Kenya 2016 Country Review http://www.countrywatch.com Table of Contents Chapter 1 1 Country Overview 1 Country Overview 2 Key Data 5 Kenya 6 Africa 7 Chapter 2 9 Political Overview 9 History 10 Political Conditions 12 Political Risk Index 51 Political Stability 65 Freedom Rankings 80 Human Rights 92 Government Functions 95 Government Structure 97 Principal Government Officials 103 Leader Biography 104 Leader Biography 105 Foreign Relations 110 National Security 130 Defense Forces 137 Chapter 3 139 Economic Overview 139 Economic Overview 140 Nominal GDP and Components 142 Population and GDP Per Capita 144 Real GDP and Inflation 145 Government Spending and Taxation 146 Money Supply, Interest Rates and Unemployment 147 Foreign Trade and the Exchange Rate 148 Data in US Dollars 149 Energy Consumption and Production Standard Units 150 Energy Consumption and Production QUADS 152 World Energy Price Summary 153 CO2 Emissions 154 Agriculture Consumption and Production 155 World Agriculture Pricing Summary 158 Metals Consumption and Production 159 World Metals Pricing Summary 162 Economic Performance Index 163 Chapter 4 175 Investment Overview 175 Foreign Investment Climate 176 Foreign Investment Index 181 Corruption Perceptions Index 194 Competitiveness Ranking 206 Taxation 215 Stock Market 216 Partner Links 216 Chapter 5 217 Social Overview 217 People 218 Human Development Index 221 Life Satisfaction Index 224 Happy Planet Index 235 Status of Women 245 Global Gender Gap Index 247 Culture and Arts 257 Etiquette 257 Travel Information 258 Diseases/Health Data 268 Chapter 6 274 Environmental Overview 274 Environmental Issues 275 Environmental Policy 276 Greenhouse Gas Ranking 277 Global Environmental Snapshot 288 Global Environmental Concepts 300 International Environmental Agreements and Associations 314 Appendices 338 Bibliography 339 Kenya Chapter 1 Country Overview Kenya Review 2016 Page 1 of 351 pages Kenya Country Overview KENYA Kenya is situated in Eastern Africa bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania. Arab traders reached the coast and controlled the area by the 8th century. Kenya was ruled by the Portuguese from 1498, and came under British control in 1895. In 1963 Kenya gained independence from Britain and became a republic in 1964. Kenya was a de facto one-party state from the outset. Founding President Jomo Kenyatta led Kenya from 1963 until his death in 1978, and he was succeeded by Daniel arap Moi who remained in power for 24 years. Moi acceded to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991, and the country held its first multiparty elections in 1992. But divisions in the opposition contributed to Moi's retention of the presidency in 1992 and again in the 1997 election. President Moi stepped down in December 2002 following fair and peaceful elections, and the candidate of the coalition of opposition parties the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) Mwai Kibaki, was elected the country's third President. Kibaki was elected president for a second term in December 2007, but as the elections were marred by serious irregularities, violence erupted in different parts of Kenya as supporters of opposition candidate Raila Odinga and supporters of Kibaki clashed with police and each other. On Feb. 28, 2008, President Kibaki and Raila Odinga signed a power-sharing agreement, which provided for the establishment of a prime minister position, and on April 17, 2008, the new coalition cabinet and Prime Minister Odinga were sworn into power. Note that in 2013, Uhuru Kenyatta became the new president of Kenya and remains in power to date. Editor's Note: Kenya is currently under a terror threat from the Somalia-based Islamist terror group, al-Shabab. In its heydey, this Islamic militia held sway in the early 2000s in Somalia, but was and driven from the Somali capital of Mogadishu in 2006 following an intervention by Ethiopian troops into Somali territory on behalf of the weak transitional government of Somalia. Since that time, resurgent al- Kenya Review 2016 Page 2 of 351 pages Kenya Shabab Islamists have been launching a violent insurgency. A ceasefire pact between the Somali government and al-Shabab in 2008 had little positive effect since some factions did not sign onto the deal. In 2010, al-Shabab -- which was at that point was allied with the notorious terror enclave al-Qaida -- was carrying out a violent offensive aimed at overthrowing the government, and even carrying out terrorist acts outside national borders. Indeed, al-Shabab was responsible for two deadly bombings in Uganda in July 2010, thus indicating an increasingly jihadist orientation, in which attacks do not stop at the national borders. Further, al-Shabab was suspected of being behind a number of violent attacks, killings, and kidnappings in Kenya around the same period in retaliation for Kenya's involvement in the African Union mission in Somalia. In August 2011, al-Shabab forces were said to be withdrawing from