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Jamhuri ya Kenya Republic of Kenya
Flag Coat of arms
Motto "Harambee"  (Swahili) "Let us all pull together"
Anthem Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu "O God of All Creation"
Capital (and largest city)		Nairobi 1°16′S, 36°48′E
Official languages		Swahili (since 1963), English[1]
Demonym		Kenyan
Government		Republic
-	President	Mwai Kibaki
-	Vice President	Moody Awori
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Date	December 12, 1963
-	Republic declared	December 12, 1964
Area
-	Total	580,367 km² (47th) 224,080 sq mi
-	Water (%)	2.3
Population
-	July 2005 estimate	34,707,8171 (34th)
-	8 February 2007 census	31,138,735
-	Density	59/km² (140th) 153/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$48.33 billion (76th)
-	Per capita	$1,445 (156th)
HDI (2004)		0.491 (low) (152nd)
Currency		Kenyan shilling (KES)
Time zone		EAT (UTC+3)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.ke
Calling code		[[+254 2]]
2. 005 from Tanzania and Uganda.

The Republic of Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running along the southeast border. The country is named after Mount Kenya, a significant landmark mountain. Image File history File links Flag_of_Kenya. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The flag of Kenya was adopted on December 12, 1963. ... Coat of Arms of Kenya The coat of arms of Kenya features two lions holding Maasai spears and a shield. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... Harambee is Kenyan tradition of community self-help events, eg. ... This article is about the language. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogising the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognised either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu (Oh God of All Creation) is the national anthem of Kenya. ... Image File history File links LocationKenya. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Kenya has a very diverse population that includes most major ethnic and linguistic groups of Africa. ... Nairobi (pronounced IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see Kiswahili for a discussion of the nomenclature) is an agglutinative Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... List of the Heads of State of Kenya See also Kenya Heads of Government of Kenya Colonial Heads of Kenya lists of incumbents Categories: Kenya | Lists of office-holders ... Mwai Kibaki (born November 15, 1931) is the President of Kenya. ... The Vice-President of Kenya is the second-highest executive official in the Kenyan government]]. List of Vice-Presidents of Kenya Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (1963-May 1966) Joseph Zuzarte Murumbi (May 1966-1967) Daniel arap Moi (1967-22 August 1978) Mwai Kibaki (14 October 1978-1988) Josephat Njuguna Karanja (1988... Arthur Moody Awori, known as Uncle Moody (born 5 December 1927 in Butere[1][2]), has been the Vice President of Kenya since 25 September 2003. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 km² and 1,000,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... World map indicating Human Development Index (2006). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Coloured world map indicating Human Development Index (2006) (colour-blind compliant map) This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Programmes Human Development Report 2006, compiled on the basis of 2004 data. ... ISO 4217 Code KES User(s) Kenya Inflation 10. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Africa: Striped colours indicate countries observing daylight saving East Africa Time, or EAT, is a time zone used in eastern Africa. ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .ke is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for Kenya. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ...  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... For other uses, see Border (disambiguation). ... Mount Kenya has a low profile typical of a shield volcano. ...

History

Main article: History of Kenya

Paleontologists have discovered many fossils of prehistoric animals in Kenya. At one of the rare dinosaur fossil sites in Africa, two hundred Cretaceous theropod and giant crocodile fossils have been discovered in Kenya, dating from the Mesozoic Era, over 200 million years ago. The fossils were found in an excavation conducted by a team from the University of Utah and the National Museums of Kenya in July-August 2004 at Lokitaung Gorge, near Lake Turkana.^[2] The history of Kenya as a land occupied by sentient humans extends for several million years, even though the history of Kenya as an independent state is relatively short. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ... For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... // The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... Families See text Theropods (beast foot) are a group of bipedal, primarily carnivorous dinosaurs, belonging to the saurischian (lizard-hip) family. ... The term Prehistoric reptile covers a broad category that is intended to help distinguish them from the dinosaurs, which were also considered reptiles, but because of their large and successful reign for many millions of years, are almost exclusively dealt with in their own category of prehistoric life. ... The Mesozoic is one of four (sometimes more) geologic eras. ... The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU), located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. ... The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) is a collection of museums and monuments in Kenya, including the Nairobi Museum Galleries, near Uhuru highway in Nairobi, Kenya. ... View over Lake Turkana Lake Turkana, formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya (although the far northern end of the lake crosses into Ethiopia), which covers a surface area of 6405 km² (2473 mi²), making it the worlds largest permanent desert...

