World Country Guide

Area
580,367 sq km (224,081 sq miles).

Population
30,493,792 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density
52.5 per sq km.

Capital
Nairobi. Population: 2,143,020 (1999).

Geography
Kenya shares borders with Ethiopia in the north, Sudan in the northwest, Uganda in the west, Tanzania in the south and Somalia in the northeast. To the east lies the Indian Ocean. The country is divided into four regions: the arid deserts of the north; the savannah lands of the south; the fertile lowlands along the coast and around the shores of Lake Victoria; and highlands in the west, where the capital Nairobi is situated. Northwest of Nairobi runs the Rift Valley, containing the town of Nakuru and Aberdare National Park, overlooked by Mount Kenya (5200m/17,000ft), which also has a national park. In the far northwest is Lake Turkana (formerly Lake Rudolph). Kenya is a multicultural society; in the north live Somalis and the nomadic Hamitic peoples (Rendille, Samburu and Turkana), in the south and eastern lowlands are Kamba and Masai and the Luo live around Lake Victoria. The largest group is the Kikuyu who live in the central highlands and have traditionally been dominant in commerce and politics, although this is now changing. There are many other smaller groups and although Kenya emphasises nationalism, tribal and cultural identity is a factor. A small European settler population remains in the highlands, involved in farming and commerce.

Government
Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1963. Head of State and Government: President Emilio Mwai Kibaki since December 2002.

Language
Swahili is the national language and English is the official language. There are over 42 ethnic languages spoken, including Kikuyu and Luo.

Religion
Mostly traditional but there is a sizeable Christian population (both Catholic and Protestant) and a small Muslim community.

Time
GMT + 3 (Winter), GMT + 2 (Summer).

Electricity
220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are UK-type square three-pin. Bayonet-type light sockets exist in Kenya.

Communications

Telephone
IDD service is available to the main cities. Country code: 254 (followed by 20 for Nairobi, 41 for Mombasa and 51 for Nakuru). Outgoing international code: 000. International calls can sometimes be made direct or operator-assisted by dialling 0196. Public telephones work with coins or with phone cards (which may be purchased from post offices or from international call services in major towns); coin-operated phone booths are painted red, card-operated booths are painted blue. Major hotels also offer a phone service, but they usually charge up to 100 per cent more. For local calls, it is useful to have plenty of small change available.

Mobile telephone
GSM 900. The main network providers are Celtel (website: www.celtel.com) and Safaricom (website: www.safaricom.co.ke).

Fax
This service is available to the public at the Main Post Office, the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, and at major hotels.

Telegram
Overseas telegrams can be sent from all post and telegraphic offices and private telephones. Nairobi GPO is open 24 hours.

Internet
There are over 30 ISPs in Kenya: JamboNet and 19 of the other ISPs belong to The East African Internet Association. There are Internet cafes in major cities and hotels.

Post
Post offices are identified by Telkom Kenya (Kenya Posts & Telecommunications Corporation). Post boxes are red. Stamps can usually be bought at post offices, stationers, souvenir shops and hotels. Airmail to Western Europe takes up to four days, and the service is generally reliable. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700, Sat 0900-1200 (main post offices).

Press
The main dailies (all published in English) include Daily Nation, The East African Standard, Kenya Times and The People. Nairobi is the main publishing centre.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.