Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Kenya: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #96 of 195).
Kenya is a presidential republic in Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania. The country's capital is Nairobi; it covers 580,367 sq km. Independence: 12 December 1963 (from the UK). Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west. Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior. Population: 55.8 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +2.15% per year. Median age: 21.5 years. Life expectancy: 70.4 years (2024 est.). Languages: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages Religions: Christian 85.5% (Protestant 33.4%, Catholic 20.6%, Evangelical 20.4%, African Inst…
| Capital | Nairobi |
|---|---|
| Population | 55,751,717 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $328.632 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $5,800 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.5% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 4.5% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% |
| Public debt | 53.2% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $12.626 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $22.046 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 70.4 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 21.5 |
| Urbanization | 29.5% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 12 December 1963 (from the UK) |
| Languages | English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages |
MCB · 48/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A quiet quarter: no major shocks, no breakthroughs. The country's trajectory is set by structural forces larger than any single season.
The honest reading is steadiness — neither crisis nor windfall — with the long currents of demography, trade and institutions deciding more than any three months.
Salt, Zinc, Gypsum, Hydropower.
William Ruto — President. President William RUTO (since 13 September 2022)
Kenya maintains 55 embassies and 7 consulates abroad, hosts 92 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 55 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 7 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 92 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 536 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 368 (registration prefix 5Y) |
| Major seaports | Kilifi, Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa |
| Railways | 3819 km |
| Pipelines | 4 km oil, 1,432 km refined products (2018) |
Eldoret International Airport (EDL) — Eldoret; Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) — Nairobi; Kisumu International Airport (KIS) — Kisumu; Moi International Airport (MBA) — Mombasa; Amboseli Airport (ASV) — Ol Tukai; Malindi International Airport (MYD) — Malindi; Manda Airport (LAU) — Lamu; Mara Serena Lodge Airstrip (MRE) — Serena; Nairobi Wilson Airport (WIL) — Nairobi; Nanyuki Civil Airport (NYK) — Gathiuru.
Showing 10 of 11 major airports.
| LNG import terminals | Mombasa |
|---|
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 48 Ranked #96 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Kenya.