Fossils found in East Africa suggest that primates roamed the area more than 20 million years ago. Recent finds near Kenya's Lake Turkana indicate that hominids such as Homo habilis (1.8 and 2.5 million years ago) and Homo erectus (1.8 million to 350,000 years ago) are possible direct ancestors of modern Homo sapiens and lived in Kenya during the Pleistocene epoch. In 1984 one particular discovery made at Lake Turkana by famous palaeoanthropologist Richard Leakey and Kamoya Kimeu was the skeleton of a Turkana boy belonging to Homo erectus from 1.6 million years ago. Previous research on early hominids is particularly identified to Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey, who are responsible for the preliminary archaeological research at Olorgesailie and Hyrax Hill. Later work at the former was undertaken by Glynn Isaac. Genera Subfamily Ponginae Pongo - Orangutans Gigantopithecus (extinct) Sivapithecus (extinct) Subfamily Homininae Gorilla - Gorillas Pan - Chimpanzees Homo - Humans Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Pierolapithecus (extinct) (tentative) The Hominids (Hominidae) are a biological family which includes humans, extinct species of humanlike creatures and the other great apes... Binomial name Leakey et al, 1964 Homo habilis (pronounced ) (handy man, skillful person) is a species of the genus Homo, which lived from approximately 2. ... Binomial name (Dubois, 1892) Synonyms † Pithecanthropus erectus † Sinanthropus pekinensis † Javanthropus soloensis † Meganthropus paleojavanicus Homo erectus (Latin: upright man) is an extinct species of the genus Homo. ... Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man) is the scientific name for the human species. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ... View over Lake Turkana Lake Turkana, formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya (although the far northern end of the lake crosses into Ethiopia), which covers a surface area of 6405 km² (2473 mi²), making it the worlds largest permanent desert... In 1977, Leaky sat next to the rare Half Monkey Half Man, who took a bite out of him, and made Leaky cry. ... Kamoya Kimeu, (born c. ... Turkana Boy or Nariokotome Boy is the designation given to fossil KNM-WT 15000[1], a nearly complete skeleton of an 11- or 12-year-old hominid boy who died 1. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mary Leakey (February 6, 1913 – December 9, 1996) was a British archaeologist, who, along with others, discovered the first skull of a fossil ape on Rusinga Island and also a noted robust Australopithecine called Zinjanthropus at Olduvai. ... Glynn Llywelyn Isaac (1937-1985) was a South African archaeologist who specialised in the very early prehistory of Africa. ...

Pre-colonial history

Site of the Great Mosque of Gedi which dates from the 13th century.

Cushitic- speaking people from northern Africa moved into the area that is now Kenya beginning around 2000 BC. Arab traders began frequenting the Kenya coast around the 1st century AD. Kenya's proximity to the Arabian Peninsula invited colonization, and Arab and Persian settlements sprouted along the coast by the 8th century. During the first millennium AD, Nilotic and Bantu peoples moved into the region, and the latter now comprise three-quarters of Kenya's population. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1984 × 1488 pixel, file size: 708 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1984 × 1488 pixel, file size: 708 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Nilotic people or Nilotes, in its contamporary usage, refers to some ethnic groups mainly in southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and northern Tanzania, who speak Nilotic languages, a large sub-group of Nilo-Saharan languages. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (light brown) vs. ...

In the centuries preceding colonization, the Swahili coast of Kenya (was part of the east African region which traded with the Arab world and India especially for ivory and slaves (the Ameru tribe is said to have originated from slaves escaping from Arab lands some time around the year 1700.). Initially these traders came mainly from Arab states, but later many also came from Zanzibar (such as Tippu Tip). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Slave redirects here. ... The Ameru tribe inhabits the Meru region of Kenya. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar is part of Tanzania Coordinates: , Country Tanzania Islands Unguja and Pemba Capital Zanzibar City Settled AD 1000 Government  - Type semi-autonomous part of Tanzania  - President Amani Abeid Karume Area  - Both Islands  637 sq mi (1,651 km²) Population (2004)  - Both Islands 1,070... Categories: People stubs | 1837 births | 1905 deaths ...

