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Background: Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978, when current President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but are viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. The country faces a period of political uncertainty because MOI is constitutionally required to step down at the next election that has to be held by early 2003.
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Common Name: Kenya
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Local Official Name: Kenya
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Kenya
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Official Name: Kenya
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Official Script Name: Kenya
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Local Common Name: Kenya
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Former Name: British East Africa
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI
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Government Type: republic
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Independence: 1963 December 12 (from UK)
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Constitution: 1963 December 12 (amended as a republic 1964; reissued
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 12 December
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International Organization Participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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Administrative Divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repea
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Suffrage: 18 years of age years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote from among the members of the National Assembly for a five-year term; in addition to receiving the largest number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential candidate must also win 25% or more of the vote in at least five of Kenya's seven provinces and one area to avoid a runoff; election last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003); vice president appointed by the president
election results: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI reelected; percent of vote - Daniel T. arap MOI (KANU) 40.6%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 31.5%, Raila ODINGA (NDP) 11.1%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-K) 8.4%, Charity NGILU (SDP) 7.8%
Legislative Branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats; 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called "nominated" members who are appointed by the president, but selected by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals)
elections: last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - KANU 107, FORD-A 1, FORD-K 17, FORD-People 3, DP 39, NDP 21, SDP 15, SAFINA 5, smaller parties 2; seats appointed by the president - KANU 6, FORD-K 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA 1
Judicial Branch:
Court of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president); High Court
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Party Leaders: Democratic Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai KIBAKI]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Asili or FORD-A [Kenneth MATIBA, chairman]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K [Michael Kijana WAMALWA]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People [Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or KANU [President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI] - the governing party; National Development Party or NDP [Raila ODINGA]; SAFINA [Farah MAALIM, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [James ORENGO, chairman]
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International Disputes: since colonial times, Kenya's administrative boundary has extended beyond its treaty boundary into Sudan creating the "Ilemi Triangle"; arms smuggling and Oromo rebel activities prompt strict border regime with Somalia
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Illicit Drugs: widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa
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Location of Kenya: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
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Continent: Africa
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Land Area Total: 582,650 sq km
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Region: Central African |
Land Area Land: 569,250 sq km
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Capitol City: Nairobi
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Land Area Water: 13,400 sq km
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Current:
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Latitude: 001 00 N
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Border Boundary Land: 3,477 km
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Longitude: 038 00 E
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Border Boundary Coastline: 536 km
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Arable Land: 7.00 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 1.00 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 5,199 m
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Location: Mount Kenya
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Indian Ocean
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Largest City in Kenya: Nairobi
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Nairobi Largest City Population: 2,205,000
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Threatened Species: 211
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Environmental Issues: water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching
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Environmental Agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Irrigated Land: 670
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Bordering Countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
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Natural Resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower
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Geographical Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west
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Comparative Area of Kenya: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
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Kenya's Geography: the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Kenya.
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General Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
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Natural Hazards: recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons
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Economic Overview: Kenya, the regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, is hampered by corruption and reliance upon several primary goods whose prices continue to decline. Following strong economic growth in 1995 and 1996, Kenya's economy has stagnated, with GDP growth failing to keep up with the rate of population growth. In 1997, the IMF suspended Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems, causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output. As a result, GDP contracted by 0.3% in 2000. The IMF, which had resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1%, and Kenya is unlikely to see growth above 2% in 2002. Substantial IMF and other foreign support is essential to prevent a further decline in real per capita output.
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GDP: $31,000,000,000 USD
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Currency: Kenyan shilling
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GDP per Capita: $1,000 USD
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Currency Code: KES
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GDP Growth Rate: 1.00 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% KES
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Currency Exchange Rate History: Kenyan shillings per US dollar - 78.597 (January 2002), 78.563 (2001), 76.176 (2000), 70.326 (1999), 60.367 (1998), 58.732 (1997)
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GDP of Agriculture: 24.00 %
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GDP of Industry: 13.00 %
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GDP of Services: 63.00 % |
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Inflation Rate: 3.30 % |
Population in Poverty: 50.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 40.00 %
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Tourism: 943,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 2.00 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $2,910,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 37.20 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $2,970,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 4,616,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 4,433,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 140,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 21.66%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 70.40%
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Other Electricity Production: 7.94%
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Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
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External Debt: $8,000,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $457,000,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
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Primary Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products processing; oil refining, cement; tourism
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Industrial Growth Rate: -0.70 %
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Import Amount in USD: $3,100,000,000 USD - machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics
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Import Partners: UK 12%, UAE 9.8%, Japan 6.5%, India 4.4%
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Export Amount in USD: $1,800,000,000 USD - tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish, cement
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Export Partners: UK 13.5%, Tanzania 12.5%, Uganda 12.0%, Germany 5.5%
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GINI Index: 44.50%
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Labor Force Number of People: 10,000,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture 75%-80%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 48 |
Number of People with Radios: 3,070,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 8 |
Number of People with Televisions: 730,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 310,000 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 540,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 65 |
Internet Users: 250,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .ke |
Newspapers: 9 |
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Two Letter Country Code: KE |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: +254 |
Electricity Voltage: Volts |
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Telephone Systems: general assessment: unreliable; little attempt to modernize except for service to business
domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat
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Highways: 8,932 km |
Railways: 2,778 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 483 km |
Waterways: 0 km
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Airports: 20 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 15 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 6,643,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.20 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,893 GRT/6,320 DWT
ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
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Ports and Harbors: Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa
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Population: 31,138,735 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 27.61 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 51.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 14.68 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 1.15% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 3.34 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 6,462,430 |
Population Female 0-14: 6,327,457 |
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Population Male 15-64: 8,769,546 |
Population Female 15-64: 8,694,329 |
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Population Male 65+: 385,361 |
Population Female 65+: 499,612 |
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Population 0-14: 41.10% |
Literacy Rate: 78.10% |
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Population 15-64: 56.10% |
Literacy rate of Males: 86.30% |
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Population 65+: 2.80% |
Literacy rate of Females: 70.00% |
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Population that is Male: 50.50
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Population that is Female: 49.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 47.02 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 67.24 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 46.20 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 47.85 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 13.50%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 2,200,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 180,000 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -1.48
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Nationality: KENYAN
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Ethnic Groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%
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Primary Language: Kiswahili
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Other Languages: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
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Primary Religion: Protestant
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Other Religions: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim 10%, other 2% note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
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Manpower Fit to Serve: NA years
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Manpower Available: 7,938,865 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 4,915,090 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 0 People per year
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Expenditures: $179,200,000 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 1.80
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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