Country
Countries A-Z
Kenya
Republic of Kenya
Jamhuri ya Kenya
Political Status: Independent member of the Commonwealth since December 12, 1963; republic established in 1964; de facto one-party system, established in 1969, recognized as de jure by constitutional amendment on June 9, 1982; multiparty system approved by constitutional amendment on December 20, 1991.
Area: 224,960 sq. mi. (582,646 sq. km.).
Population: 28,686,607 (1999C); 34,467,000 (2005E).
Major Urban Centers (2005E): NAIROBI (urban area, 2,725,000); Mombasa (798,000).
Official Language: English (Kiswahili is the national language).
Monetary Unit: Kenya Shilling (principal rate July 1, 2006: 73.85 shillings = $1US).
President: Emilio Mwai KIBAKI (National Rainbow Coalition—NARC; National Rainbow Coalition of Kenya—NARC-Kenya) elected by popular vote on December 27, 2002, and inaugurated on December 30, 2002, for a five-year term, succeeding Daniel Teroitich arap MOI (Kenya African National Union—KANU), who had ...