (coming from ], where he had been Chief Justice and sat in the Supreme Court, ]). He held that position until 1954 when he became an ] of the ]. On the night of the death of ], ] ], Hearne escorted the ], as she then was, to a state dinner at the ], which is now a very popular tourist retreat. It was there that she "went up a princess and came down a Queen".{{Fact|date=March 2007}} She returned immediately to ], accompanied by Hearne.


Swahili, a Bantu language with ], ], and other Middle-Eastern and South Asian ]s, later developed as a '']'' for trade between the different peoples.<ref name="pbs.org" /> Since the turn of the 20th century, Swahili has adopted numerous loanwords and calques from English, many of them originating during English colonial rule.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gower |first=R.H. |date=April 1952 |title=Swahili Borrowings from English |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1156242 |journal=Africa |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=154–157 |doi=10.2307/1156242 |jstor=1156242 |s2cid=146513246 |access-date=13 August 2022 |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813062137/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1156242 |url-status=live }}</ref>
From ] to ], Kenya was under a state of emergency arising from the ] against British rule. The governor requested and obtained British and African troops, including the ]. In ], ] was appointed as director of ] operations. The situation did not improve for lack of intelligence, so ] ] ] was appointed commander-in-chief of the colony's armed forces in May 1953, with the personal backing of ].


===Early Portuguese presence===
The capture of Warũhiũ Itote (a.k.a. ]) on ] ] and the subsequent interrogation led to a better understanding of the Mau Mau command structure. ] opened on ] ] after weeks of planning by the army with the approval of the War Council. The operation effectively placed ] under military siege, and the occupants were screened and the Mau Mau supporters moved to ]s. May 1953 also saw the ] officially recognized as a branch of the Security Forces. The Home Guard formed the core of the government's anti-Mau Mau strategy as it was composed of ] Africans, not foreign forces like the ] and ]. By the end of the emergency the ] had killed no fewer than 4,686 Mau Mau, amounting to 42% of the total insurgents. The capture of ] on ] ] in ] signified the ultimate defeat of the ] and essentially ended the military offensive.
] in Kenya lasted from 1498 until 1730. ] was under Portuguese rule from 1593 to 1698 and again from 1728 to 1729.]]
The Swahili built Mombasa into a major port city and established trade links with other nearby city-states, as well as commercial centres in Persia, Arabia, and even India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Alsayyad, Nezar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6u3CRDloG-YC&pg=PA22 |title=Hybrid Urbanism |date=30 March 2001 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-275-96612-6 |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=18 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518180717/https://books.google.com/books?id=6u3CRDloG-YC&pg=PA22 |url-status=live }}</ref> By the 15th century, Portuguese voyager ] claimed that "Mombasa is a place of great traffic and has a good harbour in which there are always moored small craft of many kinds and also great ships, both of which are bound from Sofala and others which come from Cambay and Melinde and others which sail to the island of Zanzibar."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ali, Shanti Sadiq |url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=3CPc22nMqIC|page=24}} |title=The African Dispersal in the Deccan |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=1996 |isbn=978-81-250-0485-1}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


In the 17th century, the Swahili coast was conquered and came under the direct rule of the ], who expanded the ] to meet the demands of plantations in ] and ].<ref>" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602182633/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/548305/slavery/24157/Slave-societies |date=2 June 2015 }}". ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Online.</ref> Initially, these traders came mainly from Oman, but later many came from Zanzibar (such as ]).<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119091452/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/data/2001/10/01/html/ft_20011001.6.html |date=19 January 2018 }}. ''National Geographic''.</ref> In addition, the Portuguese started buying slaves from the Omani and Zanzibari traders in response to the interruption of the transatlantic slave trade by British abolitionists.
=== Post-colonial history ===


Throughout the centuries, the Kenyan coast has played host to many merchants and explorers. Among the cities that line the Kenyan coast is Malindi. It has remained an important Swahili settlement since the 14th century and once rivalled Mombasa for dominance in the African Great Lakes region. Malindi has traditionally been a friendly port city for foreign powers. In 1414, the Chinese trader and explorer ], representing the ], visited the East African coast on one of his last ']'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PBS website |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/ancient-chinese-explorers.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008050639/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/ancient-chinese-explorers.html |archive-date=8 October 2015 |access-date=12 October 2015 |website=]|date=16 January 2001 }}</ref> Malindi authorities also welcomed the Portuguese explorer ] in 1498.
]]]
The first direct elections for Africans to the Legislative Council took place in 1957. Despite British hopes of handing power to "moderate" African rivals, it was the ] (KANU) of ], that formed a government shortly before Kenya became independent on ] ].
In the same year the Kenyan army fought the ] against Somali ethnics determined to see ] join with the Republic of Somalia, the Shifta's inflicted heavy casualties on the Kenyan armed forces but were defeated in 1967.


===18th and 19th centuries===
Kenya, fearing an invasion from militarily stronger Somalia, signed a defence pact with ] in 1969 which is still intact . Suffering from droughts and floods NFD is the least developed region in Kenya. However, throughout the 1990s wealthy Somali refugees turned businessmen have transformed ] from a residential community to the commercial centre of Eastlands, and increasingly much of Nairobi.


During the 18th and 19th century C.E, the ] moved into central and southern ] plains of Kenya, from a region north of Lake Rudolf (now ]). Although there were not many, they managed to conquer a great amount of land, in the plains where people did not put up much resistance.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} The ] peoples managed to oppose the Masai, while the Taveta peoples fled to the forests on the eastern edge of ], although they later were forced to leave the land due to the threat of ]. An outbreak of either ] or ] greatly affected the Masai's cattle, while an epidemic of smallpox affected the Masai themselves. After the death of the Masai ], the chief ''laibon'' (medicine man), the Masai split into warring factions. The Masai caused much strife in the areas they conquered; however, cooperation between such groups as the ], ], and ] is evidenced by shared vocabulary for modern implements and similar economic regimes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ndeda |first=Mildred |year=2019 |title=Population movement, settlement and the construction of society to the east of Lake Victoria in precolonial times: the western Kenyan case |url=https://journals.openedition.org/eastafrica/473 |journal=The East African Review |issue=52 |pages=83–108 |doi=10.4000/eastafrica.473 |s2cid=198396394 |doi-access=free |access-date=13 August 2022 |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813063130/https://journals.openedition.org/eastafrica/473 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although Arab traders remained in the area, trade routes were disrupted by the hostile Masai, though there was trade in ivory between these factions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Beachey |first=R.W. |date=1967 |title=The East African Ivory Trade in the Nineteenth Century |journal=The Journal of African History |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=269–290 |doi=10.1017/S0021853700007052 |s2cid=162882930}}</ref> The first foreigners to successfully get past the Masai were ] and ], two German missionaries who established a mission in ], not too far from ]. The pair were the first Europeans to sight ].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Johannes Rebmann |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johannes-Rebmann |access-date=15 August 2022 |edition=Online |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813063129/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johannes-Rebmann |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 1964, Kenyatta became Kenya's first president. At Kenyatta's death in 1978, ] became President. Daniel arap Moi retained the Presidency, being unopposed in elections held in 1979, 1983 (]s) and 1988, all of which were held under the single party constitution. The 1983 elections were held a year early, and were a direct result of ] on August 1, 1982.


===German Protectorate (1885–1890)===
The abortive coup was masterminded by a lowly ranked Air Force serviceman, Senior Private Hezekiah Ochuka and was staged mainly by enlisted men in the Air Force. The attempt was quickly suppressed by Loyalist forces led by the Army, the General Service Unit (GSU) — paramilitary wing of the police — and later the regular police, but not without civilian casualties. This event led to the disbanding of the entire Air Force and a large number of its former members were either dismissed or court-martialled.
The colonial history of Kenya dates from the establishment of a ] protectorate over the Sultan of ]'s coastal possessions in 1885, followed by the arrival of the ] in 1888. Imperial rivalry was prevented by the ], Germany handed its East African coastal holdings to Britain in 1890.


===British Kenya (1888–1962)===
The election held in 1988 saw the advent of the ''mlolongo'' (queuing) system where voters were supposed to line up behind their favoured candidates instead of secret ballot. This was seen as the climax of a very undemocratic regime and it led to widespread agitation for constitutional reform. Several contentious clauses, including the one allowing only one political party were changed in the following years. In democratic, multiparty elections in 1992 and 1997, Daniel arap Moi won re-election. In 2002, Moi was constitutionally barred from running, and ], running for the opposition coalition "National Rainbow Coalition" — ], was elected President. The elections, judged free and fair by local and international observers, marked a turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution. This year we expect another showdown between the incumbent and ] presidential aspirant Raila Odinga. Kenya is one of the most politically distinguished countries in Africa.
{{main|Kenya Colony}}
] in 1909]]
The transfer by Germany to Britain was followed by the building of the ] passing through the country.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">Encyclopædia Britannica</ref>


The building of the railway was resisted by some ethnic groups—notably the ], led by '']'' ] from 1890 to 1900—but the British eventually built it. The ''Nandi'' were the first ethnic group to be put in a native reserve to stop them from disrupting the building of the railway.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica" />
== Politics ==


During the railway construction era, there was a significant influx of Indian workers, who provided the bulk of the skilled labour required for construction.<ref name="R. Mugo Gatheru 2005">] (2005) ''Kenya: From Colonization to Independence, 1888–1970'', McFarland, {{ISBN|0-7864-2199-1}}</ref> They and most of their descendants later remained in Kenya and formed the core of several distinct Indian communities, such as the ] and ] communities. While building the railway through ], a number of the Indian railway workers and local African labourers were attacked by two lions known as the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ismaili muslim |url=http://www.magicalkenya.com/default.nsf/doc21/4YQ4W3FZEI64?opendocument&l=1&e=7&s=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103151208/http://www.magicalkenya.com/default.nsf/doc21/4YQ4W3FZEI64?opendocument&l=1&e=7&s=1 |archive-date=3 January 2009 |access-date=16 April 2010 |publisher=Magicalkenya.com}}</ref>
{{main|Politics of Kenya}}
]]]
Politics of Kenya takes place in a framework of a ] ] ], whereby the ] is both ] and ], and of a pluriform multi-party system. ] is exercised by the government. ] is vested in both the ] and the ]. The ] is independent of the executive and the legislature.


At the outbreak of ] in August 1914, the governors of ] (as the protectorate was generally known) and ] initially agreed on a truce in an attempt to keep the young colonies out of direct hostilities. But Lieutenant Colonel ], the German military commander, determined to tie down as many British resources as possible. Completely cut off from Germany, Lettow-Vorbeck conducted ], living off the land, capturing British supplies, and remaining undefeated. He eventually surrendered in ] (today Zambia) 14 days after the Armistice was signed in 1918.<ref name="R. Mugo Gatheru 2005" />
Since independence, Kenya has maintained remarkable stability despite changes in its political system and crises in neighbouring countries. A cross-party parliamentary reform initiative in the fall of 1997 revised some oppressive laws inherited from the colonial era that had been used to limit freedom of speech and assembly. This improved public freedoms and contributed to generally credible national elections in December 1997.


] near ], about 1899]]
In December 2002, Kenyans held democratic and open elections, most of which were judged free and fair by international observers. The 2002 elections marked an important turning point in Kenya’s democratic evolution in that power was transferred peacefully from the Kenya African Union (KANU), which had ruled the country since independence to the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc), a coalition of political parties.
To chase von Lettow, the British deployed the ] troops from India but needed large numbers of porters to overcome the formidable logistics of transporting supplies far into the interior on foot. The ] was formed and ultimately mobilised over 400,000 Africans, contributing to their long-term politicisation.<ref name="R. Mugo Gatheru 2005" />


In 1920, the East Africa Protectorate was turned into a colony and renamed Kenya after its highest mountain.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica" />
Under the presidency of Mwai Kibaki, the new ruling coalition promised to focus its efforts on generating economic growth, combating corruption, improving education, and rewriting its constitution. Most of these promises have been met. There is free primary education. From next year, secondary education will be almost free, with the government footing all tuition fees. Under president Kibaki, the democratic space has expanded. The media is freer than before. Kenyans can associate and express themselves without fearing being harassed by security agents as it used to be the case during the Moi administration. In November 2005, the Kenyan electorate resoundingly defeated a ] supported by Parliament and President Kibaki. Kibaki responded by dismissing his entire cabinet. Kibaki eventually appointed a new slate of ministers.


During the early part of the 20th century, the interior central highlands were settled by British and other European farmers, who became wealthy farming coffee and tea.<ref>. ''Time''. 5 November 1965</ref> One depiction of this period of change from a colonist's perspective is found in the memoir '']'' by Danish author Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, published in 1937. By the 1930s, approximately 30,000 white settlers lived in the area and gained a political voice because of their contribution to the market economy.<ref name="R. Mugo Gatheru 2005" />
The ] were held on December 27, 2007. In them, President Kibaki under the ] ran for re-election against against the main opposition party, the ] (ODM). After a split which would take a crucial 8% of the votes away from the ODM to the newly formed ] (ODM-K)'s candidate, ], the race tightened between ODM candidate ] and ]. As the count came in to the Kenyan Election Commission, Odinga was shown to have a slight, and then substantial lead. However, as the KEC continued to count the votes, Kibaki closed the gap and then overtook his opponent by a substantial margin. This lead to protests and riots, and Odinga declaring himself the "people's president" and calling for a recount and Kibaki to resign. More information is available in ].


The central highlands were already home to over a million members of the Kikuyu people, most of whom had no land claims in European terms and lived as itinerant farmers. To protect their interests, the settlers banned the growing of coffee and introduced a hut tax, and the landless were granted less and less land in exchange for their labour. A massive exodus to the cities ensued as their ability to make a living from the land dwindled.<ref name="R. Mugo Gatheru 2005" /> By the 1950s, there were 80,000 ] living in Kenya.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Firestone |first=Matthew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R-r3g6OdLEUC&pg=PA28 |title=Kenya |date=15 September 2010 |publisher=Lonely Planet Publications |isbn=9781742203553 |page=28 |language=en |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=18 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518180737/https://books.google.com/books?id=R-r3g6OdLEUC&pg=PA28 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Country subdivisions ==


Throughout ], ] an important source of manpower and agriculture for the United Kingdom. Kenya itself was the site of ] between Allied forces and Italian troops in 1940–41, when Italian forces invaded. ] and ] were bombed as well.
]
{{main|Provinces of Kenya|Districts of Kenya|Divisions of Kenya}}
Kenya comprises 8 ] each headed by a Provincial Commissioner (centrally appointed by the president). The provinces (''mkoa'' singular ''mikoa'' plural in ]) are subdivided into ] (]). There were 69 districts as of 1999 census. Districts are then subdivided into 497 ] (''taarafa''). The divisions are then subdivided into 2,427 ] (''kata'') and then 6,612 sublocations (''kata ndogo'') <ref>Central Bureaus of Statistics (Kenya): </ref>. The City of Nairobi enjoys the status of a full administrative province. The government supervises administration of districts and provinces. The provinces are:


===Mau Mau Uprising===
<div style="width:50%; -moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
{{Further|Mau Mau Uprising}}
# ]
], a Kenyan leader with the ] who fought against the British colonial system in the 1950s]]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
</div>


From October 1952 to December 1959, Kenya was in a state of emergency arising from the ] against British rule. The Mau Mau, also known as the Kenya Land and Freedom Army, were primarily ] people. During the colonial administration's crackdown, over 11,000 freedom fighters had been killed, along with 100 British troops and 2,000 Kenyan loyalist soldiers. War crimes were committed on both sides of the conflict, including the publicised ] and the ]. The governor requested and obtained British and African troops, including the ]. The British began counter-insurgency operations. In May 1953, General Sir ] took charge as commander-in-chief of the colony's armed forces, with the personal backing of ].<ref name="Wunyabari O. Maloba 1993">Maloba, Wunyabari O. (1993) ''Mau Mau and Kenya: An Analysis of Peasant Revolt'', Indiana University Press, 0852557450.</ref>
Local governance in Kenya is practised through ]. Many urban centres host city, municipal or town councils. Local authorities in rural areas are known as county councils. Local councillors are elected by civic elections, held alongside general elections.


The capture of ] (nom de guerre ''"General China"'') on 15 January 1954 and the subsequent interrogation led to a better understanding of the Mau Mau command structure for the British. ] opened on 24 April 1954, after weeks of planning by the army with the approval of the War Council. The operation effectively placed Nairobi under military siege. Nairobi's occupants were screened and suspected Mau Mau supporters moved to detention camps. More than 80,000 Kikuyu were ] without trial, often subject to brutal treatment.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 August 2016 |title=Uncovering the brutal truth about the British empire |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/aug/18/uncovering-truth-british-empire-caroline-elkins-mau-mau |url-status=live |access-date=22 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601152655/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/aug/18/uncovering-truth-british-empire-caroline-elkins-mau-mau |archive-date=1 June 2019}}</ref> The Home Guard formed the core of the government's strategy as it was composed of loyalist Africans, not foreign forces such as the ] and King's African Rifles.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Mau Mau |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mau-Mau |access-date=15 August 2022 |edition=Online |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813063630/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mau-Mau |url-status=live }}</ref>
Constituencies are an electoral subdivision. There are 210 ] <ref>Kenya Roads Board </ref>.


The capture of ] on 21 October 1956 in ] signified the ultimate defeat of the Mau Mau and essentially ended the military offensive.<ref name="Wunyabari O. Maloba 1993" /> During this period, substantial governmental changes to land tenure occurred. The most important of these was the ], which was used to both reward loyalists and punish Mau Mau. This left roughly 1/3rd of Kikuyu bereft of any tenancy land arrangement and thus propertyless at the time of independence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anderson |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9-LhkJxuaXYC |title=Histories of the Hanged: The Dirty War in Kenya and the End of Empire |publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson |year=2005 |isbn=0-393-05986-3 |location=London |access-date=13 August 2022 |archive-date=18 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518180724/https://books.google.com/books?id=9-LhkJxuaXYC |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Population of major cities===
{|class="wikitable"
!City!!Population
|-
| ] ||2,510,800
|-
| ] ||707,400
|-
| ] ||337,200
|-
| ] ||273,400


===Somalis of Kenya referendum, 1962===
|-
{{Further|Somalis in Kenya}}
| ] ||249,100
Before Kenya got its independence, ] in the areas of ] petitioned Her Majesty's Government not to be included in Kenya. The colonial government decided to hold Kenya's first referendum in 1962 to check the willingness of ] to join ].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Castagno |first=A. A. |year=1964 |title=The Somali-Kenyan Controversy: Implications for the Future |journal=The Journal of Modern African Studies |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=165–188 |doi=10.1017/S0022278X00003980 |jstor=158817 |s2cid=154443409}}</ref>
|-
| ] ||213,000
|-
| ] ||179,500
|-
|-
| ] ||140900
|-


The result of the referendum showed that 86% of Somalis in Kenya wanted to join ], yet the British colonial administration rejected the result and the Somalis remained in Kenya.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NORTHERN FRONTIER DISTRICT OF KENYA (Hansard, 3 April 1963) |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1963/apr/03/northern-frontier-district-of-kenya |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015183914/https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1963/apr/03/northern-frontier-district-of-kenya |archive-date=15 October 2019 |access-date=31 December 2019 |website=api.parliament.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya, 1962: Enumeration Forms in English |url=https://www.waikato.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/117476/Kenya-1962-en.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204114833/https://www.waikato.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/117476/Kenya-1962-en.pdf |archive-date=4 February 2019 |access-date=2020-05-24}}</ref>
|}


== Geography == ===Independence===
]]]
{{main|Geography of Kenya}}
At 224,961&nbsp;] (582,646&nbsp;]), Kenya is the world's forty-seventh largest country (after ]).


The first direct elections for native Kenyans to the Legislative Council took place in 1957.
From the coast on the ] the Low plains rise to central highlands. The highlands are bisected by the ]; a fertile plateau in the west. The Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa. The highlands are the site of the highest point in Kenya (and the second highest in Africa): ], which reaches 5,199&nbsp;meters (17,057&nbsp;]) and is also the site of glaciers. Climate varies from ] along the coast to ] in the interior. There is also ] (19,341 ft) which is located on the Kenya- Tanzania border.


Despite British hopes of handing power to "moderate" local rivals, it was the ] (KANU) of ] that formed a government. The Colony of Kenya and the Protectorate of Kenya each came to an end on 12 December 1963, with independence conferred on all of Kenya. The U.K. ceded sovereignty over the Colony of Kenya. The Sultan of Zanzibar agreed that simultaneous with independence for the colony, he would cease to have sovereignty over the Protectorate of Kenya so that all of Kenya would become one sovereign state.<ref name="Kenneth Roberts-Wray 1966. P. 762">"Commonwealth and Colonial Law" by ], London, Stevens, 1966. P. 762</ref><ref>HC Deb 22 November 1963 vol 684 cc1329-400 wherein the UK Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and for the Colonies stated: "An agreement was then signed on the 8th October 1963, providing that on the date when Kenya became independent the territories comprising the Kenya Coastal Strip would become part of Kenya proper."</ref> In this way, Kenya became an independent country under the Kenya Independence Act 1963 of the United Kingdom. On 12 December 1964, Kenya became a republic under the name "Republic of Kenya".<ref name="Kenneth Roberts-Wray 1966. P. 762" />
== Environment ==
{{seealso|Environmental issues in Kenya}}
Kenya has considerable land area of ] habitat, including the ], where ] and other ]s participate in a large scale annual migration. Up to 250,000 blue wildebeest perish each year in the long and arduous movement to find forage in the dry season. The ] animals of Africa can also be found in Kenya: the ], ], ], ] and ]. A significant population of other wild animals, reptiles and birds can be found in the national parks and game reserves in the country. The environment of Kenya is threatened by high population growth and its side effects.


Concurrently, the Kenyan army fought the ] against ethnic Somali rebels inhabiting the ] who wanted to join their kin in the ] to the north.<ref>Bruce Baker, ''Escape from Domination in Africa: Political Disengagement & Its Consequences'', (Africa World Press: 2003), p.83</ref> A ceasefire was eventually reached with the signing of the Arusha Memorandum in October 1967, but relative insecurity prevailed through 1969.<ref name="Hogg1986">{{Cite journal |last=Hogg |first=Richard |year=1986 |title=The New Pastoralism: Poverty and Dependency in Northern Kenya |journal=Africa: Journal of the International African Institute |volume=56 |issue=3 |pages=319–333 |doi=10.2307/1160687 |jstor=1160687 |s2cid=146312775}}</ref><ref name="Howell1968">{{Cite journal |last=Howell |first=John |date=May 1968 |title=An Analysis of Kenyan Foreign Policy |journal=The Journal of Modern African Studies |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=29–48 |doi=10.1017/S0022278X00016657 |jstor=158675 |s2cid=154605094}}</ref> To discourage further invasions, Kenya signed a defence pact with ] in 1969, which is still in effect.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–6, Documents on Africa, 1973–1976 - Office of the Historian |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76ve06/d183 |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=history.state.gov |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326162911/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76ve06/d183 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kabukuru |first=Wanjohi |date=2015-02-26 |title=The Kenya-Ethiopia Defence Pact: Is Somalia a pawn? |url=https://newafricanmagazine.com/10026/ |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=New African Magazine |language=en-GB |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326162913/https://newafricanmagazine.com/10026/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Climate ==
]]]
Kenya enjoys a tropical climate. It is hot and humid at the coast, temperate inland and very dry in the north and northeast parts of the country. There is however a lot of rain between the months March and May.The temperature does remain high throughout these months.


===First presidency===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
{{Further|Presidency of Jomo Kenyatta|Jomo Kenyatta}}
|+ {{resize|110%|Average annual temperatures}}
On 12 December 1964, the Republic of Kenya was proclaimed, and ] became Kenya's first president.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations |year=2002 |title=Kenya at the United Nations |url=http://kenyaun.org/polhistory.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608141216/http://kenyaun.org/polhistory.html |archive-date=8 June 2009 |access-date=15 February 2010 |publisher=Consulate General of Kenya in New York}}</ref> Under Kenyatta, corruption became widespread throughout the government, civil service, and business community. Kenyatta and his family were tied up with this corruption as they enriched themselves through the mass purchase of property after 1963. Their acquisitions in the Central, Rift Valley, and Coast Provinces aroused great anger among landless Kenyans. His family used his presidential position to circumvent legal or administrative obstacles to acquiring property. The Kenyatta family also heavily invested in the coastal hotel business, with Kenyatta personally owning the Leonard Beach Hotel.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Boone |first=Catherine |date=April 2012 |title=Land Conflict and Distributive Politics in Kenya |url=https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/2152/19778/2/Boone_AfricanStudiesReview.pdf |journal=African Studies Review |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=75–103 |doi=10.1353/arw.2012.0010 |issn=0002-0206 |s2cid=154334560 |hdl-access=free |hdl=2152/19778}}</ref>
!colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"| City

