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In
nearly no other country in the world is there such a variety of
animals above and underwater, as in Kenya. Lapped by warm, tropical
waters, the East African coast offers superb diving opportunities
virtually year round, with several, well-protected marine parks.
The crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean wash superb white
sandy beaches, while fringing reefs protect the snow-white powder
soft sand. These reefs run along the shore, offering drift dives,
drop-offs and a large variety of marine habitats within one small
area.
The best times for diving in Kenya are December through March,
with many seasonal species, such as the Whale shark and Manta
ray, making their visits during this time.
Over the years, ships have gone down off the coast, providing
many wreck dives as well.
Inside the many lagoons along the coast are numerous smaller coral
heads that provide an excellent breeding ground for many tropical
reef fish and a haven for lobsters, rays and turtles. |
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Dive
Services
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Marine
Safaris
Tel: +27 (0) 12 991 7885
Fax 1: +27 (0) 86 671 9834
Fax 2: +27 (0) 83 118 654 1367
Cell: +27 (0) 83 654 1367
E-Mail: info@marinesafaris.co.za
Website: www.marinesafaris.co.za
Marine Safaris is a highly professional, service orientated Tour
Operator, based in South Africa, specializing in inbound and outbound
travel on the East Coast of Africa. We offer both land and sea
based packages for scuba diving, fly-fishing and game viewing. |
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Travel
to Maldives
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Traveler
Tips
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Background:
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Revered
president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA
led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978,
when current President Daniel Toroitich arap 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 are viewed as having generally reflected the will
of the Kenyan people. The country faces a period of
political uncertainty because MOI is constitutionally
required to step down at the next elections that have
to be held by early 2003. |
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Location:
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Eastern
Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia
and Tanzania |
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Geographic coordinates:
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1
00 N, 38 00 E |
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Area:
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total:
582,650 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
more than twice the size of Nevada |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
3,446 km
border countries: Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia
682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933
km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental
shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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varies
from tropical along coast to arid in interior |
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Terrain:
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low
plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great
Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m |
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Natural resources:
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gold,
limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar,
garnets, wildlife, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 37%
forests and woodland: 30%
other: 25% (1993 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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660
sq km (1993 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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recurring
drought in northern and eastern regions; flooding
during rainy seasons |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the
selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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the
Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers
on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant
and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value |
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Population:
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30,765,916
note: estimates for this country explicitly
take into account the effects of excess mortality
due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy,
higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population
and growth rates, and changes in the distribution
of population by age and sex than would otherwise
be expected (July 2001 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 41.95% (male 6,524,776; female 6,381,192)
15-64 years: 55.26% (male 8,529,842;
female 8,471,609)
65 years and over: 2.79% (male 376,151;
female 482,346) (2001 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.27%
(2001 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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28.5
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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Death rate:
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14.35
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.5
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note: according to UNHCR, by the end
of 1999 Kenya was host to 223,700 refugees from neighboring
countries, including: Somalia 141,000 and Sudan 64,250 |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female
(2001 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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67.99
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 47.49 years
male: 46.57 years
female: 48.44 years (2001 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.5
children born/woman (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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13.95%
(1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2.1
million (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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180,000
(1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Kikuyu
22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%,
Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African
(Asian, European, and Arab) 1% |
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Religions:
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Protestant
38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, Muslim
7%, other 1%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are
Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the
population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs
vary widely |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous
languages |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.1%
male: 86.3%
female: 70% (1995 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Kenya
conventional short form: Kenya
former: British East Africa |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Administrative divisions:
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7
provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi
Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western |
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Independence:
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12
December 1963 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence
Day, 12 December (1963) |
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Constitution:
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12
December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued
with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992,
and 1997 |
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Legal system:
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based
on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law;
judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional
amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party
state repealed in 1991 |
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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: President Daniel
Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head
of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular
vote from among the members of the National Assembly
for a five-year term; in addition to receiving the
largest number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential
candidate must also win 25% or more of the vote in
at least five of Kenya's seven provinces and one area
to avoid a runoff; election last held 29 December
1997 (next to be held by early 2003); vice president
appointed by the president
election results: President Daniel Toroitich
arap MOI reelected; percent of vote - Daniel T. arap
MOI (KANU) 40.6%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 31.5%, Raila ODINGA
(NDP) 11.1%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-K) 8.4%, Charity
NGILU (SDP) 7.8% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats; 210 members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms,
12 so-called "nominated" members who are
appointed by the president, but selected by the parties
in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals)
elections: last held 29 December 1997
(next to be held by early 2003)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - KANU 107, FORD-A 1,
FORD-K 17, FORD-People 3, DP 39, NDP 21, SDP 15, SAFINA
5, smaller parties 2; seats appointed by the president
- KANU 6, FORD-K 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA 1 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court
of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president);
High Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic
Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai KIBAKI]; Forum for the
Restoration of Democracy-Asili or FORD-A [Martin SHIKUKU,
secretary general]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya
or FORD-K [Michael Kijana WAMALWA]; Forum for the
Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People [Kimaniwa
NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or
KANU [President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI] - the governing
party; National Development Party or NDP [Raila ODINGA,
president]; SAFINA [Farah MAALIM, chairman]; Social
Democratic Party or SDP [Dr. Apollo NJONJO, secretary
general and Justus NYANG'AYA, chairman] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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human
rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations;
National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform
coalition of political parties and nongovernment organizations
[Kivutha KIBWANA]; Protestant National Council of
Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava MUSYIMI]; Roman
Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme Council
of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY,
chairman] |
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International organization participation:
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ACP,
AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMOP, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Yusuf Abdulraham
NZIBO
chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington,
DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829
consulate(s) general: offices in Los
Angeles and New York are closed; mission to the UN
remains open |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy: US Embassy, Mombasa Road, Nairobi
mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Box
21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone: [254] (2) 537-800
FAX: [254] (2) 537-810 |
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Flag description:
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three
equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green;
the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's
shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at
the center |
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Economy - overview:
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Kenya
is well placed to serve as an engine of growth in
East Africa, but its economy has been stagnating because
of poor management and uneven commitment to reform.
