Country Profile: Kenya
Executive Summary
Consisting of diverse tribes and steeped in a troubled history of European colonialism, Kenya is emerging as a beacon of hope for African states seeking to demonstrate that consistently peaceful elections are possible. While there is still violence among its citizens on the local level, the state as a whole is migrating towards a stable future. While poorly guided economic policies by leaders of previous decades have placed Kenya in a monetary disadvantage, new energy markets are opening up from recently discovered oil reserves that could kick-start rapid economic growth. Brief History
Jomo Kenyatta, the revered president and liberation struggle icon, led Kenya from its 1963 independence until his death in 1978. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. Intense internal pressure and external influence prompted political liberalization in late 1991. However, the ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud. After almost two-and-a-half decades, President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi stepped down in December of 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai Kibaki, of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition, assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform. Political Structure
Economic Structure
Social Structure
Religion:
Churches:
|
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.5% (2003) |
Operating Organizations
Political Groups:
|
Terrorist Groups:
|
Allies and Enemies
- Regional Allies: South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia
- Regional Enemies: N/A
- Global Allies: USA
- Global Enemies: N/A
Country Trajectory
Although Kenya is on the path to completing peaceful elections on a macro-scale, local politicians have been responsible for drumming up violence over the course of 2012 and early 2013. During this period, inter-communal clashes in parts of Kenya have claimed more than 477 lives and displaced about 118,000 people. The burden of the newly elected president will be to balance the state’s delicate tribal relationships of the state. It will also be essential to secure long-term economic interests such as the development of oil extraction and exportation infrastructure to ease financial woes. Throughout these vital processes, the government will need to deftly manage the implementation of its new constitution.
Although Kenya is on the path to completing peaceful elections on a macro-scale, local politicians have been responsible for drumming up violence over the course of 2012 and early 2013. During this period, inter-communal clashes in parts of Kenya have claimed more than 477 lives and displaced about 118,000 people. The burden of the newly elected president will be to balance the state’s delicate tribal relationships of the state. It will also be essential to secure long-term economic interests such as the development of oil extraction and exportation infrastructure to ease financial woes. Throughout these vital processes, the government will need to deftly manage the implementation of its new constitution.
Current Events
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/12/kenya-elections-televised-presidential-debate
http://www.voanews.com/content/kenya-electoral-group-moves-ahead-on-election-plans/1602416.html
- Feb. 11th, 2013: Kenya hosted its first televised presidential debate. In March 2013, more than 14 million people will go to the polls next month in an election that is one of the most important since independence.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/12/kenya-elections-televised-presidential-debate
- Feb. 12th, 2013: Regarding the March 4th presidential election, Some Kenyans, including Prime Minister Raila Odinga, have expressed concern about possible ballot rigging. Authorities have warned that such rhetoric could create tension and trigger possible violence.
http://www.voanews.com/content/kenya-electoral-group-moves-ahead-on-election-plans/1602416.html
Sources
- http://web.archive.org/web/20070927193654/http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/?CountryID=137
- http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/kenya.htm
- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html
- http://www.start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/terrorist_organizations_by_country.asp?id=KE
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/12/kenya-elections-televised-presidential-debate
- http://www.voanews.com/content/kenya-electoral-group-moves-ahead-on-election-plans/1602416.html
- http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/07/kenya-ensure-violence-free-polls