! Elevation (m) !! Max (°C) !! Min (°C)
Kenyatta's mixed legacy was highlighted at the 10-year anniversary of Kenya's independence. A December 1973 article in '']'' praised Kenyatta's leadership and Kenya for emerging as a model of pragmatism and conservatism. Kenya's GDP had increased at an annual rate of 6.6%, higher than the population growth rate of more than 3%.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Times |first=Charles Mohr Special to The New York |date=16 December 1973 |title=Kenya, 10 Years Independent, Emerges as a Model of Stability (Published 1973) |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/16/archives/kenya-10-years-independent-emerges-as-a-model-of-stability-the.html |url-status=live |access-date=19 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127081501/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/16/archives/kenya-10-years-independent-emerges-as-a-model-of-stability-the.html |archive-date=27 November 2020}}</ref> But ] responded to the article by stating the cost of the stability in terms of human rights abuses. The opposition party started by ]—] (KPU)—was banned in 1969 after the ] and KPU leaders were still in detention without trial in gross violation of the ].<ref name="sproul">{{Cite news |date=16 January 1974 |title=Letters to the Editor (Published 1974) |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/01/16/archives/letters-to-the-editor-birth-rates-and-energy-use-the-questionable.html |url-status=live |access-date=19 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130233151/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/01/16/archives/letters-to-the-editor-birth-rates-and-energy-use-the-questionable.html |archive-date=30 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Amnesty International Annual Report 1973-1974. Available from |date=January 1974 |url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/POL100011974ENGLISH.PDF |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121125801/https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/POL100011974ENGLISH.PDF |archive-date=21 January 2021 |access-date=19 November 2020}}</ref> The Kenya Students Union, ] and all opposition parties were outlawed.<ref name=sproul/> Kenyatta ruled until his death on 22 August 1978.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ndegwa |first=Stephen N. |date=1999 |title=Multi-Party Politics in Kenya: the Kenyatta and Moi States and the Triumph of the System in the 1992 Election (review) |journal=Africa Today |volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=146–148 |doi=10.1353/at.1999.0008 |issn=1527-1978 |s2cid=145810474}}</ref>
|-

|align="left" | Mombasa{{nbsp|2}}
===Moi era===
|align="center"| {{smaller|coastal town}}
{{Further|Daniel arap Moi|Presidency of Daniel Moi|1978 Kenyan presidential election|1988 Kenyan general election|1992 Kenyan general election}}
| 17 || 30.3 || 22.4
], Kenya's second President, and ], 2001]]
|-
After Kenyatta died, ] became president. He retained the presidency, running unopposed in elections held in 1979, 1983 (]s), and 1988, all of which were held under the single-party constitution. The 1983 elections were held a year early, and were a direct result of ] on 2 August 1982.
|align="left" | Nairobi

|align="center"| {{smaller|capital city}}
The 1982 coup was masterminded by a low-ranking Air Force serviceman, Senior Private ], and was staged mainly by enlisted men of the Air Force. It was quickly suppressed by forces commanded by Chief of General Staff ], a veteran Somali military official.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3MctAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA12 |title=Society |publisher=Nyamora Communications Limited |year=1992 |page=12 |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=6 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506160202/https://books.google.com/books?id=3MctAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA12 |url-status=live }}</ref> They included the General Service Unit (GSU)—a paramilitary wing of the police—and later the regular police.
| 1,661 || 25.2 || 13.6

|-
On the heels of the ] of 1980, Kenyan troops committed the ] in 1984 against thousands of civilians in ]. An official probe into the atrocities was later ordered in 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 February 2011 |title=Wagalla massacre: Raila Odinga orders Kenya probe |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12463001 |url-status=live |access-date=14 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622041516/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12463001 |archive-date=22 June 2014}}</ref>{{clarify|What were the results of the probe?|date=December 2019}}
|align="left" | Eldoret

|align="center"|
The election held in 1988 saw the advent of the ''mlolongo'' (queuing) system, where voters were supposed to line up behind their favoured candidates instead of casting a secret ballot.<ref>Harden, Blaine (25 February 1988) , '']''.</ref> This was seen as the climax of a very undemocratic regime and led to widespread agitation for constitutional reform. Several contentious clauses, including the one that allowed for only one political party, were changed in the following years.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Handbook on Religious Liberty Around the World |publisher=The Rutherford Institute |editor-last=Moreno, Pedro C. |location=Charlottesville, VA |chapter=Kenya |chapter-url=http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/rihand/Kenya.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629014936/http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/rihand/Kenya.html |archive-date=29 June 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 3,085 || 23.6 || 9.5

|-
=== Transition to multiparty democracy ===
|align="left" | Lodwar
In 1991, Kenya transitioned to a multiparty political system after 26 years of single-party rule. On 28 October 1992, Moi dissolved parliament, five months before the end of his term. As a result, preparations began for all elective seats in parliament as well as the president. The election was scheduled to take place on 7 December 1992, but delays led to its postponement to 29 December. Apart from KANU, the ruling party, other parties represented in the elections included ] Kenya and FORD Asili. This election was marked by large-scale intimidation of opponents and harassment of election officials. It resulted in an economic crisis propagated by ethnic violence as the president was accused of rigging electoral results to retain power.<ref name="Keith">{{Cite book |last=Keith. |first=Kyle |title=Politics of the independence of Kenya |date=1999 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0333720080 |oclc=795968156}}</ref><ref name="Goldsworthy">{{Cite journal |last=Goldsworthy |first=David |date=March 1982 |title=Ethnicity and Leadership in Africa: the 'Untypical' Case of Tom Mboya |journal=The Journal of Modern African Studies |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=107–126 |doi=10.1017/s0022278x00000082 |issn=0022-278X |s2cid=154841201}}</ref><ref name="ParliamentKe">{{Cite web |title=KENYA: parliamentary elections National Assembly, 1992 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2167_92.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817091746/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2167_92.htm |archive-date=17 August 2018 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=archive.ipu.org}}</ref> This election was a turning point for Kenya as it signified the beginning of the end of Moi's leadership and the rule of KANU. Moi retained the presidency and ] became vice president. Although it held on to power, KANU won 100 seats and lost 88 seats to the six opposition parties.<ref name=Keith/><ref name="ParliamentKe" />
|align="center"| {{smaller|dry north plainlands}}

| 506 || 34.8 || 23.7
The 1992 elections marked the beginning of multiparty politics after more than 25 years of KANU rule.<ref name="Keith" /> Following skirmishes in the aftermath of the elections, 5,000 people were killed and another 75,000 displaced from their homes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2007 |title=Clashes, elections and land – church keeps watch in Molo |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report/73319/kenya-clashes-elections-and-land-church-keeps-watch-molo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171217115300/http://www.irinnews.org/report/73319/kenya-clashes-elections-and-land-church-keeps-watch-molo |archive-date=17 December 2017 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=IRIN}}</ref> In the next five years, many political alliances were formed in preparation for the next elections. In 1994, ] died and several coalitions joined his FORD Kenya party to form a new party, United National Democratic Alliance. This party was plagued with disagreements. In 1995, ] formed the Safina party, but it was denied registration until November 1997.<ref name="BBCKenyaHist">{{Cite news |date=31 January 2018 |title=Kenya profile |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13682176 |url-status=live |access-date=29 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130010047/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13682176 |archive-date=30 January 2019}}</ref>
|-

|align="left" | Mandera
In 1996, KANU revised the constitution to allow Moi to remain president for another term. Subsequently, Moi stood for reelection and won a 5th term in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya History Timeline – historic overview of Kenya, Africa |url=https://crawfurd.dk/africa/kenya_timeline.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223160656/https://crawfurd.dk/africa/kenya_timeline.htm |archive-date=23 December 2018 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=Crawfurd Homepage}}</ref> His win was strongly criticised by his major opponents, ] and ], as fraudulent.<ref name="BBCKenyaHist" /><ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite journal |last=Anderson |first=David M. |year=2003 |title=Kenya's Elections 2002 – The Dawning of a New Era? |journal=African Affairs |volume=102 |issue=407 |pages=331–342 |doi=10.1093/afraf/adg007}}</ref> Following this win, Moi was constitutionally barred from another presidential term. Beginning in 1998, he attempted to influence the country's succession politics to have ] elected in the 2002 elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=AfricaNews |date=25 October 2017 |title=A look at Kenya's elections history since independence in 1964 |url=http://www.africanews.com/2017/10/25/a-look-at-kenya-s-elections-history-since-independence-in-1964/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130000204/http://www.africanews.com/2017/10/25/a-look-at-kenya-s-elections-history-since-independence-in-1964/ |archive-date=30 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=Africanews}}</ref>
|align="center"| {{smaller|dry north plainlands}}

| 506 || 34.8 || 25.7
===President Kibaki and the road to a new constitution===
|}
{{Further|Mwai Kibaki|Presidency of Mwai Kibaki|2002 Kenyan general election|2007 Kenyan general election}}
Moi's plan to be replaced by Uhuru Kenyatta failed, and ], running for the opposition coalition "National Rainbow Coalition" (]), was elected president. David Anderson (2003) reports the elections were judged free and fair by local and international observers, and seemed to mark a turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

In 2005, Kenyans rejected a plan to replace the 1963 independence constitution with a new one.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Of Oranges and Bananas: The 2005 Kenya Referendum on the Constitution |url=http://www.cmi.no/publications/2368-of-oranges-and-bananas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512022757/http://www.cmi.no/publications/2368-of-oranges-and-bananas |archive-date=12 May 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=CMI – Chr. Michelsen Institute}}</ref> As a result, the elections of 2007 took place following the procedure set by the old constitution. Kibaki was reelected in highly contested elections marred by ]. The main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, claimed the election was rigged and that he was the rightfully elected president. In the ensuing violence, 1,500 people were killed and another 600,000 internally displaced, making it the worst post-election violence in Kenya. To stop the death and displacement of people, Kibaki and Odinga agreed to work together, with the latter taking the position of a prime minister.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 April 2008 |title=Deal to end Kenyan crisis agreed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7344816.stm |url-status=live |access-date=29 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415174110/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7344816.stm |archive-date=15 April 2008}}</ref> This made Odinga ].

In July 2010, Kenya partnered with other East African countries to form the new East African Common Market within the ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 July 2010 |title=FACTBOX-East African common market begins |work=Reuters |url=https://af.reuters.com/article/kenyaNews/idAFLDE65T2AJ20100701 |url-status=dead |access-date=29 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708233236/http://af.reuters.com/article/kenyaNews/idAFLDE65T2AJ20100701 |archive-date=8 July 2010}}</ref> In 2011, ] to Somalia to fight the terror group ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 March 2012 |title=The Standard {{!}} Online Edition :: Somalia government supports Kenyan forces' mission |url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/agriculture/InsidePage.php?id=2000045933&cid=4& |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314153558/http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/agriculture/InsidePage.php?id=2000045933&cid=4& |archive-date=14 March 2012 |access-date=29 January 2019}}</ref> In mid-2011, two consecutive missed rainy seasons precipitated the worst ] in 60 years. The northwestern ] was especially affected,<ref name="RedCross">{{Cite web |last=Koech, Dennis |date=25 July 2011 |title=Red Cross warns of catastrophe in Turkana |url=http://www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=71528 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104173650/http://www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=71528 |archive-date=4 January 2012 |access-date=7 August 2011 |publisher=Kbc.co.ke}}</ref> with local schools shut down as a result.<ref name="Kscafthit">{{Cite web |date=28 July 2011 |title=Kenya: schools close as famine takes hold in Turkana |url=http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=18686 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019172150/http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=18686 |archive-date=19 October 2011 |access-date=7 August 2011 |publisher=Indcatholicnews.com}}</ref> The crisis was reportedly over by early 2012 because of coordinated relief efforts. Aid agencies subsequently shifted their emphasis to recovery initiatives, including digging irrigation canals and distributing plant seeds.<ref name="Unsfisiobrr">Gettleman, Jeffrey (3 February 2012) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107082519/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/world/africa/un-says-famine-in-somalia-is-over-but-risks-remain.html|date=7 November 2016}}. ''The New York Times''.</ref>

In August 2010, Kenyans held a ] and passed ], which limited presidential powers and devolved the central government.<ref name="BBCKenyaHist" /> Following the passage of the new constitution, Kenya became a ] ] republic, whereby the ] is both ] and ], and of a ]. The new constitution also states that ]s are exercised by the executive branch of government, headed by the president, who chairs a cabinet composed of people chosen from outside parliament. ] is vested exclusively in ]. The ] is independent of the executive and the legislature.

===Kenyatta presidency===
{{Main|Uhuru Kenyatta|Presidency of Uhuru Kenyatta}}
] in 2014]]After Kibaki's tenure ended in 2013, Kenya held its ] after the 2010 constitution had been passed. Uhuru Kenyatta won in a disputed election result, leading to a petition by the opposition leader, Raila Odinga. The supreme court upheld the election results and Kenyatta began his term with ] as deputy president. Despite this ruling, the Supreme Court and the ] were seen as powerful institutions that could check the powers of the president.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Supreme Court upholds Uhuru's election as president |url=https://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/1064-1734782-jlg2e7/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130055614/https://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/1064-1734782-jlg2e7/index.html |archive-date=30 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=Daily Nation}}</ref>

In 2017, Kenyatta won a second term in office in another ]. Odinga again petitioned the results in the Supreme Court, accusing the ] of mismanagement of the elections and Kenyatta and his party of rigging. The Supreme Court overturned the election results in what became a landmark ruling in Africa and one of the very few in the world in which the results of a presidential elections were annulled.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burke |first=Jason |date=25 October 2017 |title=Kenya election rerun to go ahead after court fails to rule on delay |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/kenya-presidential-election-rerun-to-go-ahead-supreme-court |url-status=live |access-date=29 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128001939/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/25/kenya-presidential-election-rerun-to-go-ahead-supreme-court |archive-date=28 January 2019 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> This ruling solidified the position of the Supreme Court as an independent body.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 2017 |title=Kenya court decision demonstrates respect for rule of law {{!}} IDLO |url=https://www.idlo.int/kenya-court-decision-demonstrates-respect-rule-of-law |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130110210/https://www.idlo.int/kenya-court-decision-demonstrates-respect-rule-of-law |archive-date=30 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=idlo.int}}</ref> Consequently, Kenya had a second round of elections for the presidential position, in which Kenyatta emerged the winner after Odinga refused to participate, citing irregularities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Standard |title=President Uhuru Kenyatta declared winner of repeat presidential election |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001258851/uhuru-kenyatta-wins-repeat-election-with-7-4-million-votes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130000122/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001258851/uhuru-kenyatta-wins-repeat-election-with-7-4-million-votes |archive-date=30 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019 |website=The Standard}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Jina |date=30 October 2017 |title=President Uhuru Kenyatta declared winner of repeat presidential election |work=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/world/africa/kenya-election-kenyatta-odinga.html |url-status=live |access-date=29 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725033311/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/world/africa/kenya-election-kenyatta-odinga.html |archive-date=25 July 2018}}</ref>

In March 2018, a historic ] between Kenyatta and his longtime opponent Odinga signalled a period of reconciliation followed by economic growth and increased stability.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Tom |date=1 November 2019 |title=Handshake ends crisis and leads to signs of progress in Kenya |url=https://www.ft.com/content/59339450-d555-11e9-8d46-8def889b4137 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514095330/https://www.ft.com/content/59339450-d555-11e9-8d46-8def889b4137 |archive-date=14 May 2021 |access-date=27 June 2021 |website=Financial Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-31 |title=The Handshake that Shaped a Nation |url=https://kenyaconnection.org/the-handshake-that-shaped-a-nation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423095259/https://kenyaconnection.org/the-handshake-that-shaped-a-nation/ |archive-date=23 April 2021 |access-date=2021-06-21 |website=Kenya Connection |language=en-US}}</ref> Between 2019 and 2021, Kenyatta and Odinga combined efforts to promote major changes to the Kenyan constitution, labelled the "Building Bridges Initiative" (BBI), saying that their efforts were to improve inclusion and overcome the country's winner-take-all election system that often resulted in post-election violence.<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc">Omondi, Ferdinand: {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514132005/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57094387 |date=14 May 2021 }} 14 May 2021, ] (Africa), retrieved 14 May 2021</ref><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters">Miriri, Duncan: {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514144827/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-politics-idAFKBN2CU24L |date=14 May 2021 }} 13 May 2021, ], retrieved 14 May 2021</ref> The BBI proposal called for broad expansion of the legislative and executive branches, including the creation of a ] with two deputies and an official leader of the opposition, reverting to selecting cabinet ministers from among the elected Members of Parliament, establishment of up to 70 new ], and addition of up to 300 unelected members of Parliament (under an "]" plan).<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc" /><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters" />

Critics saw this as an unnecessary attempt to reward political dynasties and blunt the efforts of Deputy President ] (Odinga's rival for the next presidency) and bloat the government at an exceptional cost to the debt-laded country.<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc" /><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters" /> Ultimately, in May 2021, the Kenyan High Court ruled that the BBI constitutional reform effort was unconstitutional, because it was not truly a ], but rather an effort of the government.<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc" /><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters" /> The court sharply criticized Kenyatta for the attempt, laying out grounds for his being sued, personally, or even ] (though the Parliament, which had passed the BBI, was unlikely to do that). The ruling was seen as a major defeat for both Kenyatta (soon to leave office), and Odinga (expected to seek the presidency), but a boon to Odinga's future presidential-election rival, Ruto.<ref name="bbi_blocked_2021_05_14_bbc" /><ref name="kenyan_court_2021_05_13_reuters" /> On 20 August 2021, Kenya's Court of Appeal again upheld the High Court Judgment of May 2021, which was appealed by the BBI Secretariat.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 August 2021 |title=Kenyan court rejects disputed bid to change constitution |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/20/kenyan-court-rejects-disputed-bid-to-change-constitution |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826074033/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/20/kenyan-court-rejects-disputed-bid-to-change-constitution |archive-date=26 August 2021 |access-date=27 August 2021 |website=Aljazeera}}</ref>

=== Ruto presidency ===

In August 2022, Deputy President ] narrowly won the ] He took 50.5% of the vote. His main rival, Raila Odinga, got 48.8% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 August 2022 |title=Kenya election result: William Ruto wins presidential poll |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-62554210 |access-date=19 August 2022 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815164106/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-62554210 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 13 September 2022, William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's fifth president.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Obulutsa |first1=George |last2=Mersie |first2=Ayenat |date=13 September 2022 |title=William Ruto sworn in as Kenya's fifth president |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/william-ruto-be-sworn-kenyas-president-2022-09-13/ |access-date=13 September 2022 |archive-date=5 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005113113/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/william-ruto-be-sworn-kenyas-president-2022-09-13/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2024, Ruto and the ] coalition faced ] over the ].<ref>{{Cite news | url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Scqw5epho | title = Protests in Nairobi over Kenya government's tax hikes BBC News }}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Kenya}}
].]]
] map of Kenya]]

At {{convert|580367|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},<ref name="cia">{{Cite web |last=Central Intelligence Agency |author-link=Central Intelligence Agency |year=2012 |title=Kenya |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kenya/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124224025/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kenya/ |archive-date=24 January 2021 |access-date=28 May 2013 |website=]}}</ref> Kenya is the world's 47th-largest country (after ]). It lies between latitudes ] and ], and longitudes ] and ]. From the coast on the Indian Ocean, the low plains rise to central highlands which are bisected by the ], and fertile plateaus lie on either side, around ] and to the east.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Murayama |first1=Yuji |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C_6ODgAAQBAJ&dq=Kenya+fertile+plateau+east&pg=PA296 |title=Urban Development in Asia and Africa: Geospatial Analysis of Metropolises |last2=Kamusoko |first2=Courage |last3=Yamashita |first3=Akio |last4=Estoque |first4=Ronald C. |date=2017-03-29 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-981-10-3241-7 |language=en |access-date=27 March 2023 |archive-date=6 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506160203/https://books.google.com/books?id=C_6ODgAAQBAJ&dq=Kenya+fertile+plateau+east&pg=PA296 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Stokes |first=Jamie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=stl97FdyRswC&dq=Kenya+fertile+plateau+east&pg=PA364 |title=Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-2676-0 |language=en |access-date=27 March 2023 |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415153550/https://books.google.com/books?id=stl97FdyRswC&dq=Kenya+fertile+plateau+east&pg=PA364 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Kenyan Highlands are one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=CIA |title=The World Factbook |publisher=Potomac Books, Inc. |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59797-541-4 |page=336}}</ref> The highlands are the site of the highest point in Kenya and the second highest peak on the continent: ], which reaches a height of {{convert|5199|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} and is the site of glaciers. ] ({{convert|5895|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) can be seen from Kenya to the south of the Tanzanian border.

===Climate===
Kenya's climate varies from tropical along the coast to temperate inland to ] in the north and northeast parts of the country. The area receives a great deal of sunshine every month. It is usually cool at night and early in the morning inland at higher elevations.

The "long rains" season occurs from March/April to May/June. The "short rains" season occurs from October to November/December. The rainfall is sometimes heavy and often falls in the afternoons and evenings. Climate change is altering the natural pattern of the rainfall period, causing an extension of the short rains, which has begat floods,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Salih |first=Mohamed |title=Local Climate Change and Society |publisher=Routledge |year=2012 |isbn=9780415627153 |page=119}}</ref> and reducing the drought cycle from every ten years to annual events, producing strong droughts such as the ].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Peck |first1=Dannele E. |title=Climate Variability and Water Dependent Sectors: Impacts and Potential Adaptations |last2=Peterson |first2=Jeffrey M. |publisher=Routledge |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-317-61427-2}}</ref>

The temperature remains high throughout these months of tropical rain. The hottest period is February and March, leading into the season of the long rains, and the coldest is in July, until mid-August.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Kenya climate: average weather, temperature, precipitation, best time |url=https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/kenya |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802230142/https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/kenya |archive-date=2 August 2020 |access-date=2020-01-15 |website=climatestotravel.com}}</ref>
{{Excerpt|Climate change in Kenya|paragraphs=1–2|file=none|hat=no}}

===Wildlife===
{{Main|Wildlife of Kenya|Environmental issues in Kenya}}

Kenya has considerable land area devoted to ] habitats, including the ], where ] and other ]s participate in a large-scale ]. More than one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras participate in the migration across the ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 January 2012 |title=Wildebeest Migration |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wildebeest-migration/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612175545/http://nationalgeographic.org/media/wildebeest-migration/ |archive-date=12 June 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=National Geographic Society}}</ref>

The ] game animals of Africa, that is the ], ], ], ], and ], can be found in Kenya and in the Masai Mara in particular. A significant population of other wild animals, reptiles, and birds can be found in the ] and game reserves in the country. The annual animal migration occurs between June and September, with millions of animals taking part, attracting valuable foreign tourism. Two million wildebeest migrate a distance of {{convert|2900|km|0|abbr=out}} from the ] in neighbouring Tanzania to the Masai Mara<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bashir |first=Hanif |title=Masai Mara Safari – The Migration &#124; Tour Packages |date=27 May 2015 |url=https://www.kenyatraveltips.com/masai-mara-safari/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302014643/https://www.kenyatraveltips.com/masai-mara-safari/ |archive-date=2 March 2021 |access-date=3 March 2021}}</ref> in Kenya, in a constant clockwise fashion, searching for food and water supplies. This Serengeti Migration of the wildebeest is listed among the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pflanz |first=Mike |date=2010-06-13 |title=New road threatens Africa's 'wonder of the world' wildebeest migration |language=en-GB |work=Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tanzania/7824876/New-road-threatens-Africas-wonder-of-the-world-wildebeest-migration.html |url-status=live |access-date=2020-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115133738/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tanzania/7824876/New-road-threatens-Africas-wonder-of-the-world-wildebeest-migration.html |archive-date=15 January 2020 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

Kenya had a 2019 ] mean score of 4.2/10, ranking it 133rd globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{Cite journal |last1=Grantham |first1=H. S. |last2=Duncan |first2=A. |last3=Evans |first3=T. D. |last4=Jones |first4=K. R. |last5=Beyer |first5=H. L. |last6=Schuster |first6=R. |last7=Walston |first7=J. |last8=Ray |first8=J. C. |last9=Robinson |first9=J. G. |last10=Callow |first10=M. |last11=Clements |first11=T. |last12=Costa |first12=H. M. |last13=DeGemmis |first13=A. |last14=Elsen |first14=P. R. |last15=Ervin |first15=J. |year=2020 |title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material |journal=Nature Communications |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=5978 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3 |issn=2041-1723 |pmc=7723057 |pmid=33293507 |doi-access=free |last16=Franco |first16=P. |last17=Goldman |first17=E. |last18=Goetz |first18=S. |last19=Hansen |first19=A. |last20=Hofsvang |first20=E. |last21=Jantz |first21=P. |last22=Jupiter |first22=S. |last23=Kang |first23=A. |last24=Langhammer |first24=P. |last25=Laurance |first25=W. F. |last26=Lieberman |first26=S. |last27=Linkie |first27=M. |last28=Malhi |first28=Y. |last29=Maxwell |first29=S. |last30=Mendez |first30=M. |last31=Mittermeier |first31=R. |last32=Murray |first32=N. J. |last33=Possingham |first33=H. |last34=Radachowsky |first34=J. |last35=Saatchi |first35=S. |last36=Samper |first36=C. |last37=Silverman |first37=J. |last38=Shapiro |first38=A. |last39=Strassburg |first39=B. |last40=Stevens |first40=T. |last41=Stokes |first41=E. |last42=Taylor |first42=R. |last43=Tear |first43=T. |last44=Tizard |first44=R. |last45=Venter |first45=O. |last46=Visconti |first46=P. |last47=Wang |first47=S. |last48=Watson |first48=J. E. M.}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Government and politics==
{{Main|Politics of Kenya}}
]]]

Kenya is a ] ] republic with a ]. The president is both the ] and ]. ] is exercised by the government. ] is vested in both the government and the ] and the ]. The ] is independent of the executive and the legislature. There has been growing concern, especially during former president Daniel arap Moi's tenure, that the executive was increasingly meddling with the affairs of the judiciary.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Novak |first=Andrew |title=The Criminal Justice System and Eroding Democracy After Independence – Page 12 |url=http://racism.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1448:mandatorydeathpenalty03&catid=140&Itemid=155&showall=&limitstart=11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603102544/http://racism.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1448:mandatorydeathpenalty03&catid=140&Itemid=155&showall=&limitstart=11 |archive-date=3 June 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=racism.org}}</ref>

Kenya has high levels of corruption according to ]'s ] (CPI), a metric which attempts to gauge the prevalence of ] corruption in various countries. In 2019, the nation placed 137th out of 180 countries in the index, with a score of 28 out of 100.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corruption Perceptions Index 2019 |url=https://www.transparency.org/cpi2019?/news/feature/cpi-2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512190641/https://www.transparency.org/cpi2019?%2Fnews%2Ffeature%2Fcpi-2019 |archive-date=12 May 2020 |access-date=20 February 2020 |website=transparency.org |date=24 January 2020 |publisher=]}}</ref> But there are several rather significant developments with regard to curbing corruption from the Kenyan government, for instance the establishment of a new and independent ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Business Corruption in Kenya |url=http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/sub-saharan-africa/kenya/business-corruption-in-kenya.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406012851/http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/sub-saharan-africa/kenya/business-corruption-in-kenya.aspx |archive-date=6 April 2014 |access-date=4 April 2014 |publisher=Business Anti-Corruption Portal}}</ref>

] building]]
Following general elections held in 1997, the Constitution of Kenya Review Act, designed to pave the way for more comprehensive amendments to the Kenyan constitution, was passed by the national parliament.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030152612/http://www.kenyaconstitution.org/history/ |date=30 October 2012 }}. kenyaconstitution.org</ref>

In December 2002, Kenya held democratic and open elections, which were judged free and fair by most international observers.<ref>{{Cite news |title=International observers declare Kenyan elections fair |work=cbc.ca |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/international-observers-declare-kenyan-elections-fair-1.349882 |url-status=live |access-date=13 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530210357/http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/international-observers-declare-kenyan-elections-fair-1.349882 |archive-date=30 May 2016}}</ref> The 2002 elections marked an important turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution in that power was transferred peacefully from the ] (KANU), which had ruled the country since independence, to the ] (NARC), a coalition of political parties.

Under the presidency of ], the new ruling coalition promised to focus its efforts on generating economic growth, combating corruption, improving education, and rewriting its constitution. A few of these promises have been met. There is free primary education.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Turning Point: Free Primary Education in Kenya – NORRAG |url=https://resources.norrag.org/resource/view/40/162 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204085234/https://resources.norrag.org/resource/view/40/162 |archive-date=4 February 2021 |access-date=21 December 2020 |website=norrag.org}}</ref> In 2007, the government issued a statement declaring that from 2008, secondary education would be heavily subsidised, with the government footing all tuition fees.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 February 2008 |title=Africa &#124; Free secondary schools for Kenya |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7239577.stm |url-status=live |access-date=26 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203081815/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7239577.stm |archive-date=3 December 2012}}</ref>

===2013 elections and new government===
{{Main|Kenyan general election, 2013|Kenyan local elections, 2013}}

Under the new constitution and with President Kibaki prohibited by term limits from running for a third term, Deputy Prime Minister ] ran for office. He won with 50.51% of the vote in March 2013.

In December 2014, President Kenyatta signed a Security Laws Amendment Bill, which supporters of the law suggested was necessary to guard against armed groups. Opposition politicians, human rights groups, and nine Western countries criticised the security bill, arguing that it infringed on democratic freedoms. The governments of the ], the ], ], and ] also collectively issued a press statement cautioning about the law's potential impact. Through the Jubilee Coalition, the Bill was later passed on 19 December in the National Assembly under acrimonious circumstances.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 December 2014 |title=Kenya president signs tough 'anti-terror' law |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/kenya-passes-divisive-anti-terror-law-090047236.html |url-status=dead |access-date=22 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222200412/https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/kenya-passes-divisive-anti-terror-law-090047236.html |archive-date=22 December 2014}}</ref>

===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Kenya}}
] in Nairobi, July 2015]]
Kenya has close ties with its fellow ]-speaking neighbours in the ] region. Relations with Uganda and Tanzania are generally strong, as the three nations work toward economic and social integration through common membership in the ].

