A FEW FACTS ABOUT KENYA….
Official Language: Kiswahili, English
Religions: 82.5% Christian, 11.1% Muslim
- Size: 580,367 sq km¹
- Population: 44,037,656 – 34% of population is urban(+2.4%/yr)
- Per Capita Income: $1,800
COMPARED TO US (STATE OF TEXAS)
- Size: 696,241 sq km
- Population: 23,507,783 – 82.5% of population is urban²
- Per Capita Income of US: $49,800.00
Labor Force by Occupation:
- Agriculture: 24.2% – Exports include tea, coffee,flowers)
- Industry: 14.8 – Food processing, cement
- Services: 61% – Tourism
Compared to US
- Agriculture: 1.2%
- Industry: 19.1%
- Services: 79.7%
Kenya is a former British colony, independent since 1963. Its government is a democratic republic. After the 2007 elections, there was violence resulting in more than 500 deaths and temporary displacement of over 500,000 people.³ Since a new constitution was ratified in 2010, the president has reduced powers relative to parliament and the country’s 47 provinces.* The next election, in 2013, was much more peaceful. The newly elected president, Uhuru Kenyatta, was elected by a very slim margin and took office in April.**
¹Statistics are from The CIA Factbook unless otherwise footnoted.
²US Census Bureau, 2000.
³ The Kenyan 2007 elections and their aftermath: The role of media and communication. BBC: 2008.
*Kenya President Ratifies Constitution”, BBC: 27 August 2010.
**“Inauguration Is for All Kenyans—Uhuru”, The Star: 5 April 2013.