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Due to resource constraints, IRIN is not updating the country profile below.
Updated humanitarian country information can be found instead at the Kenya country page on ReliefWeb [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc104?OpenForm&rc=1&cc=ken].
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 REPUBLIC OF KENYA
Humanitarian Country Profile |
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Background
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Last update: March 2008 |
Famed for its wildlife, natural beauty and prehistoric sites, Kenya was under British control from 1895 until independence in 1963. Its estimated 37 million people comprise more than 40 ethnic groups.
Jomo Kenyatta, the first president, governed Kenya as a de facto one-party state until his death in 1978 when he was succeeded by Daniel arap Moi, who held the presidency for almost 25 years before handing over to Mwai Kibaki in watershed elections in December 2002.
The December 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections were highly contentious and within a few days of the announcement of Kibaki's re-election as president, communal violence had spread across the country and within a few weeks had led to around 1,500 deaths and over 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Peace and security
The December 2007 election crisis was sparked by allegations of vote-rigging, but observers made various attempts to understand the roots of the violence. [Kenya: roots of crisis, Gérard Prunier] Most saw a combination of ethnic tensions - mainly between two of the country's largest ethnic groups, the Luo and Kikuyu – growing economic inequalities [IRIN report: It’s the economy, stupid (not just “tribalism”)] especially in urban areas, and unresolved land issues as key to understanding the conflict.
There were numerous reports of ethnic violence, where members of certain ethnic groups perceived to be pro-Kibaki were targeted by opposition supporters, mainly in Western Kenya.
One event in particular seemed to symbolise the danger faced by the whole country: a church being used as a refuge by several dozen mainly Kikuyu women and children in a village just outside Eldoret in western Kenya was torched on 1 January. More than 35 people were burned to death.
On 28 February 2008, after several tense weeks, a power-sharing deal was brokered by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and on 6 March parliament started work on changing the constitution, among other things to accommodate a new executive prime minister post.
In early March Kenya was still faced with a significant problem of reassuring some 300,000 IDPs created by the post-election violence to move out of camps or temporary accommodation with relatives and return to their homes.
In the recent past, "terrorism", banditry, cross-border raids, cattle-rustling and instability caused by crises in Somalia and Sudan have been threats to peace and security.
IDPs/Refugees
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and others were involved – and in March 2008 still are involved – in caring for a large number of IDPs in the aftermath of the post-election violence, mainly in Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza provinces. By early March the focus had begun to switch from emergency response to recovery and resettlement of the estimated 300,000 IDPs. [IRIN report]
According to UNHCR, more than 30,000 new Somali refugees had arrived in Kenya by October 2006 because of drought and civil strife at home. Malnutrition among young children in refugee camps in northern Kenya continued to be a problem in 2007 - [IRIN report Agencies seek help to stem malnutrition in refugee camps]
[www.reliefweb.int]
Democracy and governance
Democracy suffered a serious blow on 29 December 2007 when international observers indicated that the elections had not been free and fair. The opposition ODM alleged blatant rigging led to the elections being "stolen" by Kibaki.
Post-election demonstrations were banned by the new government and restrictions placed on the media.
Contrary to international expectations, and despite international mediation efforts, Kibaki went ahead and named half his new cabinet in early January, sparking riots in Kisumu and parts of Nairobi.
However, after several weeks of negotiations, a power-sharing deal was signed on 28 February 2008 and parliament met on 6 March to begin the process of changing the constitution which would create a new post of prime minister. The two main parties – ODM and PNU - agreed to form a coalition government, but it remains to be seen how this will work in practice.
Media
Most people access news via the radio. TV is increasingly influential. Regular internet access to the media is generally restricted to middle-class areas of the cities.
The most glaring recent example of political interference in the media was on 29 December 2007, when all media except the national broadcaster, KBC, were briefly barred from reporting the election outcome. Since then, restrictions have also been imposed on live broadcasting.
It has been harder to detect any major censorship of the traditionally much freer print media. Circulation figures for newspapers perhaps belie their influence as a single copy is often read by dozens of people.
Economy
Kenya has relatively few natural resources. Its main foreign currency earners are derived from tourism, tea, horticultural exports and soda mining.
During Kibaki's first term (2002-2007), the economy grew rapidly, benefiting from political stability and the favourable international economic climate. In late 2007, international investor interest in Kenya was considerable: a US$300 million bond was due to have been issued [www.treasury.go.ke], designed to provide funds for major infrastructural investments, but there are now questions over whether the projects envisaged will go ahead.