Relations with Somalia have historically been tense, although there has been some military co-ordination against Islamist insurgents. Kenya has good relations with the United Kingdom.<ref name="upenn"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423011916/http://www.africa.upenn.edu/NEH/kforeignrelation.htm |date=23 April 2016 }}. Retrieved on 16 January 2015.</ref> Kenya is one of the most ] nations in Africa, and the wider world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Opinion of the United States |date=22 June 2006 |url=http://www.pewglobal.org/database/indicator/1/country/113/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405225516/https://www.pewglobal.org/database/indicator/1/country/113/ |archive-date=5 April 2019 |access-date=17 July 2016 |publisher=Pewglobal.org}}</ref>

With ] trial dates scheduled in 2013 for both President Kenyatta and Deputy President ] related to the 2007 election aftermath, US president ], who is half-Kenyan, chose not to visit the country during his ].<ref>Epatko, Larisa, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121185125/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/06/africa-tour.html |date=21 January 2014 }}, '']'', 25 June 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.</ref> Later in the summer, Kenyatta visited China at the invitation of President ] after a stop in Russia and not having visited the United States as president.<ref name="wp01">Raghavan, Sudarsan, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129115608/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-snub-to-washington-kenyan-president-visits-china-russia-in-first-official-visit-outside-africa/2013/08/17/baaed162-06a4-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html |date=29 November 2014 }}, ''Washington Post'', 17 August 2013. Ambassador Liu's comments at capitalfm.co.ke linked to {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130818125924/http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/eblog/2013/08/16/kenya-and-china-achieving-shared-dreams-hand-in-hand/ |date=18 August 2013 }}. Retrieved 18 August 2013.</ref> In July 2015, Obama visited Kenya, the first American president to visit the country while in office.<ref>{{Cite web |last=George Kegoro |title=Circumstances created need that made visit possible |url=http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Barack-Obama-Visit-Uhuru-Kenyatta-William-Ruto-ICC/-/440808/2808378/-/dmt8p2/-/index.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828050809/http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Barack-Obama-Visit-Uhuru-Kenyatta-William-Ruto-ICC/-/440808/2808378/-/dmt8p2/-/index.html |archive-date=28 August 2016 |access-date=17 July 2016 |publisher=Nation.co.ke}}</ref>

The ] (BATUK) is used for the training of ] infantry battalions in the arid and rugged terrain of the ].<ref>" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806113032/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/01/politics.world |date=6 August 2019 }}". ''The Guardian''. 1 July 2001</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The British Army in Africa |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/operations-deployments/22724.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630055845/http://www.army.mod.uk/operations-deployments/22724.aspx |archive-date=30 June 2016 |access-date=20 June 2016 |website=army.mod.uk/ |publisher=Ministry of Defence}}</ref>

===Armed forces===
{{main|Kenya Defence Forces}}
]
The Kenya Defence Forces are the ] of Kenya. The ], ], and ] compose the National Defence Forces. The current Kenya Defence Forces were established, and its composition laid out, in Article 241 of the 2010 ]; the KDF is governed by the Kenya Defence Forces Act of 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ministry of Defence |title=Kenya Defence Forces Act – No. 25 of 2012 |url=http://www.mod.go.ke/pubs/kdfAct.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003132740/http://www.mod.go.ke/pubs/kdfAct.pdf/ |archive-date=3 October 2018 |access-date=6 May 2014 |publisher=National Council for Law Reporting}}</ref> The ] is the ] of all the armed forces.

The armed forces are regularly deployed in peacekeeping missions around the world. Further, in the aftermath of the national elections of December 2007 and the violence that subsequently engulfed the country, a commission of inquiry, the ], commended its readiness and adjudged it to "have performed its duty well."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commission of Inquiry into the Post Election Violence |url=http://www.eastandard.net/downloads/Waki_Report.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220154028/http://www.eastandard.net/downloads/Waki_Report.pdf |archive-date=20 December 2008}}</ref> Nevertheless, there have been serious allegations of human rights violations, most recently while conducting counter-insurgency operations in the ] area<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya National Commission on Human Rights |url=http://www.knchr.org/dmdocuments/Mt%20Elgon%20.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214072227/http://www.knchr.org/dmdocuments/Mt%20Elgon%20.PDF |archive-date=14 February 2012}}</ref> and also in the district of ] central.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703143833/http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/486206/-/view/printVersion/-/15cwkg8/-/index.html |date=3 July 2017 }} Daily Nation. 11 January 2008.</ref>

Kenya's armed forces, like many government institutions in the country, have been tainted by ] allegations. Because the operations of the armed forces have been traditionally cloaked by the ubiquitous blanket of "state security", the corruption has been hidden from public view, and thus less subject to public scrutiny and notoriety. This has changed recently. In what are by Kenyan standards unprecedented revelations, in 2010, credible claims of corruption were made with regard to recruitment<ref>The Standard 31 October 2010 Activists give military 5 days to re-admit recruit INTERNET {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Cited on 3 January 2011</ref> and procurement of armoured personnel carriers.<ref>The Standard Sh 1.6 billion tender rocks the DoD INTERNET {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Cited on 3 January 2011</ref> Further, the wisdom and prudence of certain decisions of procurement have been publicly questioned.<ref>For example the decision to acquire ex-Jordanian F5 fighter aircraft. See The Standard Kenya's 'new' fighter jets cannot take off INTERNET {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Cited on 3 January 2011</ref>

===Administrative divisions=== <!--Linked from ]-->
{{main|Counties of Kenya|Divisions of Kenya}}
]

Kenya is divided into ] that are headed by governors. These 47 counties form the first-order divisions of Kenya.

The smallest administrative units in Kenya are called ]. Locations often coincide with electoral wards. Locations are usually named after their central villages/towns. Many larger towns consist of several locations. Each location has a chief, appointed by the state.

Constituencies are an electoral subdivision, with each county comprising a whole number of constituencies. An interim boundaries commission was formed in 2010 to review the constituencies and in its report, it recommended the creation of an additional 80 constituencies. Previous to the 2013 elections, there were 210 ].<ref>Kenya Roads Board </ref>

===Human rights===
{{See also|Human rights in Kenya|LGBT rights in Kenya|Human trafficking in Kenya}}
] are illegal in Kenya and typically punishable by up to 14 years in prison.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015 |title=Laws on Homosexuality in African Nations |url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/criminal-laws-on-homosexuality/african-nations-laws.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619211045/http://www.loc.gov/law/help/criminal-laws-on-homosexuality/african-nations-laws.php |archive-date=19 June 2017 |access-date=3 June 2017 |website=Library of Congress}}</ref> According to a 2020 survey by the ], 83% of Kenyans believe that homosexuality should not be accepted by society.<ref name="pewresearch.org">{{Cite web |last1=Poushter |first1=Jacob |last2=Kent |first2=Nicholas |date=25 June 2020 |title=The Global Divide on Homosexuality Persists |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/06/25/global-divide-on-homosexuality-persists/ |access-date=6 August 2022 |publisher=Pew Research Center |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701105248/https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/06/25/global-divide-on-homosexuality-persists/ |url-status=live }}</ref> While addressing a joint press conference together with President ] in 2015, President Kenyatta declined to assure Kenya's commitment to gay rights, saying that "the issue of gay rights is really a non-issue... But there are some things that we must admit we don't share. Our culture, our societies don't accept."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Scott, Holmes |first=Eugene, Kristen |date=25 July 2017 |title=Obama lectures Kenyan president on gay rights |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/25/politics/obama-kenya-kenyatta/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515205038/https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/25/politics/obama-kenya-kenyatta/index.html |archive-date=15 May 2020}}</ref>

In November 2008, ] brought wide international attention to ''The Cry of Blood'' report, which documents the extrajudicial killing of gangsters by the Kenyan police. In the report, the ] (KNCHR) reported these in their key finding "e)", stating that the ]s and ]s appeared to be official policy sanctioned by the political leadership and the police.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 September 2008 |title='The Cry of Blood' — Report on Extra-Judicial Killings and Disappearances |url=http://www.ediec.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Kenia/KNCHR_REPORT_ON_POLICE.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214044349/http://www.ediec.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Kenia/KNCHR_REPORT_ON_POLICE.pdf |archive-date=14 December 2010 |access-date=29 December 2010 |publisher=]/Enforced Disappearances Information Exchange Center}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 April 2017 |title=Was extra-judicial killing of Eastleigh 'thugs' justified? Kenyans divided » Capital News |url=http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2017/04/was-extra-judicial-killing-of-eastleigh-thugs-justified-kenyans-divided/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619115319/http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2017/04/was-extra-judicial-killing-of-eastleigh-thugs-justified-kenyans-divided/ |archive-date=19 June 2017 |access-date=29 June 2017}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Kenya}}
Kenya's ] outlook has steadily posted robust growth over the past few decades mostly from ], ], ] and ] infrastructure projects as well as massive investments in ]. The Kenyan economy is the largest in East Africa. After independence, Kenya promoted rapid economic growth through public investment, encouraged smallholder agricultural production and provided incentives for private industrial investment. Kenya is East Africa's regional transportation and financial hub. Kenya's financial sector is vibrant, well developed and diversified boasting the highest financial inclusion in the region and globally.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenyan Economy – The National Treasury |url=https://www.treasury.go.ke/kenya-economy/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |language=en-US |archive-date=28 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228125720/https://www.treasury.go.ke/kenya-economy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Foreign investments in Kenya remain relatively weak considering the size of its economy and its level of development. As of 2022, Kenya's total FDI stock stood at US$10.4 billion, accounting for a mere 9.5% of the country's GDP.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Kenya - International Trade Portal |url=https://www.lloydsbanktrade.com/en/market-potential/kenya/investment |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=www.lloydsbanktrade.com |language=en |archive-date=28 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228125720/https://www.lloydsbanktrade.com/en/market-potential/kenya/investment |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kenya has a ] (HDI) of 0.555 (medium), ranked 145 out of 186 in the world. {{As of|2005}}, 17.7% of Kenyans lived on less than $1.25 a day. {{sfn|Ludeki Chweya|John Kithome Tuta|S. Kichamu Akivaga|2005}} Based on the most recent data from 2014, 37.5% of the population is affected by ] and an additional 35.8% vulnerable to it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Multidimensional Poverty Index 2023: Kenya |url=https://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/Country-Profiles/MPI/KEN.pdf |access-date=20 December 2024 |website=United Nations Development Programme}}</ref> In 2017, Kenya ranked 92nd in the World Bank ] rising from 113rd in 2016 (of 190 countries).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Doing Business in Kenya – World Bank Group |url=http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/kenya |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910125004/http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/kenya |archive-date=10 September 2018 |access-date=14 January 2017 |website=doingbusiness.org}}</ref> The important agricultural sector is one of the least developed and largely inefficient, employing 75% of the workforce compared to less than 3% in the ] ]. Kenya is usually classified as a ] or occasionally an ], but it is not one of the ].

The economy has seen much expansion, seen by strong performance in tourism, higher education and ] and decent post-drought results in agriculture, especially the vital tea sector.<ref name="lcweb2.loc.gov" /> Kenya's economy grew by more than 7% in 2007, and its foreign debt was greatly reduced.<ref name="lcweb2.loc.gov" /> This changed immediately after the disputed presidential election of December 2007, following the chaos which engulfed the country.

Telecommunications and financial activity over the last decade now comprise 62% of GDP. 22% of GDP still comes from the unreliable agricultural sector which employs 75% of the labour force (a characteristic of under-developed economies that have not attained ]). A small portion of the population relies on food aid.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Food Assistance Fact Sheet – Kenya |url=https://www.usaid.gov/kenya/food-assistance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610135707/https://www.usaid.gov/kenya/food-assistance |archive-date=10 June 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=usaid.gov}}</ref> Industry and manufacturing is the smallest sector, accounting for 16% of GDP. The services, industry and manufacturing sectors only employ 25% of the labour force but contribute 75% of GDP.<ref name="lcweb2.loc.gov">{{Cite web |date=June 2007 |title=Country Profile: Kenya |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Kenya.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505051609/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Kenya.pdf |archive-date=5 May 2015 |access-date=23 April 2011 |website=Federal Research Division |publisher=Library of Congress}}</ref>
Kenya also exports textiles worth over $400 million under ].

Privatisation of state corporations like the defunct Kenya Post and Telecommunications Company, which resulted in East Africa's most profitable company—], has led to their revival because of massive private investment.

{{as of|2011|May}}, economic prospects are positive with 4–5% GDP growth expected, largely because of expansions in ], ], transport, construction, and a recovery in ]. The ] estimated growth of 4.3% in 2012.<ref name="WorldBanki">{{Cite web |last=Fengler, Wolfgang |date=5 December 2012 |title=Kenya Economic Update |url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2012/12/05/energizing-kenya-s-economy-and-creating-quality-jobs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309030739/http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2012/12/05/energizing-kenya-s-economy-and-creating-quality-jobs |archive-date=9 March 2013 |access-date=29 May 2013 |publisher=The ]}}</ref>

]

In March 1996 the presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda re-established the ] (EAC). The EAC's objectives include harmonising tariffs and customs regimes, free movement of people and improving regional infrastructures. In March 2004, the three East African countries signed a ].

Kenya has a more developed financial services sector than its neighbours. The ] (NSE) is ranked 4th in Africa in terms of market capitalisation. The Kenyan banking system is supervised by the ] (CBK). As of late July 2004, the system consisted of 43 commercial banks (down from 48 in 2001) and several ]s including mortgage companies, four savings and loan associations and several core foreign-exchange bureaus.<ref name="lcweb2.loc.gov" />

The inaugural Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) was started in 2021, from December 6th to 10th, 2021, at the Kenya School of Government in Lower Kabete, Nairobi.<ref>
https://kenyainnovationweek.com/
</ref><ref>
https://kenyainnovationweek.com/about</ref>

===Tourism===
{{Main|Tourism in Kenya}}
]]]
]]]
] is the third-largest source of foreign exchange revenue following diaspora remittances and agriculture.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business/kenya-s-diaspora-remittances-rise-to-usd4-027bn-4093616 |title=Diaspora remittances now Kenya's largest foreign exchange earner |date=20 January 2023 |access-date=27 February 2024 |archive-date=27 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227081004/https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business/kenya-s-diaspora-remittances-rise-to-usd4-027bn-4093616 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Kenya Tourism Board is responsible for maintaining information pertaining to tourism in Kenya.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya Tourism Board |url=http://www.ktb.go.ke/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219014534/http://ktb.go.ke/ |archive-date=19 February 2017 |access-date=2 March 2017 |website=KTB.go.ke}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya Law: January 2017 |url=http://www.kenyalaw.org/klr/index.php?id=811 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805200519/http://www.kenyalaw.org/klr/index.php?id=811 |archive-date=5 August 2013 |access-date=2 March 2017 |website=KenyaLaw.org}}</ref>
The main tourist attractions are photo safaris through the ] and game reserves. Other attractions include the ] migration at the ], which is considered to be the 7th wonder of the world; historical mosques, and colonial-era forts at ], ], and ]; renowned scenery such as the white-capped ] and the ]; tea plantations at ]; coffee plantations at ]; a splendid view of ] across the border into Tanzania; and the beaches along the ], in the ]. Tourists, the largest number being from ] and the ], are attracted mainly to the coastal beaches and the ]s, notably, the expansive ] and ], {{convert|20808|km2|abbr=out}} to the southeast.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

===Agriculture===
{{Main|Agriculture in Kenya}}
], ]]]

Agriculture is the second largest contributor to Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP) after the service sector. In 2005, agriculture, including ] and fishing, accounted for 24% of GDP, as well as for 18% of wage employment and 50% of revenue from exports. The principal ]s are tea, horticultural produce, and coffee. Horticultural produce and tea are the main growth sectors and the two most valuable of all of Kenya's exports. The production of major food staples such as ] is subject to sharp weather-related fluctuations. Production downturns periodically necessitate food aid—for example in 2004, due to one of Kenya's intermittent ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 April 2005 |title=Drought leaves two million Kenyans in need of food aid |url=http://wfp.org/news/news-release/drought-leaves-two-million-kenyans-need-food-aid |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814052428/http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/drought-leaves-two-million-kenyans-need-food-aid |archive-date=14 August 2016 |access-date=5 August 2016 |website=United Nations World Food Programme}}</ref>

A consortium led by the ] (]) has had some success in helping farmers grow new ] varieties instead of maize, in particularly dry areas. Pigeon peas are very drought-resistant, so can be grown in areas with less than {{convert|650|mm|in}} annual rainfall. Successive projects encouraged the commercialisation of legumes by stimulating the growth of local seed production and agro-dealer networks for distribution and marketing. This work, which included linking producers to wholesalers, helped to increase local producer prices by 20–25% in Nairobi and Mombasa. The commercialisation of the pigeon pea is now enabling some farmers to buy assets ranging from mobile phones to productive land and livestock, and is opening pathways for them to move out of poverty.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718193632/http://exploreit.icrisat.org/page/eastern_and_southern_africa/887/329 |date=18 July 2014 }}. ] Posted 10 October 2012. Downloaded 26 January 2014.</ref>

Tea, coffee, sisal, pyrethrum, corn, and wheat are grown in the fertile highlands, one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa.<ref name=":0" /> Livestock predominates in the semi-arid savanna to the north and east. ], ], ], cotton, ], ], and corn are grown in the lower-lying areas. Kenya has not attained the level of investment and efficiency in agriculture that can guarantee food security, and coupled with resulting poverty (53% of the population lives below the poverty line), a significant portion of the population regularly starves and is heavily dependent on food aid.<ref name=":1" /> Poor roads, an inadequate railway network, under-used water transport, and expensive air transport have isolated mostly ] and ] areas, and farmers in other regions often leave food to rot in the fields because they cannot access markets. This was last seen in August and September 2011, prompting the ] initiative by the ].<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126003110/http://conferences.ifpri.org/2020africaconference/program/day1summaries/kinyua.pdf |date=26 January 2012 }}. Joseph Kinyua, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya; 1 April 2004, Kampala, Uganda</ref>

]
Kenya's ] sector is categorised into three organizational types: ] schemes, centrally-managed public schemes, and private/commercial irrigation schemes.


The smallholder schemes are owned, developed, and managed by individuals or groups of farmers operating as water users or self-help groups. Irrigation is carried out on individual or on group farms averaging 0.1–0.4 ha. There are about 3,000 smallholder irrigation schemes covering a total area of 47,000 ha.
The country receives a great deal of sunshine all the year round and summer clothes are worn throughout the year. However, it is usually cool at night and early in the morning.
The country has seven large, centrally managed irrigation schemes, namely Mwea, ], ], ], West Kano, Bunyala, and ], covering a total area of 18,200 ha and averaging 2,600 ha per scheme. These schemes are managed by the National Irrigation Board and account for 18% of irrigated land area in Kenya.
Large-scale private commercial farms cover 45,000 hectares, accounting for 40% of irrigated land. They utilise high technology and produce high-value crops for the export market, especially flowers and vegetables.<ref>Republic of Kenya, Ministry of Water and Irrigation (2009) ''National Irrigation and Drainage Policy'':3–4.</ref>


Kenya is the world's 3rd largest exporter of ].<ref name="kenya-flower-industry">{{Cite web |last=Veselinovic |first=Milena |date=16 March 2015 |title=Got roses this Valentine's Day? They probably came from Kenya |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/16/africa/kenya-flower-industry/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714194025/http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/16/africa/kenya-flower-industry/ |archive-date=14 July 2016 |access-date=17 July 2016 |publisher=Edition.cnn.com}}</ref> Roughly half of Kenya's 127 flower farms are concentrated around ], 90 kilometres northwest of Nairobi.<ref name=kenya-flower-industry/> To speed their export, Nairobi airport has a terminal dedicated to the transport of flowers and vegetables.<ref name=kenya-flower-industry/>
The long rain season occurs from April to June. The short rain season occurs from October to December. The rainfall is sometimes heavy and often falls in the afternoons and evenings. The hottest period is from February to March and coldest in July to August.


===Industry and manufacturing===
The annual migration occurs between June and September with millions of wildlife taking part. It has been a popular event for filmmakers to capture.
] office at KENCOM House (right) in Nairobi]]
Although Kenya is a low middle-income country, manufacturing accounts for 14% of the GDP, with industrial activity concentrated around the three largest urban centres of ], ], and ], and is dominated by food-processing industries such as grain milling, beer production, sugarcane crushing, and the fabrication of consumer goods, e.g., vehicles from kits.


Kenya also has a cement production industry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 September 2015 |title=Cement production keeps pace with growing demand |url=http://www.constructionkenya.com/2431/kenya-cement-industry-outlook/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513234924/http://www.constructionkenya.com/2431/kenya-cement-industry-outlook/ |archive-date=13 May 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=Construction Business Review}}</ref> Kenya has an ] that processes imported crude petroleum into petroleum products, mainly for the domestic market. In addition, a substantial and expanding ] commonly referred to as ''jua kali'' engages in small-scale manufacturing of household goods, auto parts, and farm implements.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2 August 2005 |title=Kenya: Employers' organizations taking the lead on linking the informal sector to formal Kenyan enterprises |url=http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/features/WCMS_075529/lang--en/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605021700/http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/features/WCMS_075529/lang--en/index.htm |archive-date=5 June 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=ilo.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 November 2015 |title=Jua Kali sector plays key role in economic development and job creation |url=http://www.mygov.go.ke/?p=5038 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610135631/http://www.mygov.go.ke/?p=5038 |archive-date=10 June 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=MyGov}}</ref>
== Economy ==


Kenya's inclusion among the beneficiaries of the US Government's African Growth and Opportunity Act (]) has given a boost to manufacturing in recent years. Since AGOA took effect in 2000, Kenya's clothing sales to the United States increased from US$44&nbsp;million to US$270&nbsp;million (2006).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kamau |first=Pithon |title=Industry |url=http://www.brandkenya.go.ke/2012-12-16-16-05-26/75-industry |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604180631/http://www.brandkenya.go.ke/2012-12-16-16-05-26/75-industry |archive-date=4 June 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016 |website=Brand Kenya Board}}</ref> Other initiatives to strengthen manufacturing have been the new government's favourable tax measures, including the removal of duty on capital equipment and other raw materials.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/e/eb/rls/othr/ics/2010/138092.htm?goMobile=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803022046/https://2009-2017.state.gov/e/eb/rls/othr/ics/2010/138092.htm?goMobile=0 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |access-date=10 June 2016}}</ref>
].]]


In 2023, Kenya is in the process of constructing five industrial parks that will operate tax-free, with an anticipated completion date set for 2030. Additionally, there are intentions to develop an additional 20 industrial parks in the future.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-02 |title=How to get rich in the 21st century |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/02/how-to-get-rich-in-the-21st-century |access-date=2024-01-03 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=3 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103101233/https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/02/how-to-get-rich-in-the-21st-century |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{main|Economy of Kenya}}
After independence, Kenya promoted rapid economic growth through public investment, encouragement of smallholder agricultural production, and incentives for private (often foreign) industrial investment. ] (GDP) grew at an annual average of 6.6% from 1963 to 1973. Agricultural production grew by 4.7% annually during the same period, stimulated by redistributing estates, diffusing new crop strains, and opening new areas to cultivation.


===Transport===
Between 1974 and 1990, however, Kenya's economic performance declined. Inappropriate agricultural policies, inadequate credit, and poor international terms of trade contributed to the decline in agriculture. Kenya's inward-looking policy of import substitution and rising oil prices made Kenya's manufacturing sector uncompetitive. The government began a massive intrusion in the private sector. Lack of export incentives, tight import controls, and foreign exchange controls made the domestic environment for investment even less attractive.
{{Main|Transport in Kenya}}
Two trans-African automobile routes pass through Kenya: the ] and the ], so the country has an extensive road network of paved and unpaved roads. Kenya's railway system links the nation's ports and major cities, connecting it with neighbouring Uganda. There are 15 airports which have paved runways.


===Energy===
From 1991 to 1993, Kenya had its worst economic performance since independence. Growth in GDP stagnated, and agricultural production shrank at an annual rate of 3.9%. Inflation reached a record 100% in August 1993, and the government's budget deficit was over 10% of GDP. As a result of these combined problems, bilateral and multilateral donors suspended programme aid to Kenya in 1991.
{{Main|Energy in Kenya}}
]]]
The largest share of Kenya's electricity supply comes from geothermal energy,<ref> {{Webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180811133300/https://www.iea.org/statistics/statisticssearch/report/?country=Kenya&product=electricityandheat |date=2015 }}. IEA 2014</ref> followed by hydroelectric stations at dams along the upper ], as well as the Turkwel Gorge Dam in the west. A petroleum-fired plant on the coast, ] at ] (near Nairobi), and electricity imported from ] make up the rest of the supply. A ] is nearing completion.


Kenya's installed capacity increased from 1,142 ] between 2001 and 2003 to 2,341 in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peak Demands – Summary of Electricity Sub Sector Statistics |url=http://energy.go.ke/?p=510 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207063902/http://energy.go.ke/?p=510 |archive-date=7 December 2019 |access-date=11 November 2019 |publisher=Kenya Ministry of Energy}}</ref> The state-owned ], established in 1997 under the name of Kenya Power Company, handles the generation of electricity, while Kenya Power handles the electricity transmission and distribution system in the country. Shortfalls of electricity occur periodically, when drought reduces water flow. To become energy sufficient, Kenya has installed ] and ] (over 300 MW each), and aims to build a nuclear power plant by 2027.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 December 2017 |title=Kenya plans nuclear plant by 2027 |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Kenya-plans-to-set-up-nuclear-plant-by-2027/2560-4215876-14gd00jz/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227121952/http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Kenya-plans-to-set-up-nuclear-plant-by-2027/2560-4215876-14gd00jz/index.html |archive-date=27 December 2017 |access-date=26 December 2017 |website=The East African |language=en-UK}}</ref><ref>McGregor, Sarah (20 September 2010) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115140634/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-20/kenya-aims-to-build-a-nuclear-power-plant-by-2017-minister-nyoike-says.html |date=15 November 2013 }}. Bloomberg L.P.</ref>
In 1993, the Government of Kenya began a major programme of economic reform and liberalization. A new minister of finance and a new governor of the ] undertook a series of economic measures with the assistance of the ] and the ] (IMF). As part of this programme, the government eliminated price controls and import licensing, removed foreign exchange controls, privatized a range of publicly owned companies, reduced the number of ]s, and introduced conservative fiscal and monetary policies. From 1994-96, Kenya's real GDP growth rate averaged just over 4% a year.


Kenya has proven deposits of oil in ]. ] estimates the country's oil reserves to be around one billion barrels.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725035553/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-19/kenya-from-nowhere-plans-east-africa-s-first-oil-exports-energy.html |date=25 July 2014 }}. Bloomberg L.P.</ref> Exploration is still continuing to determine whether there are more reserves. Kenya currently imports all crude petroleum requirements. It has no strategic reserves and relies solely on oil marketers' 21-day oil reserves required under industry regulations. Petroleum accounts for 20% to 25% of the national import bill.<ref>. Reuters (10 November 2011).</ref>
In 1997, however, the economy entered a period of slowing or stagnant growth, due in part to adverse weather conditions and reduced economic activity prior to general elections in December 1997. In 2000, GDP growth was negative, but improved slightly in 2001 as rainfall returned closer to normal levels. Economic growth continued to improve slightly in 2002 and reached 1.4% in 2003; it was 4.3% in 2004 and 5.8% in 2005.
], ], the largest and busiest airport in ].]]
In July 1997, the Government of Kenya refused to meet commitments made earlier to the IMF on governance reforms. As a result, the IMF suspended lending for 3 years, and the World Bank also put a $90-million structural adjustment credit on hold. Although many economic reforms put in place in 1993-94 remained, conservative economists believe that Kenya needs further reforms, particularly in governance, in order to increase GDP growth and combat the poverty that afflicts more than 57% of its population.


===Chinese investment and trade===
The Government of Kenya took some positive steps on reform, including the 1999 establishment of the Kenya Anti-] Authority (KACA), and measures to improve the transparency of government procurements and reduce the government payroll. In July 2000, the IMF signed a $150 million ] (PRGF), and the World Bank followed suit shortly after with a $157 million Economic and Public Sector Reform credit. The Anti-Corruption Authority was declared unconstitutional in December 2000, and other parts of the reform effort faltered in 2001. The IMF and World Bank again suspended their programs. Various efforts to restart the programme through mid-2002 were unsuccessful.
Published comments on Kenya's ] website by Liu Guangyuan, ], at the time of President Kenyatta's 2013 trip to Beijing, said, "Chinese investment in Kenya ... reached $474 million, representing Kenya's largest source of foreign direct investment, and ... bilateral trade ... reached $2.84 billion" in 2012. Kenyatta was "ccompanied by 60 Kenyan business people ... gain support from China for a planned $2.5 billion railway from the southern Kenyan port of Mombasa to neighbouring Uganda, as well as a nearly $1.8 billion dam", according to a statement from the president's office, also at the time of the trip.<ref name=wp01/>


Base Titanium, a subsidiary of Base resources of Australia, shipped its first major consignment of minerals to China. About 25,000 tonnes of ] was flagged off the Kenyan coastal town of Kilifi. The first shipment was expected to earn Kenya about KSh.15{{en dash}}20 billion/= in earnings.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Jackson Okoth |last2=Philip Mwakio |date=14 February 2014 |title=Standard Digital News : : Business – Kenya joins mineral exporters as first titanium cargo leaves port |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2000104631/kenya-joins-mineral-exporters-as-first-titanium-cargo-leaves-port |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128083340/http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2000104631/kenya-joins-mineral-exporters-as-first-titanium-cargo-leaves-port |archive-date=28 January 2015 |access-date=15 February 2015 |website=Standard Digital News}}</ref> In 2014, the Chinese contracted railway project from Nairobi to Mombasa was suspended due to a dispute over compensation for land acquisition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shem Oirere |date=23 October 2014 |title=Construction of Kenyan standard-gauge line suspended |url=http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/africa/construction-of-kenyan-standard-gauge-line-suspended.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129170952/http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/africa/construction-of-kenyan-standard-gauge-line-suspended.html |archive-date=29 January 2015 |access-date=15 February 2015}}</ref>
Under the leadership of President Kibaki, who took over on December 30, 2002, the Government of Kenya began an ambitious economic reform programme and has resumed its cooperation with the World Bank and the IMF. The new ] (NARC) government enacted the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act and Public Officers Ethics Act in May 2003 aimed at fighting graft in public offices. Other reforms especially in the judiciary, public procurement etc., have led to the unlocking of donor aid and a renewed hope at economic revival. In November 2003, following the adoption of key anti-corruption laws and other reforms by the new government, donors reengaged as the IMF approved a three-year $250 million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and donors committed $4.2 billion in support over 4 years. The renewal of donor involvement has provided a much-needed boost to investor confidence.