Swahili, a Bantu language with many Arabic loan words, developed as a lingua franca for trade between the different peoples. Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see Kiswahili for a discussion of the nomenclature) is an agglutinative Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Lingua franca, literally Frankish language in Italian, was originally a mixed language consisting largely of Italian plus a vocabulary drawn from Turkish, Persian, French, Greek and Arabic and used for communication throughout the Middle East. ...

The powerful Luo of Kenya dominated western Kenya's early pre-colonial history. Chief among the powerful royal families were the Sahkarias of Kano, the Jaramogis of Ugenya, and the Owuors of Kisumo, whose clans married several wives and had multitudes of grandchildren and heirs to various chieftainships. These Kings shared royal lineages with their neighbours in Uganda and Sudan. The Luo people and their language historically spans across the Lake Victoria region. The Luo tribe, through intermarriages and wars, has various bloodlines that span from the Buganda Kingdom, the Toro Kingdom, and the Nubians of modern day Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Sudan. The tribe also has a strong presence in Tanzania along with Uganda and Sudan as aforementioned. Great ruling families of the Luo tribe are spread out all over the Western Provincial areas of Kenya. Bloodlines have thinned due to a lack of preserving lineages but one can find both British and Arab historical accounts regarding trading and colonialism. The Luo had many enemies whom they fought water, cattle, and land wars including the Nandi, Kipsigis and the Kisii. Within these wars, were peace treaties and intermarriages resulting in a mixture of cultural ideals and practices.

Colonial history

Seaport Mombasa, below Malindi, has railway to Nairobi (center), south of Naivasha & Nyeri. (click map to enlarge)

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore Kenya, Vasco da Gama having visited Mombasa in 1498. Portuguese rule centered mainly on the coastal strip ranging from Malindi to Mombasa. The Portuguese colonial presence in East Africa officially begins after 1505, when flagships under the command of Don Francisco De Almeida bombarded and plundered Kilwa, an island located in what is now southern Tanzania. Following this, the Portuguese sacked Mombasa following the refusal of the town's leadership to pay tribute. Attacks followed on Hoja (now known as Ungwana, located at the mouth of the Tana River), Barawa, Angoche, Pate and other coastal towns until the western Indian Ocean was a safe haven for Portuguese commercial interests and tribute was paid to the Portuguese crown by all of the city-states along the East African coast. The Portuguese colonial presence in East Africa served two primary purposes: the extraction of tribute from coastal polities and the control of trade within the Indian Ocean through piracy. The first objective was only mildly successful by all accounts as local East African rulers rebelled against the Portuguese frequently. However, Portuguese naval vessels were very disruptive to commerce within the western Indian Ocean and were able to demand high tariffs on items transported through the sea due to their strategic control of ports and shipping lanes. The construction of Fort Jesus in Mombasa in 1593 was meant to solidify Portuguese hegemony in the region, but their influence was clipped by the British, Dutch and Omani Arab incursions into the region during the seventeenth century. The Omani Arabs posed the most direct challenge to Portuguese influence in East Africa and besieged Portuguese fortresses, openly attacked loser naval vessels and completely expelled the Portuguese from the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts by 1730. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (604x720, 115 KB) Kenya relief map with town names for Nairobi, Mombasa, Naivasha, Nakuru, Nyeri, Gilgil, Kisumu, Kakamega, Eldoret, Embu, etc. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (604x720, 115 KB) Kenya relief map with town names for Nairobi, Mombasa, Naivasha, Nakuru, Nyeri, Gilgil, Kisumu, Kakamega, Eldoret, Embu, etc. ... Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. ... Malindi is a city in Kenya that has been a Swahili settlement since the 14th century. ... Nairobi (pronounced IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. ... The town of Naivasha is northwest of Nairobi (lower center), toward the Uganda border (click map to enlarge). ... Nyeri is a town and a district in Kenya about 120km north of the capital Nairobi. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Vasco da Gama (disambiguation). ... Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. ... Malindi is a city in Kenya that has been a Swahili settlement since the 14th century. ...  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... Don Francisco De Almeida (born 1450) was a Portuguese admiral, who was send to India in 1503, where he defeated Zamorin of Kozhikode. ... Kilwa Kisiwani is an Islamic community on an island off the coast of East Africa, in present day Tanzania. ... The Tana River is the longest river in Kenya. ... Pate Island is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ...

