Kenya – The Current Economic and Social Situation

Kenya The Current Economic and Social Situation Image

Kenya is located in East Africa. It covers 580,000 square kilometers. It is named after Mount Kenya, the country's highest mountain and the second highest in Africa. It borders Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the West, Ethiopia to the North, Sudan to the Northwest, Somalia to the Northeast, Indian Ocean to the Southeast and Lake Victoria to the Southwest. Lake Victoria is the largest fresh water lake in Africa. It is shared by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. With 42 ethnic groups and a population of nearly 39 million people, this country has a rich culture. Swahili and English are the national languages.

The Kenyan flag has three equal horizontal bands of black, red and green. A large Masai warrior shield covering crossed spears is at the center of the flag and, the red band is edged in white. Every color has its meaning for instance, black symbolizes black people of Kenya, red stands for the blood that was shed by the country's heroes in the struggle for freedom, green symbolizes the natural wealth and, the white color stands for peace. The country's Motto is Harambee, a Swahili word meaning let us pull together. The National Anthem is written in Swahili and English.

Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. Other big cities include; Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret. This city is also the center of communication and financial hub for the whole of East Africa. It is a big town where a wide range of foreign organizations have their offices. Hon. Mwai Kibaki is the current President of Kenya, Hon. Raila Ondiga is the Prime Minister and Hon. Kalonzo Musioka, the Vice President. Kenya is divided into eight regions namely; Rift Valley, Western, Eastern, Coast, Nairobi, Central, North Eastern and Nyanza.

Tourism is the largest contributor to Kenya gross domestic product followed by agriculture. There are many game reserves and abundant wild life which attracts visitors from various parts of the world. The white sandy beaches along the Indian Ocean coastline are also great tourist destinations. Most tourists to Kenya come from Germany, United Kingdom, USA, Canada and Europe. Tea, horticultural produce and coffee are the main produce are Kenya most valuable exports.

Kenya is the most industrially developed country in East Africa. Most of the industries are concentrated in the major towns of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu. These industries range from food processing, beer production, sugar cane crushing, cement production, oil refinery and fabrication of consumer goods. There is also a small-scale manufacturing of farm implements, household goods and motor vehicle spare parts. Other industries include fishing, forestry and mining.