===Vision 2030===
The Privatization Bill has been enacted although the setting up of a privatization commission is yet to be finalized, civil service reform has been implemented and in the year 2007 the country won the UN Public Service reform award . However a lot of work need to be done to make the country catch up with the rest of economic giants especially the Far East. The main challenges include taking candid action on corruption, enacting anti-terrorism and money laundering laws, bridging budget deficits, rehabilitating and building infrastructure. This hopefully will help in maintaining sound macroeconomic policies, and speed up the rapidly accelerating economic growth, which is projected to grow to 7.2% in 2007. However all this is tied to the outcome of the forthcoming ].
]]]


In 2007, the Kenyan government unveiled ], an economic development programme it hopes will put the country in the same league as the ] by 2030. In 2013, it launched a National Climate Change Action Plan, having acknowledged that omitting climate as a key development issue in Vision 2030 was an oversight failure. The 200-page Action Plan, developed with support from the ], sets out the Government of Kenya's vision for a 'low-carbon climate resilient development pathway'. At the launch in March 2013, the Secretary of the Ministry of Planning, National Development, and Vision 2030 emphasized that climate would be a central issue in the renewed Medium-Term Plan that would be launched in the coming months. This would create a direct and robust delivery framework for the Action Plan and ensure climate change is treated as an economy-wide issue.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514075422/http://cdkn.org/2013/03/news-kenyas-national-climate-change-action-plan-is-officially-launched/ |date=14 May 2013 }}, Climate & Development Knowledge Network, 28 March 2013</ref> Furthermore, Kenya submitted an updated, more ambitious NDC on 24 December 2020, with a commitment to abate greenhouse gases by 32 percent by 2030 relative to the business-as-usual scenario and in line with its sustainable development agenda and national circumstances.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya Climate Change Country Profile |url=https://www.climatelinks.org/resources/kenya-climate-change-country-profile |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=climatelinks.org |language=en |archive-date=31 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231230420/https://www.climatelinks.org/resources/kenya-climate-change-country-profile |url-status=live }}</ref>
Nairobi continues to be the primary communication and financial hub of East Africa. It enjoys the region's best transportation linkages, communications infrastructure, and trained personnel, although these advantages are less prominent than in past years. A wide range of foreign firms maintain regional branch or representative offices in the city. In March 1996, the Presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda re-established the ] (EAC). The EAC's objectives include harmonizing tariffs and customs regimes, free movement of people, and improving regional infrastructures. In March 2004, the three East African countries signed a ].


{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
|+ style="line-height:0.8em;"| {{resize|120%|Economic summary}} |+ style="line-height:1.0em;"| {{resize|120%|Economic summary}}
|- |-
!style="text-align:left;"| GDP !style="text-align:left;"| GDP
| $17.43 billion (2005) at Market Price. $ 41.36 billion (Purchasing Power Parity, 2006) | $41.84&nbsp;billion (2012) at Market Price. $76.07&nbsp;billion (Purchasing Power Parity, 2012)
There also exists a large, informal economy that is never counted as part of the official GDP figures. There exists an informal economy that is never counted as part of the official GDP figures.
|- |-
!style="text-align:left;"| Annual growth rate !style="text-align:left;"| Annual growth rate
| 5.1% (2012)
| 5.8% (2005): 2006 = 6.1% : Estimate for 2007 = 7.2%
|- |-
!style="text-align:left;"| Per capita income !style="text-align:left;"| Per capita income
| Per Capita Income (PPP)= $1,200 | Per Capita Income (PPP)= $1,800
|-
!style="text-align:left;"| Natural resources
| Wildlife, land (5% ])
|- |-
!style="text-align:left;"| Agricultural&nbsp;produce{{nbsp|2}} !style="text-align:left;"| Agricultural&nbsp;produce{{nbsp|2}}
| ], ], ], horticultural products, ], ], ], ], pineapples, ], dairy products, meat and meat products, hides, skins | tea, coffee, ], wheat, ], fruit, vegetables, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
|- |-
!style="text-align:left;"| Industry !style="text-align:left;"| Industry
| small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, clothing, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, horticulture, oil refining; aluminium, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair, tourism
| petroleum products, grain and sugar milling, cement, beer, soft drinks, textiles, vehicle assembly, paper and light manufacturing, tourism
|} |}


{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
|+ style="line-height:0.8em;"| Trade in 2002 |+ style="line-height:1.0em;"| Trade in 2012
|- |-

!style="text-align:left;"| Exports !style="text-align:left;"| Exports
| $2.2&nbsp;billion | $5.942&nbsp;billion
| tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products, cement, pyrethrum, soda ash, sisal, hides and skins, fluorspar | tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products, cement, fish
|- |-
!style="text-align:left;"| Major markets !style="text-align:left;"| Major markets
|colspan="2"| ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] |colspan="2"|] 9.9%, Tanzania 9.6%, Netherlands 8.4%, UK, 8.1%, US 6.2%, Egypt 4.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 4.2% (2012)<ref name=cia/>
|- |-
!style="text-align:left;"| Imports !style="text-align:left;"| Imports
| $3.2&nbsp;billion | $14.39&nbsp;billion
| machinery, vehicles, crude petroleum, iron and steel, resins and plastic materials, refined petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, paper and paper products, fertilizers, wheat | machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics
|- |-
!style="text-align:left;"| Major&nbsp;suppliers{{nbsp|2}} !style="text-align:left;"| Major&nbsp;suppliers
|colspan="2"| ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] |colspan="2"| China 15.3%, ] 13.8%, UAE 10.5%, Saudi Arabia 7.3%, South Africa 5.5%, Japan 4.0% (2012)<ref name=cia/>
|} |}


=== Oil exploration === ===Oil exploration===
{{See also|Energy in Kenya#Petroleum|l1=Oil in Kenya}}
Early in 2006, ] President ] signed an oil exploration contract with Kenya; the latest in a series of deals designed to keep Africa's natural resources flowing to China's booming economy.
] borders Turkana County.]]


Kenya has proven oil deposits in ]. President Mwai Kibaki announced on 26 March 2012 that ], an Anglo-Irish oil exploration firm, had struck oil, but its commercial viability and subsequent production would take about three years to confirm.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318140249/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17513488 |date=18 March 2018 }}. BBC. 26 March 2012.</ref>
The deal allowed for ]'s state-controlled offshore oil and gas company, ], to prospect for oil in Kenya, which is just beginning to drill its first exploratory wells on the borders of Sudan and Somalia and in coastal waters. No oil has been produced yet, and there has been no formal estimate of the possible reserves.


Early in 2006, Chinese president ] signed an oil exploration contract with Kenya, part of a series of deals designed to keep Africa's natural resources flowing to China's rapidly expanding economy.
== Demographics ==
] ]]]
The deal allowed for China's state-controlled offshore oil and gas company, ], to prospect for oil in Kenya, which is just beginning to drill its first exploratory wells on the borders of Sudan and the disputed area of ], on the border with ] and in coastal waters. There are formal estimates of the possible reserves of oil discovered.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Barber |first1=Lionel |last2=England, Andrew |date=10 August 2006 |title=China's scramble for Africa finds a welcome in Kenya |work=Financial Times |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a51a39d2-280c-11db-b25c-0000779e2340.html |url-status=live |access-date=27 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513072549/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a51a39d2-280c-11db-b25c-0000779e2340.html |archive-date=13 May 2010}}</ref>
{{main|Demographics of Kenya}}
Kenya is a country of great ethnic diversity.


=== Action against pollution ===
; Ethnic groups: ] 23%, ] 14%, ] 13%, ] 11%, ] 10%, ] 8%, ] 8%, ] 3%, other African (including ], Pokomo, Giriama, Rabai, Duruma, Chonyi, Digo, Kauma, Taita, Meru, Turkana, Orma (Oromo), Wasanye, Wanyoyaya, Borana, Rendille, El Moran, Malakote, Embu, Teso, Gabra, Ndorobo, Maasai) 13%, non-African (]/], ]/]an, and ]) 1%.
In 2017, Kenya banned single-use plastic bags. According to the national environmental authority, 80% of the public has adhered to this ban. Subsequently, in 2020, the prohibition of single-use plastics was extended to protected areas, including parks and forests.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Kimeu |first=Caroline |date=2023-05-30 |title=After a plastic bag ban, Kenya takes another shot at its pollution problem |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/30/kenya-wrestles-with-its-plastic-pollution-problem |access-date=2023-10-06 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=18 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518180647/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/30/kenya-wrestles-with-its-plastic-pollution-problem |url-status=live }}</ref>


A law passed in July 2023 mandates companies to actively reduce the pollution and environmental impact caused by the products they introduce into the Kenyan market, either individually or through collective schemes. Unlike previous practices, businesses are now obligated to participate in waste collection and recycling initiatives, such the Petco initiative established by the government in 2018.<ref name=":4" />
; Religious affiliation: ] 70% (] 45% and ] 25%), ] 10%, Traditional Religions 10%. Others include ], ],] & the ].


===Labour and human capital ===
; Largest cities : ], ], ], ] and ].
Kenya has a labour force of around 24 million and a total labour force participation rate of 74%, the unemployment rate in 2022 was estimated at 5.6%<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Bank Open Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/ |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=World Bank Open Data |archive-date=26 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526025607/https://data.worldbank.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{see also|List of cities in Kenya}}


According to the World Bank's 2019 Human Capital Index (HCI), which measured human capital of the next generation, Kenya ranked first in sub-Saharan Africa with an HCI score of 0.52. The index combined several key indicators, which are school enrolment, child survival, quality of learning, healthy growth and adult survival into a single index ranging between 0–1.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-21 |title=Kenya beats sub-Saharan Africa peers in World Bank global human capital index |url=https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/data-hub/kenya-beats-sub-saharan-africa-peers-in-world-bank-global-human-capital-index-2254280 |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=Business Daily |language=en |archive-date=1 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240401153950/https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/data-hub/kenya-beats-sub-saharan-africa-peers-in-world-bank-global-human-capital-index-2254280 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Education ==
{{main|Education in Kenya}}
] building]]
Kenya’s education system consists of early childhood education, primary, secondary and college. Early childhood education takes at least three years, primary eight years, secondary four and university four or six years depending on the course. Preschooling, which targets children from age three to five, is an integral component of the education system and is a key requirement for admission to Standard One (First Grade). At the end of primary education, pupils sit the ] (KCPE), which determines those who proceed to secondary school or vocational training. Primary school age is 6/7-13/14years. For those who proceed to secondary level, there is a national examination at the end of Form Four – the ] (KCSE), which determines those proceeding to the universities, other professional training or employment. The Joint Admission Board (JAB) is responsible for selecting students joining the public universities. The minimum university entry grade is C+ at KCSE. However, due to stiff competition, only those with higher grades such as B+ and above are guaranteed admission. Private universities admit students on their own but are guided by the rules and regulations provided by the Commission for Higher Education. Other than the public schools, there are many private schools in the country, mainly in urban areas. Similarly, there are a number of ]s catering for various educational systems such as American, British, French, German, Japanese and Swedish.


== Culture == ===Microfinance===
{{main|Culture of Kenya}} {{Main|Microfinance in Kenya}}
]
]
Kenya is a diverse country, with many different cultures represented. Notable cultures include the ] on the coast, ] communities in the north, and several different communities in the central and western regions. Today, the ] culture is well known, due to its heavy exposure from tourism, however, Maasai make up a relatively minor percentage of the Kenyan population. The Maasai are known for their elaborate upper body adornment and jewelry.


More than 20 institutions offer business loans on a large scale, specific agriculture loans, education loans, and loans for other purposes. Additionally, there are:
=== Food ===
* emergency loans, which are more expensive in respect to interest rates, but are quickly available
* group loans for smaller groups (four to five members) and larger groups (up to 30 members)
* women's loans, which are also available to groups of women


Out of approximately 40 million Kenyans, about 14 million are unable to receive financial service through formal loan application services, and an additional 12 million have no access to financial service institutions at all. Further, one million Kenyans are reliant on informal groups for receiving financial aid.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya |url=http://mfi-upgrading-initiative.org/000001985b0d93482/00000198660ae2e07/032d539c050945b02/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603203238/http://www.mfi-upgrading-initiative.org/000001985b0d93482/00000198660ae2e07/032d539c050945b02/index.html |archive-date=3 June 2013 |access-date=25 September 2015 |website=MFI Upgrading and Rating Initiative of the Development Bank of Austria}}</ref>
There is no singular dish that represents all of Kenya. Different communities have their own different foods. Staples are ] and other cereals depending on the region including ] and ] eaten with various meats and vegetables.
The foods that are universally eaten in Kenya are ] and ]. Nyama choma is roasted meat - usually goat or sheep- roasted over an open fire. It is best eaten with ] and ].
Among the ] of Central Kenya, a lot of ]: ngwaci (]), ndũma (]) known in Kenya as ], ikwa (]), mianga (]) are eaten as well as legumes like ] and a Kikuyu bean known as njahi.


To mitigate this problem, the mobile banking service ] was launched in 2007 by ] and ], in collaboration from the Financial Deepening Challenge Fund competition established by the UK government's Department for International Development. M-Pesa allows users to deposit, withdraw, transfer money, pay for goods and services (Lipa na M-Pesa), access credit and savings, all with a mobile device,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Saylor |first=Michael |url=https://archive.org/details/mobilewavehowmob0000sayl |title=The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything |publisher=Perseus Books/Vanguard Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-1593157203 |page=202; 304 |url-access=registration}}</ref> has provided access to digital transactions to millions of Kenyans in poverty situation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tavneet Suri, and |first=William Jack |date=2016 |title=The Long-run Poverty and Gender Impacts of Mobile Money |journal=Science |volume=354 |issue=6317 |pages=1288–1292 |bibcode=2016Sci...354.1288S |doi=10.1126/science.aah5309 |pmid=27940873 |s2cid=42992837}}</ref>
=== National dress ===
Apart from the ], Kenya is yet to have a national dress that cuts across its diverse ethnic divide. With each of the more than 42 ethnic communities in Kenya having its own traditional practices and symbols that make it unique, this is a task that has proved elusive in the past. However, several attempts have been made to design an outfit that can be worn to identify Kenyans, much like the ]' cloth of ].


==Demographics==
The most recent effort was the Unilever-sponsored "Sunlight quest for Kenya's National Dress". A design was chosen and though it was unveiled with much pomp at a ceremony in which public figures modelled the dress, the dress design never took hold with the ordinary people.
{{Main|Demographics of Kenya}}
] ] woman in traditional attire]]


{|class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px"
], a cotton fabric made into various colours and design through tie-and-dye and heavy embroidery, is generally accepted as the African dress. Though used in many African countries, Kitenge is yet to be accepted as an official dress as it is only worn during ceremonies and non-official functions. The Maasai wear dark red garments to symbolise their love for the earth and also their dependence on it. It also stands for courage and blood that is given to them by nature.
! colspan="4" style="text-align:center; background:#cfb;"|Population{{UN_Population|ref}}
The ] (Khanga, Lesso) is another cloth that is in common use in practically every Kenyan home. The Kanga is a piece of clothing about 1.5 m by 1 m, screen printed with beautiful sayings in Swahili (or English) and is largely worn by women around the waist and torso. Kangas are a flexible item, used in many ways such as aprons, child-carrying slings, picnic blankets, swimwear etc. However, except among the coastal people, it is usually not worn as a full outfit.
|-
! style="background:#cfb;"|Year
! style="background:#cfb;"|Million
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|1948 ||style="text-align:right;"|5.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|1962 ||style="text-align:right;"|8.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|1969 ||style="text-align:right;"|10.9
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|2000 ||style="text-align:right;"|31.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{UN_Population|Year}} ||style="text-align:right;"|{{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Kenya}}|R}}/1e6 round 1}}
|}
Kenya had a population of approximately 48 million in January 2017.<ref name=cia/> The country has a young population, with 73% of residents under 30 because of rapid ],<ref>" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215203953/http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0114/p17s01-wmgn.html |date=15 February 2009 }}". ''The Christian Science Monitor''. 14 January 2008.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zinkina J. |last2=Korotayev A. |year=2014 |title=Explosive Population Growth in Tropical Africa: Crucial Omission in Development Forecasts (Emerging Risks and Way Out) |url=https://www.academia.edu/6823642 |url-status=live |journal=World Futures |volume=70 |issue=2 |pages=120–139 |citeseerx=10.1.1.691.8612 |doi=10.1080/02604027.2014.894868 |s2cid=53051943 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109200646/https://www.academia.edu/6823642 |archive-date=9 January 2022 |access-date=11 January 2020}}</ref> from 2.9 million to 40 million inhabitants over the last century.<ref>" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715084143/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/opinion/17iht-edheinsohn.1.9292632.html |date=15 July 2014 }}". ''The New York Times''. 7 January 2008.</ref>


Nairobi is home to ], one of the world's largest slums. The shantytown is believed to house between 170,000<ref name="nation1">{{Cite news |last=Karanja |first=Muchiri |date=3 September 2010 |title=Myth shattered: Kibera numbers fail to add up |work=] |url=http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kibera%20numbers%20fail%20to%20add%20up/-/1056/1003404/-/13ga38xz/-/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=4 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206103830/https://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kibera%20numbers%20fail%20to%20add%20up/-/1056/1003404/-/13ga38xz/-/index.html |archive-date=6 December 2018}}</ref> and one million people.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 March 2010 |title=World Water Day Focus on Global Sewage Flood |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100322/swimming-in-sewage-for-world-water-day/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115082027/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100322/swimming-in-sewage-for-world-water-day/ |archive-date=15 January 2012 |access-date=10 February 2012 |website=National Geographic}}</ref> The UNHCR base in ] in the north houses around 500,000.<ref name="DadaabPop"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223114925/http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=4e579df59&query=dadaab |date=23 December 2011 }}. Unhcr.org.</ref>
=== Music ===
{{main|Music of Kenya}}
Kenya is home to a diverse range of music styles, ranging from imported popular music, ] and ] music to traditional ] songs. The guitar is the most popular instrument in Kenyan music, and songs often feature intricate guitar rhythms. The most famous guitarist of the early 20th century was ]. Other notable musicians of the 60s era include ] (recognised by many as the author of the hit song "]" that was later re-done by ], ] and ].


===Ethnic groups===
Popular music in the 1980s and 90s in Kenya could be divided into two genres: the Swahili sound and the Congolese sound. There are varying regional styles, and some performers create tourist-oriented "hotel pop" that is similar to western music. ], later renamed Uyoga, was one of the popular groups in this era.


Kenya has a diverse population that includes many of Africa's major ethnoracial and linguistic groups. Although there is no official list of Kenyan ethnic groups, the number of ethnic categories and sub-categories recorded in the country's census has changed significantly over time, expanding from 42 in 1969 to more than 120 in 2019.<ref name="Balaton-Chrimes2020">{{Cite journal |last=Balaton-Chrimes |first=Samantha |year=2020 |title=Who are Kenya's 42(+) tribes? The census and the political utility of magical uncertainty |journal=Journal of Eastern African Studies |volume=15 |pages=43–62 |doi=10.1080/17531055.2020.1863642 |issn=1753-1055 |s2cid=231681524 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Most residents are ] (60%) or ] (30%).<ref name="Asongumarr">{{Cite book |last1=Asongu, J. J. |title=Doing Business Abroad: A Handbook for Expatriates |last2=Marr, Marvee |publisher=Greenview Publishing Co. |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-9797976-3-7 |pages=12 & 112}}</ref> ] groups also form a small ethnic minority, as do Arabs, Indians, and Europeans.<ref name="Asongumarr" /><ref name="Okothndaloh">{{Cite book |url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=bfT2njyPThgC|page=60}} |title=Peak Revision K.C.P.E. Social Studies |publisher=East African Publishers |isbn=9789966254504 |language=en}}</ref>
In the recent past, newer varieties of modern popular music have arisen which are mostly local derivatives of western hip-hop. Two sub-genres have emerged: "]" and "]" beats. This has revolutionized popular Kenyan music and created an industry dominated by the youth. There is also underground Kenyan hip hop that gets less radio play than Kapuka or Genge due to the fact that it is less club oriented and more focussed on social commentary. Early pioneers include the late ], ], and ].


According to the ] (KNBS), in 2019, Kenya had a total population of 47,564,296. The largest native ethnic groups were the ] (8,148,668), ] (6,823,842), ] (6,358,113), ] (5,066,966), ] (4,663,910), ] (2,780,502), ] (2,703,235), ] (2,488,691), ] (1,975,869), ] (1,189,522), and ] (1,016,174). The ] of Kenya, formerly known as NFD, is predominantly inhabited by the indigenous ethnic ]. Foreign-rooted populations include ], ], and ].<!-- Latter populations are designated with a ''Kenyan'' prefix in latest 2019 census; this is a holdover from the last colonial census of 1962, when the population groups residing in the territory included European, Arab, Somali, African and Asian individuals ("European, Arab, Somali or African, etc. Asians must write Indian or Pakistan" ) --><ref name="Census2019a" />
Mainstream artists include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and others. Their sounds run the gamut from ]/], Pop, Afro-Fusion to Hip-Hop. Contemporary Kenyan music is becoming quite popular, with African based music channels such as ] and ], giving them a greater audience than previously before.


===Languages===
Many Kenyan performers mix languages in any single song, usually English, Swahili, their tribal language or ] (a hybrid of Kenyan languages and English/Swahili).
{{Main|Languages of Kenya}}


Kenya's ethnic groups typically speak their mother tongues within their own communities. The two ]s, English and ], are used in varying degrees of fluency for communication with other populations. English is widely spoken in commerce, schooling, and government.<ref name="Cugrwed">{{Cite book |last=Proquest Info & Learning (COR) |title=Culturegrams: World Edition |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-9778091-6-5 |page=98}}</ref> ] and rural dwellers are less multilingual, with many in rural areas speaking only their native languages.<ref name="Broassim">{{Cite book |last1=Brown, E. K. |title=Encyclopedia of language & linguistics, Volume 1, Edition 2 |last2=Asher, R. E. |last3=Simpson, J. M. Y. |publisher=Elsevier |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-08-044299-0 |page=181}}</ref>
The ], which recognise musical talent across East Africa, were founded and are currently based in Kenya. Every year numerous Kenyan artists take out categories in the scheme.


] is primarily used in Kenya. Additionally, a distinct local dialect, ], is used by some communities and individuals in the country, and contains features unique to it that were derived from local ] such as Kiswahili and ].<ref name="Cliike">{{Cite web |last=Nyaggah |first=Lynette Behm |title=Cross-linguistic influence in Kenyan English: The impact of Swahili and Kikuyu on syntax |url=http://phdtree.org/pdf/24677752-cross-linguistic-influence-in-kenyan-english-the-impact-of-swahili-and-kikuyu-on-syntax/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226102504/http://phdtree.org/pdf/24677752-cross-linguistic-influence-in-kenyan-english-the-impact-of-swahili-and-kikuyu-on-syntax/ |archive-date=26 December 2016 |access-date=8 August 2014 |publisher=University of California}}</ref> It has been developing since colonisation and also contains certain elements of ]. ] is a Kiswahili-based ] spoken in some urban areas. Primarily a mixture of Swahili and English, it is an example of linguistic ].<ref name="Nphil">{{Cite book |last=Derek Nurse |first=Gérard Philippson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M8cHBAAAQBAJ |title=Bantu Languages |date=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-79683-9 |page=197 |access-date=20 October 2014 |archive-date=3 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803182122/https://books.google.com/books?id=M8cHBAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The ] features children, many whom are orphaned, from Kenya, as well as from other neighborning African countries.


69 languages are spoken in Kenya. Most belong to two broad language families: ] (]) and ] (]), spoken by the country's Bantu and Nilotic populations respectively. The Cushitic and Arab ethnic minorities speak languages belonging to the separate ] family, with the Indian and European residents speaking languages from the ] family.<ref name="Ethnken"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123235120/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=KE |date=23 November 2012 }}. Ethnologue.com.</ref>
=== Sports ===
Kenya is active in several sports, among them ], ], ], ] and ]. But the country is known chiefly for its dominance in ] ]. Kenya has regularly produced ] and ] champions in various distance events, especially in 800 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m steeplechase, 5,000 m, 10,000 m and the marathons. Kenyan athletes (particularly ]) continue to dominate the world of distance running, although competition from ] and ] has somewhat reduced this supremacy. The former ] world record holder, ], and the four-time women's ] winner and two-time world champion, ], are among the best-known athletes in Kenya.


