miles long), and many mountains, including Nyiru (9,200 feet). The south-west quarter, in which 85 per cent of the population and practically all the economic production is concentrated, comprises a plateau rising to 10,000 feet, and includes Mount Kenya (17,058 feet), Mount Elgon (14,178 feet) and the Aberdare Range (13,104 feet). Much of the area between 7,000 and 11.000 feet above sea level (some 5,000 square miles) is forest. The plateau is bisected from north to south by a part of the Great Rift Valley, thirty to forty miles wide and 2,000 to 3,000 feet below the plateau on either side. The Rift floor rises from 1,280 feet above sea level at Lake Rudolf to 7,000 feet near Naivasha, and falls again to 2,000 feet at Lake Natron. West of the Rift the plateau falls to Lake Victoria (3,720 feet above sea level) and eastward the Tana (length 440 miles) and Athi (length 340 miles) rivers flow to the Indian Ocean. The Athi river changes its name to the Galana at Tsavo. Neither river is navigable except by local craft. Rainfall in Kenya ranges from a mean annual figure of 6 inches at Lodwar to 58 inches at Kisumu. There is a fairly close inverse correlation between altitude and temperature: at Mombasa, 53 feet above sea-level, the mean annual temperature is 27°C (80°F); at Nairobi, the capital, 5,495 feet, 19°C (67° F); on the equator at 9,062 feet, the mean temperature is 13°C (56°F). Glaciers are found on Mount Kenya down to 15,000 feet above sea level. The 1969 census shows a total population of 10,956,501 (including the population of Karapokot, transferred from Ugandan to Kenyan administration in 1970). This indicates a growth rate for population of about 3 per cent per annum. Comparative figures for population by race in 1962 and 1969, and the number of Kenyan citizens in each category in 1969 are: The overall birth rate per thousand head of the population is 50. The death rate is 17 per thousand. There are four main races: African, Asians, Arabs and Europeans. The Africans consist of four main ethnic groups which, with the estimated populations at the time of the 1969 census are: Bantu (Kikuyu, Kamba, Luyha, etc.) 7,096,404; Nilotic (Luo) 1,521,595; Nilo-Hamitic (Masai, Samburu, Nandi, Kipsigis, etc.) 1,716,442; Hamitic (Somali, Boran, Rendille, etc.) 339,329. In addition to this there are 59,432 other Africans, mainly immigrants from neighbouring countries. The Bantu inhabit the land to the south of the Tana River, including the coastal strip. The main tribe is the Kikuyu, numbering approximately 2,201,632. The Bantu are in the main agriculturists, traditionally living by intensive subsistence cultivation mainly of maize and beans, but this is rapidly giving way to the production of cash crops such as coffee, tea, wheat and dairy products which are marketed through co-operatives. The Nilotics occupy the highlands in western Kenya bordering on Lake Victoria. The main tribe is the Luo, comprising some 1,521,595 people. The Masai (of the Nilo-Hamitic group) are also to be found in Tanzania. They are nomads, their lives being centred round their livestock although they are beginning to take part in the growing of wheat commercially. Also cattle-rearing nomads are the closely allied Hamitic groups of the north and north-east, from the Ethiopian and Somali borders to the shores of Lake Rudolf, where the Boran tribe merges with the Nilo-Hamitic group of the Rendille and with the Samburu. Much of the African livestock marketed through the Kenya Meat Commission comes from these areas. The Asians and Arabs are essentially town dwellers and own many of the shops. The European population is mainly in Nairobi and Mombasa and upcountry in the former White Highlands. Here, despite the intensive programme of transfer of European-owned farms to African ownership, European farmers still contribute substantially to agricultural output. There are numerous vernaculars spoken in Kenya, of which Kikuyu and Luo are the most important. Somali is spoken in the north and north-east, and Arabic is widely used by educated Muslims both in the coastal region and elsewhere. Swahili is the most important language, being the lingua franca of the semi-literate and educated sections and generally understood throughout the country. English is also fairly widely understood. Gujarati and Urdu are used by many of the Asian population. The official language is English but there is a proposal to introduce Swahili by 1974. Newspapers are published in English and in Swahili and broadcasts are made in the same languages; there are also some programmes in other African languages. Christianity is the major religion. In 1972, rough estimates suggested there were about four million Protestants of all denominations (2,896,900 in 1962) and 2,100,000 baptised Roman Catholics (1,756,800 in 1962). There are over one million adherents of independent African Churches, and 500,000 Anglicans. The African Orthodox Church claims 200,000 followers