Omani Arab colonization of the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts brought the once independent city-states under closer foreign scrutiny and domination than was experienced during the Portuguese period. Like their predecessors, the Omani Arabs were primarily able only to control the coastal areas, not the interior. However, the creation of clove plantations, intensification of the slave trade and relocation of the Omani capital to Zanzibar in 1839 by Seyyid Said had the effect of consolidating the Omani power in the region. Arab governance of all the major ports along the East African coast continued until British interests aimed particularly at ending the slave trade and creation of a wage-labour system began to put pressure on Omani rule. By the late nineteenth century, the slave trade on the open seas had been completely outlawed by the British and the Omani Arabs had little ability to resist the British navy’s ability to enforce the directive. The Omani presence continued in Zanzibar and Pemba until the 1964 revolution, but the official Omani Arab presence in Kenya was checked by German and British seizure of key ports and creation of crucial trade alliances with influential local leaders in the 1880s. However, the Omani Arab legacy in East Africa is currently found through their numerous descendants found along the coast that can directly trace ancestry to Oman and are typically the wealthiest and most politically influential members of the Kenyan coastal community. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colonialism. ... A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ... A sugarcane plantation at Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, 2005 A plantation is a large tract of monoculture, as a tree plantation, a cotton plantation, a tea plantation or a tobacco plantation. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar is part of Tanzania Coordinates: , Country Tanzania Islands Unguja and Pemba Capital Zanzibar City Settled AD 1000 Government  - Type semi-autonomous part of Tanzania  - President Amani Abeid Karume Area  - Both Islands  637 sq mi (1,651 km²) Population (2004)  - Both Islands 1,070... Said bin Sultan (Arabic: , transliteration: ) (1790 - October 19, 1856) was Sultan of Muscat and Oman from November 20, 1804 to June 4, 1856. ... Wage labour is the socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer in which the worker sells their labour under a contract (employment), and the employer buys it, often in a labour market. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Pemba Island Pemba is an island about 50 kilometres to the north of the island of Zanzibar. ... For other uses, see Revolution (disambiguation). ...

Kenya-Uganda railway near Mombasa, about 1899

However, most historians consider that the colonial history of Kenya dates from the establishment of a German protectorate over the Sultan of Zanzibar's coastal possessions in 1885, followed by the arrival of the Imperial British East Africa Company in 1888. Incipient imperial rivalry was forestalled when Germany handed its coastal holdings to Britain in 1890. This followed the building of the Kenya-Uganda railway passing through the country. This was resisted by some tribes, notably the Nandi led by Orkoiyot Koitalel Arap Samoei for ten years from 1895 to 1905, the British eventually built the railway. It is believed that the Nandi were the first tribe to be put in a native reserve to stop them from disrupting the building of the railway. During the railway construction era, there was a significant inflow of Indian peoples who provided the bulk of the skilled manpower required for construction. These people remained in Kenya and formed the core of several distinct Indian communities such as the Ismaili muslim and Sikh communities. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 330 pixel Image in higher resolution (821 × 339 pixel, file size: 23 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kenya Uganda Railway... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 330 pixel Image in higher resolution (821 × 339 pixel, file size: 23 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kenya Uganda Railway... Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar is part of Tanzania Coordinates: , Country Tanzania Islands Unguja and Pemba Capital Zanzibar City Settled AD 1000 Government  - Type semi-autonomous part of Tanzania  - President Amani Abeid Karume Area  - Both Islands  637 sq mi (1,651 km²) Population (2004)  - Both Islands 1,070... The Imperial British East Africa Company was the administrator of British East Africa. ... The Uganda Railway is a railway system linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in Kenya. ... The Nandi is a Kenyan ethnic group or tribe living in the highland areas of the Nandi Hills in Rift Valley Province; they form a sub-group of the Kalenjin Before British colonization, they were sedentary cattle-herders, sometimes also practicing agriculture; their settlements were more or less evenly distributed... An orkoiyot is the supreme chief of the Nandi people of Africa. ...