===Urban centres===
Retired Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion ], helped usher in Kenya's ongoing distance dynasty 1970s and was followed by Commonwealth Champion ]'s spectacular string of world record performances.
{{Main|List of cities and towns in Kenya by population}}
{{Largest cities
| country = Kenya
| stat_ref = According to the 2019 Census<ref name="Census2019">{{Cite web |title=2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume III: Distribution of Population by Age and Sex |url=https://www.knbs.or.ke/?wpdmpro=2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-volume-iii-distribution-of-population-by-age-sex-and-administrative-units&wpdmdl=5729&ind=0tNSo67ECQDUWjzx5h0MYjfrww-Ec24S00Uu0My9291AsXaUorFJx1bFVmQ7L1yZcD3J2SdGI3QT4aKeCFb-DA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802200037/https://www.knbs.or.ke/?wpdmpro=2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-volume-iii-distribution-of-population-by-age-sex-and-administrative-units&wpdmdl=5729&ind=0tNSo67ECQDUWjzx5h0MYjfrww-Ec24S00Uu0My9291AsXaUorFJx1bFVmQ7L1yZcD3J2SdGI3QT4aKeCFb-DA |archive-date=2 August 2020 |access-date=8 April 2020 |website=Kenya National Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name = County
| div_link = Counties of Kenya{{!}}County


| city_1 = Nairobi
Lately, there has been controversy in Kenyan athletics circles, with the defection of a number of Kenyan athletes to represent other countries, chiefly ] and ] <ref name="IAAF">IAAF: </ref>. The Kenyan Ministry of Sports has tried to stop the defections, but they have continued anyway, with ] the latest, choosing to represent the ]<ref name="IAAF">b</ref>.
| div_1 = Nairobi County{{!}}Nairobi
| pop_1 = 4 397 073
| img_1 = Nairobi, view from KICC.JPG


| city_2 = Mombasa
Cricket is Kenya's second most popular and most successful team sport. ] has competed in the ] since ]. They upset some of the World's best teams and reached semi-finals of the ]. They also won the inaugural World Cricket League Division 1 hosted in Nairobi and participated in the World T20. Their current captain is ].
| div_2 = Mombasa County{{!}}Mombasa
| pop_2 = 1 208 333
| img_2 = Mombasa skyline.jpg


| city_3 = Nakuru
Kenya is making a name for itself in ]. It is popular in Kenya especially with the annual ] tournament. ] ranked 9th in IRB Sevens World Series for the 2006 season.
| div_3 = Nakuru County{{!}}Nakuru
| pop_3 = 570 674
| img_3 =


| city_4 = Ruiru
Kenya has also been a dominant force in ladies' ] within Africa, with both the clubs and the national team winning various continental championships in the past decade. The women team has also competed at the Olympics and ] but without any notable success.
| div_4 = Kiambu County{{!}}Kiambu
| pop_4 = 490 120
| img_4 =


| city_5 = Eldoret
Kenya was a regional power in soccer but its dominance has been eroded by wrangles within the ] <ref>New Vision, June 3, 2004: </ref>. This has led to a suspension by ] which was lifted in March, 2007.
| div_5 = Uasin Gishu County{{!}}Uasin Gishu
| pop_5 = 475 716
In the motor ] arena, Kenya is home to the world famous ], commonly acknowledged as one of the toughest rallies in the world <ref> The Auto Channel, July 21, 2001: </ref>, and a part of the ] for many years until its exclusion after the 2002 event due to financial difficulties. Some of the best rally drivers in the world have taken part in and won the rally, such as ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Though the rally still runs annually as part of the Africa rally championship, the organisers are hoping to be allowed to rejoin the World Rally championship in the next couple of years.


| city_6 = Kisumu
=== Film ===
| div_6 = Kisumu County{{!}}Kisumu
{{main|Culture of Kenya}}
| pop_6 = 397 957
Although the government has not been very supportive of the ] in Kenya, the country offers some of the most spectacular sceneries and can only be compared to ] in regard to producing some of the most talented actors and actresses on the African continent. Due to the nonchalant attitude and lack of enthusiasm exhibited by the government, the industry has remained considerably dormant whereby notable movies shot in the country have been few and far between. The most recent movie is the award winning '']'' directed by ] and starring ] and ]. Other films shot in Kenya in the recent past include the ] winning ''] ''and '']. ''Sheena, Queen of the Jungle'' won great acclaim in the 1980s and was one of the first foreign movies to be shot entirely on location in Kenya. Other highly acclaimed films set (and shot) in Kenya include ]'s '']'', starring ] and ] and directed by ], and ], an adaptation of the autobiography of ]. In 1999, part of the movie ], which featured actor ], was shot on location in the ]. Notable film actors from Kenya include Paul Onsongo, David Mulwa, ] and ].


| city_7 = Kikuyu, Kenya{{!}}Kikuyu
''Die Weiße Massai'' (]), a German movie about a Swiss Woman who fell in love with a Samburu warrior (Maasai); won an Award of the best Foreign language Movie (2006).
| div_7 = Kiambu County{{!}}Kiambu
The '']'', based on the Ugandan dictator, was shot in Kenya and is considered one of the most successful movies produced and directed by a Kenyan (Sharad Patel). Indigenous Kenyan filmmakers include Ingolo Wa Keya, Albert Wandago and Judy Kibinge.
| pop_7 = 323 881
'']'' (Nirgendwo in Afrika - 2001), an award-winning German production, tells a story about German Jewish refugees living in Kenya during Second World War. Most of the movie is set in Kenya and numerous scenes show actors, either Kenyans or main German actors, speaking Swahili.


|city_8 = Thika
The ] (KFC) was established by the Kenyan government in 2005, but only became fully operational in mid-2006. The Commission was formed with the aim of promoting the Kenyan film industry both locally and internationally. It offers detailed information on Kenyan filming locations as well as liaison services on behalf of the government. The Commission also advises on recce’s, film licensing and immigration requirements as well as facilitate the filming process for film makers.
|div_8 = Kiambu County{{!}}Kiambu
|pop_8 = 251 407


|city_9= Naivasha
=== Television ===
|div_9 = Nakuru County{{!}}Nakuru
Acting for ] has proved popular with the Kenyan audience. This ] has been around from the 1960s when actors like Mzee Pembe graced the Kenyan television screen. Others, like Benson Wanjau (Ojwang' Hatari) and Mary Khavere (Mama Kayai), followed later with their rib-cracking ] presented exclusively in ], reaching millions of households courtesy of ] television station. Serious Television drama was witnessed for the first time in the early 1990s with the entry of popular actors like ], BMJ Muriithi and Betty Achieng' alongside other thespians who featured in a variety of ] shows following the ] of the ] by the Kenyan ]. However, Tushauriane, a ] ] series featuring Kenyan fine actors like Dennis Kashero and Tony Msalame had premiered in the late 1980s becoming arguably one of the most popular productions to ever hit the ] TV screens. A new genre in the form of stand-up comedy followed when the late actor Joni Nderitu entered the scene. The new style was later to be perfected by the group, 'Redykyulass', comprised of a trio of young Kenyans - Walter Mong'are, Tony Njuguna and John Kiare (KJ) - who specialised in political satire. They lampooned not only the establishment but the then Kenyan President, ] as well. The lampooning of the ] head of state was unprecedented and could have easily led to their prosecution, or even detention without trial, had it been done in the 1980s, when mimicking the head of state and exhibiting any form of political dissent was considered treasonable. Other Stations known to promote theater in Kenya include Nation TV, Kenya Television Network (KTN) an Citizen TV, all based in the nation's capital.
|pop_9 = 198 444


|city_10 = Karuri
A ] and ]-based 24-hour pan-African TV channel, ], is scheduled to start broadcasting from Nairobi in 2008. This will be in honor and memory of world-renowned and award winning Kenyan Photojournalist, ].
|div_10 = Kiambu County{{!}}Kiambu
|pop_10 = 194 342


| city_11 = Ongata Rongai
=== Theatre ===
| div_11 = Kajiado County{{!}}Kajiado
Kenya holds one of the biggest annual drama events, the Kenya schools and colleges drama festival, in the south of ]. The ] is based in Nairobi opposite the Norfolk Hotel. Notable theatre performing groups include ] that stages regular stage performances at both the Kenya National Theatre and Alliance Francaise, Phoenix Players based at the Professional Centre, Heartsrings Ensemble and Mombasa Little Theatre Club based in Mombasa. Notable names on the Kenyan theatre scene include the late actresses Stella Awinja Muka and Anne Wanjugu. Renowned director Tirus Gathwe cut a niche for himself and is perhaps the most well known theatre directors in Kenya today.In the late 1990s through the early 2000s, the late ] followed in the footsteps of the legendary ] when he, through Igiza Productions, teamed up with Tirus Gathwe and embarked on a project dubbed "taking Theatre to the people" which saw them stage numerous productions, mainly ] Satires, at nightspots throughout the ].
| pop_11 = 172 569


|city_12 = Garissa
== Literary perspective ==
|div_12 = Garissa County{{!}}Garissa
] at ], with Nairobi's skyline in background.]]
|pop_12 = 163 399
{{main|Literature of Kenya}}
] is one of the best known writers of Kenya. His book, '']'' is an illustration of life in Kenya during the British occupation. This is a story about the effects of the Mau Mau on the lives of black Kenyans. Its combination of themes - ], education, and love - help to make it one of the best-known novels in Africa.


| city_13 = Kitale
]'s 2003 novel ''The In-Between World of Vikram Lall'' won the ] in 2003. It is the fictional memoir of a Kenyan of Indian heritage and his family as they adjust to the changing political climates in colonial and post-colonial Kenya.
| div_13 = Trans-Nzoia County{{!}}Trans-Nzoia
| pop_13 = 162 174


| city_14 = Juja
Since 2003, the literary journal ] has been publishing Kenyan contemporary literature.
| div_14 = Kiambu County{{!}}Kiambu
| pop_14 = 156 041


|city_15 = Mlolongo
== See also ==
|div_15 = Machakos County{{!}} Machakos
] is the highest peak in Kenya at 5,199 m (17,042 ft).<ref>{{cite map
|pop_15 = 136 351
| publisher = Rough Guide
| title = Rough Guide Map Kenya
| edition =9
| year = 2006
| cartography =World Mapping Project
| scale =1:900,000
| series = Rough Guide Map
| isbn = 1-84353-359-6
}}</ref> Kenya is named after the mountain.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times
|articlename=British East Africa Annexed--"Kenya Colony"
|author=Reuter
|section=News
|day_of_week=Thursday
|date=Jul 08, 1920
|page_number=13
|issue=42457
|column=C
}}</ref>]]


|city_16 = Malindi
{{columns
|div_16 = Kilifi County{{!}}Kilifi
|width=220px
|pop_16 = 119 859
|col1 =

* ]
|city_17 = Mandera
* ]
|div_17 = Mandera County{{!}} Mandera
* ]
|pop_17 = 114 718
* ]

* ]
|city_18 = Kisii, Kenya{{!}}Kisii
* ]
|div_18 = Kisii County{{!}}Kisii
* ]
|pop_18 = 112 417
* ]

* ]
|city_19 = Kakamega
|col2 =
|div_19 = Kakamega County{{!}} Kakamega
; Lists
|pop_19 = 107 227
* ]

* ]
|city_20 = Ngong, Kenya{{!}}Ngong
* ]
|div_20 = Kajiado County{{!}} Kajiado
|pop_20 = 102 323
}} }}


===Religion===
== Notes and references ==
{{Main|Religion in Kenya}}
{{reflist}}
]


Most Kenyans are ] (85.5%), with 53.9% ] and 20.6% ].<ref name="Census2019a" /> The ] has 3 million followers in Kenya and surrounding countries.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403024055/http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=1390&lg=eng |date=3 April 2013 }}. Reformiert-online.net. Retrieved 16 April 2013.</ref> There are smaller conservative ] churches, the ],<ref>. Wrfnet.org. Retrieved 16 April 2013.</ref> the ], and the ]. ] has 621,200 adherents.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 February 2008 |title=Kenya |url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/kenya.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311215546/http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/kenya.html |archive-date=11 March 2008 |access-date=26 February 2013 |publisher=Oikoumene.org}}</ref> Kenya has by far the highest number of ]s of any country in the world, with around 146,300.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Samuel |first=Bill |title=World Distribution of Quakers, 2012 - QuakerInfo.com |url=http://www.quakerinfo.com/memb2012.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117115311/http://www.quakerinfo.com/memb2012.shtml |archive-date=17 January 2019 |access-date=24 December 2018 |website=quakerinfo.com}}</ref> The only ] in the country is in Nairobi.
7. http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/
8. http://www.homestead.com/wysinger/ancientafrica.html


Islam is the ], comprising 11% of the population.<ref name="religious-freedom"/> 60% of Kenyan Muslims live in the ], comprising 50% of the total population there, while the upper part of Kenya's ] is home to 10% of the country's Muslims, where they are the majority religious group.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2008 |title=Kenya: International Religious Freedom Report 2008 |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108374.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419081919/http://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108374.htm |archive-date=19 April 2010 |access-date=16 April 2010 |website=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> ] are practised by 0.7% of the population, although many self-identifying Christians and Muslims ]. Nonreligious Kenyans are 1.6% of the population.<ref name="Census2019a" />
== External links ==
{{linkfarm}}
{{sisterlinks|Kenya}}
; Government
* Office of the Government Spokesperson of the Republic of Kenya.
* Official site.
* Kenyan Legislation, Case Law, Official Gazette Notices and legal Info.
* Official site State House, Kenya.
* Currency exchange rates official site.
* Provides information on investing.
* Main Kenyan airline.
* Information on Kenyan Airports.
* Information on Kenyan seaports.
* Administration Police Force
* Kenya Police Force.
* Agency that conserves, protects and manages Kenya's diverse wildlife and parks.
* Promotes and Market’s Kenya as a tourist destination both locally and internationally.
* Official guide to filming in Kenya.


Some Hindus also live in Kenya. The numbers are estimated to be around 60,287, or 0.13% of the population.<ref name="Census2019a" />
; News
* State run media organization
* Local independent newspaper
* Kenya's Financial Daily
* Authoritative Weekly
* Business News for Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi
* Local independent newspaper
* news headlines


===Health===
; Overviews
{{Main|Health in Kenya}}
* (])
* A photographic approach to Kenya's beauty.
*
*
*
* includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
* Recent reports and


]]]
; Directories
Health care is one of the low-priority sectors in Kenya and was allocated 4.8% of the national budget in 2019/2020 or just 4.59% of ] compared to high-priority sectors such as education which was allocated more than 25%. This is below the 4.98% average in ] and 9.83% spent globally.
* directory category of the WWW-VL
* directory category
* directory category
* Kenya Web sites


According to the National and County Health Budget Analysis FY 2020/21, the breakdown of county health expenditure was 58% on Policy Planning and Administrative Support Services, 28% on Curative and Rehabilitative Health Services, 8% on Preventive and Promotive Health Services and 7% on Other Programmes.
; Resources
* current news, events and statistics
* All the statutory laws of Kenya
*
*
* ]


Health care is largely funded by private individuals and their families or employers through direct payments to ]s, to the ] or to medical insurance companies. Additional funding comes from local, international and some government ] schemes. Public hospitals are ] establishments that generate large amounts of county and national government revenues making them highly political and corrupt enterprises.<ref>{{Citation |title=Sectoral Perspectives on Corruption in Kenya: The Case of Public Health Care Delivery |date=February 2010 |url=https://eacc.go.ke/default/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/health-report.pdf |access-date=16 February 2023 |publisher=Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission |archive-date=19 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119100332/https://eacc.go.ke/default/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/health-report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
; Travel & Tourism
* Official travel and tourism guide.
* Kenya national parks information and travel guide.
*{{wikitravel}}
*
*


Private health facilities are diverse, highly dynamic, and difficult to classify, unlike public health facilities, which are easily grouped in classes that consist of community-based (level I) services, run by ]s; dispensaries (level II facilities) run by ]s; health centres (level III facilities), run by ]s; sub-county hospitals (level IV facilities), which may be run by a ] or a ]; county hospitals (level V facilities), which may be run by a ] or a ]; and national referral hospitals (level VI facilities), which are run by fully qualified ]s.
; History
*
*


] ] are by far the largest group of ] health care providers in all sectors, followed by clinical officers, medical officers, and medical practitioners. These are absorbed and deployed into government service in accordance with the Scheme of Service for Nursing Personnel (2014), the Revised Scheme of Service for Clinical Personnel (2020) and the Revised Scheme of Service for Medical Officers and Dental Officers (2016).
<!--Templates-->
{{Provinces, cities and towns of Kenya}}


]s (]s, ]s, and ]s) are readily available, trusted, and widely consulted as practitioners of first or last choice by both rural and urban dwellers.

Despite major achievements in the health sector, Kenya still faces many challenges. The estimated ] dropped in 2009 to approximately 55 years — five years below the 1990 level.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604143317/https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/kenya_statistics.html#85 |date=4 June 2019 }}. Unicef.org.</ref> The ] rate was high at approximately 44 deaths per 1,000 children in 2012.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802233410/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html?countryName=Kenya&countryCode=ke&regionCode=afr&rank=53#ke |date=2 August 2020 }}. ''The World Factbook''</ref> The WHO estimated in 2011 that only 42% of births were attended by a skilled health professional.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WHO Health-Related Millennium Development Goals Report 2011 |url=https://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/EN_WHS2011_Part1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617072744/http://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/EN_WHS2011_Part1.pdf |archive-date=17 June 2012}}</ref>

] directly correlate with a country's ] and ]: In 2015/16, 35.6% of Kenyans lived below the poverty line.<ref name="Poverty Incidence in Kenya">{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/kenya/publication/kenya-economic-update-poverty-incidence-in-kenya-declined-significantly-but-unlikely-to-be-eradicated-by-2030 |title=Poverty Incidence in Kenya Declined Significantly, but Unlikely to be Eradicated by 2030 |language=en |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326162911/https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/kenya/publication/kenya-economic-update-poverty-incidence-in-kenya-declined-significantly-but-unlikely-to-be-eradicated-by-2030 |url-status=live }}</ref> Preventable diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malnutrition are the biggest burden, major child-killers, and responsible for much morbidity; weak policies, corruption, inadequate health workers, weak management, and poor leadership in the public health sector are largely to blame. According to 2009 estimates, ] is about 6.3% of the adult population.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329123741/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2155rank.html?countryName=Kenya&countryCode=ke&regionCode=afr&rank=11#ke |date=29 March 2019 }}. Cia.gov. Retrieved 23 April 2012.</ref> However, the 2011 UNAIDS Report suggests that the HIV epidemic may be improving in Kenya, as HIV prevalence is declining among young people (ages 15–24) and pregnant women.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601011732/http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublication/2011/JC2216_WorldAIDSday_report_2011_en.pdf |date=1 June 2013 }}. UNAIDS</ref> Kenya had an estimated 15 million cases of ] in 2006.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228111430/http://www.who.int/malaria/publications/country-profiles/2009/mal2009_kenya_0025.pdf |date=28 February 2021 }}, pp. 111–113 in ''World Malaria report 2009''. WHO.</ref> ] is a major public health problem. The per capita incidence of TB in Kenya more than quadrupled between 1990 and 2015.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Tuberculosis in an urban hospital setting: Descriptive epidemiology among patients at Kenyatta National Hospital TB clinic, Nairobi, Kenya |journal=International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences |date=2021 |volume=15 |doi=10.1016/j.ijans.2021.100308 |last1=Makori |first1=Linet |last2=Gichana |first2=Haggray |last3=Oyugi |first3=Elvis |last4=Nyale |first4=George |last5=Ransom |first5=James |doi-access=free }}</ref>

The 2024 Global Hunger Index gave Kenya a 25.0 score, indicating that the severity of hunger is "serious".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Hunger Index Scores by 2024 GHI Rank |url=https://www.globalhungerindex.org/ranking.html |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=Global Hunger Index (GHI) - peer-reviewed annual publication designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels |language=en}}</ref>

===Women===
{{Main|Women in Kenya|Child marriage in Kenya|Polygamy in Kenya}}
The ] in Kenya was estimated to be 4.49 children per woman in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IFs Forecast – Version 7.00 – Google Public Data Explorer |url=https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=n4ff2muj8bh2a_&ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=TFR&fdim_y=scenario:1&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=world&idim=country:KE&ifdim=world&tstart=1106895600000&tend=2842498800000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407115910/http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=n4ff2muj8bh2a_&ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=TFR&fdim_y=scenario:1&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=world&idim=country:KE&ifdim=world&tstart=1106895600000&tend=2842498800000 |archive-date=7 April 2015 |access-date=15 February 2015}}</ref> According to a 2008–09 survey by the Kenyan government, the total fertility rate was 4.6% and the contraception usage rate among married women was 46%.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102045335/http://statistics.knbs.or.ke/nada/index.php/catalog/23 |date=2 January 2019 }}. Kenya National Data Archive (KeNADA)</ref> ] is high, partly because of ],<ref name="lcweb2.loc.gov" /> with about 27% of women having undergone it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WHO – Female genital mutilation and other harmful practices |url=https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/prevalence/en/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029201427/http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/prevalence/en/ |archive-date=29 October 2010 |access-date=15 February 2015}}</ref>
This practice is however on the decline as the country becomes more modernised, and in 2011 it was banned in Kenya.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boseley |first=Sarah |date=8 September 2011 |title=FGM: Kenya acts against unkindest cut |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/sarah-boseley-global-health/2011/sep/08/women-africa |url-status=live |access-date=7 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617091857/https://www.theguardian.com/society/sarah-boseley-global-health/2011/sep/08/women-africa |archive-date=17 June 2017}}</ref>
Women were economically empowered before colonialisation.
By colonial land alienation, women lost access and control of land.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web |title=Women's participation in the kenyan society |url=http://www.cipe.org/essay/Women's%20participation%20in%20Kenyan%20Society%20-%20Claris%20Kariuki.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111134944/http://www.cipe.org/essay/Women%27s%20participation%20in%20Kenyan%20Society%20-%20Claris%20Kariuki.pdf |archive-date=11 January 2011 |access-date=2 February 2018 |website=Center for International Private Enterprise}}</ref> They became more economically dependent on men.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> A colonial order of gender emerged where males dominated females.<ref name="autogenerated1" />
Median age at first marriage increases with increasing education.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Demographic and Health Survey 2014 |url=https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/fr308/fr308.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403000621/https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/fr308/fr308.pdf |archive-date=3 April 2019 |access-date=2 February 2018 |website=Kenya National Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>
Rape, defilement, and battering are not always seen as serious crimes.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |title=MAKING JUSTICE WORK FOR WOMEN Kenya Country Report |url=https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au//bitstream/2123/15632/2/Kenya%20Summary.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203005725/https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au//bitstream/2123/15632/2/Kenya%20Summary.pdf |archive-date=3 February 2018 |access-date=2 February 2018 |website=Sydney eScholarship Repository}}</ref>
Reports of sexual assault are not always taken seriously.<ref name="auto2" />

=== Youth ===
Article 260 of the ] of 2010 defines youth as those between the ages of 18 and 34.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Const2010 |url=http://www.kenyalaw.org/lex/actview.xql?actid=Const2010#KE/CON/Const2010/chap_16 |access-date=2022-02-25 |website=kenyalaw.org |archive-date=7 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180607042248/http://www.kenyalaw.org/lex/actview.xql?actid=Const2010#KE/CON/Const2010/chap_16 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the 2019 Population and Census results, 75 percent of the 47.6 million population is under the age of 35, making Kenya a country of the ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-21 |title=Out of 47.6 million Kenyans, 35.7 million are under the age of 35 |url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/out-of-47-6-million-kenyans-35-7-million-are-under-the-age-of-35-323822 |access-date=2022-02-25 |website=Citizen Digital |language=en |archive-date=7 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207193147/https://www.citizen.digital/news/out-of-47-6-million-kenyans-35-7-million-are-under-the-age-of-35-323822 |url-status=live }}</ref> Youth unemployment and underemployment in Kenya has become a problem.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web |last=D.G |first=Kabata |title=Why youth unemployment problem require more than a strait jacket solution |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/letters/article/2001391660/youth-unemployment-puzzle-requires-innovative-solutions |access-date=2022-02-25 |website=The Standard |language=en |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225160550/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/letters/article/2001391660/youth-unemployment-puzzle-requires-innovative-solutions |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), approximately 1.7 million people lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which eliminated some informal jobs and caused the economy to slow.<ref name="auto3"/> The Kenyan government has made progress in addressing the high youth unemployment by implementing various affirmative action programs and projects which include: the ], The National Youth Enterprise Development Fund,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Youth Enterprise Development Fund |url=http://www.youthfund.go.ke/ |access-date=2022-02-25 |language=en-US |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316024321/https://www.youthfund.go.ke/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Women Enterprise Fund,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Women Enterprise Fund – Kenya – 50 Million African Women Speak |url=https://www.womenconnect.org/web/kenya/access-to-capital/-/asset_publisher/H9h9sCCMQ8ue/content/women-enterprise-fu-3 |access-date=2022-02-25 |website=womenconnect.org |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225160553/https://www.womenconnect.org/web/kenya/access-to-capital/-/asset_publisher/H9h9sCCMQ8ue/content/women-enterprise-fu-3 |url-status=live }}</ref> Kazi Mtaani, ], Kikao Mtaani,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kikao Mtaani |url=https://youth.go.ke/kikao-3/ |access-date=2022-02-25 |website=youth.go.ke |language=en-US |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225160553/https://youth.go.ke/kikao-3/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Uwezo fund,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Uwezo Fund – A flagship programme for vision 2030 |url=https://www.uwezo.go.ke/ |access-date=2022-02-25 |language=en-US |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225160553/https://www.uwezo.go.ke/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Future Bora<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} Future Bora Innovation Challenge |url=https://www.futurebora.go.ke/ |access-date=2022-02-25 |website=Future Bora |language=en |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225162053/https://www.futurebora.go.ke/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and Studio mashinani<ref>{{Cite web |last=PLC |first=Standard Group |title=studio mashinani |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/topic/studio-mashinani |access-date=2022-02-25 |website=The Standard |language=en |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225160551/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/topic/studio-mashinani |url-status=live }}</ref> that ], offer job opportunities and to raise one's standard of living.

===Education===
{{Main|Education in Kenya}}
]

] in Nairobi]]

Children attend nursery school, or kindergarten in the private sector until they are five years old. This lasts one to three years (KG1, KG2 and KG3) and is financed privately because there has been no government policy on pre-schooling until recently.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=Standard |title=Government to review Early Childhood Development policy |url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000188257/government-to-review-early-childhood-development-policy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822022539/http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000188257/government-to-review-early-childhood-development-policy |archive-date=22 August 2016 |access-date=23 June 2016 |website=Standard Digital News}}</ref>

Basic formal education starts at age six and lasts 12 years, consisting of eight years in primary school and four in high school or secondary. Primary school is free in public schools and those attending can join a vocational youth/village polytechnic, or make their own arrangements for an apprenticeship program and learn a trade such as tailoring, carpentry, motor vehicle repair, brick-laying and masonry for about two years.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Primary School Education in Kenya |url=http://kenyapage.net/education/primary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412165404/http://kenyapage.net/education/primary.html |archive-date=12 April 2017 |access-date=10 June 2016 |website=kenyapage.net}}</ref>

Those who complete high school can join a ] or other technical college and study for three years, or proceed directly to university and study for four years. Graduates from the polytechnics and colleges can then join the workforce and later obtain a specialised higher diploma qualification after a further one to two years of training, or join the university—usually in the second or third year of their respective course. The ] is accepted by many employers in place of a bachelor's degree and direct or accelerated admission to post-graduate studies is possible in some universities.

]

Public universities in Kenya are highly commercialised institutions and only a small fraction of qualified high school graduates are admitted on limited government-sponsorship into programs of their choice. Most are admitted into the social sciences, which are cheap to run, or as self-sponsored students paying the full cost of their studies. Most qualified students who miss out opt for middle-level diploma programs in public or private universities, colleges, and polytechnics.

In 2018, 18.5 percent of the Kenyan adult population was illiterate, which was the highest rate of literacy in East Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) – Kenya {{!}} Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS?locations=KE |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128112128/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS?locations=KE |archive-date=28 January 2021 |access-date=2021-01-22 |website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) – Sub-Saharan Africa {{!}} Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS?locations=ZG&most_recent_value_desc=false |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416224534/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS?locations=ZG&most_recent_value_desc=false |archive-date=16 April 2021 |access-date=2021-01-22 |website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref> There are very wide regional disparities: for example, Nairobi had the highest level of literacy at 87.1 per cent, compared to North Eastern Province, the lowest, at 8.0 per cent. Preschool, which targets children from age three to five, is an integral component of the education system and is a key requirement for admission to Standard One (First Grade). At the end of primary education, pupils sit the ] (KCPE), which determines those who proceed to secondary school or vocational training. The result of this examination is needed for placement at secondary school.<ref name=":2" />

Primary school is for students aged 6/7-13/14 years. For those who proceed to the secondary level, there is a national examination at the end of Form Four&nbsp;– the ] (KCSE), which determines those proceeding to the universities, other professional training, or employment. Students sit ] in eight subjects of their choosing. However, English, Kiswahili, and mathematics are compulsory subjects.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), formerly the Joint Admissions Board (JAB), is responsible for selecting students joining the public universities. Other than the public schools, there are many private schools, mainly in urban areas. Similarly, there are a number of ]s catering to various overseas educational systems.

Kenya was ranked 96th in the ] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite book |author=] |year=2024 |title=Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=www.wipo.int |page=18 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.50062 |isbn=978-92-805-3681-2}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Kenya}}
{{more citations needed|section|date=December 2020}}
]
]]]

The ] comprises multiple traditions. Kenya has no single prominent culture. It instead consists of the various cultures of the country's different communities.

Notable populations include the ] on the coast, several other ] communities in the central and western regions, and Nilotic communities in the northwest. The ] culture is well known to tourism, despite constituting a relatively small part of Kenya's population. They are renowned for their elaborate upper-body adornment and jewellery.

Additionally, Kenya has an extensive music, television, and theatre scene.

===Literature===
{{Main|Kenyan literature}}
]

] is one of Kenya's best-known writers. His novel ''] depicts'' life in Kenya during the British occupation. The story details the effects of the Mau Mau on the lives of Kenyans. Its combination of themes—], education, and love—helped make it one of the best-known African novels.

]'s 2003 novel ''The In-Between World of Vikram Lall'' won the ] in 2003. It is the fictional memoir of a Kenyan of Indian heritage and his family as they adjust to the changing political climates in colonial and post-colonial Kenya.

