Political+Traits

Kenyas type of government is republic. the capital is Narobia. The population was estimated at 21.6 million with an estimated annual growth rate of 4.1%. Traditional herders, Arab Muslims, and cosmopolitan residents of Nairobi all contribute to the culture of Kenya. The standard of living in major cities is among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Fossils located in east Africa suggest that protohumans roamed the area more than 20 million years ago. Recent anthropological finds near Kenya's Lake Turkana indicate that the "Homo" genus of humans lived in the area 2.6 million years ago. Kenya's colonial history dates from the Berlin conference of 1885. In 1895, the British government established the East African Protectorate and, soon after, opened the fertile highlands to white settlers. The settlers were allowed a voice in government before it officially was made a British colony in 1920, but Africans were not permitted any direct political participation until 1944. Kenya became independent on December 12, 1963, and in 1964 assumed the status of a republic within the Commonwealth. The president is elected by the National Assembly to serve a 5-year term, but if the president dissolves the assembly, a new presidential election must be held. Since independence, Kenya has maintained remarkable stability during many changes within the democratic system. Kenya's major political challenge is to reinvigorate its economy, which has suffered from a combination of problems such as government deficit spending, a chronic shortage of foreign exchange, and the rising cost of oil imports. Economic growth has declined since 1973, and real gross domestic product (GDP) has grown only by about 2.75% for the 1980-86 period. One of Kenya's basic problems is its population growth rate. With less than 20% of the land classified as potentially arable and much of that already densely populated, food crop production faces serious constraints. The US and Kenya enjoy cordial relations. The main purpose of US bilateral assistance to Kenya is to promote broad-based economic development as the basis for continued progress in political, social, and related areas of national life. US aid strategy is structured around 3 major objectives: reduced population growth; increased rural production, employment, and income; and efficient, basic social services.