Facts About Kenya

I've been doing a lot of research to prepare for this trip and to prepare for the stories I hope to write. And I thought I would share some of the most interesting facts with you.

*Kenya straddles the equator.

*Nairobi's population is 3 million while Kenya's population sits at 30 million.

*46% of the country's population lives below the poverty line.

*The population growth rate has slowed due to HIV/AIDS which now infects 15% of adults in Kenya.

*The standard of living fell drastically from 2002 to 2005. In the UN's 2005 Human Development Report Kenya was ranked at 154 of 177 countries, a drop of 20 places form the previous report in 2002.

*Life expectancy is 52 years although some say it's closer to 47 due to HIV/AIDS.

*Only 42% of the population has access to clean drinking water.

*33% of the population lives in urban areas.

*There are 70 tribes in Kenya. The Kikuyu tribe is the biggest with 20% of the population.

*Most Kenyans are Christian although there is a large number of Muslims and Animists. Animists employ witchdoctors and soothsayers to act as intermediaries with the spirit world.

*The Maasai tribe is the symbol of "tribal" Kenya. Their land, the Maasai Mara, is where most of the safaris in Kenya visit. The Maasai people have a strong taboo against "piercing the soil" so they traditionally leave the dead to be consumed by wild animals. Blood and milk are the mainstay of the Maasai diet. They also drink mursik, which is made from milk fermented with cow's urine and ashes, and has even been shown to lower cholesterol. In the Maasai tribe, males at age 14 are required to leave the village with their livestock camp for 8 years and live alone before returning to the village to marry. Men typically dye their hair red with ochre and fat. Also in the Maasai tribe and a few other tribes in Kenya, female genital mutilation is common despite it being illegal in Kenya.

*The movie Constant Gardener was shot in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, which is the largest slum in Africa. The movie was based off the John Le Carre best selling novel. The book was banned in Kenya because it depicts corrupt Kenyan officials but the director, Fernando Meirrelles, talked the local authorities into allowing the film to be shot in Kibera.

*The black rhino is Kenya's most endangered species. It is hunted for its black horn. Elephants aren't technically endangered but are still a target for poachers. About 28,000 elephants are killed each year in Kenya.

*Literacy rates are around 85% and are considered higher than in any of the country's neighbors. The motivation to get education is huge here although education isn't compulsory. As you walk down any street in Nairobi, you see kids in uniforms everywhere since both public and private school kids wear uniforms. Primary school is free and 7.5 million children are currently enrolled in the program. However, there are still 1 million kids not in school due to a lack of teachers, school buildings, etc. Secondary school is not free but the current president and the presidential candidates are promising secondary education to be free if elected in the upcoming December election.

*When you order a beer or a soda here, you're asked if you would like it warm or cold. I've learned that most Kenyans prefer their beer to be served warm- meaning at room temperature.