Since 2003, the literary journal '']'' has been publishing Kenyan contemporary literature. Kenya has also nurtured emerging versatile authors such as Paul Kipchumba (Kipwendui, Kibiwott) who demonstrate a pan-African outlook.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Africa in China's 21st Century: In Search of a Strategy |date=3 December 2017 |publisher=Independently published |isbn=978-1973456803}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|Music of Kenya}}
]

Kenya has a diverse assortment of popular music forms, in addition to multiple types of ] based on the variety of over 40 regional languages.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103130711/http://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2007/04/article_0001.html |date=3 November 2011 }}, ] Magazine (July 2007).</ref>

Drums are the most dominant instrument in popular Kenyan music. Drum beats are very complex and include both native rhythms and imported ones, especially the ] ] rhythm. Popular Kenyan music usually involves the interplay of multiple parts, and more recently, showy guitar solos as well. There are also a number of local hip-hop artists, including ]; Afro-pop bands such as ]; and musicians who play local genres like Benga, such as ].

Lyrics are most often in Kiswahili or English. There is also some emerging aspect of ] borrowed from ] musicians. Lyrics are also written in local languages. Urban radio generally only plays English music, though there also exist a number of vernacular radio stations.

Zilizopendwa is a genre of local urban music that was recorded in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s by musicians such as ], ], and Sukuma Bin Ongaro, and is particularly enjoyed by older people—having been popularised by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation's Kiswahili service (formerly called Voice of Kenya or VOK).

The Isukuti is a vigorous dance performed by the ] sub-tribes to the beat of a traditional drum called the Isukuti during many occasions such as the birth of a child, marriage, or funeral. Other traditional dances include the ] among the ], Nzele among the ], ] among the ], and ] among the ].

Additionally, Kenya has a growing Christian gospel music scene. Prominent local gospel musicians include the ].

] has been popular since the late 1960s, especially in the area around ]. The word ''benga'' is occasionally used to refer to any kind of pop music. Bass, guitar, and percussion are the usual instruments.

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Kenya}}
]

Kenya is active in several sports, among them ], ], ], ], ], and ]. The country is known chiefly for its dominance in ] and ] athletics, having consistently produced ] and ] champions in various distance events, especially in 800&nbsp;m, 1,500&nbsp;m, 3,000&nbsp;m steeplechase, 5,000&nbsp;m, 10,000&nbsp;m, and the marathon. Kenyan athletes (particularly ]), continue to dominate the world of distance running, although competition from ] and ] has reduced this supremacy. Some of Kenya's best-known athletes include the four-time women's ] winner and two-time world champion ], 800m world record holder ], former ] world record-holder ], and 5000m Olympic gold medalist ]. Kenya's most decorated athlete is three-time Olympic gold medalist and eleven-time world marathon major champion, ].

Kenya won several medals during the Beijing Olympics: six gold, four silver, and four bronze, making it Africa's most successful nation in the 2008 Olympics. New athletes gained attention, such as ], the women's 800m gold medalist who went on to win the ] jackpot, and ], who won the men's marathon. Retired Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion ] helped usher in Kenya's ongoing distance dynasty in the 1970s and was followed by Commonwealth Champion ]'s spectacular string of world record performances. Lately, there has been controversy in Kenyan athletics circles, with the defection of a number of Kenyan athletes to represent other countries, chiefly ] and ].<ref name="IAAF">IAAF: {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509091352/http://www.iaaf.net/mm/Document/imported/42196.pdf |date=9 May 2013 }}</ref> The Kenyan Ministry of Sports has tried to stop the defections, but they have continued anyway, with ] being the latest, choosing to represent the United States.<ref name="IAAF" /> Most of these defections occur because of economic or financial factors.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mynott |first=Adam |date=20 May 2005 |title=Kenya examines track star defections |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4566821.stm |url-status=live |access-date=10 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417231056/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4566821.stm |archive-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> Decisions by the Kenyan government to tax athletes' earnings may also be a motivating factor.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 January 2014 |title=Furious Kenyans threaten to defect over taxes |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-kenya-taxes-idUSBREA0L1OM20140122 |url-status=live |access-date=10 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805120245/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-kenya-taxes-idUSBREA0L1OM20140122 |archive-date=5 August 2016}}</ref> Some elite Kenyan runners who cannot qualify for their country's strong national team find it easier to qualify by running for other countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why the defections? |url=http://mobile.nation.co.ke/Sports/Why+the+defections/-/1951244/1957996/-/format/xhtml/-/hpgsnf/-/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818074600/http://mobile.nation.co.ke/Sports/Why+the+defections/-/1951244/1957996/-/format/xhtml/-/hpgsnf/-/index.html |archive-date=18 August 2016 |access-date=10 June 2016 |website=mobile.nation.co.ke}}</ref>

]]]
Kenya has been a dominant force in women's volleyball within Africa, with both the clubs and the national team winning various continental championships in the past decade.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 June 2015 |title=Kenya women's volleyball caps three decades of excellence {{!}} Kenya Page Blog |url=http://kenyapage.net/commentary/kenya-sports-commentary/kenya-womens-volleyball-caps-four-decades-of-excellence/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612121336/http://kenyapage.net/commentary/kenya-sports-commentary/kenya-womens-volleyball-caps-four-decades-of-excellence/ |archive-date=12 June 2016 |access-date=10 June 2016 |website=kenyapage.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 June 2015 |title=Volleyball: Champions Kenya Scoop Major Continental Awards {{!}} |url=http://www.chimpreports.com/volleyball-kenya-crowned-african-nations-champions/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803233901/http://www.chimpreports.com/volleyball-kenya-crowned-african-nations-champions/ |archive-date=3 August 2016 |access-date=10 June 2016 |website=chimpreports.com}}</ref> The women's team has competed at the Olympics and ], though without any notable success. Cricket is another popular sport, also ranking as the most successful team sport. ] has competed in the ] since ]. They upset some of the world's best teams and reached the semi-finals of the ]. They won the inaugural World Cricket League Division 1 hosted in Nairobi and participated in the World T20. They also participated in the ]. Their current captain is ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=:: Cricket Kenya |url=http://www.cricketkenya.co.ke/senior_men.php#&panel1-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328200749/http://cricketkenya.co.ke/senior_men.php#&panel1-1 |archive-date=28 March 2016 |access-date=10 June 2016 |website=cricketkenya.co.ke}}</ref>

Rugby is increasing in popularity, especially with the annual Safari Sevens tournament. The ] ranked 9th in the IRB Sevens World Series for the 2006 season. In 2016, the team beat Fiji at the Singapore Sevens finals, making Kenya the second African nation after South Africa to win a World Series championship.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 April 2016 |title=Kenya win Singapore Sevens title |work=SuperSport |url=http://www.supersport.com/rugby/sevens/news/160417/Kenya_win_Singapore_Sevens_title |url-status=live |access-date=10 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621175817/http://www.supersport.com/rugby/sevens/news/160417/Kenya_win_Singapore_Sevens_title |archive-date=21 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Kenya beat Fiji to win their first Sevens World Series title |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/36067269 |url-status=live |access-date=10 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420153557/http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/36067269 |archive-date=20 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sport |first=Telegraph |date=17 April 2016 |title=HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series: Kenya shock Fiji and win maiden title in Singapore |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-sevens/2016/04/17/hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-kenya-shock-fiji-and-win-maiden-t/ |url-status=live |access-date=10 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619110410/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-sevens/2016/04/17/hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-kenya-shock-fiji-and-win-maiden-t/ |archive-date=19 June 2016}}</ref> ] was once also a regional powerhouse in football. However, its dominance has been eroded by wrangles within the now defunct ],<ref>New Vision, 3 June 2004: {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110015009/http://www.newvision.co.ug/PA/8/30/364022 |date=10 January 2008 }}</ref> leading to a suspension by ] which was lifted in March 2007.{{fact|date=October 2024}}

In the motor rallying arena, Kenya is home to the world-famous ], commonly acknowledged as one of the toughest rallies in the world.<ref>The Auto Channel, 21 July 2001: {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210095507/http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2001/07/22/025841.html |date=10 December 2007 }}</ref> First held in 1953, it was a part of the ] for many years until its exclusion after the 2002 event owing to financial difficulties. Some of the best rally drivers in the world have taken part in and won the rally, such as ], ], ], ], ], and ]. The Safari Rally returned to the world championship in ], after the 2003–2019 events ran as part of the ].{{fact|date=October 2024}}

Nairobi has hosted several major continental sports events, including the ], where ] finished in the top four, its best performance to date.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008174937/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/sid/2405/tid/312/_/1993_African_Championship_for_Men_/index.html |date=8 October 2017 }}, ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM. Retrieved 24 January 2016.</ref>

Kenya also has its own ] team, the Kenya Ice Lions.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527112254/https://www.nhl.com/news/color-of-hockey-kenya-ice-lions-ready-to-roar/c-316726578 |date=27 May 2022 }} – ]</ref> The team's home ground is the ] at the in Nairobi,<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527112254/https://www.iihf.com/en/news/18709/hockey-visit-to-kenya |date=27 May 2022 }} – ]</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707142634/http://panarihotels.com/hotel-nairobi/ice-rink.html |date=7 July 2022 }} – The Panari Hotel</ref> which is the first and largest ] in all of Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2005-12-26-kenyan-skaters-flock-to-east-africas-first-ice-rink/|title=Kenyan skaters flock to East Africa's first ice rink|date=25 December 2005|website=The Mail & Guardian}}</ref>

] was considered one of the good teams in the world during 1960s and 1970s.
]
Kenya was got 6th position in ] hockey tournament and 4th in 1971 ].

===Cuisine===
] and ], staples of Kenyan cuisine]]

Kenyans generally have three meals in a day—breakfast (''kiamsha kinywa''), lunch (''chakula cha mchana''), and supper (''chakula cha jioni'' or simply ''chajio''). In between, they have the 10-o'clock tea (''chai ya saa nne'') and 4 p.m. tea (''chai ya saa kumi''). Breakfast is usually tea or porridge with bread, ], ], boiled sweet potatoes, or ]. ] is a common lunchtime dish in many households, while ] with vegetables, sour milk (]), meat, fish, or any other stew is generally eaten by much of the population for lunch or supper. Regional variations and dishes also exist.

In western Kenya, among the ], fish is a common dish; among the ], who dominate much of the Rift Valley Region, mursik—sour milk—is a common drink.

In cities such as Nairobi, there are fast-food restaurants, including ], ],<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 October 2012 |title=Fast food finds fans in sub-Sahara Africa, where obesity problem is growing |url=http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/10/13223149-fast-food-finds-fans-in-sub-sahara-africa-where-obesity-problem-is-growing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116210535/http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/10/13223149-fast-food-finds-fans-in-sub-sahara-africa-where-obesity-problem-is-growing |archive-date=16 January 2013 |access-date=26 February 2013 |website=NBC News}}</ref> and ].<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023161931/https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Subway-to-open-first-Kenya-outlet-in-August/-/539552/1691534/-/bax3pa/-/index.html |date=23 October 2018 }}. businessdailyafrica.com. Retrieved 9 August 2013.</ref> There are also many fish-and-chips shops.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Restaurants in Nairobi, Kenya - Yellow Pages Online Directory|url=https://yellowpageskenya.com/search-results/Restaurants|website=yellowpageskenya.com|access-date=27 April 2023|archive-date=27 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427112348/https://yellowpageskenya.com/search-results/Restaurants|url-status=live}}</ref>

] is becoming more popular in Kenya, with consumption increasing particularly among the middle class.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114041844/http://www.africanews.com/2016/09/04/kenyans-are-gradually-loving-cheese/ |date=14 November 2017 }}, africanews.com, 4 September 2016.</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114040913/https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/entrepreneur-grows-her-hobby-into-a-successful-cheese-making-business/ |date=14 November 2017 }}, howwemadeitinafrica.com, 23 August 2013.</ref>

==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
*]
{{Portal bar|Kenya|Geography|Africa}}
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Sources and further reading==
{{refbegin}}

*{{Cite book|title=The Culture of Politics in Modern Kenya|last=Haugerud|first=Angelique|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1995|isbn=9780521595902|edition=1st|series=African Studies|volume=84|location=Cambridge|pages=266|name-list-style=vanc}}
* {{Citation |last1=Ludeki Chweya |title=Control of Corruption in Kenya: Legal-political Dimensions |date=2005 |page=259 |publisher=] |isbn=978-9966-915-55-9 |last2=John Kithome Tuta |last3=S. Kichamu Akivaga}}
*{{Cite book|title=Kenya Today: Breaking the Yoke of Colonialism in Africa|last=Mwaura|first=Ndirangu|publisher=Algora Publishing|year=2005|isbn=9780875863214|pages=238|name-list-style=vanc}}

{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|n=Category:Kenya |voy=Kenya}}
* {{official website|http://www.parliament.go.ke|Official website of the Parliament of Kenya}}
* {{Wikiatlas|Kenya}}
* . '']''. ].
* profile from ]
* from the Business Anti-Corruption Portal
* , 2010

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Latest revision as of 03:40, 24 December 2024

Country in Eastern Africa This article is about the country. For other uses, see Kenya (disambiguation).

Republic of KenyaJamhuri ya Kenya (Swahili)
Flag of Kenya Flag Coat of arms of Kenya Coat of arms
Motto: "Harambee"
(English: "Let us all pull together")
Anthem: "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"
(English: "O God of All Creation")
Show globeShow map of Africa
Capitaland largest cityNairobi
1°16′S 36°48′E / 1.267°S 36.800°E / -1.267; 36.800
Official languages
National languageSwahili
Ethnic groups (2019 census)
Religion (2019 census)
Demonym(s)Kenyan
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic
• President William Ruto
• Deputy President Kithure Kindiki
• Senate Speaker Amason Kingi
• Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula
• Chief Justice Martha Koome
LegislatureParliament
• Upper houseSenate
• Lower houseNational Assembly
Independence
• Kilwa Sultanate 957–1513
• Omani control of Swahili coast 1698–1887
• Dominion 12 December 1963
• Republic 12 December 1964
• Current Constitution 27 August 2010
Area
• Total580,367 km (224,081 sq mi) (48th)
• Water (%)2.3
Population
• 2024 estimateIncrease 52,428,290 (28th)
• 2019 census47,564,296
• Density82/km (212.4/sq mi) (124th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• TotalIncrease $375.36 billion (59th)
• Per capitaIncrease $7,160 (142nd)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• TotalIncrease $116.39 billion (59th)
• Per capitaIncrease $2,220 (150th)
Gini (2021)Positive decrease 38.7
medium inequality
HDI (2022)Increase 0.601
medium (146th)
CurrencyKenyan shilling (KES)
Time zoneUTC+3 (East Africa Time)
Date formatdd/mm/yy (AD)
Drives onLeft
Calling code+254
ISO 3166 codeKE
Internet TLD.ke
According to the CIA, estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of mortality because of AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex, than would otherwise be expected.

Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya (Swahili: Jamhuri ya Kenya), is a country in East Africa. With a population of more than 47.6 million in the 2019 census, Kenya is the 28th-most-populous country in the world and 7th most populous in Africa. Kenya's capital and largest city is Nairobi, while its oldest and second-largest city, is the major port city of Mombasa, situated on Mombasa Island in the Indian Ocean and the surrounding mainland. Mombasa was the capital of the British East Africa Protectorate, which included most of what is now Kenya and southwestern Somalia, from 1889 to 1907. Other important cities include Kisumu and Nakuru. Kenya is bordered by South Sudan to the northwest, Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, Uganda to the west, Tanzania to the south, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast.

Kenya's geography, climate and population vary widely, ranging from cold snow-capped mountaintops (Batian, Nelion and Point Lenana on Mount Kenya) with vast surrounding forests, wildlife and fertile agricultural regions to temperate climates in western and rift valley counties and further on to dry less fertile arid and semi-arid areas and absolute deserts (Chalbi Desert and Nyiri Desert).

Kenya's earliest inhabitants were hunter-gatherers, like the present-day Hadza people. According to archaeological dating of associated artifacts and skeletal material, Cushitic speakers first settled in Kenya's lowlands between 3,200 and 1,300 BC, a phase known as the Lowland Savanna Pastoral Neolithic. Nilotic-speaking pastoralists (ancestral to Kenya's Nilotic speakers) began migrating from present-day South Sudan into Kenya around 500 BC. Bantu people settled at the coast and the interior between 250 BC and 500 AD.

European contact began in 1500 AD with the Portuguese Empire, and effective colonisation of Kenya began in the 19th century during the European exploration of Africa. Modern-day Kenya emerged from a protectorate established by the British Empire in 1895 and the subsequent Kenya Colony, which began in 1920. Numerous disputes between the UK and the colony led to the Mau Mau revolution, which began in 1952, and the declaration of independence in 1963. After independence, Kenya remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The current constitution was adopted in 2010 and replaced the 1963 independence constitution.

Kenya is a presidential representative democratic republic, in which elected officials represent the people and the president is the head of state and government. Kenya is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, COMESA, International Criminal Court, as well as other international organisations. It is also a major non-NATO ally of the United States. With a GNI of 1,840, Kenya is a lower-middle-income economy. Kenya's economy is the second largest in eastern and central Africa, after Ethiopia, with Nairobi serving as a major regional commercial hub. Agriculture is the largest sector; tea and coffee are traditional cash crops, while fresh flowers are a fast-growing export. The service industry is also a major economic driver, particularly tourism. Kenya is a member of the East African Community trade bloc, though some international trade organisations categorise it as part of the Greater Horn of Africa. Africa is Kenya's largest export market, followed by the European Union.

Etymology

The Republic of Kenya is named after Mount Kenya. The earliest recorded version of the modern name was written by German explorer Johann Ludwig Krapf in the 19th century. While travelling with a Kamba caravan led by the long-distance trader Chief Kivoi, Krapf spotted the mountain peak and asked what it was called. Kivoi told him "Kĩ-Nyaa" or "Kĩlĩma- Kĩinyaa", probably because the pattern of black rock and white snow on its peaks reminded him of the feathers of the male ostrich. In archaic Kikuyu, the word 'nyaga' or more commonly 'manyaganyaga' is used to describe an extremely bright object. The Agikuyu, who inhabit the slopes of Mt. Kenya, call it Kĩrĩma Kĩrĩnyaga (literally 'the mountain with brightness') in Kikuyu, while the Embu call it "Kirinyaa". All three names have the same meaning.

Ludwig Krapf recorded the name as both Kenia and Kegnia. Some have said that this was a precise notation of the African pronunciation /ˈkɛnjə/. An 1882 map drawn by Joseph Thompsons, a Scottish geologist and naturalist, indicated Mt. Kenya as Mt. Kenia. The mountain's name was accepted, pars pro toto, as the name of the country. It did not come into widespread official use during the early colonial period, when the country was referred to as the East African Protectorate. The official name was changed to the Colony of Kenya in 1920.

History

Main article: History of Kenya For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Kenya.

Human prehistory

The Turkana boy, a 1.6-million-year-old hominid fossil belonging to Homo erectus

Hominids such as Homo habilis (1.8 to 2.5 million years ago) and Homo erectus (1.9 million to 350,000 years ago) are possible direct ancestors of modern Homo sapiens, and lived in Kenya in the Pleistocene epoch. During excavations at Lake Turkana in 1984, palaeoanthropologist Richard Leakey, assisted by Kamoya Kimeu, discovered the Turkana Boy, a 1.6-million-year-old Homo erectus fossil. East Africa, including Kenya, is one of the earliest regions where modern humans (Homo sapiens) are believed to have lived. Evidence was found in 2018, dating to about 320,000 years ago, of the early emergence of modern behaviours, including long-distance trade networks (involving goods such as obsidian), the use of pigments, and the possible making of projectile points. The authors of three 2018 studies on the site suggest that complex and modern behaviours had already begun in Africa around the time of the emergence of Homo sapiens.

Neolithic

The first inhabitants of present-day Kenya were hunter-gatherer groups, akin to the modern Khoisan speakers. These people were later largely replaced by agropastoralist Cushitic (ancestral to Kenya's Cushitic speakers) from the Horn of Africa. During the early Holocene, the regional climate shifted from dry to wetter conditions, providing an opportunity for the development of cultural traditions such as agriculture and herding, in a more favourable environment.

Around 500 BC, Nilotic-speaking pastoralists (ancestral to Kenya's Nilotic speakers) started migrating from present-day southern Sudan into Kenya. Nilotic groups in Kenya include the Kalenjin, Samburu, Luo, Turkana, and Maasai.

By the first millennium AD, Bantu-speaking farmers had moved into the region, initially along the coast. The Bantus originated in West Africa along the Benue River in what is now eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. The Bantu migration brought new developments in agriculture and ironworking to the region. Bantu groups in Kenya include the Kikuyu, Luhya, Kamba, Kisii, Meru, Kuria, Aembu, Ambeere, Wadawida-Watuweta, Wapokomo, and Mijikenda, among others.

Notable prehistoric sites in the interior of Kenya include the (possibly archaeoastronomical) site Namoratunga on the west side of Lake Turkana and the walled settlement of Thimlich Ohinga in Migori County.

Swahili trade period

Further information: Swahili culture and Sultanate of Zanzibar
A traditional Swahili carved wooden door in Lamu

The Kenyan coast had served as host to communities of ironworkers and Bantu subsistence farmers, hunters, and fishers who supported the economy with agriculture, fishing, metal production, and trade with foreign countries. These communities formed the earliest city-states in the region, which were collectively known as Azania.

By the 1st century CE, many of the city-states such as Mombasa, Malindi, and Zanzibar began to establish trading relations with Arabs. This led to the increased economic growth of the Swahili states, the introduction of Islam, Arabic influences on the Swahili Bantu language, cultural diffusion, as well as the Swahili city-states becoming members of a larger trade network. Many historians had long believed that the city-states were established by Arab or Persian traders, but archaeological evidence has led scholars to recognise the city-states as an indigenous development which, though subjected to foreign influence due to trade, retained a Bantu cultural core.

DNA evidence has found that the Swahili people were of mixed African and Asian (particularly Persian) ancestry. The Kilwa Sultanate was a medieval sultanate centred at Kilwa, in modern-day Tanzania. At its height, its authority stretched over the entire length of the Swahili Coast, including Kenya. Since the 10th century, rulers of Kilwa would go on to build elaborate coral mosques and introduce copper coinage.

Swahili, a Bantu language with Arabic, Persian, and other Middle-Eastern and South Asian loanwords, later developed as a lingua franca for trade between the different peoples. Since the turn of the 20th century, Swahili has adopted numerous loanwords and calques from English, many of them originating during English colonial rule.

Early Portuguese presence

Portuguese presence in Kenya lasted from 1498 until 1730. Mombasa was under Portuguese rule from 1593 to 1698 and again from 1728 to 1729.

The Swahili built Mombasa into a major port city and established trade links with other nearby city-states, as well as commercial centres in Persia, Arabia, and even India. By the 15th century, Portuguese voyager Duarte Barbosa claimed that "Mombasa is a place of great traffic and has a good harbour in which there are always moored small craft of many kinds and also great ships, both of which are bound from Sofala and others which come from Cambay and Melinde and others which sail to the island of Zanzibar."

In the 17th century, the Swahili coast was conquered and came under the direct rule of the Omani Arabs, who expanded the slave trade to meet the demands of plantations in Oman and Zanzibar. Initially, these traders came mainly from Oman, but later many came from Zanzibar (such as Tippu Tip). In addition, the Portuguese started buying slaves from the Omani and Zanzibari traders in response to the interruption of the transatlantic slave trade by British abolitionists.

Throughout the centuries, the Kenyan coast has played host to many merchants and explorers. Among the cities that line the Kenyan coast is Malindi. It has remained an important Swahili settlement since the 14th century and once rivalled Mombasa for dominance in the African Great Lakes region. Malindi has traditionally been a friendly port city for foreign powers. In 1414, the Chinese trader and explorer Zheng He, representing the Ming Dynasty, visited the East African coast on one of his last 'treasure voyages'. Malindi authorities also welcomed the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1498.

18th and 19th centuries

During the 18th and 19th century C.E, the Masai people moved into central and southern Rift Valley plains of Kenya, from a region north of Lake Rudolf (now Lake Turkana). Although there were not many, they managed to conquer a great amount of land, in the plains where people did not put up much resistance. The Nandi peoples managed to oppose the Masai, while the Taveta peoples fled to the forests on the eastern edge of Mount Kilimanjaro, although they later were forced to leave the land due to the threat of smallpox. An outbreak of either rinderpest or pleuropneumonia greatly affected the Masai's cattle, while an epidemic of smallpox affected the Masai themselves. After the death of the Masai Mbatian, the chief laibon (medicine man), the Masai split into warring factions. The Masai caused much strife in the areas they conquered; however, cooperation between such groups as the Luo people, Luhya people, and Gusii people is evidenced by shared vocabulary for modern implements and similar economic regimes. Although Arab traders remained in the area, trade routes were disrupted by the hostile Masai, though there was trade in ivory between these factions. The first foreigners to successfully get past the Masai were Johann Ludwig Krapf and Johannes Rebmann, two German missionaries who established a mission in Rabai, not too far from Mombasa. The pair were the first Europeans to sight Mount Kenya.

German Protectorate (1885–1890)

The colonial history of Kenya dates from the establishment of a German Empire protectorate over the Sultan of Zanzibar's coastal possessions in 1885, followed by the arrival of the Imperial British East Africa Company in 1888. Imperial rivalry was prevented by the Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty, Germany handed its East African coastal holdings to Britain in 1890.

British Kenya (1888–1962)

Main article: Kenya Colony
British East Africa in 1909

The transfer by Germany to Britain was followed by the building of the Uganda Railway passing through the country.

The building of the railway was resisted by some ethnic groups—notably the Nandi, led by Orkoiyot Koitalel Arap Samoei from 1890 to 1900—but the British eventually built it. The Nandi were the first ethnic group to be put in a native reserve to stop them from disrupting the building of the railway.

During the railway construction era, there was a significant influx of Indian workers, who provided the bulk of the skilled labour required for construction. They and most of their descendants later remained in Kenya and formed the core of several distinct Indian communities, such as the Ismaili Muslim and Sikh communities. While building the railway through Tsavo, a number of the Indian railway workers and local African labourers were attacked by two lions known as the Tsavo maneaters.

At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the governors of British East Africa (as the protectorate was generally known) and German East Africa initially agreed on a truce in an attempt to keep the young colonies out of direct hostilities. But Lieutenant Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the German military commander, determined to tie down as many British resources as possible. Completely cut off from Germany, Lettow-Vorbeck conducted an effective guerrilla warfare campaign, living off the land, capturing British supplies, and remaining undefeated. He eventually surrendered in Northern Rhodesia (today Zambia) 14 days after the Armistice was signed in 1918.

The Kenya–Uganda Railway near Mombasa, about 1899

To chase von Lettow, the British deployed the British Indian Army troops from India but needed large numbers of porters to overcome the formidable logistics of transporting supplies far into the interior on foot. The Carrier Corps was formed and ultimately mobilised over 400,000 Africans, contributing to their long-term politicisation.

In 1920, the East Africa Protectorate was turned into a colony and renamed Kenya after its highest mountain.

During the early part of the 20th century, the interior central highlands were settled by British and other European farmers, who became wealthy farming coffee and tea. One depiction of this period of change from a colonist's perspective is found in the memoir Out of Africa by Danish author Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, published in 1937. By the 1930s, approximately 30,000 white settlers lived in the area and gained a political voice because of their contribution to the market economy.

The central highlands were already home to over a million members of the Kikuyu people, most of whom had no land claims in European terms and lived as itinerant farmers. To protect their interests, the settlers banned the growing of coffee and introduced a hut tax, and the landless were granted less and less land in exchange for their labour. A massive exodus to the cities ensued as their ability to make a living from the land dwindled. By the 1950s, there were 80,000 white settlers living in Kenya.

Throughout World War II, Kenya was an important source of manpower and agriculture for the United Kingdom. Kenya itself was the site of fighting between Allied forces and Italian troops in 1940–41, when Italian forces invaded. Wajir and Malindi were bombed as well.

Mau Mau Uprising

Further information: Mau Mau Uprising
A statue of Dedan Kimathi, a Kenyan leader with the Mau Mau who fought against the British colonial system in the 1950s

From October 1952 to December 1959, Kenya was in a state of emergency arising from the Mau Mau rebellion against British rule. The Mau Mau, also known as the Kenya Land and Freedom Army, were primarily Kikuyu people. During the colonial administration's crackdown, over 11,000 freedom fighters had been killed, along with 100 British troops and 2,000 Kenyan loyalist soldiers. War crimes were committed on both sides of the conflict, including the publicised Lari massacre and the Hola massacre. The governor requested and obtained British and African troops, including the King's African Rifles. The British began counter-insurgency operations. In May 1953, General Sir George Erskine took charge as commander-in-chief of the colony's armed forces, with the personal backing of Winston Churchill.