At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the governors of British East Africa (as the Protectorate was generally known) and German East Africa agreed a truce in an attempt to keep the young colonies out of direct hostilities. However Lt Col Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck took command of the German military forces, determined to tie down as many British resources as possible. Completely cut off from Germany by the British Navy, von Lettow conducted an effective guerrilla warfare campaign, living off the land, capturing British supplies, and remaining undefeated. He eventually surrendered in Zambia eleven days after the Armistice was signed in 1918. To chase von Lettow the British deployed Indian Army troops from India and then needed large numbers of porters to overcome the formidable logistics of transporting supplies far into the interior by foot. The Carrier Corps was formed and ultimately mobilised over 400,000 Africans, contributing to their long-term politicisation. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Motto Uhuru na Umoja(Swahili) Freedom and Unity Anthem Mungu ibariki Afrika God Bless Africa Capital Dar es Salaam (traditional capital) Dodoma (location of legislature) Largest city Dar es Salaam Official languages Swahili (de facto) Demonym Tanzanian Government Republic  -  President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete  -  Prime Minister Edward Lowassa Independence from the... General Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck (March 20, 1870 - March 9, 1964) was the commander of the German East Africa campaign in World War I, the only campaign of that war where Germany remained undefeated. ... The Royal Navy is the navy of the United Kingdom. ... “Guerrilla” redirects here. ... A white flag is traditionally used to represent a truce. ... This article is about the post-independence Indian Army. ... Military organisation created in Kenya in World War 1 to provide military labour to support the campaign against the German Military forces in East Africa commanded by Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. ...

Lt Col Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck

During the early part of the twentieth century, the interior central highlands were settled by British and other European farmers, who became wealthy farming coffee and tea. By the 1930s, approximately 30,000 white settlers lived in the area and were offered undue political powers because of their effects on the economy. The area was already home to over a million members of the Kĩkũyũ tribe, most of whom had no land claims in European terms (but the land belonged to the ethnic group), and lived as itinerant farmers. To protect their interests, the settlers banned the growing of coffee, introduced a hut tax, and the landless were granted less and less land in exchange for their labour. A massive exodus to the cities ensued as their ability to provide a living from the land dwindled. Image File history File links Paul_vonLettow-vorbeck. ... Image File history File links Paul_vonLettow-vorbeck. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... For other uses, see Coffee (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tea (disambiguation). ... A family of Russian settlers in the Caucasus region, ca. ... A Kîkûyû woman in traditional dress. ... For other uses, see Farmer (disambiguation). ... “Taxes” redirects here. ...

In 1951, Sir Horace Hector Hearne became Chief Justice in Kenya (coming from Ceylon, where he had been Chief Justice and sat in the Supreme Court, Nairobi). He held that position until 1954 when he became an Appeal Justice of the West African Court of Appeal. On the night of the death of George VI, 5 February 1952, Hearne escorted the Princess Elizabeth, as she then was, to a state dinner at the Treetops Hotel, which is now a very popular tourist retreat. It was there that she "went up a princess and came down a Queen".^{[citation needed]} She returned immediately to England, accompanied by Hearne. 1892 - 1962. ... The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth- or other countries with an Anglosaxon type of justice, such as the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of New Zealand, the Supreme... Nairobi (pronounced IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George) (December 14, 1895 - February 6, 1952) was the third British monarch of the House of Windsor, reigning from December 11, 1936 to February 6, 1952. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Princess Elizabeth may refer to: Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth of Bohemia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The present Treetops hotel Treetops Hotel is a hotel in Aberdare National Park in Kenya near the township of Nyeri, 6,450 feet above sea level on the Aberdare Range and in sight of Mount Kenya. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