while the Quakers and the Presbyterian Church of East Africa each claim 100,000 and the Methodists 70,000. All churches are growing very rapidly, including the Independent Churches, whose increase in membership was not, in general, at the expense of the other Churches. Kenya's Christian Church membership may well be the fastest growing of any country in the world. There are many hundred thousand Muslims, including the Somalis and northern Kenyans who are members of the Sunni sect. Among the Asian Community there are Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Muslims and Ismailis (followers of H.H. The Aga Khan), but the Goans are Roman Catholics. Although the Government's long-term objective of universal free primary education has not yet been achieved in Kenya, considerable advances have been made in recent years and it is estimated that over 65% of those in the 7-13 age group are now attending primary schools. Enrolment in primary Schools rose from 891,553 in 1963 to approximately 1,525,500 in 1971, when there were 6,372 Primary Schools in existence. Secondary Schools increased in number from 142 in 1962 to 804 in 1971. Secondary enrolment (excluding Technical Schools) was 140,727 in 1971 divided between Government-aided schools and unaided schools, including "Harambee" self-help schools. Enrolment in teacher training colleges was 8,628 in the same year. It is estimated that about 40% of the total population are literate. The University of Nairobi, formerly a constituent College of the University of East Africa, became an autonomous University in July 1970. It has faculties of Arts, Science, Engineering, Law, Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Commerce, Medicine, Education, and Design and Development. Also part of the University are the Institute of Development Studies, the Institute of African Studies and the Institute of Adult Studies. There is also a School of Journalism. There are 3,200 under-graduate students at the University. The Kenya Government's Development Plan, 1970-74, does not envisage any dramatic changes in the scope and execution of health services but rather a general improvement in the standard of services through more effective coordination and consolidation of existing units and a steady increase in facilities, especially in rural and pastoral areas of the country. Work began, however, in 1969 on major extensions to the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. These extensions will provide an additional 1,100 beds and out-patient facilities for an anticipated one million patients per annum. The first phase, to which Britain contributed £1.7 million was completed in May 1972 and includes clinical teaching facilities for the University of Nairobi Medical School. The first graduates, qualified in April 1972. The annual intake is now 100 students. The number of hospital beds in Kenya, including maternity beds, totalled about 15,500 in 1972 and it is expected that this will increase to 16,000 by 1974. Development expenditure on health services over the Plan period is estimated at K£19.6 million and recurrent costs K£43 million. About one third of all hospital beds in Kenya are provided by Mission hospitals. Increasing financial difficulties over the past few years resulted in the Kenya Government providing assistance in the form of grants and professional guidance. Kenya is divided into seven Provinces and the Nairobi Extra Provincial District, comprising Nairobi and its environs. The Provinces are: Central, Coast, North-Eastern; Eastern; Western; Nyanza; and Rift Valley. The racial populations of the Provinces, based on the 1969 census, are: RIFT VALLEY.. 2,179,361 WESTERN The capital of the country is Nairobi with a population of 509,286 (1969 census). The principal cities and towns, with comparative population figures based on the 1962 and 1969 census, and racial population figures (1969) where available, are: African African Asian pean Arab Others Total (1969) 1,675,647 8,310 23,987 413 1,067 28 708 2,090 437 5,677 507 186 2,210,289 1,323,910 2,128 1,347 542 231 40 1,328,298 944,082 804 65 1,907,301 86 311 2,122,045 245,757 TOTAL TOTAL (1962) 266,794 Euro (1969) Africans Asians peans Arabs 509,286 421,079 67,189 19,185 1,071 179,575 247,073 187,147 39,049 4,925 15,863 38,181 47,151 NAIROBI MOMBASA NAKURU KISUMU 23,526 32,431 The main port is Mombasa, which has 14 operational deep-water berths with extensions now under construction. Net registered tonnage in 1969 was 7,583,000 and the port is served by many steamship companies. Other ports of importance to the dhow traffic from India and the Arabian Peninsula are Lamu and Malindi. There is considerable traffic in livestock between Lamu and Mombasa. The Kenya shipping line, Southern Line, operates in East African waters carrying cargo to and from Mombasa, and the recently established East African Shipping Line is at present operating four cargo vessels between Europe and East African