Kenya

>> Back to Info Africa

Kenya is a beautiful country on the east coast of Africa, rich in both wildlife and cultural diversity. A popular destination for the budget traveller, Kenya is known as the gateway to East Africa as flights to the capital, Nairobi, are generally inexpensive. Buses, trains and flights can be purchased in Nairobi to any of the neighbouring states. Kenya boasts the spectacular Rift Valley with its lakes, the scenic island of Lamu in the Indian Ocean, and a wide variety of game parks. In recent years crime has become somewhat endemic, but the wary traveller can still get around without running into trouble. A wide variety of crafts and ethnographic items can be purchased, crafted in a variety of materials including wood, stone and natural fibre. Vibrant and easy to access, Kenya is an integral part of the African experience.

	Links General Information Aid/Development Art Current Interest News Travel Information	Country Information Geography People Government Economy
	>>Visit our Links Page for General Links on Africa

 

Links
General Information
	Africa Online - Kenya Excellent site. General information about Kenya as well as news, reports and good links to sites of related interest. Kenyan Embassies Listing Welcome to Kenyaweb - Kenya's Definitive Internet Resource Covers most aspects of general information on Kenya, including sections on business, tourism, history and government. Also has news, weather and chat channels.
Aid and Development
	CARE - KENYA Information about CARE's projects in Kenya - "We seek to relieve human suffering, to provide economic opportunity, to build sustained capacity for self-help, and to affirm the ties of human beings everywhere". Welcome to the Nyumbani Website "Nyumbani" (Swahili for "Home"), was opened in September 1992 to care for abandoned children who are HIV +. Located in the town of Karen, very near Nairobi, Kenya, Nyumbani provides much needed medical help, food, clothing and of course love to children who would be otherwise homeless. With the ever increasing number of HIV infected children, Nyumbani has become a beacon of hope in an area that desperatly needs one. Adam Reiser: Kenya Shoe Expedition The Kenya Shoe Expedition was a non-profit trip with the purpose of bringing bring used running shoes to needy primary and high school children in rural western Kenya: specifically to the Rift Valley region, an area of the world internationally known for producing talented long-distance runners.
Art
	Art-of-Africa: Home Page One Off Contemporary Art Gallery which specializes in a wide range of art, specifically from East Africa and Sudan and carries a large inventory by international artists resident in Kenya and works by these artists with Africa as their inspiration.
Current Interest
	Koigi wa Wamwere, Kenyan Prisoner of Conscience Site monitoring the progress of a Kenyan prisoner. Includes links to related Kenyan sites - "The Kenyan human rights activist and politician, Koigi wa Wamwere, was convicted Monday, October 2, 1995...A panel of international observers of the trial have cited numerous anomalies and have concurred that the trial was unfair. Mr. Wamwere, a former Cornell student, is a former member of the Kenyan parliament who is well known for promoting both human rights and democratic reform in Kenya. U.S. State Department reports, Amnesty International, and a host of other respected legal and human rights associations maintain that the latest charges against Koigi were fabricated due to political motivations of the Kenyan Government. Koigi has already been imprisoned for over twenty-two months. During his imprisonment, he has been beaten, tortured, and denied visitation". Kenya: Proposed Legal Reforms -- A Start Towards Human Rights Protection?
News
	The EastAfrican Newspaper. The Karengata Chronicle Newspaper. Daily Nation on the Web Kenyan daily paper. Interesting, award-winning site.
Travel
	Womanpower Enterprises Woman oriented safaris as well as the chance to meet Kenyan women as peers and to visit women's businesses, projects, and homes. - "Our tours hope to give Western women an opportunity to connect with Kenyan women and share life experiences". BZ Kenya Travel Guide Interesting travel guide to Kenya. Includes sections on books, FAQ, a Message Board, Swahili and Living. Kenya Travel Information on everything from travel to culture and wildlife with an offer of personal help from the author if you can't find something. Has a bulletin board and a chat area where travellers can exchange information, get news articles and post e-mail questions for other travellers. On Safari - Kenya - Tsavo National Park "Tsavo was opened in 1948 as the first of Kenya's wildlife reserves. Located halfway between Nairobi and Mombasa, the park is divided into two sections, West and East Tsavo National Parks. Together with adjacent Chyulu Hills National Park, they cover an area of 8,217 square miles (21,283 sq. km). This area is famous as the home of the 'red' elephants - colored by the park's red dust. Also found are lion, caracal, giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope." Karibu JamboKenya! Traveller's Guide to Kenya, Africa. Has good links to related pages. Offers features, travel tips, and a directory of services and accomodations as well as general information. Also includes book and video reviews.

 

Country Information
Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 38 00 E Area: total : 582,650 sq km land: 569,250 sq km water: 13,400 sq km Coastline: 536 km Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 37% forests and woodland : 30% other: 25% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1993 est.)
People
Population: 28,803,085 (July 1997 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years : 44% (male 6,403,826; female 6,264,971) 15-64 years: 53% (male 7,682,401; female 7,696,504) 65 years and over: 3% (male 340,664; female 414,719) (July 1997 est.) Population growth rate: 2.13% (1997 est.) Birth rate: 32.44 births/1,000 population (1997 est.) Death Rate: 10.83 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.) Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) Infant mortality rate: 55.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.39 years male : 54.21 years female: 54.59 years (1997 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1997 est.) Religions: Protestant (including Anglican) 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, other 8% Languages: English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous languages Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population : 78.1% male: 86.3% female: 70% (1995 est.)
Government
National capital: Nairobi Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK) National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Economy
Unemployment rate: 35% urban (1994 est.) Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), processing agricultural products; oil refining, cement; tourism Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs Exports: total value: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: tea 35.7%, coffee 28.7%, petroleum products 8.6% partners : Uganda 22.8%, UK 20.1%, Tanzania 19.1%, Germany 14.0%, Netherlands 7.6%, US 6.1% Imports: total value: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 53%, petroleum and petroleum products 23.7%, iron and steel 12.2%, raw materials, food and consumer goods (1989) partners : UK 21.3%, UAE 18%, Japan 14%, Germany, US Debt - external: $7 billion (1994 est.) Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents

     Copyright © 1998 African Accents. All rights reserved