From October 1952 to December 1959, Kenya was under a state of emergency arising from the Mau Mau rebellion against British rule. The governor requested and obtained British and African troops, including the King's African Rifles. In January 1953, Major General Hinde was appointed as director of counter-insurgency operations. The situation did not improve for lack of intelligence, so General Sir George Erskine was appointed commander-in-chief of the colony's armed forces in May 1953, with the personal backing of Winston Churchill. Jan. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Mau Mau British Empire Commanders * Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi * General China (Waruhiu Itote) * Stanley Mathenge * Evelyn Baring(Governor) * General Sir George Erskine Strength Unknown 10,000 regular troops (Africans and Europeans) 21,000 police, 25,000 home guard[1] Casualties 10,527 killed in action;[2] 2,633 captured... The Kings African Rifles (KAR) was a British colonial regiment in East Africa from 1902 until the independence of the various colonies in the 1960s. ... January 7 - President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. ... Counter-insurgency is the combating of insurgency, by the government (or allies) of the territory in which the insurgency takes place. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Look up sir in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Churchill redirects here. ...

The capture of Warũhiũ Itote (a.k.a. General China) on 15 January 1954 and the subsequent interrogation led to a better understanding of the Mau Mau command structure. Operation Anvil opened on 24 April 1954 after weeks of planning by the army with the approval of the War Council. The operation effectively placed Nairobi under military siege, and the occupants were screened and the Mau Mau supporters moved to detention camps. May 1953 also saw the Home Guard officially recognized as a branch of the Security Forces. The Home Guard formed the core of the government's anti-Mau Mau strategy as it was composed of loyalist Africans, not foreign forces like the British Army and King's African Rifles. By the end of the emergency the Home Guard had killed no fewer than 4,686 Mau Mau, amounting to 42% of the total insurgents. The capture of Dedan Kimathi on 21 October 1956 in Nyeri signified the ultimate defeat of the Mau Mau and essentially ended the military offensive. Waruhiu Itote (General China) (b. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nairobi (pronounced IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. ... The word internment is generally used to refer to the imprisonment or confinement of people, generally in prison camps or prisons, without due process of law and a trial. ... A Home Guard is a part-time civilian reserve military force similar to a militia. ... For other uses, see Loyalist (disambiguation). ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Kings African Rifles (KAR) was a British colonial regiment in East Africa from 1902 until the independence of the various colonies in the 1960s. ... A Home Guard is a part-time civilian reserve military force similar to a militia. ... Dedan Kimathi Waciuri (October 31, 1920 – February 18, 1957) was a Kenyan rebel leader who fought against British colonization in Kenya in the 1950s. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nyeri is a town and a district in Kenya about 120km north of the capital Nairobi. ... The Mau Mau Uprising was an insurgency by Kenyan rebels against the British colonial administration from 1952 to 1960. ...

Post-colonial history

Lake Victoria

The first direct elections for Africans to the Legislative Council took place in 1957. Despite British hopes of handing power to "moderate" African rivals, it was the Kenya African National Union (KANU) of Jomo Kenyatta, that formed a government shortly before Kenya became independent on 12 December 1963. In the same year the Kenyan army fought the Shifta War against Somali ethnics determined to see NFD join with the Republic of Somalia, the Shifta's inflicted heavy casualties on the Kenyan armed forces but were defeated in 1967. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... For other places with the same name, see Lake Victoria (disambiguation). ... The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU, ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002. ... Jomo Kenyatta (October 20, 1889 – August 22, 1978) served as the first Prime Minister (1963–1964) and President (1964–1978) of Kenya. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ... The Shifta War (1963—1967) was a secessionist conflict in which the Somali people in the Northern Frontier District (NFD) of Kenya attempted to join with their co-ethnics in a Greater Somalia. ... The capital of the North Eastern Province of Kenya, bordering Somalia, is Garissa (click to enlarge map) The North Eastern Province of Kenya, bordering Somalia, is one of Kenyas seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi. ...

Kenya, fearing an invasion from militarily stronger Somalia, signed a defence pact with Ethiopia in 1969 which is still intact [2]. Suffering from droughts and floods NFD is the least developed region in Kenya. However, throughout the 1990s wealthy Somali refugees turned businessmen have transformed Eastleigh from a residential community to the commercial centre of Eastlands, and increasingly much of Nairobi.[3] Eastleigh is a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. ...