The first obvious victim of the current crisis is tourism. The main tourist season is January-March, which means that 2008 revenues could be severely reduced. Many western countries advised their citizens not to travel to Kenya.
Agricultural exports were also disrupted owing to the large number of displaced people, and in some places insecurity and blocked roads. The international economic environment, with rising oil prices, will also have a negative effect.
Population
According to a UN Population Fund (UNFPA) document in October 2003 [www.unfpa.org], Kenya's population is projected to reach 37.4 million in 2010.
According to the 1999 population census, the largest five ethnic groups in percentage terms are: Kikuyu 22, Luhya 14, Luo 13, Kalenjin 12, and Kamba 11.
A new population census is due to be conducted in 2009.
Development indicators
Kenya is ranked 148 out of 177 countries in the UN Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Report for 2007, four places higher than in 2006.
According to the same source, life expectancy at birth is 52.1 and GDP per capita is US$1,240.
The combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment ratio is at 60.6 percent. Adult literacy for the population aged 15 years and older is 73.6 percent.
Education
Education at the primary level has been free in Kenya since 2003. Universal Primary Education (UPE) led to an influx of pupils to primary schools that has consequently overstretched the education infrastructure.
The UPE programme has also been blamed for declining education standards in public primary schools, leading to more people who can afford it sending their children to private schools.
In his 2007 election campaign, Kibaki promised he would implement free secondary education.
In January and February 2008 education was disrupted to varying degrees across the country by the post election violence, with both teachers and pupils among the 300,000 IDPs.
Children
Children have been traumatised - in city slums and in western Kenya in particular - by serious instances of ethnic cleansing-type violence in the post-election crisis.
A UN Situation Report on 9 January 2008 stated: "UNICEF [the UN Children's Fund] is extremely concerned about the psycho-social consequences for Kenya's children who have experienced violence, temporary displacement and fear … UNICEF urges teachers everywhere to look out for any signs of discrimination among children … UNICEF, Save the Children and other agencies will assist the Children's Department (Government of Kenya) in conducting a series of in-depth child protection assessments in Nairobi, Nakuru and Eldoret. These assessments are expected to gain insight into the response to separated and lost children, the availability and establishment of safe play and safe sleeping areas, the access of IDP children to schools, the participation of children and young people in recovery, and the need for psycho-social counselling. The results of these assessments will be used to inform child protection programmes for children affected by the crisis."
Years of drought, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country, have had a serious impact on the wellbeing of children, increasing malnutrition rates, morbidity and mortality.
An estimated 10,000-30,000 children have been caught up in the commercial sex trade. Many children resort to prostitution as a way to support themselves after fleeing violence in their homes.
Health
Malaria is endemic in Kenya's western and coastal regions, which are hot and humid and experience high rainfall. The high humidity encourages continuous mosquito breeding.
Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity in the country, accounting for 43 percent of outpatient hospital attendance in western Kenya.
According to the Ministry of Health, respiratory diseases are the second leading cause of morbidity nationally, occurring more frequently in the cooler Nairobi and Central regions.
HIV/AIDS
According to the UNAIDS website in 2007: "Kenya has been able to demonstrate a clear trend of decreasing HIV prevalence over the past several years. During the past three years, critical HIV services have been scaled up. As a result, general awareness and knowledge of HIV transmission are nearly universal. In 2006, 760,000 adult Kenyans underwent HIV testing, and 110 000 (35 percent) of those in need of treatment had access to it, including about 6,000 children.
"Increased resources have been allocated to impact mitigation nationwide, specifically to programmes supporting orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV."However, "ensuring long-term sustainable financing of HIV interventions, linked to strengthening harmonisation and alignment, remain challenges, with 98 percent of currently available funding coming from international donors."
According to UNAIDS, 1.3 million people are living with HIV; and the HIV prevalence rate for adults aged 15-49 was 6.1 percent.
The percentage of HIV-infected women and men receiving antiretroviral therapy was 19.7.
The political violence in Kenya was having some impact on TB treatment programmes and anti-retroviral (ARV) treatments, threatening the progress made so far.
Food security
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) classifies Kenya as a low income, food-deficient country. Vulnerability to drought and food shortages is widespread in the arid and semi-arid districts in the northern, coastal and eastern areas.