the capital city of Mogadishu; however, that exit did not augur an end to violence and terrorism as exemplified by the October 2011 attack on the Mogadishu government compound. That being said, an offensive by Somali government forces, aided by African Union troops and incursions from neighboring Kenyan and Ethiopian troops, placed hitherto unknown pressure on al-Shabab. In 2012, al-Shabab announced it was officially joining al-Qaida, and effectively formalized its identity as a standpoint Islamist terror group in the strategic Horn of Africa. The group then continued its brutal assault in Somalia, attacking a high level national delegation as recently as the spring of 2012, and carrying out attacks in Mogadishu 2013. In 2013, al-Shabab burnished its terrorist Jihadist credentials by carrying out a brazen and brutal assault on the Westgate shopping mall in the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi, killing dozens of victims. Al-Shabab proudly claimed responsibility for the shocking rampage of horror and bloodshed and promised that the Westgate massacre was just the "opening act" in campaign that was intended to go on and on, as the militant Islamist terror group sought to punish Kenya for its involvement in the regional military operation against al-Shabab. Indeed, al-Shabab was intent on extending its reach and carrying out retaliatory attacks on Kenya because of its military involvement in Somalia as part of the African Union mission. In September 2014, the United States carried out air strikes in Somalia targeting the leader of al- Shabab, Ahmed Abdi Godane. The operation used both manned and unmanned aircraft to strike an encampment and a convoy of vehicles to the south of Mogadishu, successfully eliminating Godane. But even the death of Godane did not bring an end to al-Shabab's brutality and barbarism. In late 2014, al-Shabab remained active with the terror group's Jihadist inclinations manifest fully in the form of continuing attacks that targeted Kenya. Most of the 2014 attacks occured in towns close to the border with Somalia and appeared to target non-Muslims, with Christians being the Kenya Review 2016 Page 3 of 351 pages Kenya favored target for death. In early 2015, al-Shabab was extending its Jihadist ambitions with a call for supporters to carry out terror attacks at popular shopping malls in the West. In fact, al-Shabab was urging sympathizers and allies to launch mall attacks reminiscent of its own Westgate massacre in Kenya to be carried out in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. But before such an end could take place, in the spring of 2015, Kenya was targeted again by al-Shabab, with more than 145 people dying Garissa University at the hands of al-Shabab terrorists. While Kenya vowed a strong response, it was apparent that al-Shabab continued to function and to carry out brutal terror cross- border attacks with relative impunity, even declaring a "long and gruesome" war against Kenya. Kenya Review 2016 Page 4 of 351 pages Kenya Key Data Key Data Region: Africa Population: 45925300 Climate: Varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior. Languages: English (official), Swahili (official), Numerous indigenous languages Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents Holiday: Independence Day is 12 December (1963), Kenyatta Day is 20 October Area Total: 582650 Area Land: 569250 Coast Line: 536 Kenya Review 2016 Page 5 of 351 pages Kenya Kenya Country Map Kenya Review 2016 Page 6 of 351 pages Kenya Africa Regional Map Kenya Review 2016 Page 7 of 351 pages Kenya Kenya Review 2016 Page 8 of 351 pages Kenya Chapter 2 Political Overview Kenya Review 2016 Page 9 of 351 pages Kenya History From the "cradle of civilization" to present date, Kenya's history is replete with remarkable features. From the origins of mankind to the origins of the eastern slave trade and the Arab ascendancy, Kenya figures prominently in the historical drama. The contemporary settlement of modern Kenya as we know it now took place mainly during a 150 year period, roughly 1698-1844. However, this migratory period represents merely an era within a longer stream of human movements. This stream, though slowed somewhat, still flows today, reshaping the social landscape into new contours and forms. This migratory period was marked by continuous raids in border areas sometimes looking for new and better land, others to escape the pressure of incoming tribes, and many times just to conquer wealth in form of cattle, women and in some cases, slaves. This helps explains the relatively sparse population densities in most parts of what is now Kenya before the 20th century. Nevertheless, physical separation and recurring hostilities were never completely resolved, leaving the door open for shifting alliances and renewed conflict. Trade often supplanted conflict, cementing relationships and hierarchies. Sometime between 1500 and 1600, the Luo came to the northeastern shores of Lake Victoria.