In 1993, the government of Kenya implemented a program
of economic liberalization and reform that included
the removal of import licensing, price controls, and
foreign exchange controls. With the support of the
World Bank, IMF, and other donors, the reforms led
to a brief turnaround in economic performance following
a period of negative growth in the early 1990s. Kenya's
real GDP grew 5% in 1995 and 4% in 1996, and inflation
remained under control. Growth slowed after 1997,
averaging only 1.5% in 1997-2000. In 1997, political
violence damaged the tourist industry, and Kenya's
Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program lapsed due
to the government's failure to maintain reform or
address public sector corruption. Severe drought in
1999 and 2000 caused water and energy rationing and
reduced agricultural sector productivity. A new economic
team was put in place in 1999 to revitalize the reform
effort, strengthen the civil service, and curb corruption.
The IMF and World Bank renewed their support to Kenya
in mid-2000, but a number of setbacks to the economic
reform program in late 2000 have renewed donor and
private sector concern about the government's commitment
to sound governance. Long-term barriers to development
include electricity shortages, inefficient government
dominance of key sectors, endemic corruption, and
high population growth. |
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GDP:
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purchasing
power parity - $45.6 billion (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0.4%
(2000 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing
power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
25%
industry: 13%
services: 62% (1999 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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42%
(1992 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 34.9% (1994) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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7%
(2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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9.2
million (1998 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture
75%-80% |
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Unemployment rate:
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50%
(1998 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$2.91 billion
expenditures: $2.97 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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small-scale
consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles,
soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products processing;
oil refining, cement; tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0.5%
(2000 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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4.225
billion kWh (1999) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 31%
hydro: 67%
nuclear: 0%
other: 2% (1999 est.) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.075
billion kWh (1999) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0
kWh (1999) |
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Electricity - imports:
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146
million kWh (1999) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee,
tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy
products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs |
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Exports:
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$1.7
billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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tea,
coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products,
fish, cement |
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Exports - partners:
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Uganda
18%, UK 15%, Tanzania 12%, Pakistan 8% (1999) |
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Imports:
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$3
billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and transportation equipment, petroleum products,
iron and steel |
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Imports - partners:
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UK
12%, UAE 8%, Japan 8%, US 7% (1999) |
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Debt - external:
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$6.2
billion (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$457
million (1997) |
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Currency:
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Kenyan
shilling (KES) |
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Exchange rates:
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Kenyan
shillings per US dollar - 78.733 (December 2000),
76.176 (2000), 70.326 (1999), 60.367 (1998), 58.732
(1997), 57.115 (1996) |
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Fiscal year:
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1
July - 30 June |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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290,000
(1998) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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5,345
(1997) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: unreliable; little attempt to
modernize except for service to business
domestic: trunks are primarily microwave
radio relay; business data commonly transferred by
a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
international: satellite earth stations
- 4 Intelsat |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM
24, FM 8, shortwave 6 (1999) |
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Radios:
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3.07
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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8
(1997) |
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Televisions:
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730,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.ke |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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5
(2000) |
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Internet users:
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45,000
(1999) |
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Railways:
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total:
2,778 km
narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge
note: the line connecting Nairobi with
the port of Mombasa is the most important in the country |
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Highways:
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total:
63,800 km
paved: 8,868 km
unpaved: 54,932 km (1996) |
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Waterways:
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NA
note: part of the Lake Victoria system
is within the boundaries of Kenya |
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Pipelines:
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petroleum
products 483 km |
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Ports and harbors:
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Kisumu,
Lamu, Mombasa |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,893 GRT/6,255
DWT
ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, roll
on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
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Airports:
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230
(2000 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
22
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
208
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 109
under 914 m: 84 (2000 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army,
Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit
of the Police |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males
age 15-49: 7,712,402 (2001 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males
age 15-49: 4,774,889 (2001 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$197
million (FY98/99) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.9%
(FY98/99) |
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Kenya
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Transnational
Issues
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Disputes - international:
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administrative
boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international
boundary |
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Illicit drugs:
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widespread
harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country
for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North
America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way
to South Africa |
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1994 - 2008
Operators' Rates/Services Subject to Change
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