ports. The principal international airport is Nairobi (Embakasi) (runway 13,500 feet), 8 miles from Nairobi. Wilson Airport, with a runway length of 4,800 feet, is 3 miles from the city centre and caters for light aircraft and charter operators. Mombasa has an airport 44 miles from the town, with a 6,200 feet runway. The airport at Kisumu is 2 miles from the town, and has 6,000 feet of runway. Extensions are planned to both Nairobi and Mombasa airports. East African Airways Corporation, which has its headquarters in Nairobi, operates both internal and international scheduled flights. Several air charter companies also operate in Kenya. There are about 1,270 miles of railway laid in Kenya with a narrow gauge of 3 ft. 3 in. The railway in Kenya forms part of the East African Railway system. The tonnage of public rail traffic amounted to 5,875,000 in 1970 and 5,448,000 passengers were carried during the same period. No separate figures exist for Kenya. There are about 27,500 miles of roads in Kenya, of which 1,924 miles are bitumen surfaced. Of the remainder, some are only tracks suitable for fourwheel drive traffic. Broadcasting services are provided by the Voice of Kenya which is Government-controlled. Sound broadcasts are made in English, Swahili, 12 African vernaculars, Somali and Hindustani, and are boosted by 28 transmitting stations. TV broadcasting opened in 1962 and coverage extends over a wide belt from Nairobi to as far west as Kisumu. There is also a separate television station operating from Mombasa for the Coast region. The economy of Kenya is essentially agricultural but secondary industry is being encouraged. The principal exports during 1971 were: Coffee (K£19,530,000); tea (K£11,876,000); petroleum products (K£8,868,000); meat and meat preparations (K£3,661,000); pyrethrum extract (K£2,761,000); undressed hides and skins (K£2,442,000); soda ash (K£1,860,000); cement (K£1,566,000); sisal fibre (K£1,515,000); and wattle bark extract (K£1,206,000). Britain is Kenya's major trading partner, taking in 1971 K£14,758,000 (20-2%) of her exports and supplying K£56,249,000 (32-2%) of her imports. Britain's principal imports from Kenya are tea, sisal, coffee, meat preparations, fruit and vegetables; her main exports to Kenya are transport equipment, machinery, metals and chemicals. For the year 1972/73 the Government forecasts a Recurrent Revenue of K£122,595,000 and a Recurrent Expenditure of K£132,225,000, together with a Development Revenue of K£28,646,000 and Development Expenditure of K£69,313,000 (all figures gross.). Details of the National Power Development Plan (1966–1986) have been published, under which electric power potential would rise from 135 MW (1967) to 853 MW. At 1966 prices this will cost some K£170 million of which K£70 million can be attributed to the cost of building generating stations on the Tana River. Kenya's mining industry has not yet been greatly developed. Total production of all minerals in 1969 was valued at K£2-7 million, over half of which is accounted for by soda ash production. Geological exploration is continuing, and deposits of lead, silver, fluorite and rare earths are in the early stages of exploitation. Extensive surveys in the search for oil have taken place, but no ‘strikes' have been announced. At the end of 1969 Kenya's forest land covered 4,152,000 acres, of which the plantation area accounted for 277,000 acres. Exotic softwoods cover 230,000 acres, exotic hardwoods 24,700 acres, indigenous softwoods 12,400 acres and indigenous hardwoods 9,900 acres. A pulp and paper mill is under construction at Broderick Falls in the Western Province. Plantations of softwood species are being developed to support the industry and forest roads are under construction. Tourism is Kenya's fastest growing industry, and is expected to overtake coffee as the country's principal foreign exchange earner. The number of holiday visitors to Kenya totalled over 231,000 in 1970 (a rise of 45,000 on the 1969 total) and receipts from tourism were estimated at about K£16-6 million. The 1970-74 Development Plan anticipates further expenditure on the development of the industry of about £14 m., and hopes that gross foreign exchange earnings will rise to £36.5 m. in 1974. Jamhuri Day, 12th December, celebrates both the attainment of Independence and the adoption of a republican constitution in 1964. Kenyatta Day, 20th October, being the anniversary of the detention of President Kenyatta in 1952, is now a day of celebration and of re-dedication to the service of the nation. Madaraka Day on 1st June is also a public holiday to mark the anniversary of the attainment of internal self-government. 1st May is a holiday celebrating Labour Day, and the Muslim festival of Id-ul-Fitr is also a public holiday. PRE-INDEPENDENCE HISTORY Apart from knowledge of successive tribal migrations, little information is available regarding the early history of Kenya's interior. The coastal area has, |