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Serving Students at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College KENYA Government

Republic of Kenya

National name:  Jamhuri ya Kenya

Type of Government

Form of Government:  Republic (multiparty state). 
Chief of State and Head of Government:  President. 
Legislature:  Unicameral (single house) National Assembly; members elected by popular vote for a 5-year term (202 members, including 14 nonelective seats). 

Constitution

The constitution was adopted December 12, 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1997
Independence (national holiday):  December 12 1963 (from UK)

Political Divisions:  7 provinces
Central, Coast, Eastern, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western; and the administrative district of Nairobi. 

Legal system:  The legal system is based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations is accepted; the constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state was repealed in 1991.

Executive Branch

Chief of State:  President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note, the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government.

Cabinet:  The cabinet is appointed by the president elections;  the president is elected by popular vote from among the members of the National Assembly for a five-year term; the vice president is appointed by the president election. 

Kenya is run by a president, who is popularly elected for a  five-year term.  Its constitution dates from independence (1963), and has been amended several times.  There is a unicameral legislature consisting of 222 members, 210 of whom are elected and 12 of whom are appointed by the president.  The legal system is based on English, tribal, and Islamic law.  The ruling party is the Kenya African National Union (KANU).  The country is divided into seven provinces and the Nairobi capital area.

British Influence

As recently as the 1880s there was no country known as Kenya; at  the beginning of the 20th century the British colonized East Africa and drew boundaries around the country they named Kenya.  Prior to the arrival of the British each of Kenya's peoples had its own form of government, culture, and economy.  The British imposed their own administration, and through their economic, religious, and educational activities they transformed the Africans' way of life. 

The colonial administration encouraged British and South African white people to move from their homelands to settle in Kenya.  To promote this settlement they reserved a large area exclusively for whites and made generous offers of land.  Eventually this area totaled about 16,000 square miles (41,400 square kilometers) and contained about one half of the country's land suitable for crops.  In the highlands the settlers grew tea and coffee for export, while in the lowlands they raised livestock.  The loss of land to the British brought resentment against the  colonial administration, and in 1952 a war of liberation began.  A guerrilla group called the Mau Mau, made up of members of several ethnic groups (primarily Kikuyu), led the struggle. The Mau Mau rebellion, as it was called, took place mainly in the highlands, where the Kikuyu people claimed that much land had been stolen from them.  In 1963, independence for Kenya was won. 

Kenya Independance

More than 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) were redistributed to 45,000 Kenyans, but many large farms were left intact and taken over by powerful Kenyans.  Kenya then adopted a democratic parliamentary form of government.  Initially a constitutional monarchy, in 1964 it declared itself a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations (now the Commonwealth).  The one-house parliament, the National Assembly, is led by a president, who chooses the vice-president and ministers from among the members of the assembly.  The dominant political
party since independence, the Kenya African National Union (KANU), became the only legal party in 1982 and remained so until1991. 

Jomo Kenyatta was elected the first president of the new country.  He held the position until his death in 1978, when he was succeeded by the vice-president, Daniel arap Moi. 

Trade

GDP: US$43.9 billion
GDP per head: US$1550
Annual growth: 1.6%
Inflation: 2.5%

Major Industries:  small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism

Major Trading Partners: Uganda, Tanzania, UK, Germany, U.A.E., South Africa

In addition to strong trade ties in the mid-1990s, South Africa and Kenya share the desire to promote cooperation among countries of the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR).  In March 1995, delegations from both countries, along with representatives of Australia, India, Oman, and Singapore, met in Mauritius to discuss ways to strengthen trade, investment, and economic
cooperation among IOR member states.

Crops:  Sugarcane, corn (maize), cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, wheat, pineapples, pulses, tea, bananas, potatoes.

Livestock:  Cattle, goats, sheep. 

Chief Mined Products:  Soda ash, fluorite, salt. 

Chief Manufactured Products:  Food products, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, metal products, paper and paper products, petroleum and petroleum products, clothing and footwear. 

Chief Imports:  Chemicals, corn (maize), crude petroleum, fertilizers, iron and steel, medicinal products, paper and paper products, petroleum products, plastic materials, vegetable oils and fats. 

Chief Exports:  Cement, coffee, hides, petroleum products, pyrethrum extract and flowers, sisal fiber, tea, tinned pineapple. 

Security

Kenya became a multi-party democracy in late 1991 and its political institutions are still developing.  From time to time, political or ethnic tensions boil over in outbreaks of civil disorder or political violence.  Student demonstrations in Nairobi have become increasingly common.  U.S. citizens who plan to visit Kenya are urged to take basic security precautions to maximize their safety.  Travel to Northern Kenya should be undertaken with at least two vehicles to ensure a backup in the case of a breakdown or other emergency.

In the lead-up to the next national election in 2002, political meetings, demonstrations, and strikes are likely.   U.S. citizens should avoid large public gatherings, political rallies and street demonstrations and maintain security awareness at all times.  The area near Kenya's border with Somalia has been the site of a number of incidents of violent criminal activity, including kidnappings.  The sparsely populated northern half of Kenya is an area where there are recurrent, localized incidents of violent cattle rustling, counter-raids, ethnic conflict, tribal or clan rivalry, and armed banditry.  The precise areas tend to shift with time. 

Villagers in rural areas are very suspicious of all strangers.  There have been several incidents of violence against Kenyan and foreign adults in rural areas who are suspected of child stealing.  U.S. visitors to rural areas should be aware that close contact with children, including taking their pictures or giving them candy, can be viewed with deep alarm, and
may provoke panic and violence. 

Crime

There is a high rate of crime in all cities, particularly Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and at coastal beach resorts.  Reports of attacks against tourists by groups of two or more armed assailants have increased significantly throughout the country.  Pickpockets and thieves carry out "snatch and run" crimes on city streets and near crowds.  Walking alone or at night, especially in downtown areas, public parks, along footpaths, on beaches, and in poorly lit areas, is dangerous.  Thieves routinely snatch jewelry and other objects from open vehicle windows while motorists are either stopped at traffic lights or in heavy traffic.  Armed vehicle hijackings are common in Nairobi, but they can occur anywhere in the country.  There is also a high incidence of residential break-ins.  Thieves and con artists have been known to impersonate hotel employees, police officers or government officials.  Thieves on buses and trains may steal valuables from inattentive passengers.  Passengers on inter-city buses should not accept food or drink from a new acquaintance, even a child, because such food or drink may contain narcotics used to incapacitate a victim and facilitate a robbery.  There have been recent attacks on ships in the vicinity of Kenyan waters, in particular near the Kenya-Somalia border.  Mariners should be vigilant.  The Kenyan mail system can be unreliable, and monetary instruments (credit cards, checks, etc.) are frequently stolen.  International couriers provide the safest means of shipping envelopes and packages, although anything of value should be insured.

Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency
The Library of Congress Country Studies