Kenya is situated in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. Here, the plates of the Earth’s crust have moved apart, creating Africa’s Great Rift Valley. A number of deep freshwater lakes lie in the valley, the largest of which is Lake Turkana, in northern Kenya. Savanna grasslands, home to some of Africa’s richest wildlife, stretch across much of Kenya. The equator runs through the middle of Kenya. The country has a hot, tropical climate with a rainy season between March and May. On higher ground, in uplands around the capital, Nairobi, temperatures are cooler. Kenya’s highest peak, Mount Kenya, is an extinct volcano and the second highest peak (after Tanzania's Kilimanjaro) in Africa.

People

Over 70 ethnic groups live in Kenya. Most are descended from Bantu people who arrived from West Africa around 2000 years ago. They live mainly in the southwest and along the coast, and include the Kikuyu, Kenya’s largest people.

​​​​​​​Most people speak a tribal language as well as Swahili—a Bantu language and the main language of East Africa. Swahili language and culture have been influenced by Arab, Persian, Indian and Portuguese people who have settled in Kenya at different times in its history.

Around three-quarters of Kenya’s people live in the countryside. Many of them are subsistence farmers, producing just enough food for their own families. In cities, such as the capital, Nairobi, more people have electricity and clean water, and more children go to school. Although Kenya’s richest communities are found in Nairobi, it is also home to some of the country’s poorest people, many of whom live in crowded shantytowns on the city’s outskirts, including Kibera, the largest in Africa. Kenya has a young, fast-growing population; nearly 75% of its people are under the age of 30.

Kenya’s economy is growing, but more than a third of its population still lives in absolute poverty (unable to meet basic needs, such as food, clean water, shelter and education). Agriculture is still central to Kenya’s economy. Its hot, wet climate and rich soil make it perfect for growing tea. Tea bushes were introduced to Kenya at the beginning of the 20th century, and today it is the third largest exporter of tea in the world after India and China. Kenyan farmers also grow coffee beans, fruit—such as pineapples and bananas—and cut flowers for export. They herd cattle, goats and sheep.

Tourism

Tourism is Kenya’s second-largest employer after agriculture, providing jobs for around 500,000 people. Kenya has rich wildlife, with elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras and lions roaming across the savanna. Over 30 national parks and reserves have been set up by the government to protect these animals, and every year more than a million tourists take safari trips to watch them in their natural habitats. These trips are traditionally by jeep or bus, but some are made by helicopter.

Rising lakes

Kenya is a nation of lakes. Besides its sizeable portions of Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana, a series of smaller lakes—Baringo, Bogoria, Naivasha, Nakuru and Magadi—are scattered along the Great Rift Valley. In recent years, there has been more rain than normal in the Kenyan and Ethiopian highlands, causing the volume of water in the rivers feeding the lakes to increase. In 2019, Kenya received the third highest level rainfall ever recorded. Deforestation and landslides have also contributed to the rising water levels. Throughout the 2010s, water levels in the lakes rose gradually, causing flooding. Then, in 2020, their expansion accelerated. As a result, nearly 400,000 Kenyans have been forced to move from their homes.
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Lakes Bogoria and Baringo attract tourists and provide homes for many wildlife species. Lake Bogoria is a World Heritage site, famous for its flamingos and hot springs (most of which are now under water). Lake Baringo provides irrigation and drinking water and is home to Nile crocodiles. Rising waters—between 2014 and 2021 it expanded by 60%—have brought crocodiles and hippos dangerously close to people. Once 20 kilometres (13 miles) apart, the two lakes now lie just 13 kilometres (8 miles) from each another, raising concerns that the freshwater Lake Baringo and saltwater Lake Bogoria could soon merge. This would devastate the wildlife in both lakes.

Maasai

The Maasai are cattle-herders who live a semi-nomadic lifestyle in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Their lives traditionally centre around their cattle, which provide their main source of food: raw meat, milk and blood. In recent years, with cattle numbers dwindling, the Maasai also cultivate crops such as maize, sorghum, rice, potatoes and cabbage. A central figure in traditional Maasai villages is the laibon. His role includes healing and divination (interpreting signs to predict future events, such as rain to water their cattle pasture). Tourists are welcomed to traditional Maasai villages to experience their lifestyle, music and dancing.
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Thousands of waste-pickers, mostly women, work at the site each day, sifting through tonnes of rubbish hoping to recover recyclables—for example, plastics, metals and textiles—that they can sell on, giving them a small income. Pre-sorting of waste has, however, reduced the amount of saleable materials arriving at the dump, forcing the women to work longer hours. They risk serious health issues from toxic fumes and sharp debris, as well as violent attacks.

Facts about Kenya

Population 55,339,003 (2023 estimate)

Area 580,367 sq km (224,080 sq miles)

Highest point Mount Kenya 5199 m (17,057 ft)

Capital Nairobi (metro area population 5,325,000)

Other major cities Mombasa (1,208,333), Kisumu (1,155,574), Nakuru (570,674), Ruiru (490,120), Eldoret (475,716)

Languages English and Swahili (official languages), Kikuyu, Luo

Religions Christian (Protestant) 47%, Christian (Catholic) 23%, Christian (Eastern Orthodox and other) 12%, Muslim 11%, traditional religions 2%, other 5%

Ethnicity Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Maasai 2%, other African 13%, non-African 1%

Currency Kenyan shilling (KES)

Chief exports Tea, coffee, flowers and plants, oil and petroleum products, fish