In 1964, Kenyatta became Kenya's first president. At Kenyatta's death in 1978, Daniel arap Moi became President. Daniel arap Moi retained the Presidency, being unopposed in elections held in 1979, 1983 (snap elections) and 1988, all of which were held under the single party constitution. The 1983 elections were held a year early, and were a direct result of an abortive military coup attempt on August 1, 1982. Daniel Toroitich arap Moi (born September 2, 1924) was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002. ... A snap election is an election called earlier than scheduled. ... The 1982 Kenyan coup was a failed attempt to overthrow President Daniel arap Mois government. ...

The abortive coup was masterminded by a lowly ranked Air Force serviceman, Senior Private Hezekiah Ochuka and was staged mainly by enlisted men in the Air Force. The attempt was quickly suppressed by Loyalist forces led by the Army, the General Service Unit (GSU) — paramilitary wing of the police — and later the regular police, but not without civilian casualties. This event led to the disbanding of the entire Air Force and a large number of its former members were either dismissed or court-martialled.

The election held in 1988 saw the advent of the mlolongo (queuing) system where voters were supposed to line up behind their favoured candidates instead of secret ballot. This was seen as the climax of a very undemocratic regime and it led to widespread agitation for constitutional reform. Several contentious clauses, including the one allowing only one political party were changed in the following years. In democratic, multiparty elections in 1992 and 1997, Daniel arap Moi won re-election. In 2002, Moi was constitutionally barred from running, and Mwai Kǐbakǐ, running for the opposition coalition "National Rainbow Coalition" — NARC, was elected President. The elections, judged free and fair by local and international observers, marked a turning point in Kenya's democratic evolution.This year we expect another showdown between the incumbent andODM presidential aspirant Raila.Kenya is one of the most distinguished country politically in Africa. Mwai Kibaki (born November 15, 1931) is the President of Kenya. ... Politics of Kenya Categories: Politics stubs | Kenyan political parties ... ODM-Kenya is a political party in Kenya that was formed as a result of the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum, in which a Yes vote was represented by the banana and a No vote was the orange. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of Kenya

Current president Mwai Kibaki

Politics of Kenya takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Kenya is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The unicameral National Assembly consists of 210 members elected to a term of up to five years from single-member constituencies, plus 12 members nominated by political parties on a proportional representation basis. ... Mwai Kibaki during an official U.S. state visit in front of the White House, public domain image from af. ... Mwai Kibaki during an official U.S. state visit in front of the White House, public domain image from af. ... Mwai Kibaki (born November 15, 1931) is the President of Kenya. ... A presidential system, also called a congressional system, is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term) separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... List of the Heads of State of Kenya See also Kenya Heads of Government of Kenya Colonial Heads of Kenya lists of incumbents Categories: Kenya | Lists of office-holders ... For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... The unicameral National Assembly of Kenya is the countrys legislative body. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...

Since independence, Kenya has maintained remarkable stability despite changes in its political system and crises in neighbouring countries. A cross-party parliamentary reform initiative in the fall of 1997 revised some oppressive laws inherited from the colonial era that had been used to limit freedom of speech and assembly. This improved public freedoms and contributed to generally credible national elections in December 1997.

In December 2002, Kenyans held democratic and open elections, most of which were judged free and fair by international observers. The 2002 elections marked an important turning point in Kenya’s democratic evolution in that power was transferred peacefully from the Kenya African Union (KANU), which had ruled the country since independence to the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc), a coalition of political parties.

Under the presidency of Mwai Kibaki, the new ruling coalition promised to focus its efforts on generating economic growth, combating corruption, improving education, and rewriting its constitution. Most of these promises have been met. There is free primary education. From next year, secondary education will be almost free, with the government footing all tuition fee. Under president Kibaki, the democratic space has expanded. The media is freer than before. Kenyans can associate and express themselves without fearing being harassed by security agents as it used to be the case during the Moi administration. In November 2005, the Kenyan electorate resoundingly defeated a new draft constitution supported by Parliament and President Kibaki. Kibaki responded by dismissing his entire cabinet. Kibaki eventually appointed a new slate of ministers. The 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum occured on 21 November 2005. ...