The capture of Waruhiu Itote (nom de guerre "General China") on 15 January 1954 and the subsequent interrogation led to a better understanding of the Mau Mau command structure for the British. Operation Anvil opened on 24 April 1954, after weeks of planning by the army with the approval of the War Council. The operation effectively placed Nairobi under military siege. Nairobi's occupants were screened and suspected Mau Mau supporters moved to detention camps. More than 80,000 Kikuyu were held in detention camps without trial, often subject to brutal treatment. The Home Guard formed the core of the government's strategy as it was composed of loyalist Africans, not foreign forces such as the British Army and King's African Rifles.

The capture of Dedan Kimathi on 21 October 1956 in Nyeri signified the ultimate defeat of the Mau Mau and essentially ended the military offensive. During this period, substantial governmental changes to land tenure occurred. The most important of these was the Swynnerton Plan, which was used to both reward loyalists and punish Mau Mau. This left roughly 1/3rd of Kikuyu bereft of any tenancy land arrangement and thus propertyless at the time of independence.

Somalis of Kenya referendum, 1962

Further information: Somalis in Kenya

Before Kenya got its independence, Somali ethnic people in present-day Kenya in the areas of Northern Frontier Districts petitioned Her Majesty's Government not to be included in Kenya. The colonial government decided to hold Kenya's first referendum in 1962 to check the willingness of Somalis in Kenya to join Somalia.

The result of the referendum showed that 86% of Somalis in Kenya wanted to join Somalia, yet the British colonial administration rejected the result and the Somalis remained in Kenya.

Independence

The first president and founding father of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta

The first direct elections for native Kenyans to the Legislative Council took place in 1957.

Despite British hopes of handing power to "moderate" local rivals, it was the Kenya African National Union (KANU) of Jomo Kenyatta that formed a government. The Colony of Kenya and the Protectorate of Kenya each came to an end on 12 December 1963, with independence conferred on all of Kenya. The U.K. ceded sovereignty over the Colony of Kenya. The Sultan of Zanzibar agreed that simultaneous with independence for the colony, he would cease to have sovereignty over the Protectorate of Kenya so that all of Kenya would become one sovereign state. In this way, Kenya became an independent country under the Kenya Independence Act 1963 of the United Kingdom. On 12 December 1964, Kenya became a republic under the name "Republic of Kenya".

Concurrently, the Kenyan army fought the Shifta War against ethnic Somali rebels inhabiting the Northern Frontier District who wanted to join their kin in the Somali Republic to the north. A ceasefire was eventually reached with the signing of the Arusha Memorandum in October 1967, but relative insecurity prevailed through 1969. To discourage further invasions, Kenya signed a defence pact with Ethiopia in 1969, which is still in effect.

First presidency

Further information: Presidency of Jomo Kenyatta and Jomo Kenyatta

On 12 December 1964, the Republic of Kenya was proclaimed, and Jomo Kenyatta became Kenya's first president. Under Kenyatta, corruption became widespread throughout the government, civil service, and business community. Kenyatta and his family were tied up with this corruption as they enriched themselves through the mass purchase of property after 1963. Their acquisitions in the Central, Rift Valley, and Coast Provinces aroused great anger among landless Kenyans. His family used his presidential position to circumvent legal or administrative obstacles to acquiring property. The Kenyatta family also heavily invested in the coastal hotel business, with Kenyatta personally owning the Leonard Beach Hotel.

Kenyatta's mixed legacy was highlighted at the 10-year anniversary of Kenya's independence. A December 1973 article in The New York Times praised Kenyatta's leadership and Kenya for emerging as a model of pragmatism and conservatism. Kenya's GDP had increased at an annual rate of 6.6%, higher than the population growth rate of more than 3%. But Amnesty International responded to the article by stating the cost of the stability in terms of human rights abuses. The opposition party started by Oginga OdingaKenya People's Union (KPU)—was banned in 1969 after the Kisumu Massacre and KPU leaders were still in detention without trial in gross violation of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. The Kenya Students Union, Jehovah Witnesses and all opposition parties were outlawed. Kenyatta ruled until his death on 22 August 1978.

Moi era

Further information: Daniel arap Moi, Presidency of Daniel Moi, 1978 Kenyan presidential election, 1988 Kenyan general election, and 1992 Kenyan general election
Daniel arap Moi, Kenya's second President, and George W. Bush, 2001

After Kenyatta died, Daniel arap Moi became president. He retained the presidency, running unopposed in elections held in 1979, 1983 (snap elections), and 1988, all of which were held under the single-party constitution. The 1983 elections were held a year early, and were a direct result of a failed military coup on 2 August 1982.

The 1982 coup was masterminded by a low-ranking Air Force serviceman, Senior Private Hezekiah Ochuka, and was staged mainly by enlisted men of the Air Force. It was quickly suppressed by forces commanded by Chief of General Staff Mahamoud Mohamed, a veteran Somali military official. They included the General Service Unit (GSU)—a paramilitary wing of the police—and later the regular police.

On the heels of the Garissa Massacre of 1980, Kenyan troops committed the Wagalla massacre in 1984 against thousands of civilians in Wajir County. An official probe into the atrocities was later ordered in 2011.

The election held in 1988 saw the advent of the mlolongo (queuing) system, where voters were supposed to line up behind their favoured candidates instead of casting a secret ballot. This was seen as the climax of a very undemocratic regime and led to widespread agitation for constitutional reform. Several contentious clauses, including the one that allowed for only one political party, were changed in the following years.

Transition to multiparty democracy

In 1991, Kenya transitioned to a multiparty political system after 26 years of single-party rule. On 28 October 1992, Moi dissolved parliament, five months before the end of his term. As a result, preparations began for all elective seats in parliament as well as the president. The election was scheduled to take place on 7 December 1992, but delays led to its postponement to 29 December. Apart from KANU, the ruling party, other parties represented in the elections included FORD Kenya and FORD Asili. This election was marked by large-scale intimidation of opponents and harassment of election officials. It resulted in an economic crisis propagated by ethnic violence as the president was accused of rigging electoral results to retain power. This election was a turning point for Kenya as it signified the beginning of the end of Moi's leadership and the rule of KANU. Moi retained the presidency and George Saitoti became vice president. Although it held on to power, KANU won 100 seats and lost 88 seats to the six opposition parties.

The 1992 elections marked the beginning of multiparty politics after more than 25 years of KANU rule. Following skirmishes in the aftermath of the elections, 5,000 people were killed and another 75,000 displaced from their homes. In the next five years, many political alliances were formed in preparation for the next elections. In 1994, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga died and several coalitions joined his FORD Kenya party to form a new party, United National Democratic Alliance. This party was plagued with disagreements. In 1995, Richard Leakey formed the Safina party, but it was denied registration until November 1997.

In 1996, KANU revised the constitution to allow Moi to remain president for another term. Subsequently, Moi stood for reelection and won a 5th term in 1997. His win was strongly criticised by his major opponents, Kibaki and Odinga, as fraudulent. Following this win, Moi was constitutionally barred from another presidential term. Beginning in 1998, he attempted to influence the country's succession politics to have Uhuru Kenyatta elected in the 2002 elections.

President Kibaki and the road to a new constitution

Further information: Mwai Kibaki, Presidency of Mwai Kibaki, 2002 Kenyan general election, and 2007 Kenyan general election

Moi's plan to be replaced by Uhuru Kenyatta failed, and Mwai Kibaki, running for the opposition coalition "National Rainbow Coalition" (NARC), was elected president. David Anderson (2003) reports the elections were judged free and fair by local and international observers, and seemed to mark a turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution.

In 2005, Kenyans rejected a plan to replace the 1963 independence constitution with a new one. As a result, the elections of 2007 took place following the procedure set by the old constitution. Kibaki was reelected in highly contested elections marred by political and ethnic violence. The main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, claimed the election was rigged and that he was the rightfully elected president. In the ensuing violence, 1,500 people were killed and another 600,000 internally displaced, making it the worst post-election violence in Kenya. To stop the death and displacement of people, Kibaki and Odinga agreed to work together, with the latter taking the position of a prime minister. This made Odinga the second prime minister of Kenya.

In July 2010, Kenya partnered with other East African countries to form the new East African Common Market within the East African Community. In 2011, Kenya began sending troops to Somalia to fight the terror group Al-Shabaab. In mid-2011, two consecutive missed rainy seasons precipitated the worst drought in East Africa in 60 years. The northwestern Turkana region was especially affected, with local schools shut down as a result. The crisis was reportedly over by early 2012 because of coordinated relief efforts. Aid agencies subsequently shifted their emphasis to recovery initiatives, including digging irrigation canals and distributing plant seeds.

In August 2010, Kenyans held a referendum and passed a new constitution, which limited presidential powers and devolved the central government. Following the passage of the new constitution, Kenya became a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Kenya is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. The new constitution also states that executive powers are exercised by the executive branch of government, headed by the president, who chairs a cabinet composed of people chosen from outside parliament. Legislative power is vested exclusively in Parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Kenyatta presidency

Main articles: Uhuru Kenyatta and Presidency of Uhuru Kenyatta
Uhuru Kenyatta in 2014
Uhuru Kenyatta in 2014

After Kibaki's tenure ended in 2013, Kenya held its first general elections after the 2010 constitution had been passed. Uhuru Kenyatta won in a disputed election result, leading to a petition by the opposition leader, Raila Odinga. The supreme court upheld the election results and Kenyatta began his term with William Ruto as deputy president. Despite this ruling, the Supreme Court and the head of the Supreme Court were seen as powerful institutions that could check the powers of the president.

In 2017, Kenyatta won a second term in office in another disputed election. Odinga again petitioned the results in the Supreme Court, accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of mismanagement of the elections and Kenyatta and his party of rigging. The Supreme Court overturned the election results in what became a landmark ruling in Africa and one of the very few in the world in which the results of a presidential elections were annulled. This ruling solidified the position of the Supreme Court as an independent body. Consequently, Kenya had a second round of elections for the presidential position, in which Kenyatta emerged the winner after Odinga refused to participate, citing irregularities.

In March 2018, a historic handshake between Kenyatta and his longtime opponent Odinga signalled a period of reconciliation followed by economic growth and increased stability. Between 2019 and 2021, Kenyatta and Odinga combined efforts to promote major changes to the Kenyan constitution, labelled the "Building Bridges Initiative" (BBI), saying that their efforts were to improve inclusion and overcome the country's winner-take-all election system that often resulted in post-election violence. The BBI proposal called for broad expansion of the legislative and executive branches, including the creation of a prime minister with two deputies and an official leader of the opposition, reverting to selecting cabinet ministers from among the elected Members of Parliament, establishment of up to 70 new constituencies, and addition of up to 300 unelected members of Parliament (under an "affirmative action" plan).

Critics saw this as an unnecessary attempt to reward political dynasties and blunt the efforts of Deputy President Willian Ruto (Odinga's rival for the next presidency) and bloat the government at an exceptional cost to the debt-laded country. Ultimately, in May 2021, the Kenyan High Court ruled that the BBI constitutional reform effort was unconstitutional, because it was not truly a popular initiative, but rather an effort of the government. The court sharply criticized Kenyatta for the attempt, laying out grounds for his being sued, personally, or even impeached (though the Parliament, which had passed the BBI, was unlikely to do that). The ruling was seen as a major defeat for both Kenyatta (soon to leave office), and Odinga (expected to seek the presidency), but a boon to Odinga's future presidential-election rival, Ruto. On 20 August 2021, Kenya's Court of Appeal again upheld the High Court Judgment of May 2021, which was appealed by the BBI Secretariat.

Ruto presidency

In August 2022, Deputy President William Ruto narrowly won the presidential election. He took 50.5% of the vote. His main rival, Raila Odinga, got 48.8% of the vote. On 13 September 2022, William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's fifth president. In 2024, Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza coalition faced popular protests over the Kenyan Finance Bill 2024.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Kenya
A map of Kenya. The label "Sudan" at upper left is now incorrect; the area is now part of South Sudan.
A Köppen climate classification map of Kenya

At 580,367 km (224,081 sq mi), Kenya is the world's 47th-largest country (after Madagascar). It lies between latitudes 5°N and 5°S, and longitudes 34° and 42°E. From the coast on the Indian Ocean, the low plains rise to central highlands which are bisected by the Great Rift Valley, and fertile plateaus lie on either side, around Lake Victoria and to the east.

The Kenyan Highlands are one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa. The highlands are the site of the highest point in Kenya and the second highest peak on the continent: Mount Kenya, which reaches a height of 5,199 m (17,057 ft) and is the site of glaciers. Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m or 19,341 ft) can be seen from Kenya to the south of the Tanzanian border.

Climate

Kenya's climate varies from tropical along the coast to temperate inland to arid in the north and northeast parts of the country. The area receives a great deal of sunshine every month. It is usually cool at night and early in the morning inland at higher elevations.

The "long rains" season occurs from March/April to May/June. The "short rains" season occurs from October to November/December. The rainfall is sometimes heavy and often falls in the afternoons and evenings. Climate change is altering the natural pattern of the rainfall period, causing an extension of the short rains, which has begat floods, and reducing the drought cycle from every ten years to annual events, producing strong droughts such as the 2008–09 Kenya Drought.

The temperature remains high throughout these months of tropical rain. The hottest period is February and March, leading into the season of the long rains, and the coldest is in July, until mid-August.

Köppen climate classification map for Kenya for 1980–20162071–2100 map under the most intense climate change scenario. Mid-range scenarios are currently considered more likely.

Climate change is posing an increasing threat to global socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability. Developing countries with low adaptive capacity and high vulnerability to the phenomenon are disproportionately affected. Climate change in Kenya is increasingly impacting the lives of Kenya's citizens and the environment. Climate change has led to more frequent extreme weather events like droughts which last longer than usual, irregular and unpredictable rainfall, flooding and increasing temperatures.

The effects of these climatic changes have made already existing challenges with water security, food security and economic growth even more difficult. Harvests and agricultural production which account for about 33% of total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are also at risk. The increased temperatures, rainfall variability in arid and semi-arid areas, and strong winds associated with tropical cyclones have combined to create favourable conditions for the breeding and migration of pests. An increase in temperature of up to 2.5 °C by 2050 is predicted to increase the frequency of extreme events such as floods and droughts.

Wildlife

Main articles: Wildlife of Kenya and Environmental issues in Kenya

Kenya has considerable land area devoted to wildlife habitats, including the Masai Mara, where blue wildebeest and other bovids participate in a large-scale annual migration. More than one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras participate in the migration across the Mara River.

The "Big Five" game animals of Africa, that is the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros, and elephant, can be found in Kenya and in the Masai Mara in particular. A significant population of other wild animals, reptiles, and birds can be found in the national parks and game reserves in the country. The annual animal migration occurs between June and September, with millions of animals taking part, attracting valuable foreign tourism. Two million wildebeest migrate a distance of 2,900 kilometres (1,802 mi) from the Serengeti in neighbouring Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya, in a constant clockwise fashion, searching for food and water supplies. This Serengeti Migration of the wildebeest is listed among the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.

Kenya had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.2/10, ranking it 133rd globally out of 172 countries.

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Kenya
Kenya's third president, Mwai Kibaki

Kenya is a presidential representative democratic republic with a multi-party system. The president is both the head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly and the Senate. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. There has been growing concern, especially during former president Daniel arap Moi's tenure, that the executive was increasingly meddling with the affairs of the judiciary.

Kenya has high levels of corruption according to Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), a metric which attempts to gauge the prevalence of public-sector corruption in various countries. In 2019, the nation placed 137th out of 180 countries in the index, with a score of 28 out of 100. But there are several rather significant developments with regard to curbing corruption from the Kenyan government, for instance the establishment of a new and independent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

The Supreme Court of Kenya building

Following general elections held in 1997, the Constitution of Kenya Review Act, designed to pave the way for more comprehensive amendments to the Kenyan constitution, was passed by the national parliament.

In December 2002, Kenya held democratic and open elections, which were judged free and fair by most international observers. The 2002 elections marked an important turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution in that power was transferred peacefully from the Kenya African National Union (KANU), which had ruled the country since independence, to the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), a coalition of political parties.

Under the presidency of Mwai Kibaki, the new ruling coalition promised to focus its efforts on generating economic growth, combating corruption, improving education, and rewriting its constitution. A few of these promises have been met. There is free primary education. In 2007, the government issued a statement declaring that from 2008, secondary education would be heavily subsidised, with the government footing all tuition fees.

2013 elections and new government

Main articles: Kenyan general election, 2013 and Kenyan local elections, 2013

Under the new constitution and with President Kibaki prohibited by term limits from running for a third term, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta ran for office. He won with 50.51% of the vote in March 2013.

In December 2014, President Kenyatta signed a Security Laws Amendment Bill, which supporters of the law suggested was necessary to guard against armed groups. Opposition politicians, human rights groups, and nine Western countries criticised the security bill, arguing that it infringed on democratic freedoms. The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France also collectively issued a press statement cautioning about the law's potential impact. Through the Jubilee Coalition, the Bill was later passed on 19 December in the National Assembly under acrimonious circumstances.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Kenya
President Barack Obama in Nairobi, July 2015

Kenya has close ties with its fellow Swahili-speaking neighbours in the African Great Lakes region. Relations with Uganda and Tanzania are generally strong, as the three nations work toward economic and social integration through common membership in the East African Community.

Relations with Somalia have historically been tense, although there has been some military co-ordination against Islamist insurgents. Kenya has good relations with the United Kingdom. Kenya is one of the most pro-American nations in Africa, and the wider world.

With International Criminal Court trial dates scheduled in 2013 for both President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto related to the 2007 election aftermath, US president Barack Obama, who is half-Kenyan, chose not to visit the country during his mid-2013 African trip. Later in the summer, Kenyatta visited China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping after a stop in Russia and not having visited the United States as president. In July 2015, Obama visited Kenya, the first American president to visit the country while in office.

The British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) is used for the training of British infantry battalions in the arid and rugged terrain of the Great Rift Valley.

Armed forces

Main article: Kenya Defence Forces
Emblem of the Kenya Defence Forces
Emblem of the Kenya Defence Forces

The Kenya Defence Forces are the armed forces of Kenya. The Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, and Kenya Air Force compose the National Defence Forces. The current Kenya Defence Forces were established, and its composition laid out, in Article 241 of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya; the KDF is governed by the Kenya Defence Forces Act of 2012. The President of Kenya is the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces.

The armed forces are regularly deployed in peacekeeping missions around the world. Further, in the aftermath of the national elections of December 2007 and the violence that subsequently engulfed the country, a commission of inquiry, the Waki Commission, commended its readiness and adjudged it to "have performed its duty well." Nevertheless, there have been serious allegations of human rights violations, most recently while conducting counter-insurgency operations in the Mt Elgon area and also in the district of Mandera central.

Kenya's armed forces, like many government institutions in the country, have been tainted by corruption allegations. Because the operations of the armed forces have been traditionally cloaked by the ubiquitous blanket of "state security", the corruption has been hidden from public view, and thus less subject to public scrutiny and notoriety. This has changed recently. In what are by Kenyan standards unprecedented revelations, in 2010, credible claims of corruption were made with regard to recruitment and procurement of armoured personnel carriers. Further, the wisdom and prudence of certain decisions of procurement have been publicly questioned.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Counties of Kenya and Divisions of Kenya
Kenya's 47 counties

Kenya is divided into 47 semi-autonomous counties that are headed by governors. These 47 counties form the first-order divisions of Kenya.

The smallest administrative units in Kenya are called locations. Locations often coincide with electoral wards. Locations are usually named after their central villages/towns. Many larger towns consist of several locations. Each location has a chief, appointed by the state.

Constituencies are an electoral subdivision, with each county comprising a whole number of constituencies. An interim boundaries commission was formed in 2010 to review the constituencies and in its report, it recommended the creation of an additional 80 constituencies. Previous to the 2013 elections, there were 210 constituencies in Kenya.

Human rights

See also: Human rights in Kenya, LGBT rights in Kenya, and Human trafficking in Kenya

Homosexual acts are illegal in Kenya and typically punishable by up to 14 years in prison. According to a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, 83% of Kenyans believe that homosexuality should not be accepted by society. While addressing a joint press conference together with President Barack Obama in 2015, President Kenyatta declined to assure Kenya's commitment to gay rights, saying that "the issue of gay rights is really a non-issue... But there are some things that we must admit we don't share. Our culture, our societies don't accept."

In November 2008, WikiLeaks brought wide international attention to The Cry of Blood report, which documents the extrajudicial killing of gangsters by the Kenyan police. In the report, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported these in their key finding "e)", stating that the forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings appeared to be official policy sanctioned by the political leadership and the police.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Kenya

Kenya's macroeconomic outlook has steadily posted robust growth over the past few decades mostly from road, rail, air and water transport infrastructure projects as well as massive investments in Information and Communication Technology. The Kenyan economy is the largest in East Africa. After independence, Kenya promoted rapid economic growth through public investment, encouraged smallholder agricultural production and provided incentives for private industrial investment. Kenya is East Africa's regional transportation and financial hub. Kenya's financial sector is vibrant, well developed and diversified boasting the highest financial inclusion in the region and globally.

Foreign investments in Kenya remain relatively weak considering the size of its economy and its level of development. As of 2022, Kenya's total FDI stock stood at US$10.4 billion, accounting for a mere 9.5% of the country's GDP.

Kenya has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.555 (medium), ranked 145 out of 186 in the world. As of 2005, 17.7% of Kenyans lived on less than $1.25 a day. Based on the most recent data from 2014, 37.5% of the population is affected by multidimensional poverty and an additional 35.8% vulnerable to it. In 2017, Kenya ranked 92nd in the World Bank ease of doing business rising from 113rd in 2016 (of 190 countries). The important agricultural sector is one of the least developed and largely inefficient, employing 75% of the workforce compared to less than 3% in the food secure developed countries. Kenya is usually classified as a frontier market or occasionally an emerging market, but it is not one of the least developed countries.

The economy has seen much expansion, seen by strong performance in tourism, higher education and telecommunications and decent post-drought results in agriculture, especially the vital tea sector. Kenya's economy grew by more than 7% in 2007, and its foreign debt was greatly reduced. This changed immediately after the disputed presidential election of December 2007, following the chaos which engulfed the country.

Telecommunications and financial activity over the last decade now comprise 62% of GDP. 22% of GDP still comes from the unreliable agricultural sector which employs 75% of the labour force (a characteristic of under-developed economies that have not attained food security). A small portion of the population relies on food aid. Industry and manufacturing is the smallest sector, accounting for 16% of GDP. The services, industry and manufacturing sectors only employ 25% of the labour force but contribute 75% of GDP. Kenya also exports textiles worth over $400 million under AGOA.

Privatisation of state corporations like the defunct Kenya Post and Telecommunications Company, which resulted in East Africa's most profitable company—Safaricom, has led to their revival because of massive private investment.

As of May 2011, economic prospects are positive with 4–5% GDP growth expected, largely because of expansions in tourism, telecommunications, transport, construction, and a recovery in agriculture. The World Bank estimated growth of 4.3% in 2012.

Kenya, trends in the Human Development Index 1970–2010

In March 1996 the presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda re-established the East African Community (EAC). The EAC's objectives include harmonising tariffs and customs regimes, free movement of people and improving regional infrastructures. In March 2004, the three East African countries signed a Customs Union Agreement.

Kenya has a more developed financial services sector than its neighbours. The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is ranked 4th in Africa in terms of market capitalisation. The Kenyan banking system is supervised by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). As of late July 2004, the system consisted of 43 commercial banks (down from 48 in 2001) and several non-bank financial institutions including mortgage companies, four savings and loan associations and several core foreign-exchange bureaus.

The inaugural Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) was started in 2021, from December 6th to 10th, 2021, at the Kenya School of Government in Lower Kabete, Nairobi.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Kenya
Amboseli National Park
Tsavo East National Park

Tourism in Kenya is the third-largest source of foreign exchange revenue following diaspora remittances and agriculture. The Kenya Tourism Board is responsible for maintaining information pertaining to tourism in Kenya. The main tourist attractions are photo safaris through the 60 national parks and game reserves. Other attractions include the wildebeest migration at the Masaai Mara, which is considered to be the 7th wonder of the world; historical mosques, and colonial-era forts at Mombasa, Malindi, and Lamu; renowned scenery such as the white-capped Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley; tea plantations at Kericho; coffee plantations at Thika; a splendid view of Mount Kilimanjaro across the border into Tanzania; and the beaches along the Swahili Coast, in the Indian Ocean. Tourists, the largest number being from Germany and the United Kingdom, are attracted mainly to the coastal beaches and the game reserves, notably, the expansive East and Tsavo West National Park, 20,808 square kilometres (8,034 sq mi) to the southeast.

Agriculture

Main article: Agriculture in Kenya
Tea farm near Kericho, Kericho County

Agriculture is the second largest contributor to Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP) after the service sector. In 2005, agriculture, including forestry and fishing, accounted for 24% of GDP, as well as for 18% of wage employment and 50% of revenue from exports. The principal cash crops are tea, horticultural produce, and coffee. Horticultural produce and tea are the main growth sectors and the two most valuable of all of Kenya's exports. The production of major food staples such as corn is subject to sharp weather-related fluctuations. Production downturns periodically necessitate food aid—for example in 2004, due to one of Kenya's intermittent droughts.

A consortium led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has had some success in helping farmers grow new pigeon pea varieties instead of maize, in particularly dry areas. Pigeon peas are very drought-resistant, so can be grown in areas with less than 650 millimetres (26 in) annual rainfall. Successive projects encouraged the commercialisation of legumes by stimulating the growth of local seed production and agro-dealer networks for distribution and marketing. This work, which included linking producers to wholesalers, helped to increase local producer prices by 20–25% in Nairobi and Mombasa. The commercialisation of the pigeon pea is now enabling some farmers to buy assets ranging from mobile phones to productive land and livestock, and is opening pathways for them to move out of poverty.

Tea, coffee, sisal, pyrethrum, corn, and wheat are grown in the fertile highlands, one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa. Livestock predominates in the semi-arid savanna to the north and east. Coconuts, pineapples, cashew nuts, cotton, sugarcane, sisal, and corn are grown in the lower-lying areas. Kenya has not attained the level of investment and efficiency in agriculture that can guarantee food security, and coupled with resulting poverty (53% of the population lives below the poverty line), a significant portion of the population regularly starves and is heavily dependent on food aid. Poor roads, an inadequate railway network, under-used water transport, and expensive air transport have isolated mostly arid and semi-arid areas, and farmers in other regions often leave food to rot in the fields because they cannot access markets. This was last seen in August and September 2011, prompting the Kenyans for Kenya initiative by the Red Cross.

Agricultural countryside in Kenya

Kenya's irrigation sector is categorised into three organizational types: smallholder schemes, centrally-managed public schemes, and private/commercial irrigation schemes.

The smallholder schemes are owned, developed, and managed by individuals or groups of farmers operating as water users or self-help groups. Irrigation is carried out on individual or on group farms averaging 0.1–0.4 ha. There are about 3,000 smallholder irrigation schemes covering a total area of 47,000 ha. The country has seven large, centrally managed irrigation schemes, namely Mwea, Bura, Hola, Perkera, West Kano, Bunyala, and Ahero, covering a total area of 18,200 ha and averaging 2,600 ha per scheme. These schemes are managed by the National Irrigation Board and account for 18% of irrigated land area in Kenya. Large-scale private commercial farms cover 45,000 hectares, accounting for 40% of irrigated land. They utilise high technology and produce high-value crops for the export market, especially flowers and vegetables.

Kenya is the world's 3rd largest exporter of cut flowers. Roughly half of Kenya's 127 flower farms are concentrated around Lake Naivasha, 90 kilometres northwest of Nairobi. To speed their export, Nairobi airport has a terminal dedicated to the transport of flowers and vegetables.

Industry and manufacturing

The Kenya Commercial Bank office at KENCOM House (right) in Nairobi

Although Kenya is a low middle-income country, manufacturing accounts for 14% of the GDP, with industrial activity concentrated around the three largest urban centres of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, and is dominated by food-processing industries such as grain milling, beer production, sugarcane crushing, and the fabrication of consumer goods, e.g., vehicles from kits.

