Kenya is a beautiful country that is home to over 40 ethnic communities. Despite being the most popular safari destination in the world, there are many other interesting facts about Kenya.
Kenya is one of the most adored African countries, thanks to its unique people, culture, climate and history. A former British colony, it attained its independence in 1963 and became a republic the subsequent under the leadership of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta as its first prime minister.
Most Kenyans work in Agricultural related sectors although Kenya is one of the most developed African countries. Kenya’s climate ranges from Equatorial, tropical on the coast to very hot and arid in its interior.
Each year, thousands of people visit Kenya to see the wonderful wildlife and nature that the country has to offer. It is a great place to visit and to see wildlife.
Here is a List of interesting facts about Kenya
This is a list of interesting facts about Kenya that you probably have not heard or did not know ENJOY!!
- Kenya is one of the most developed African countries with a nominal GDP of $41.115 billion.
- Kenya is the world leader in Mobile money technologies and other fintech firms with the most famous product being M-Pesa
- Kenya’s economy is mainly driven by a liberal market that is not highly regulated by the government. The major role that the government plays is controlling the price of commodities.
- Apart from banking, Telecommunication is one of the largest industries in Kenya that contributes to over 60% of the GDP.
- 75% of Kenyans life off agriculture and agricultural related industries
- Kenya was a British protectorate run by a prime minister until 1963 when the country was declared independent.
Read Also: What is Kenya Known for?
Kenyans are Great People
- Kenya has produced some of the best talents and professionals to the world including the former US president Barrack Obama.Yes, Barrack Obama brought attention to Kenya when he was POTUS. He was the first sitting American President to visit Kenya. Since his Visit, other high profile guests have visited Kenya and brought with them a fair share of attention to the country.Important to remember, Barrack Obama has his origins in Kenya since his father was Kenyan. Since the revelation, almost all Americans knew there’s a city in Africa named Kenya. Haha. It’s a country in Africa guys.
- Kenya is also known for its athletes who often scoop all the medals in running sports. The new marathon world record was set by a Kenyan who broke a record that had been set by another Kenyan.
- Kenya produces the world’s finest coffee and Tea. Kenya’s coffee is the most expensive in England while in the US, Chai tea is the most common tea mainly imported from Kenya.
- Kenya entered the class of oil-producing countries although its oil production is still low but is expected to be a major industry in years to come.
- The main imports to Kenya include machinery, vehicles, and plastics
- Kenya is the most developed country in East and Central Africa where its capital city Nairobi is regarded as the silicon savannah of Africa due to the inventions that come from the city.
- English and Swahili are the official languages used in Kenya. Kenya is among the Swahili speaking nation, a tongue that is spoken by over 400 million Africans
Experience Kenyan wildlife
- Kenya is home to the big five including; Lions, leopards, elephants and buffalos. Tourists can enjoy watching these animals from close proximity in National parks best in Kenya than in any other place on the continent. For this reason, many tourists visit the country to go on safaris and watch the animals.
Related: List of National Parks in Kenya
- The country name “Kenya” is derived from Mt. Kenya which is the highest point in Kenya and the Dwelling place of God.
- The gap between the rich and the poor is distinct where the poor are very poor and the rich are very rich. Over half of the Kenyan population ravish in poverty. However, Kenya has a thrivi9ng middle class that sustains the economy through their hard work.
- Tourism in Kenya is a huge industry and the second foreign exchange earner. Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock the country to experience the nature, people and wildlife.
Kenyan Coffee is the best
- While Coffee is the most popular beverage in Europe and America, the most popular beverage in Kenya is Tea.
- Kenyans love to consume their beverages and food when very hot or warm. They hate cold stuff.
- Kenya is one of the countries that feature the Rift Valley. The valley is thought to have formed over 20 million years ago due to a split of the earth’s crust.
- Kenya has a new constitution that split the country into 47 counties
- Dowries are still traditional in Kenya. The groom’s parents must pay a dowry to the bride’s family otherwise their son will not be able to wed his bride. Dowries are paid in form of cattle.
- Most homes in Kenya sleep under a mosquito net to avoid being infected with malaria and other diseases that are spread by mosquitos.
- Kenya was under the British rule for close to 100 years
Floods in Kenya
- Kenya experiences two seasons. During the rainy season, people suffer from tragic flash floods that cause destruction and loss of life while during the dry season, people and animals suffer from draught that lead to death of animals and people.
- Kenya is known as the country of languages because it is home to over 40 ethnic groups that live in peace under one rule.
- Kenya is among the few countries in the world that offer free primary education to improve the level of literacy in the country.
- Kenyans pass their culture, message, and woes from one generation to another or from the people to the government through sons and spoken word.
- Kenya is home to the oldest fossils ever found which compels scientists to think that Kenya is the cradle of mankind.
- Nairobi is a high Altitude city and is close to the equator which dissects the country into two halves.
Read Also: Kenyan Tourism Facts and Figures
- Wangari Maathai was the first female Nobel Prize winner in 2004 and as you guessed, yes she was from Kenya.
- There are more Christians in Kenya than other religions.
- Kenya uses a currency called shilling. $1 is an equivalent of Ksh 100
- Kenya is home to some of the most breathtaking waterfalls including Thompson fall and the fourteen falls in Thika which is one of the steepest falls you can find anywhere.
- The Kenyan population is rapidly growing because of the high birthrate against the low mortality rate.
- Kenya offers refuge to thousands of refugees from neighboring countries escaping violence in their countries.
Kenyan Diet
- Ugali is the staple food in Kenya and is served more than twice every week on most Kenyan tables.
