Shauri Yako Community Youth Support Centre

Location of Kenya

Kenya lies astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. The country covers an area of about 586,600km sq. Inland water bodies cover some 10,700km sq, the bulk of this in Lakes Victoria and Turkana. Kenya is bordered by Somalia and the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south. The coastline, about 550km long, faces the Indian Ocean.

Kenya has tremendous topographical diversity, including glaciated mountains with snow-capped peaks, the Rift Valley with its scarps and volcanoes, ancient granitic hills, flat desert landscapes and coral reefs and islets. However, the basic configuration is simple. Coastal plains give way to and inland plateau that rises gradually to the central highlands, which are the result of the relatively recent volcanic activity associated with the formation of the rift valley. To the west the land drops again to the Nyanza plateau that surrounds the Kenyan sector of Lake Victoria; and to the north, to the rugged low country around Lake Turkana.

Facts

Population: 30,493,792 (official estimate 2001)
Capital: Nairobi - Population: About 2,400,000
Government: Republic- Gained independence from the UK in 1963
Head of State and Government: President Mwai Kibaki since December 2002
Language: Swahili is the national language and English is the official language. There are over 42 ethnic languages spoken
Religion: Christian - 66%; indigenous beliefs - 26%; Muslim - 7%, other - 1%

History

Kenya's history dates back to many centuries from the internal diaspora or the early settlements and migrations. Then came the formation of the various language groups who developed their own religions, traditions, governments and ruling systems in which they dictated their way of life and how they managed to keep alive by their trade and occupations.

Kenya has some of the oldest human remains yet found. The present tribes probably began to occupy the country from the 11th century. The coast developed trading links with the Arabs and as far away as India and Indonesia. Gradually Arab influence grew, culminating in the emergence of Mombasa as a major trading centre by 1500 AD. Contact with Europe began in 1498 when the Portuguese arrived and after a period of friendly relations tried to gain control over coastal trading. They were driven out at the end of the 17th century.

British influence dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The interior was opened up to European trade towards the end of the 19th century when the railway from the coast to Uganda was built. Nairobi was founded as a temporary railhead but quickly became the main centre for the interior. In 1895 the British East African Protectorate was declared and European settlement began in earnest. Some of the most fertile farming areas in the centre, known as the white highlands, grew tea and coffee.

From the 1920's African resistance movements grew, culminating in the Mau Mau movement in the 1950's. In 1961 the Kenya Africa National Union was formed and Jomo Kenyatta, a resistance leader who had spent many years in prison, became its leader. Kenya achieved independence, granted in 1963, and today Kenya is an independent republic.

People

People of African descent make up about 97% of the population; they are divided into about 40 ethnic groups, of which the Bantu-speaking Kikuyu, Luhya, Kalenjin, Kamba, and Gusii and the Nilotic-speaking Luo are predominant. Small numbers of persons of Indian, Pakistani, and European descent live in the Kenya, and there are some Arabs along the coast region.

Climate

April and May can be quite wet, though sometimes the rains come late. Kenya's diverse geography means that temperature, rainfall and humidity vary widely. Kenya offers warm days and cool, early mornings and evenings throughout most of the country. At altitude the temperatures are moderate. The Coast is often humid and tropical. There are two primary rainy seasons: the long rains roughly from April to the end of May and the short rains during October and November.

Kenyan Culture

Kenya has no unique culture that identifies it. With diverse regional peoples such as Swahili/Miji Kenda along the coast, several pastoralist communities mainly in the north and the different communities in the Rift Valley, Central and Western regions; having a mutually acceptable culture identification is difficult. The Masaai people owe their identification to the tourist industry.

Capital city

Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. Nairobi has the highest population in East Africa, with an estimated population of between 3 and 4 million. Since its foundation as a railway camp in 1899, Nairobi has grown to become the largest city in Kenya, and one of the largest cities in Africa.

Economy

Kenya's main economic strengths include tourism and agriculture - the great majority of Kenyans are farmers. Coffee, tea, sisal, pyrethrum, corn, and wheat are grown in the highlands, mainly on small scale farms. Coconuts, pineapples, cashew nuts, cotton, sugarcane, sisal, and corn are grown in the lower-lying areas. Much of Kenya is savanna, where large numbers of cattle are pastured. Kenya also produces dairy goods, pork, poultry, and eggs.

