Short facts about the government of Kenya
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Kenya
conventional short
form: Kenya
former: British East
Africa |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative divisions: |
7 provinces and 1 area*; Central,
Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley,
Western |
| Independence: |
12 December 1963 (from
UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 12 December
(1963) |
| Constitution: |
12 December 1963, amended as a republic
1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and
1997 |
| Legal
system: |
based on English common law, tribal
law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a
de jure one-party state repealed in 1991 |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head
of government: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote from among
the members of the National Assembly for a five-year term; in addition to
receiving the largest number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential
candidate must also win 25% or more of the vote in at least five of Kenya's
seven provinces and one area to avoid a runoff; election last held 29 December
1997 (next to be held by early 2003); vice president appointed by the
president
election results: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI
reelected; percent of vote - Daniel T. arap MOI (KANU) 40.6%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP)
31.5%, Raila ODINGA (NDP) 11.1%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-K) 8.4%, Charity NGILU
(SDP) 7.8% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or Bunge
(222 seats; 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12
so-called "nominated" members who are appointed by the president, but selected
by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote
totals)
elections: last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by
early 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - KANU 107, FORD-A 1, FORD-K 17, FORD-People 3, DP 39, NDP 21,
SDP 15, SAFINA 5, smaller parties 2; seats appointed by the president - KANU 6,
FORD-K 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA 1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Court of Appeal (chief justice is
appointed by the president); High Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai
KIBAKI]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Asili or FORD-A [Martin SHIKUKU,
secretary general]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K
[Michael Kijana WAMALWA]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or
FORD-People [Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or KANU
[President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI] - the governing party; National
Development Party or NDP [Raila ODINGA, president]; SAFINA [Farah MAALIM,
chairman]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Dr. Apollo NJONJO, secretary general
and Justus NYANG'AYA, chairman] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
human rights groups; labor unions;
Muslim organizations; National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform
coalition of political parties and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha
KIBWANA]; Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava
MUSYIMI]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme Council of Kenya
Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY,
chairman] |
| International organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU,
OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP,
UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Yusuf Abdulraham NZIBO
chancery: 2249 R
Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202)
387-6101
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829
consulate(s)
general: offices in Los Angeles and New York are closed; mission to the UN
remains open |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy: US Embassy,
Mombasa Road, Nairobi
mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Box 21A,
Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone: [254] (2)
537-800
FAX: [254] (2)
537-810 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal horizontal bands of black
(top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield
covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center | Source: World Factbook |