- There is no government-run public transportation system in Kenya. Public transport is mainly run by the private sector while the government runs major carriers like the airlines and the railway systems.
- 98% of the Kenyan population is made up of black Africans.
- Kenyans drive on the left side of the road
- Kenyan Matatus “public transport” is a work of Art
- The last volcano to erupt in Kenya did so in 1922 but there are various active volcanos in the country like menengai crater that is responsible for the hot springs in Lake Bogoria.
- That is it with the list of interesting facts about Kenya. Do you have any other fact we can add to this list? Comment and share with us.
Interesting Facts about Kenya
Kenyan Athletes
This is a no-brainer. For any athletics and sports lover, Kenya is a common name, especially on the tracks. Our runners have definitely done a great deal of lifting the Kenyan flag on a global platform. Every time there is a marathon, the Kenyan flag keeps soaring higher and higher and the Kenyan name keeps shinning.
The Kenyan Rugby team is also one of the best teams in the world which has also brought attention to our country not mentioning some of the best footballers like Victor Wanyama.
Wildlife and nature
Most foreigners who have been to Africa and Kenya to be specific have the Kenyan experience close to their hearts. Kenya is one of the best places to visit for nature lovers. As a country, Kenya has many national parks, lakes and game reserves where people can view wildlife in a way no other country can offer.
Other tourist attractions include the culture of different communities in Kenya and Mount Kenya which is the second highest point in Africa, beaches and the general landscape and climate of Kenya.
Read Also: Kenyan Tourist Attractions
One of the most documented phenomena called the great crossing also happens in Kenya which commands the attention of the world. The great wildebeest migration happens in Maasai Mara national park and has been documented as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Kenyan Agricultural Products
Kenya is one of the few countries that benefit from equatorial and tropical climates making it a versatile agricultural productive haven. Kenya has been home to the world’s best coffee and tea for ages now. According to experts who taste coffee, no coffee matches the richness of Kenyan highland Arabica coffee.
Still Kenyan produced tea is the most expensive tea sold in England. It is this sense of quality that keeps reminding buyers about Kenyan goodness since coffee is the second most traded commodity after Oil and gas.
Kenyans on Twitter
Prior to the visit of President Barrack Obama to Kenya, a CNN reporter referred to Kenya as a hotbed of terror. This was a statement that was not welcomed by Kenyan on twitter. KOT went wild and demanded an apology from CNN for portraying a peaceful country as a war zone.
This is one of the few times that Twitter was literally on fire and almost crashed. The following morning, CNN sent their president to Kenya to make an apology for their remarks. This incidence caught the attention of many people across the world as Kenyans fought to restore their tainted image.
Read Also: Best Beaches in Kenya
Kenya is the Cradle of Mankind
There are over 1000 human fossils excavated in Kenya which is more than any other excavation sites in the world. What’s more, the fossils are also the oldest some of them dating more than 7 million years.
The archeological sites are located in Turkana, Turgen hills and Baringo. Kenya has some of the most complete skeletons e.g Turkana Boy (1.6 Million years), which provided a great wealth of information regarding early human physiology than anywhere in the world.
In addition to the fossil record, there is a long record of technological evolution (with tools as old as 2.3 million years). It is for this reason that Wakanda kingdom from Black Panther is located in Kenya.
The Rift Valley
The rift valley is the deepest geographical fault in the world and a generous portion of it cuts across Kenya from top to bottom. The rift valley is 6300 Km long and is a very famous tourist attraction.
It harbors many lakes some of which are alkaline due to volcanic activity like Lake Nakuru and lake Magandi. The rift valley is the most visible geographical fault on the face of the planet from space and Kenya can be proudly associated with it.
Queen Elizabeth
On 6th February 1952, the then King of England King George died. During that time, Princess Elizabeth was on a visit to Kenya with Prince Philip at Treetops Hotel. After the death of King George, Queen Elizabeth rose to power and became the leader of Commonwealth while in Kenya.
Fatal Terror Attacks
Remember when I said that Kenya is known for all sorts of reasons? Kenya is also known for some of the most fatal terror attacks. Since Kenya is more developed than other African countries, terrorists take advantage of that to get the attention of the world.
It all started in 1997 when the American embassy was bombed followed by the American 911 tragedy. Some of the most recent terror attacks were the Westgate mall attack that caught the attention of the world followed by Garissa University terror attack.
M-Pesa and other Innovations
What is the silicon Savannah of Africa? Kenya of course. Kenya is a leader when it comes to innovation especially in the Fintech industry. M-Pesa is one of the most successful mobile money transfer systems in the world.
Any country trying to invent their system such as this comes to benchmark in Kenya to get a better understanding of how mobile money works. M-Pesa has revolutionized the Kenyan economy, people’s lives, businesses and most recently attracted the attention of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
What is Kenya known for? Have we answered your Question? These are some of the things Kenya is known for. Feel free to comment on other things you believe have made Kenya famous.
What do you have to say about the interesting facts about Kenya?
What is Kenya Known for? Well, I would answer this by saying that Kenya is known for all sort of reasons. However, this is one question that is both interesting and confusing at the same time.
Kenya is not the best country on the African continent but somehow, it manages to be one of the most popular African countries in the world. It is in the top 5 most popular African countries which beg one to wonder; what is Kenya known for!
Different people around the world know Kenya for various reasons. And as a Kenyan, I am among the people wondering why our country is among the most famous African countries. This set me on a spree to explore the reasons why Kenya is so exposed to the world.
