Kenya General Information

Location
East Africa.
Time
GMT + 3.
Area
582,646 sq km (224,961 sq miles).

Population
34.7 million (CIA estimate 2006).
Population Density
59.5 per sq km.

Capital
Nairobi. Population: 2.5 million (UN estimate 2003).

Geography
Kenya shares borders with Ethiopia in the north, Sudan in the northwest, Uganda in the west, Tanzania in the south and Somalia in the northeast. To the east lies the Indian Ocean. The country is divided into four regions: the arid deserts of the north; the savannah lands of the south; the fertile lowlands along the coast; and highlands in the west, where the capital Nairobi is situated. Northwest of Nairobi runs the Rift Valley, dotted with lakes and containing the town of Nakuru, while further west the Aberdare National Park is overlooked by Mount Kenya (5,200m/17,000ft), which also is a national park. In the far northwest is Lake Turkana (formerly Lake Rudolph), and in the southwest is Kenya's share of Lake Victoria.

Kenya is a multicultural society; in the north live Somalis and the nomadic Hamitic peoples (Rendille, Samburu and Turkana), in the south and eastern lowlands are Kamba and Masai and the Luo live around Lake Victoria. The largest group is the Kikuyu who live in the central highlands and have traditionally been dominant in commerce and politics, although this is now changing. There are many other smaller groups and, although Kenya emphasises nationalism, tribal and cultural identity is a factor. A small European settler population remains in the highlands, involved in farming and commerce.

Government
Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1963.

Head of State
President Emilio Mwai Kibaki since 2002.

Recent History
President Mwai Kibaki claimed victory in controversial presidential elections in December 2007. His swearing-in for a second term in office prompted a wave of unrest across the country and 300 people were killed in the bloodshed that followed the polls. Opposition candidate Raila Odinga rejected Kibaki's victory and accused the government of rigging the result. International observers also expressed doubts about the poll, and called for an independent enquiry.

When President Kibaki's National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) won a parliamentary majority in 2002, he promised that his main objective would be to fight against corruption. However, both former and current ministers have become embroiled in a recent corruption scandal, involving a multi-million dollar scam. Furthermore, voters rejected a draft constitution in a referendum in late 2005. While the president presented it as a modernising measure, his opponents said that it would have left too much power in the hands of the president. Kibaki responded by sacking his entire cabinet and appointed new ministers.

Language
Kiswahili is the national language and English is the official language. The terms Swahili and Kiswahili are used interchangeably, though the term Swahili normally refers to the people while Kiswahili refers to the language. There are over 42 ethnic languages spoken, including Kikuyu and Luo.

Religion
Mostly traditional but there is a sizeable Christian population (both Catholic and Protestant) and the majority of people living along the coast are Muslim.

Electricity
220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are UK-type square three-pin.

Social Conventions
Western European habits prevail throughout much of Kenya as a result of British influences in the country. Kenyans are generally very friendly. The standard greeting of ‘hello' when addressing an individual is Jambo, to which the reply is also Jambo. The greeting for a group is Hamjambo to which the reply is Hatujambo. People are delighted if visitors can greet them in Kiswahili. Dress is informal and casual lightweight clothes are accepted for all but the smartest social occasions. Because of its Muslim influence, the coast is a little more conservative than the rest of the country. Away from the beach, women and men should dress respectably and cover up bare arms and legs. Alcohol is only available in the tourist areas on the coast.

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