The next general elections are due to be held on December 27, 2007. President Kibaki has confirmed his candidature, and he has declared which party he intends to run in the next general election which is Party of National Unity. President Kibaki was likely to face the fragile coalition of KANU which eventually agreed to back him on his campaign back to State house. He now faces tough competition from the now most popular candidate (Opinion polls) Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)presidential hopeful Raila Odinga. The names derived from the symbol that depicted the no-vote (orange) during the 2005 constitutional review referendum in which 'No' was voted unanimously by Kenyans. Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Kenya on 27 December 2007 [1]. // Mwai Kibaki, the current president of Kenya will be vying for a second term and is running for Party of National Unity. ... Party of National Unity (PNU) is a newly created political party in Kenya. ... ODM-Kenya is a political party in Kenya that was formed as a result of the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum, in which a Yes vote was represented by the banana and a No vote was the orange. ... Raila Odinga Raila Amollo Odinga (born 1945) is a Kenyan Member of Parliament, and was, until November 23, 2005 a Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Roads, Public Works and Housing. ...

Country subdivisions

Provinces of Kenya

Main articles: Provinces of Kenya, Districts of Kenya, and Divisions of Kenya

Kenya comprises 8 provinces each headed by a Provincial Commissioner (centrally appointed by the president). The provinces (mkoa singular mikoa plural in Swahili) are subdivided into districts (wilaya). There were 69 districts as of 1999 census. Districts are then subdivided into 497 divisions (taarafa). The divisions are then subdivided into 2,427 locations (kata) and then 6,612 sublocations (kata ndogo) ^[3]. The City of Nairobi enjoys the status of a full administrative province. The government supervises administration of districts and provinces. The provinces are: Image File history File links Kenya_Provinces_numbered_300px. ... Image File history File links Kenya_Provinces_numbered_300px. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Lists of subnational entities | Kenya ... The provinces of Kenya are subdivided into districts (wilaya). ... Divisions of Kenya The districts of Kenya are divided into 262 divisions (tarafa). ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Lists of subnational entities | Kenya ... Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see Kiswahili for a discussion of the nomenclature) is an agglutinative Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa. ... The provinces of Kenya are subdivided into districts (wilaya). ... A wilaya is an administrative subdivision of several countries, including Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, and Oman. ... Divisions of Kenya The districts of Kenya are divided into 262 divisions (tarafa). ...

Local governance in Kenya is practised through local authorities. Many urban centres host city, municipal or town councils. Local authorities in rural areas are known as county councils. Local councillors are elected by civic elections, held alongside general elections. Kenyas Central Province covers the area around Mt. ... The Indian Ocean coastal strip with the capital city at Mombasa and inhabited by the Mijikenda and Swahili among others. ... The Eastern Province of Kenya is one of seven regions of the country. ... Nairobi Province is one of eight provinces in Kenya. ... . North Eastern is one of Kenyas administrative provinces. ... Nyanza is the province of Kenya around Lake Victoria inhabited by the Luo among others. ... Rift Valley is the largest and one of the most economically vibrant provinces in Kenya. ... Location of Western Province in Kenya Western Province is an administrative division of Kenya, bordering Uganda. ... There are four classes of Local authorities in Kenya: City, Municipality, Town and County council. ...

Constituencies are an electoral subdivision. There are 210 Constituenies in Kenya ^[4]. Constituencies of Kenya are used to select members of Kenyan parliament. ...

Geography

Main article: Geography of Kenya

At 224,961 mi² (582,646 km²), Kenya is the world's forty-seventh largest country (after Madagascar). This article describes the geography of Kenya. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ...

From the coast on the Indian Ocean the Low plains rise to central highlands. The highlands are bisected by the Great Rift Valley; a fertile plateau in the west. The Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa. The highlands are the site of the highest point in Kenya (and the second highest in Africa): Mount Kenya, which reaches 5,199 meters (17,057 ft) and is also the site of glaciers. Climate varies from tropical along the coast to arid in the interior. There is also Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft) which is located on the Kenya- Tanzania border. Northern section of the Great Rift Valley. ... Mount Kenya has a low profile typical of a shield volcano. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... In general terms, the climate of a locale or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. ... For other uses, see Kilimanjaro (disambiguation). ...

Environment

See also: Environmental issues in Kenya

Kenya has considerable land area of wildlife habitat, including the