In Kenya, endemic poverty, low economic growth, drought-prone arid and semi-arid lands and high population growth cause increasing hunger. The country is also disaster-prone, with the 2006 floods following a succession of crippling droughts.
Food insecurity is highest in urban slums, among pastoralists and marginal agriculturalists in remote, arid and semi-arid lands, which comprise 80 percent of Kenya's land mass.
Risks to food security also include HIV/AIDS, which has taken a toll on the productive workforce. WFP is involved in the School Feeding Programme, providing food to children in drought-prone areas.
Kenya's political violence in early 2008 was also threatening to undermine food security, especially in areas such as the Rift Valley where there were a large number of displaced people; blocked roads affected the ability of farmers to bring their produce to market. The maize harvest was forecast to be down on recent years, in part because of the violence.
Gender issues
Increased instances of rape were reported during the 2008 post-election violence [IRIN report: Rape on the rise in post-election violence and Health workers grappling with conflict-related sexual violence]
The World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index 2007 has detailed statistical information on the male-female gender gap in terms of economic participation, educational attainment, health, political empowerment (where it scores particularly badly), maternity and childbearing, earnings, and basic rights (including female genital mutilation). Overall, Kenya is ranked 83 out of 128 countries in terms of inequality between the sexes, and is scored at 0.651 on the gender gap index, where 0.00 equals inequality and 1.00 equals equality.
On the same scale, the existence of legislation punishing acts of violence against women is scored at 0.17.
Human rights
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has charged that the government in 2008 was implementing a "shoot-to-kill" policy. HRW said it had received credible reports of police shooting to death dozens of demonstrators in Kisumu on 31 December 2007.
The human rights situation in Kenya had been one of few serious abuses, according to HRW. However, the recent political violence is throwing into jeopardy all recent progress in this area.
Before the elections, the government had made some commendable steps in addressing human rights concerns including: the appointment to high office of several well-known rights activists, the enforcement of universal free primary education, and a major reform of the judiciary, police and prison services, according to HRW.
However, women and girls continue to be subjected to violence in the home, in the community and in state custody.
There were also continuing reports of torture, ill-treatment, excessive use of force and arbitrary shootings by the police, with prison conditions frequently amounting to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Death sentences continue to be imposed in Kenya.
According to HRW, progress on human rights since the 2002 election is welcome, but important concerns remain, with the repressive state machinery that permitted misrule during former President Moi's era still in place.
According to HRW, the government has been unwilling to commit to any institutional changes such as the adoption of a new constitution that would fundamentally limit the extensive presidential and executive powers.
However, it remains to be seen whether the initiatives to address human rights abuses, corruption, and the widespread illegal expropriation of public lands initiated by Kibaki will lead to any prosecutions or reparations, according to HRW.
Humanitarian needs
Humanitarian needs have risen very sharply in many parts of the country. The UN and aid agencies described the post-election situation as a crisis until a power-sharing deal was reached on 28 February 2008. By early March the humanitarian focus was switching from emergency response to recovery and resettlement of IDPs.
For the latest information on the humanitarian situation, please refer to the Reliefweb and OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) websites.
IRIN In-Depth report: Kenya's post election crisis
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| Kenya in figures | · Population: 34 million
· Pop. growth rate: 1.8%
· GDP per capita: N/A
· Pop. below poverty line: 50%
· Life expectancy: 47.5 years
· Infant mortality: 62 to 74 per 1000
· Access to med. services: N/A
· HIV prevalence: 6.1%
· Access to clean water: 61%
· Access to electricity: N/A
· Literacy rate: 75 to 85% for men and women Doctors/people: N/A
· Displaced people: 360,000 from Sudan
· Refugees: 238,000 mainly from Somalia
· Human Development Index: 152
Sources: UNAIDS, WFP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNESCO |
| Basic facts | Capital: Nairobi
Language: English, Swahili
Ethnic Groups: Kikuyu, Luhya , Luo, Kalenjin , Kamba , Kisii, Ameru, other, non-African (Asian, European and Arab)
Religions: Christianity, Islam, Hindu, others
Geography: Low plains along coast; central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; Africa’s second-highest peak, Mt Kenya; desert-like conditions in the north
Border countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Natural resources: Rich agricultural land, unique physiography and wildlife
Agriculture products: tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Sources: UNAIDS, WFP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNESCO |
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