Kenya Republic of Kenya

Flag & Description A large Maasai warrior's shield covering crossed spears at the center Black symbolizes the majority population Red the blood shed in the struggle for freedom Green stands for natural wealth White for peace Shield and crossed spears symbolize the defense of freedom

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HISTORY During the colonial period, Kenya was ruled by Great Britain. Kenya gained its independence from the British in 1964 Jomo Kenyatta was the president of Kenya from its independence until his death in He was one of the key people involved in the Kenyan independence movement. From 1969 to 2002, there was only one political party in Kenya, the Kenya African National Union (KANU).

The KANU joined with another group and became the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). The ODM has been trying to take back power since They have not been successful. Many Kenyans have died in this violence. Since the 1960’s, the international community has tried to encourage the country to improve its government. The international community threatened to cut economic aid to Kenya if it did not improve its civil rights record. Things have gotten better, but there are still problems

Government Republic Executive Branch- Chief of state: President Mwai Kibaki The roles of the president and prime minister are not well defined at this time Constitutionally, the president remains chief of state and head of government, but the prime minister is charged with coordinating government business Cabinet appointed by the president and headed by the prime minister, who is the leader of the largest party in parliament

Legislative- unicameral National Assembly or Bunge usually referred to as Parliament Judicial- Court of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president) High Court

Religious & Ethnic Groups Religious Groups— Protestant 45% Roman Catholic 33% Muslim 10% Indigenous beliefs 10% Other 2% 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%

Language English (official) Kiswahili (official) numerous indigenous languages

ECONOMY Kenya is the East African regional hub for trade and finance. Corruption and one-party politics have caused problems. Many investors and financial organizations have not felt secure enough to invest their money in this economy. Kenya has depended on only a few primary goods and has not diversified its economy. It needs to add other goods, products, and/or services Recently, Kenya’s GDP has increased a little, but it is still not as strong as it could be.

Major Industry 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

Natural Resources Limestone Soda ash Salt Gemstones Fluorspar Zinc Gypsum Wildlife Hydropower

Geography & Climate 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 geography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value Climate varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

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

Literacy Rate Total 85.1% Male 90.6% Female 79.7% Life Expectancy Total 58.8 Male 58.3 Female 59.3

GDP— $1,600 per capita Below Poverty Level— 50% Population— 40,046,566