The country's leading manufactured items include consumer goods such as plastic, furniture, textiles, cigarettes, and leather goods; refined petroleum; cement; and metal products. Industrial development has been hampered by shortages in hydroelectric power and inefficiency and corruption in the public sector; however, steps have been taken to privatize some state-owned companies. The chief minerals produced are limestone, soda ash, gold, salt, and fluorospar; there are also deposits of titanium. Kenya attracts many tourists, largely lured by its coastal beaches and varied wildlife, which is protected in the countries' national parks.

Kenya's exports are: flowers (horticulture), fruits and vegetables, tea and coffee. Another key foreign exchange earner is tourism. Tourism has grown tremendously since 2003, both agriculture and tourism remain predominant. The number of foreigners coming to Kenya has increased as attested by Kenya Tourism Board.

The leading imports are machinery, transportation equipment, consumer goods, and petroleum and petroleum products. Major trading partners are the United Kingdom, Uganda, Tanzania, and the United Arab Emirates. Kenya's population growth continually exceeds the rate of economic growth, resulting in large budget deficits and high unemployment. The country's well-developed transportation system has suffered from neglect in recent years.

Agriculture

Agriculture dominates employment and is comprised of 50 percent subsistence farming. There is an acute shortage of arable land and uneven distribution has resulted in most farmers working plots of two hectares or less. Landlessness, an annual population growth of 2.9 per cent and rapid urbanization, place increasing pressure on the ability of current food production and distribution to meet demand at affordable prices. In addition, there is an ecological risk to some of the most fertile areas of western and central Kenya, which are already severely overpopulated.

Maize is the most important food crop; sorghum, cassava, beans and fruit are also grown. The government's goal is to achieve self-sufficiency in major staples such as maize by 2010. Inadequate storage facilities, little irrigation, recurrent drought and lack of incentives and a severe shortage of arable land have restricted growth. The principal cash crops are tea, coffee (mainly arabica grown by smallholders), sugar, cotton, pyrethrum, sisal, tobacco, pineapples and wattle.