Kenya also has a cement production industry. Kenya has an oil refinery that processes imported crude petroleum into petroleum products, mainly for the domestic market. In addition, a substantial and expanding informal sector commonly referred to as jua kali engages in small-scale manufacturing of household goods, auto parts, and farm implements.

Kenya's inclusion among the beneficiaries of the US Government's African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has given a boost to manufacturing in recent years. Since AGOA took effect in 2000, Kenya's clothing sales to the United States increased from US$44 million to US$270 million (2006). Other initiatives to strengthen manufacturing have been the new government's favourable tax measures, including the removal of duty on capital equipment and other raw materials.

In 2023, Kenya is in the process of constructing five industrial parks that will operate tax-free, with an anticipated completion date set for 2030. Additionally, there are intentions to develop an additional 20 industrial parks in the future.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Kenya

Two trans-African automobile routes pass through Kenya: the Cairo-Cape Town Highway and the Lagos-Mombasa Highway, so the country has an extensive road network of paved and unpaved roads. Kenya's railway system links the nation's ports and major cities, connecting it with neighbouring Uganda. There are 15 airports which have paved runways.

Energy

Main article: Energy in Kenya
Workers at Olkaria Geothermal Power Plant

The largest share of Kenya's electricity supply comes from geothermal energy, followed by hydroelectric stations at dams along the upper Tana River, as well as the Turkwel Gorge Dam in the west. A petroleum-fired plant on the coast, geothermal facilities at Olkaria (near Nairobi), and electricity imported from Uganda make up the rest of the supply. A 2,000 MW powerline from Ethiopia is nearing completion.

Kenya's installed capacity increased from 1,142 megawatts between 2001 and 2003 to 2,341 in 2016. The state-owned Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), established in 1997 under the name of Kenya Power Company, handles the generation of electricity, while Kenya Power handles the electricity transmission and distribution system in the country. Shortfalls of electricity occur periodically, when drought reduces water flow. To become energy sufficient, Kenya has installed wind power and solar power (over 300 MW each), and aims to build a nuclear power plant by 2027.

Kenya has proven deposits of oil in Turkana. Tullow Oil estimates the country's oil reserves to be around one billion barrels. Exploration is still continuing to determine whether there are more reserves. Kenya currently imports all crude petroleum requirements. It has no strategic reserves and relies solely on oil marketers' 21-day oil reserves required under industry regulations. Petroleum accounts for 20% to 25% of the national import bill.

Chinese investment and trade

Published comments on Kenya's Capital FM website by Liu Guangyuan, China's ambassador to Kenya, at the time of President Kenyatta's 2013 trip to Beijing, said, "Chinese investment in Kenya ... reached $474 million, representing Kenya's largest source of foreign direct investment, and ... bilateral trade ... reached $2.84 billion" in 2012. Kenyatta was "ccompanied by 60 Kenyan business people ... gain support from China for a planned $2.5 billion railway from the southern Kenyan port of Mombasa to neighbouring Uganda, as well as a nearly $1.8 billion dam", according to a statement from the president's office, also at the time of the trip.

Base Titanium, a subsidiary of Base resources of Australia, shipped its first major consignment of minerals to China. About 25,000 tonnes of ilmenite was flagged off the Kenyan coastal town of Kilifi. The first shipment was expected to earn Kenya about KSh.15–20 billion/= in earnings. In 2014, the Chinese contracted railway project from Nairobi to Mombasa was suspended due to a dispute over compensation for land acquisition.

Vision 2030

The official logo of Vision 2030

In 2007, the Kenyan government unveiled Vision 2030, an economic development programme it hopes will put the country in the same league as the Asian Economic Tigers by 2030. In 2013, it launched a National Climate Change Action Plan, having acknowledged that omitting climate as a key development issue in Vision 2030 was an oversight failure. The 200-page Action Plan, developed with support from the Climate & Development Knowledge Network, sets out the Government of Kenya's vision for a 'low-carbon climate resilient development pathway'. At the launch in March 2013, the Secretary of the Ministry of Planning, National Development, and Vision 2030 emphasized that climate would be a central issue in the renewed Medium-Term Plan that would be launched in the coming months. This would create a direct and robust delivery framework for the Action Plan and ensure climate change is treated as an economy-wide issue. Furthermore, Kenya submitted an updated, more ambitious NDC on 24 December 2020, with a commitment to abate greenhouse gases by 32 percent by 2030 relative to the business-as-usual scenario and in line with its sustainable development agenda and national circumstances.

Economic summary
GDP $41.84 billion (2012) at Market Price. $76.07 billion (Purchasing Power Parity, 2012)

There exists an informal economy that is never counted as part of the official GDP figures.

Annual growth rate 5.1% (2012)
Per capita income Per Capita Income (PPP)= $1,800
Agricultural produce   tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Industry small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, clothing, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, horticulture, oil refining; aluminium, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair, tourism
Trade in 2012
Exports $5.942 billion tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products, cement, fish
Major markets Uganda 9.9%, Tanzania 9.6%, Netherlands 8.4%, UK, 8.1%, US 6.2%, Egypt 4.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 4.2% (2012)
Imports $14.39 billion machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics
Major suppliers China 15.3%, India 13.8%, UAE 10.5%, Saudi Arabia 7.3%, South Africa 5.5%, Japan 4.0% (2012)

Oil exploration

See also: Oil in Kenya
Lake Turkana borders Turkana County.

Kenya has proven oil deposits in Turkana County. President Mwai Kibaki announced on 26 March 2012 that Tullow Oil, an Anglo-Irish oil exploration firm, had struck oil, but its commercial viability and subsequent production would take about three years to confirm.

Early in 2006, Chinese president Hu Jintao signed an oil exploration contract with Kenya, part of a series of deals designed to keep Africa's natural resources flowing to China's rapidly expanding economy.

A family of lions in Maasai Mara

The deal allowed for China's state-controlled offshore oil and gas company, CNOOC, to prospect for oil in Kenya, which is just beginning to drill its first exploratory wells on the borders of Sudan and the disputed area of North Eastern Province, on the border with Somalia and in coastal waters. There are formal estimates of the possible reserves of oil discovered.

Action against pollution

In 2017, Kenya banned single-use plastic bags. According to the national environmental authority, 80% of the public has adhered to this ban. Subsequently, in 2020, the prohibition of single-use plastics was extended to protected areas, including parks and forests.

A law passed in July 2023 mandates companies to actively reduce the pollution and environmental impact caused by the products they introduce into the Kenyan market, either individually or through collective schemes. Unlike previous practices, businesses are now obligated to participate in waste collection and recycling initiatives, such the Petco initiative established by the government in 2018.

Labour and human capital

Kenya has a labour force of around 24 million and a total labour force participation rate of 74%, the unemployment rate in 2022 was estimated at 5.6%

According to the World Bank's 2019 Human Capital Index (HCI), which measured human capital of the next generation, Kenya ranked first in sub-Saharan Africa with an HCI score of 0.52. The index combined several key indicators, which are school enrolment, child survival, quality of learning, healthy growth and adult survival into a single index ranging between 0–1.

Microfinance

Main article: Microfinance in Kenya

More than 20 institutions offer business loans on a large scale, specific agriculture loans, education loans, and loans for other purposes. Additionally, there are:

  • emergency loans, which are more expensive in respect to interest rates, but are quickly available
  • group loans for smaller groups (four to five members) and larger groups (up to 30 members)
  • women's loans, which are also available to groups of women

Out of approximately 40 million Kenyans, about 14 million are unable to receive financial service through formal loan application services, and an additional 12 million have no access to financial service institutions at all. Further, one million Kenyans are reliant on informal groups for receiving financial aid.

To mitigate this problem, the mobile banking service M-Pesa was launched in 2007 by Vodafone and Safaricom, in collaboration from the Financial Deepening Challenge Fund competition established by the UK government's Department for International Development. M-Pesa allows users to deposit, withdraw, transfer money, pay for goods and services (Lipa na M-Pesa), access credit and savings, all with a mobile device, has provided access to digital transactions to millions of Kenyans in poverty situation.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Kenya
A Bantu Kikuyu woman in traditional attire
Population
Year Million
1948 5.4
1962 8.3
1969 10.9
2000 31.4
2021 53

Kenya had a population of approximately 48 million in January 2017. The country has a young population, with 73% of residents under 30 because of rapid population growth, from 2.9 million to 40 million inhabitants over the last century.

Nairobi is home to Kibera, one of the world's largest slums. The shantytown is believed to house between 170,000 and one million people. The UNHCR base in Dadaab in the north houses around 500,000.

Ethnic groups

Kenya has a diverse population that includes many of Africa's major ethnoracial and linguistic groups. Although there is no official list of Kenyan ethnic groups, the number of ethnic categories and sub-categories recorded in the country's census has changed significantly over time, expanding from 42 in 1969 to more than 120 in 2019. Most residents are Bantus (60%) or Nilotes (30%). Cushitic groups also form a small ethnic minority, as do Arabs, Indians, and Europeans.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), in 2019, Kenya had a total population of 47,564,296. The largest native ethnic groups were the Kikuyu (8,148,668), Luhya (6,823,842), Kalenjin (6,358,113), Luo (5,066,966), Kamba (4,663,910), Somali (2,780,502), Kisii (2,703,235), Mijikenda (2,488,691), Meru (1,975,869), Maasai (1,189,522), and Turkana (1,016,174). The North Eastern Province of Kenya, formerly known as NFD, is predominantly inhabited by the indigenous ethnic Somalis. Foreign-rooted populations include Arabs, Asians, and Europeans.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Kenya

Kenya's ethnic groups typically speak their mother tongues within their own communities. The two official languages, English and Swahili, are used in varying degrees of fluency for communication with other populations. English is widely spoken in commerce, schooling, and government. Peri-urban and rural dwellers are less multilingual, with many in rural areas speaking only their native languages.

British English is primarily used in Kenya. Additionally, a distinct local dialect, Kenyan English, is used by some communities and individuals in the country, and contains features unique to it that were derived from local Bantu languages such as Kiswahili and Kikuyu. It has been developing since colonisation and also contains certain elements of American English. Sheng is a Kiswahili-based cant spoken in some urban areas. Primarily a mixture of Swahili and English, it is an example of linguistic code-switching.

69 languages are spoken in Kenya. Most belong to two broad language families: Niger-Congo (Bantu branch) and Nilo-Saharan (Nilotic branch), spoken by the country's Bantu and Nilotic populations respectively. The Cushitic and Arab ethnic minorities speak languages belonging to the separate Afroasiatic family, with the Indian and European residents speaking languages from the Indo-European family.

Urban centres

Main article: List of cities and towns in Kenya by population
   Largest cities or towns in Kenya
According to the 2019 Census
Rank Name County Pop. Rank Name County Pop.
Nairobi
Nairobi
Mombasa
Mombasa
1 Nairobi Nairobi 4 397 073 11 Ongata Rongai Kajiado 172 569
2 Mombasa Mombasa 1 208 333 12 Garissa Garissa 163 399
3 Nakuru Nakuru 570 674 13 Kitale Trans-Nzoia 162 174
4 Ruiru Kiambu 490 120 14 Juja Kiambu 156 041
5 Eldoret Uasin Gishu 475 716 15 Mlolongo Machakos 136 351
6 Kisumu Kisumu 397 957 16 Malindi Kilifi 119 859
7 Kikuyu Kiambu 323 881 17 Mandera Mandera 114 718
8 Thika Kiambu 251 407 18 Kisii Kisii 112 417
9 Naivasha Nakuru 198 444 19 Kakamega Kakamega 107 227
10 Karuri Kiambu 194 342 20 Ngong Kajiado 102 323

Religion

Main article: Religion in Kenya
Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Cathedral in Mombasa

Most Kenyans are Christian (85.5%), with 53.9% Protestant and 20.6% Roman Catholic. The Presbyterian Church of East Africa has 3 million followers in Kenya and surrounding countries. There are smaller conservative Reformed churches, the Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Independent Presbyterian Church in Kenya, and the Reformed Church of East Africa. Orthodox Christianity has 621,200 adherents. Kenya has by far the highest number of Quakers of any country in the world, with around 146,300. The only Jewish synagogue in the country is in Nairobi.

Islam is the second largest religion, comprising 11% of the population. 60% of Kenyan Muslims live in the Coastal Region, comprising 50% of the total population there, while the upper part of Kenya's Eastern Region is home to 10% of the country's Muslims, where they are the majority religious group. Indigenous beliefs are practised by 0.7% of the population, although many self-identifying Christians and Muslims maintain some traditional beliefs and customs. Nonreligious Kenyans are 1.6% of the population.

Some Hindus also live in Kenya. The numbers are estimated to be around 60,287, or 0.13% of the population.

Health

Main article: Health in Kenya
Outpatient Department of AIC Kapsowar Hospital in Kapsowar

Health care is one of the low-priority sectors in Kenya and was allocated 4.8% of the national budget in 2019/2020 or just 4.59% of GDP compared to high-priority sectors such as education which was allocated more than 25%. This is below the 4.98% average in Sub-Saharan Africa and 9.83% spent globally.

According to the National and County Health Budget Analysis FY 2020/21, the breakdown of county health expenditure was 58% on Policy Planning and Administrative Support Services, 28% on Curative and Rehabilitative Health Services, 8% on Preventive and Promotive Health Services and 7% on Other Programmes.

Health care is largely funded by private individuals and their families or employers through direct payments to health care providers, to the National Health Insurance Fund or to medical insurance companies. Additional funding comes from local, international and some government social safety net schemes. Public hospitals are fee-for-service establishments that generate large amounts of county and national government revenues making them highly political and corrupt enterprises.

Private health facilities are diverse, highly dynamic, and difficult to classify, unlike public health facilities, which are easily grouped in classes that consist of community-based (level I) services, run by community health workers; dispensaries (level II facilities) run by nurses; health centres (level III facilities), run by clinical officers; sub-county hospitals (level IV facilities), which may be run by a clinical officer or a medical officer; county hospitals (level V facilities), which may be run by a medical officer or a medical practitioner; and national referral hospitals (level VI facilities), which are run by fully qualified medical practitioners.

Table showing different grades of clinical officers, medical officers, and medical practitioners in Kenya's public service

Nurses are by far the largest group of front-line health care providers in all sectors, followed by clinical officers, medical officers, and medical practitioners. These are absorbed and deployed into government service in accordance with the Scheme of Service for Nursing Personnel (2014), the Revised Scheme of Service for Clinical Personnel (2020) and the Revised Scheme of Service for Medical Officers and Dental Officers (2016).

Traditional healers (herbalists, witch doctors, and faith healers) are readily available, trusted, and widely consulted as practitioners of first or last choice by both rural and urban dwellers.

Despite major achievements in the health sector, Kenya still faces many challenges. The estimated life expectancy dropped in 2009 to approximately 55 years — five years below the 1990 level. The infant mortality rate was high at approximately 44 deaths per 1,000 children in 2012. The WHO estimated in 2011 that only 42% of births were attended by a skilled health professional.

Diseases of poverty directly correlate with a country's economic performance and wealth distribution: In 2015/16, 35.6% of Kenyans lived below the poverty line. Preventable diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malnutrition are the biggest burden, major child-killers, and responsible for much morbidity; weak policies, corruption, inadequate health workers, weak management, and poor leadership in the public health sector are largely to blame. According to 2009 estimates, HIV/AIDS prevalence is about 6.3% of the adult population. However, the 2011 UNAIDS Report suggests that the HIV epidemic may be improving in Kenya, as HIV prevalence is declining among young people (ages 15–24) and pregnant women. Kenya had an estimated 15 million cases of malaria in 2006. Tuberculosis is a major public health problem. The per capita incidence of TB in Kenya more than quadrupled between 1990 and 2015.

The 2024 Global Hunger Index gave Kenya a 25.0 score, indicating that the severity of hunger is "serious".

Women

Main articles: Women in Kenya, Child marriage in Kenya, and Polygamy in Kenya

The total fertility rate in Kenya was estimated to be 4.49 children per woman in 2012. According to a 2008–09 survey by the Kenyan government, the total fertility rate was 4.6% and the contraception usage rate among married women was 46%. Maternal mortality is high, partly because of female genital mutilation, with about 27% of women having undergone it. This practice is however on the decline as the country becomes more modernised, and in 2011 it was banned in Kenya. Women were economically empowered before colonialisation. By colonial land alienation, women lost access and control of land. They became more economically dependent on men. A colonial order of gender emerged where males dominated females. Median age at first marriage increases with increasing education. Rape, defilement, and battering are not always seen as serious crimes. Reports of sexual assault are not always taken seriously.

Youth

Article 260 of the Kenyan Constitution of 2010 defines youth as those between the ages of 18 and 34. According to the 2019 Population and Census results, 75 percent of the 47.6 million population is under the age of 35, making Kenya a country of the youth. Youth unemployment and underemployment in Kenya has become a problem. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), approximately 1.7 million people lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which eliminated some informal jobs and caused the economy to slow. The Kenyan government has made progress in addressing the high youth unemployment by implementing various affirmative action programs and projects which include: the National Youth Service, The National Youth Enterprise Development Fund, The Women Enterprise Fund, Kazi Mtaani, Ajira Digital, Kikao Mtaani, Uwezo fund, Future Bora and Studio mashinani that empower youth, offer job opportunities and to raise one's standard of living.

Education

Main article: Education in Kenya
School children in a classroom
An MSc student at Kenyatta University in Nairobi

Children attend nursery school, or kindergarten in the private sector until they are five years old. This lasts one to three years (KG1, KG2 and KG3) and is financed privately because there has been no government policy on pre-schooling until recently.

Basic formal education starts at age six and lasts 12 years, consisting of eight years in primary school and four in high school or secondary. Primary school is free in public schools and those attending can join a vocational youth/village polytechnic, or make their own arrangements for an apprenticeship program and learn a trade such as tailoring, carpentry, motor vehicle repair, brick-laying and masonry for about two years.

Those who complete high school can join a polytechnic or other technical college and study for three years, or proceed directly to university and study for four years. Graduates from the polytechnics and colleges can then join the workforce and later obtain a specialised higher diploma qualification after a further one to two years of training, or join the university—usually in the second or third year of their respective course. The higher diploma is accepted by many employers in place of a bachelor's degree and direct or accelerated admission to post-graduate studies is possible in some universities.

A Maasai girl at school

Public universities in Kenya are highly commercialised institutions and only a small fraction of qualified high school graduates are admitted on limited government-sponsorship into programs of their choice. Most are admitted into the social sciences, which are cheap to run, or as self-sponsored students paying the full cost of their studies. Most qualified students who miss out opt for middle-level diploma programs in public or private universities, colleges, and polytechnics.

In 2018, 18.5 percent of the Kenyan adult population was illiterate, which was the highest rate of literacy in East Africa. There are very wide regional disparities: for example, Nairobi had the highest level of literacy at 87.1 per cent, compared to North Eastern Province, the lowest, at 8.0 per cent. Preschool, which targets children from age three to five, is an integral component of the education system and is a key requirement for admission to Standard One (First Grade). At the end of primary education, pupils sit the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), which determines those who proceed to secondary school or vocational training. The result of this examination is needed for placement at secondary school.

Primary school is for students aged 6/7-13/14 years. For those who proceed to the secondary level, there is a national examination at the end of Form Four – the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), which determines those proceeding to the universities, other professional training, or employment. Students sit examinations in eight subjects of their choosing. However, English, Kiswahili, and mathematics are compulsory subjects.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), formerly the Joint Admissions Board (JAB), is responsible for selecting students joining the public universities. Other than the public schools, there are many private schools, mainly in urban areas. Similarly, there are a number of international schools catering to various overseas educational systems.

Kenya was ranked 96th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Kenya
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Kenyan boys and girls performing a traditional dance
Nation Media House, which hosts the Nation Media Group

The culture of Kenya comprises multiple traditions. Kenya has no single prominent culture. It instead consists of the various cultures of the country's different communities.

Notable populations include the Swahili on the coast, several other Bantu communities in the central and western regions, and Nilotic communities in the northwest. The Maasai culture is well known to tourism, despite constituting a relatively small part of Kenya's population. They are renowned for their elaborate upper-body adornment and jewellery.

Additionally, Kenya has an extensive music, television, and theatre scene.

Literature

Main article: Kenyan literature
Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is one of Kenya's best-known writers. His novel Weep Not, Child depicts life in Kenya during the British occupation. The story details the effects of the Mau Mau on the lives of Kenyans. Its combination of themes—colonialism, education, and love—helped make it one of the best-known African novels.

M.G. Vassanji's 2003 novel The In-Between World of Vikram Lall won the Giller Prize in 2003. It is the fictional memoir of a Kenyan of Indian heritage and his family as they adjust to the changing political climates in colonial and post-colonial Kenya.

Since 2003, the literary journal Kwani? has been publishing Kenyan contemporary literature. Kenya has also nurtured emerging versatile authors such as Paul Kipchumba (Kipwendui, Kibiwott) who demonstrate a pan-African outlook.

Music

Main article: Music of Kenya
Popular Kenyan musician Jua Cali

Kenya has a diverse assortment of popular music forms, in addition to multiple types of folk music based on the variety of over 40 regional languages.

Drums are the most dominant instrument in popular Kenyan music. Drum beats are very complex and include both native rhythms and imported ones, especially the Congolese cavacha rhythm. Popular Kenyan music usually involves the interplay of multiple parts, and more recently, showy guitar solos as well. There are also a number of local hip-hop artists, including Jua Cali; Afro-pop bands such as Sauti Sol; and musicians who play local genres like Benga, such as Akothee.

Lyrics are most often in Kiswahili or English. There is also some emerging aspect of Lingala borrowed from Congolese musicians. Lyrics are also written in local languages. Urban radio generally only plays English music, though there also exist a number of vernacular radio stations.

Zilizopendwa is a genre of local urban music that was recorded in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s by musicians such as Daudi Kabaka, Fadhili William, and Sukuma Bin Ongaro, and is particularly enjoyed by older people—having been popularised by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation's Kiswahili service (formerly called Voice of Kenya or VOK).

The Isukuti is a vigorous dance performed by the Luhya sub-tribes to the beat of a traditional drum called the Isukuti during many occasions such as the birth of a child, marriage, or funeral. Other traditional dances include the Ohangla among the Luo, Nzele among the Mijikenda, Mugithi among the Kikuyu, and Taarab among the Swahili.

Additionally, Kenya has a growing Christian gospel music scene. Prominent local gospel musicians include the Kenyan Boys Choir.

Benga music has been popular since the late 1960s, especially in the area around Lake Victoria. The word benga is occasionally used to refer to any kind of pop music. Bass, guitar, and percussion are the usual instruments.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Kenya
Jepkosgei Kipyego and Jepkemoi Cheruiyot at the 2012 London Olympics

Kenya is active in several sports, among them cricket, rallying, football, rugby, field hockey, and boxing. The country is known chiefly for its dominance in middle-distance and long-distance athletics, having consistently produced Olympic and Commonwealth Games champions in various distance events, especially in 800 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m steeplechase, 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and the marathon. Kenyan athletes (particularly Kalenjin), continue to dominate the world of distance running, although competition from Morocco and Ethiopia has reduced this supremacy. Some of Kenya's best-known athletes include the four-time women's Boston Marathon winner and two-time world champion Catherine Ndereba, 800m world record holder David Rudisha, former marathon world record-holder Paul Tergat, and 5000m Olympic gold medalist John Ngugi. Kenya's most decorated athlete is three-time Olympic gold medalist and eleven-time world marathon major champion, Eliud Kipchoge.

Kenya won several medals during the Beijing Olympics: six gold, four silver, and four bronze, making it Africa's most successful nation in the 2008 Olympics. New athletes gained attention, such as Pamela Jelimo, the women's 800m gold medalist who went on to win the IAAF Golden League jackpot, and Samuel Wanjiru, who won the men's marathon. Retired Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion Kipchoge Keino helped usher in Kenya's ongoing distance dynasty in the 1970s and was followed by Commonwealth Champion Henry Rono's spectacular string of world record performances. Lately, there has been controversy in Kenyan athletics circles, with the defection of a number of Kenyan athletes to represent other countries, chiefly Bahrain and Qatar. The Kenyan Ministry of Sports has tried to stop the defections, but they have continued anyway, with Bernard Lagat being the latest, choosing to represent the United States. Most of these defections occur because of economic or financial factors. Decisions by the Kenyan government to tax athletes' earnings may also be a motivating factor. Some elite Kenyan runners who cannot qualify for their country's strong national team find it easier to qualify by running for other countries.

Kenyan Olympic and world record holder in the 800 metres, David Rudisha

Kenya has been a dominant force in women's volleyball within Africa, with both the clubs and the national team winning various continental championships in the past decade. The women's team has competed at the Olympics and World Championships, though without any notable success. Cricket is another popular sport, also ranking as the most successful team sport. Kenya has competed in the Cricket World Cup since 1996. They upset some of the world's best teams and reached the semi-finals of the 2003 tournament. They won the inaugural World Cricket League Division 1 hosted in Nairobi and participated in the World T20. They also participated in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Their current captain is Rakep Patel.

Rugby is increasing in popularity, especially with the annual Safari Sevens tournament. The Kenya Sevens team ranked 9th in the IRB Sevens World Series for the 2006 season. In 2016, the team beat Fiji at the Singapore Sevens finals, making Kenya the second African nation after South Africa to win a World Series championship. Kenya was once also a regional powerhouse in football. However, its dominance has been eroded by wrangles within the now defunct Kenya Football Federation, leading to a suspension by FIFA which was lifted in March 2007.

In the motor rallying arena, Kenya is home to the world-famous Safari Rally, commonly acknowledged as one of the toughest rallies in the world. First held in 1953, it was a part of the World Rally Championship for many years until its exclusion after the 2002 event owing to financial difficulties. Some of the best rally drivers in the world have taken part in and won the rally, such as Björn Waldegård, Hannu Mikkola, Tommi Mäkinen, Shekhar Mehta, Carlos Sainz, and Colin McRae. The Safari Rally returned to the world championship in 2021, after the 2003–2019 events ran as part of the African Rally Championship.

Nairobi has hosted several major continental sports events, including the FIBA Africa Championship 1993, where Kenya's national basketball team finished in the top four, its best performance to date.

Kenya also has its own ice hockey team, the Kenya Ice Lions. The team's home ground is the Solar Ice Rink at the Panari Sky Centre in Nairobi, which is the first and largest ice rink in all of Africa.

Kenya men's national field hockey team was considered one of the good teams in the world during 1960s and 1970s.

Roshan Ali, former goalkeeper of Kenya field hockey team

Kenya was got 6th position in 1964 Summer Olympics hockey tournament and 4th in 1971 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup.

Cuisine

Ugali and sukuma wiki, staples of Kenyan cuisine

Kenyans generally have three meals in a day—breakfast (kiamsha kinywa), lunch (chakula cha mchana), and supper (chakula cha jioni or simply chajio). In between, they have the 10-o'clock tea (chai ya saa nne) and 4 p.m. tea (chai ya saa kumi). Breakfast is usually tea or porridge with bread, chapati, mahamri, boiled sweet potatoes, or yams. Githeri is a common lunchtime dish in many households, while Ugali with vegetables, sour milk (mursik), meat, fish, or any other stew is generally eaten by much of the population for lunch or supper. Regional variations and dishes also exist.

In western Kenya, among the Luo, fish is a common dish; among the Kalenjin, who dominate much of the Rift Valley Region, mursik—sour milk—is a common drink.

In cities such as Nairobi, there are fast-food restaurants, including Steers, KFC, and Subway. There are also many fish-and-chips shops.

Cheese is becoming more popular in Kenya, with consumption increasing particularly among the middle class.

See also

Portals:

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Sources and further reading

  • Haugerud A (1995). The Culture of Politics in Modern Kenya. African Studies. Vol. 84 (1st ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 266. ISBN 9780521595902.
  • Ludeki Chweya; John Kithome Tuta; S. Kichamu Akivaga (2005), Control of Corruption in Kenya: Legal-political Dimensions, The University of Michigan, p. 259, ISBN 978-9966-915-55-9
  • Mwaura N (2005). Kenya Today: Breaking the Yoke of Colonialism in Africa. Algora Publishing. p. 238. ISBN 9780875863214.

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