THE ICT LANDSCAPE IN KENYA
Analysis: National IT strengths and weaknesses.
Telecommunication Infrastructure Regulation & Liberalization
ABOUT KENYA
Kenya is located in East Africa, bordering Ethiopia , Sudan , Uganda and the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania . It has a total area of 582,650 sq km, 13,400 sq km of which is covered by the water bodies.
Population: 34,222,866 (2005 estimate). The population is largely youthful, with 40% being under the age of 15. The population grows at a rate of 1.14%.
Economy
Though Kenya is the regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa , growth has been slowed by corruption and by reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. Agriculture is the dominant economic sector with over 80% of the population dependent on it for their livelihoods. Agriculture contributes over one third of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Agricultural crops include tea, coffee, horticultural products, pyrethrum, pineapples, sisal, tobacco and cotton. Food crops for domestic consumption include maize, beans, cane sugar, wheat, rice, bananas, cassava, potatoes, sorghum, millet, etc. There is also small scale livestock farming. Pastoralist communities include the Maasai, Turkana and Samburu. .
Kenya 's main economic strengths include tourism and agriculture.
Some barriers to development include shortage of electricity,corruption, the foreign debt burden, unstable international commodity prices, poor communication infrastructure and HIV/AIDS, which is having its effect on the most productive group of the population.