"It takes a whole village to raise a child" - African Proverb Meaning: That child upbringing is a communal effort. The responsibility for raising a child is shared with the larger family.
Home About Us What We Do How You Can Help Our Partners Arts & Crafts Newsletters Resources Links Contact Us > Buy a Brick	Location of Kenya Kenya lies astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. The country covers an area of about 586,600km sq. Inland water bodies cover some 10,700km sq, the bulk of this in Lakes Victoria and Turkana. Kenya is bordered by Somalia and the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south. The coastline, about 550km long, faces the Indian Ocean. Kenya has tremendous topographical diversity, including glaciated mountains with snow-capped peaks, the Rift Valley with its scarps and volcanoes, ancient granitic hills, flat desert landscapes and coral reefs and islets. However, the basic configuration is simple. Coastal plains give way to and inland plateau that rises gradually to the central highlands, which are the result of the relatively recent volcanic activity associated with the formation of the rift valley. To the west the land drops again to the Nyanza plateau that surrounds the Kenyan sector of Lake Victoria; and to the north, to the rugged low country around Lake Turkana. Facts Population: 30,493,792 (official estimate 2001) Capital: Nairobi - Population: About 2,400,000 Government: Republic- Gained independence from the UK in 1963 Head of State and Government: President Mwai Kibaki since December 2002 Language: Swahili is the national language and English is the official language. There are over 42 ethnic languages spoken Religion: Christian - 66%; indigenous beliefs - 26%; Muslim - 7%, other - 1% History Kenya's history dates back to many centuries from the internal diaspora or the early settlements and migrations. Then came the formation of the various language groups who developed their own religions, traditions, governments and ruling systems in which they dictated their way of life and how they managed to keep alive by their trade and occupations. Kenya has some of the oldest human remains yet found. The present tribes probably began to occupy the country from the 11th century. The coast developed trading links with the Arabs and as far away as India and Indonesia. Gradually Arab influence grew, culminating in the emergence of Mombasa as a major trading centre by 1500 AD. Contact with Europe began in 1498 when the Portuguese arrived and after a period of friendly relations tried to gain control over coastal trading. They were driven out at the end of the 17th century. British influence dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The interior was opened up to European trade towards the end of the 19th century when the railway from the coast to Uganda was built. Nairobi was founded as a temporary railhead but quickly became the main centre for the interior. In 1895 the British East African Protectorate was declared and European settlement began in earnest. Some of the most fertile farming areas in the centre, known as the white highlands, grew tea and coffee. From the 1920's African resistance movements grew, culminating in the Mau Mau movement in the 1950's. In 1961 the Kenya Africa National Union was formed and Jomo Kenyatta, a resistance leader who had spent many years in prison, became its leader. Kenya achieved independence, granted in 1963, and today Kenya is an independent republic. People People of African descent make up about 97% of the population; they are divided into about 40 ethnic groups, of which the Bantu-speaking Kikuyu, Luhya, Kalenjin, Kamba, and Gusii and the Nilotic-speaking Luo are predominant. Small numbers of persons of Indian, Pakistani, and European descent live in the Kenya, and there are some Arabs along the coast region. Climate April and May can be quite wet, though sometimes the rains come late. Kenya's diverse geography means that temperature, rainfall and humidity vary widely. Kenya offers warm days and cool, early mornings and evenings throughout most of the country. At altitude the temperatures are moderate. The Coast is often humid and tropical. There are two primary rainy seasons: the long rains roughly from April to the end of May and the short rains during October and November. Kenyan Culture Kenya has no unique culture that identifies it. With diverse regional peoples such as Swahili/Miji Kenda along the coast, several pastoralist communities mainly in the north and the different communities in the Rift Valley, Central and Western regions; having a mutually acceptable culture identification is difficult. The Masaai people owe their identification to the tourist industry. Capital city Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. Nairobi has the highest population in East Africa, with an estimated population of between 3 and 4 million. Since its foundation as a railway camp in 1899, Nairobi has grown to become the largest city in Kenya, and one of the largest cities in Africa. Economy Kenya's main economic strengths include tourism and agriculture - the great majority of Kenyans are farmers. Coffee, tea, sisal, pyrethrum, corn, and wheat are grown in the highlands, mainly on small scale farms. Coconuts, pineapples, cashew nuts, cotton, sugarcane, sisal, and corn are grown in the lower-lying areas. Much of Kenya is savanna, where large numbers of cattle are pastured. Kenya also produces dairy goods, pork, poultry, and eggs. The country's leading manufactured items include consumer goods such as plastic, furniture, textiles, cigarettes, and leather goods; refined petroleum; cement; and metal products. Industrial development has been hampered by shortages in hydroelectric power and inefficiency and corruption in the public sector; however, steps have been taken to privatize some state-owned companies. The chief minerals produced are limestone, soda ash, gold, salt, and fluorospar; there are also deposits of titanium. Kenya attracts many tourists, largely lured by its coastal beaches and varied wildlife, which is protected in the countries' national parks. Kenya's exports are: flowers (horticulture), fruits and vegetables, tea and coffee. Another key foreign exchange earner is tourism. Tourism has grown tremendously since 2003, both agriculture and tourism remain predominant. The number of foreigners coming to Kenya has increased as attested by Kenya Tourism Board. The leading imports are machinery, transportation equipment, consumer goods, and petroleum and petroleum products. Major trading partners are the United Kingdom, Uganda, Tanzania, and the United Arab Emirates. Kenya's population growth continually exceeds the rate of economic growth, resulting in large budget deficits and high unemployment. The country's well-developed transportation system has suffered from neglect in recent years. Agriculture Agriculture dominates employment and is comprised of 50 percent subsistence farming. There is an acute shortage of arable land and uneven distribution has resulted in most farmers working plots of two hectares or less. Landlessness, an annual population growth of 2.9 per cent and rapid urbanization, place increasing pressure on the ability of current food production and distribution to meet demand at affordable prices. In addition, there is an ecological risk to some of the most fertile areas of western and central Kenya, which are already severely overpopulated. Maize is the most important food crop; sorghum, cassava, beans and fruit are also grown. The government's goal is to achieve self-sufficiency in major staples such as maize by 2010. Inadequate storage facilities, little irrigation, recurrent drought and lack of incentives and a severe shortage of arable land have restricted growth. The principal cash crops are tea, coffee (mainly arabica grown by smallholders), sugar, cotton, pyrethrum, sisal, tobacco, pineapples and wattle.