Fascinating facts about Kenya – an amazing country and one not many people know much about, so I thought it a good idea to carry out some research into this African country.
Here’s what I found out!

1/ Full name: The Republic of Kenya.

2/ The Official name of Kenya in Swahili is Jamhuri y Kenya.

3/ Population: 42.7 million (UN 2012).

4/ Capital: Nairobi with 3.375 million people.

5/ Area: 582,646 sq km (224,961 sq miles).

6/ President: Uhuru Kenyatta (2013).

7/ Kenya is a Member of Commonwealth of Nations. It was a British colony between 1895 and 1963.

8/ Major languages: Swahili (National), English (Official), and numerous indigenous languages.

9/ Major religion: Christianity (Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Islam 10%, others 2%.) Note however, that estimates can vary widely.

10/ Life expectancy: 57 years (men), 59 years (women) (UN).

11/ Monetary unit: 1 Kenya shilling = 100 cents.

12/ Main exports: Tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products.

13/ After coffee, Kenya’s biggest income generator is tourism.

14/ For the Kenyans, however, coffee is considered an export product, not something for local consumption. The local favourites are tea and beer.

15/ Kenyan jewellery is increasingly valued in western markets and uses locally-sourced, sustainable materials such as waste cow bone, horn and Kisii soapstone.

16/ Before marriage, Kenyans still pay a dowry to the bride’s family, which starts at 10 cows.

17/ The men of Kenya are allowed to have more than one wife.

18/ Kenya only has only two seasons – one rainy season and one dry season.

19/ Jomo Kenyatta National Airport is the biggest airport in East Africa.

So there you have it, 19 fascinating facts about Kenya. Perhaps you could come up with the 20th one and leave it in the Comments section below?

Incidentally, you can see a new range of handmade Kenyan jewellery and accessories and discover more more about Kenya on The FAIR Trade Store’s website.

“Thanks for reading this Blog post.
Have you ever been to Kenya? Do you have any experiences to share with other readers?
If so, please use the Comments section below.” – Paul