Kenya

C

Natural Resources

Kenya’s main resource is its land, of which about 11 per cent is suitable for agriculture. About one third of this is arable; the remainder is used mainly for grazing. The northern region, covering two thirds of Kenya, is mostly desert or semi-desert.

D

Plants and Animals

The plant life of Kenya is diverse. Along the coast are forests containing palm, mangrove, teak, copal, and sandalwood trees. Forests of baobab, euphorbia (see Spurge), and acacia trees cover the lowlands to an elevation of approximately 915 m (3,000 ft). Extensive tracts of savannah (grassland), interspersed with groves of acacia and papyrus, characterize the terrain from about 915 to 2,745 m (3,000 to 9,000 ft). The principal species in the dense rainforest of the eastern and south-eastern mountain slopes are camphor and bamboo. The alpine zone (above about 3,550 m/11,000 ft) contains large plants of the Senecio and Lobelia genera.

Kenya is renowned for the great variety of its wildlife, especially the big game animals associated with the African savannah. The major species are elephant, rhinoceros, zebra, giraffe, lion, and other large cats. Many of these are protected in national parks and game reserves, but poaching has severely reduced the number of large mammals, such as the elephant and rhinoceros. Kenya abounds in birds and reptiles, the latter including the python and cobra.

E

Environmental Concerns

With one of the highest population growth rates in the world, Kenya has an increasing need for firewood and agricultural land. Only about 7 per cent (1997) of the land is arable, although some of the most productive farming in Africa takes place in the Kenyan Highlands. Increased use of pesticides and fertilizers has led to significant water pollution. Soil erosion and desertification occur in some areas. Deforestation is a major problem, but about 10 million trees have been planted over the past two decades with the help of private groups and tree nursery programmes. About 2.3 per cent (1995) of the country consists of woodlands, although only about 3 per cent is covered with natural moist forest. Water contamination is a serious problem—only about 30 per cent (1990-1998) of the rural population has access to safe drinking water.

Kenya is perhaps best known for its game parks, which attract large numbers of tourists and revenue. Conservation of wildlife within reserves has thus received high priority. Currently, nearly 12 per cent (1992) of the total land is classified as parks, game reserves, and other managed areas, although only 6.2 per cent (1997) is strictly protected. At least 32 endemic species are also endangered. Threatened habitats include the slopes of Mount Kenya and coastal forests. Efforts are under way to restore the endangered African elephant and black rhino populations, and an aggressive campaign has been waged against poachers. Five biosphere reserves have been recognized under the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Program. Kenya has ratified international agreements on biodiversity, climate change, endangered species, marine dumping, marine life conservation, ozone layer, ship pollution, and wetlands. Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2004. She is the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an organization that has planted 30 million trees in Africa to help stem forest loss.

III

Population

Almost 99 per cent of Kenya’s population is black African. The country also has small numbers of Asians, Europeans, and Arabs. The black Africans are divided into more than 30 ethnic groups belonging to four linguistic families—Bantu, Nilotic, Paranilotic, and Cushitic. The largest ethnic groups are the Bantu-speaking Kikuyu (22 per cent of the population), Luhya (14 per cent), and Kamba (11 per cent); the Nilotic-speaking Luo (13 per cent); and the Paranilotic-speaking Kalenjin (12 per cent).

A

Population Characteristics

The population of Kenya (2008 estimate) is 37,953,838, giving an overall population density of about 67 people per sq km (173 per sq mi). The population was increasing at the very rapid rate of 3.5 per cent annually in the early 1980s; the rate in 2008 was 2.76 per cent. About 58 per cent of the people live in rural areas (2005 estimate). Average life expectancy in 2008 was 56.4 years for males and 56.9 years for females. Collecting population statistics has been complicated by the large-scale movement of nomadic groups and of the influx of Somali refugees across the border.