Kenya is located on the East Coast of Africa. It lies across the equator and covers an area of 582,646 Km2. It is geo-strategically located at the confluence of the Great Lakes, Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean contiguity, making it a gateway to Africa’s major trading blocs such as the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
It shares a border with Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-east. Kenya also has a maritime border of 536Km along the Indian Ocean.
Kenya, East Africa’s largest and most diversified economy, is experiencing moderate GDP growth estimated at about 4.5% in 2024 with prospects of rebounding to 5% in the coming years as fiscal reforms take effect.
Kenya offers strong advantages to foreign investors, including its strategic location as a regional hub, modern infrastructure, a dynamic digital economy, abundant renewable energy resources, and a broad range of sectors from agriculture to ICT. Investor-friendly policies, tax incentives, and integration within regional markets (East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), African Free Continental Trade Area (AfCFTA) further enhance Kenya’s appeal as a gateway for doing business in Africa.
Kenya is host to the United Nations headquarters in Africa and forms a vibrant community of several UN agencies that include the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) both of which have their headquarters in Nairobi.
Other agencies with regional offices in Nairobi include the FAO, IFAD, ICAO, ILO, IMO, IMF, UNIFEM, UNDP, UNODC, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNICEF, UNPOS, UNPF, UNAIDS, World Bank, WFP, WHO and UNCRD.
Kenya has a population of over 52 million people. Nairobi is the capital city with a population of over 4 million people. Other cities are Mombasa and Kisumu. There are two official languages in Kenya: Kiswahili and English. Kiswahili is also the national language.
Kenya’s climate varies from tropical along the coast to arid in interior. Kenya’s landscape varies from low plains near its coast at the Indian Ocean, to a fertile plateau in west. The country’s interior is dominated by the central highlands with the country’s highest point Mount Kenya at 5,199 m. The highlands are bisected by the Great Rift Valley, a large natural depression that runs through Kenya with a north to south orientation, within the Valley is a chain of volcanoes, some of them are still active.