Kenya Essay Research Paper A Study of

Kenya Essay, Research Paper

A Study of Kenya

As one of the many different developing countries in Eastern Africa, Kenya is

unique in its own way. With its mangrove swamps, thick forests, crystal lakes, towering

mountains, and vast deserts; this is all wrapped up in a country the size of Texas. It

attracts millions of visitors in seek for an African Safari which is much appreciated by the

government as a source of foreign capitol for this poor region. We will take a look at the

history which shaped this country into what it is today, and become aware of the way of

life these Africans live and the place they all home.

Kenya is one location of some of the earliest human settlements. Some sites

indicate nominid habitation from as far back as 2.5 million years ago. Because the tools

they used, these people are known as ‘Stone Bowl’ people and are suspected to have

come from up north. After the nomadic, came the explorers who began to settle. “The

first wave of immigrants were the tall, nomadic, caustic-speaking people from Ethiopia

who began to move south”(Fletcher,13). As time passed, migration from the Muslims

and Arabs came in from the west. This process of migration occurred through small

population movements which lasted for centuries. These groups were fluid, representing

a process of ongoing social changes. Many of the settlers started out as traders, and

ended up settling in Kenya trading wheat, wine, and textiles. The various people

absorbed others customs, beliefs, and resources. Everything was running smooth until the

Portuguese came to trade spices. They wanted to take over trade in the east, but in the

end they were forced out in the mid-1700’s. As the country began to develop it came up

with a railway system. Along with the railway came the white settlers in the mid-1900’s.

Before independence in 1963, Kenya was governed by a British colonial

administrator who had complete power. “The aim of British colonialism in Kenya was to

integrate the country into an imperical system and to develop its economic potential,

while providing security of the indigenous population and improving their general

well-being as defined according to the prevailing mentality of colonial

authorities”(Nelson, 3). The people were not allowed to vote or represented by the

government. In 1964 the people cut its ties to the British throne, then Kenya turned to a

multi-party government with KANU as its ruler. KANU is a conservative nationalist

party standing for the Kenya African National Union. “The system of government

consists of the President, who holds executive power, and a single legislative assembly

consisting of 210 members, the attorney general, the speaker, and 12 members who are

nominated by the major parties in parliament in proportion of the number of seats

won”(Fletcher, 26). The President serves as both head of state and government, serving a

5-year term, with a 2-year limit as President. Legislation passed becomes a law only after

being passed by the President. The Judiciary consists of two major courts and many

lower magistracy courts. Trial by jury is not used, only trial by judge.

Kenya’s economy was always based on trade, hunting, herding, and farming, but

when the British took over it changed to a capitalist economy. The British developed an

economy around exportation of agricultural products. Agriculture employs over 80% of

the population and leads the economy. They grow beans, cotton, maize, and fruit with

coffee and tea leading. During and after W.W.II, Kenya’s economy was forced to

produce goods that were formally imported. In 1998 the GDP, which measures the value

of goods and services, was around 12 billion. As a form of relief for the poor nation, the

U.S. gives Kenya foreign aide to as much as 921 million dollars. They currently have a

debt of over one billion to the U.S.

One of Kenya’s most interesting geographical features is the Rift Valley.

“Kenya’s Great Rift Valley is only part of a continental fault system that runs 6000km