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Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when Vice President Daniel 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 were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA, the son of founding president Jomo KENYATTA, and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform.

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

Natural Resources

limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower

Population - distribution

population heavily concentrated in the west along the shore of Lake Victoria; other areas of high density include the capital of Nairobi, and in the southeast along the Indian Ocean coast

40046566
English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
NAIROBI (capital) 3.915 million; Mombassa 1.104 million (2015)
Conventional long form
Republic of Kenya
Conventional short form
Kenya
Local long form
Republic of Kenya/Jamhuri ya Kenya
Local short form
Kenya
presidential republic
Name
Nairobi
Geographic coordinates
1 17 S, 36 49 E
Time difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Kenya is the economic, financial, and transport hub of East Africa. Kenya’s real GDP growth has averaged over 5% for the last eight years. Since 2014, Kenya has been ranked as a lower middle income country because its per capita GDP crossed a World Bank threshold. While Kenya has a growing entrepreneurial middle class and steady growth, its economic and development trajectory could be impaired by weak governance and corruption. Although reliable numbers are hard to find, unemployment and under-employment are extremely high, and could be near 40% of the population.
Inflation
6.298%
External debt stocks
US$ 19,147,781,000
Total tax rate (% of commercial profits)
37.4%
Real Interest Rate
7.899%
Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP)
10.034%
Current Account Balance
US$ -6,339,432,924
Labor Force, Total
19,261,713
Employment in Agriculture
61.10%
Employment in Industry
6.70%
Employment in Services
32.20%
Unemployment Rate
11.00%
Imports of goods and services
US$ 16,475,231,527
Exports of goods and services
US$ 10,275,881,773
Total Merchandise Trade
28.09%
FDI, net inflows
US$ 1,437,000,004
Commercial Service Exports
US$ 4,027,047,728
tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, fish, pork, poultry, eggs
small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, clothing, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, horticulture, oil refining; aluminum, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair, tourism
Commodities
tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish, cement
Partners
Uganda 10.7%, US 7.9%, Tanzania 7.7%, Netherlands 7%, Zambia 5.8%, UK 5.7% (2015)
Commodities
machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics
Partners
China 30%, India 15.5%, UAE 5.7%, US 4.8%, Japan 4.7% (2015)
Country Risk Rating
A4
A somewhat shaky political and economic outlook and a relatively volatile business environment can affect corporate payment behavior. Corporate default probability is still acceptable on average.
Business Climate Rating
B
The business environment is mediocre. The availability and the reliability of corporate financial information vary widely. Debt collection can sometimes be difficult. The institutional framework has a few troublesome weaknesses. Intercompany transactions run appreciable risks in the unstable, largely inefficient environments rated B.
  • Leading East African economy
  • Pivotal role in East African Community, the leading African common market
  • Diversified agriculture
  • Growth in services sector (telecommunications and financial services)
  • Dynamic demographics and emerging middle class
  • Business climate has improved
  • Agricultural production highly dependent on climate conditions
  • Lack of skilled workforce and persistent bottlenecks
  • Significant terrorist risk
  • Improving governance, but persistent corruption

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