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Date:
12 - 14 November, 2009
Timings:
10 AM TO 06 PM Daily
Traders Only
Venue:
KICC, Nairobi - Kenya |
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| C O U N T R Y I N F O |
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Physical.
Kenya is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between
Tanzania and Somalia. It covers an area about twice the size of Nevada.
Kenya has a tropical climate along the coast, turning increasingly arid
farther inland. Low plains rise into central highlands bisected by the
Great Rift Valley, with a fertile plateau in the west. Natural
resources include gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, fluorspar,
garnets, wildlife, hydropower, and rubies.
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People. Over
31 million people live in Kenya. Both English and Swahili are official
languages of Kenya, while numerous indigenous languages are spoken as
well. Ethnically, Kenya is comprised primarily of Africans (99%)
including the following groups: Kikuyu (22%) Luhya (14%) Luo (13%)
Kalenjin (12%) and Kamba (11%). The country's religious groups include
Protestant (38%) Roman Catholic (28%) indigenous beliefs (8%) and
others.
 Government.
In December 2002, Miwai Kibaki ended the 24 year rule of Kenya’s second
president, Daniel arap Moi in a landslide. Moi’s earlier designation of
the son of the first president as his successor, caused a number of
cabinet resignations and solidified the opposition. The elections took
place against a backdrop of economic adversity caused by a recession
which was due to drop in tourism. International terrorist activities,
and spiraling criminal and political violence account for the drop in
tourism.
Economy.
The strength of the tourist industry coupled with years of growth in
manufacturing and services has made Kenya, especially Nairobi, the
commercial center of East Africa. But after 4 decades of independence,
most Kenyans remain impoverished citizens of a struggling state. The
richest 10% of the population own an estimated 40% of the wealth. The
poorest 30% own only 10%. In the past, economic growth has not greatly
improved poverty rates. Kenya has a relatively large middle class that
resents repression and corruption from government sources but is
fearful of anarchy especially in the face of interethnic clashes.
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social structure has been burdened by the influx of some 300,000
refugees from the neighboring states of Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. In
addition, the population growth rate has only recently been reduced
from 3.0%. More than half of all Kenyans are younger than 15 years old.
Pressure on arable land is enormous. Creating employment for the number
of agrarian workers relocated to urban settings will also be difficult.
Areas of Concern.
Water pollution; deforestation; soil erosion, poaching and water
hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria are Kenya’s primary environmental
concerns. Growth of the economy to benefit all classes is an elusive
goal. Managing interethnic violence has not been made easier with the
influx of around 300,000 refugees. In addition, the effect of AIDs on
13% of the population will exert pressure.
Kenya statistics
Geography
Area: 224,900 square miles
Capital: Nairobi (pop 2,343,000)
Environmental concerns: water pollution; deforestation; soil erosion;
poaching; water-hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria
Geographical features: low plains rising to central highlands bisected
by the Great Rift Valley with fertile plateau in the west
Climate: tropical to arid
 People
31,140,000 people; Kikuyu (22%); Luhya (14%); Luo (13%); Kalenjin (12%); Kamba (11%)
Annual growth rate: 1.15%
Major languages are English; Kiswahili; Maasai
Religions: Protestant (38%); Catholic (28%); indigenous beliefs (26%)
Health and social issues
Life expectancy: Men, 46 years; women, 48 years
Infant mortality: 67.2 deaths per 1000 live births
50 % of the population lives in poverty
1 physician per 5,999 people
HIV/AIDS Rate in Adults: 13.5%
78% of adults are literate
Compulsory education (Ages): 6-14 years; free
Communication and transportation
310,000 main telephone lines
400,000 Internet users (2002)
38,198 miles of highway
1,654 miles of railroad
231 airfields
357,000 motor vehicles
Government
Kenya is a republic and gained its independence from the United Kingdom on December 12, 1963
President Miwai Kibaki is both head of state and government
3 major political parties
Universal suffrage at 18
Military
Military expenditures are 1.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Current disputes include border conflict with Sudan; civil unrest and
interethnic violence; tensions with Somalia
 Economy
Currency: shillings
Per capita GDP: $1,000
GDP: $ 31 billion
GDP growth rate: 1%
Inflation rate: 3.3%
Labor force: 75-80% agriculture
Resources and industry
Natural resources: gold; limestone; soda ash; salt barites; rubies; fluorspar; garnets; wildlife; hydropower
Agriculture: coffee; tea; corn; wheat; sugarcane; fruit; vegetables; livestock and dairy products
Industry: small-scale consumer goods; agricultural processing; oil refining; cement; tourism
Exports: $1.8 billion
Imports: $3.1 billion
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