Karibu Kenya

            
             That is a word that many a visitor will hear as soon as they arrive in Kenya. Kenya, the land of great sceneric beauty and friendly people, lies in the eastern part of Africa. It borders Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia and Tanzania. It also borders the Indian ocean and Lake Victoria. It is with Tanzania and Uganda that Kenya formed the East African community .
             The main features of Kenya are: its economy, its agriculture, its people, and its social activities. I will take you through some of the features that make Kenya what it is today. .
             Kenya's economy is heavily dependent on agriculture. 75% of Kenyans make their living from farming, producing both for local consumption and for export. Though its population is high in proportion to its area, Kenya is counted among Africa countries whose food production has kept pace with its population growth. Only in 1984, a year of drought, was a deficit in food production registered. Agriculture, when defined so as to include fishing, forestry and ranching, made up about 30% of GDP and 19% of wage employment in the formal sector in 1996. It is estimated that agriculture's share of informal-sector jobs is even higher, although data is unavailable. Agriculture brings in over 6% of foreign exchange earnings and provides raw materials for Kenya's agro-industries, which account for about 70% of all its industrial production. Over 50% of export revenue continues to be derived from primary products, notably tea, coffee, sisal, pyrethrum, sugar cane, wheat, and cotton. .
             Only 15% of Kenya's total land area is sufficiently fertile to be farmed, and only 7% can be classified as first class land. Most of the northern region is semi-arid. As the desert encroaches from the north, pressure is mounting for Kenya to implement reforestation plans and to maximize productivity in existing farms. .
             There have been a number of significant changes in government policies governing land ownership since independence that have affected agriculture.