The Kenya Government

Kenya's central government is structured through the Constitution. Wielding all administrative and policy-making powers, the central government consists of three branches: Executive, Parliament and Judiciary. These branches enact the laws and policies that govern the country.

Since the Kenya government restructured itself under a multi-party democracy, the country has experienced rising economical, political and social success. The 2002 elections marked a significant change in the Government of Kenya.

The Three Branches of Kenya's Central Government

Executive

Comprised of the president, vice-president, attorney general and 30 cabinet ministers.

Parliament

Includes the speaker of the house, deputy speaker, 210 elected members of Parliament (MPs) and 12 nominated MPs.

Judiciary

The chief justice presides over the High Court of the judicial branch, with other High Court judges. These positions are appointed by the president, as are the judges of Kenya's Court of Appeal.

Achievements of the 2002-2007 Kenya Government

President Kibaki took office in December 2002 following general elections that ended the Kenyan African National Union party's 39 year reign. He was a member of the National Rainbow Coalition party at the time. Prior to December 2002, the Kenyan economy was performing poorly, with economic growth below one percent. Statistics across many areas were under par, such as low school enrolment, limited access to heath care and high unemployment levels. Several corruption charges against high-ranking officials resulted in Kenya being ranked on Transparency International's list of the world's most corrupt countries.

President Kibaki was elected on the ticket of the NARC, pledging to generate economic growth, improve and expand education, combat corruption, address heath care issues and rewrite Kenya's Constitution. Under President Kibaki, the government has had remarkable success in improving the living conditions of citizens. Some of the administration's achievements include:

Greater access to education - The government introduced free primary school education, making education accessible to all Kenyan children. School enrolment levels have increased greatly and senior citizens are even given the opportunity to enroll to increase their literacy. In fact, at the age of 84, Mzee Kimani Maruge, one of Kenya's seniors, was officially named the oldest person to begin primary school, according to the Guinness World Records.

Better and more accessible health care - The Kenyan government now provides free drugs for treatment and management of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB). It has also improved the standard of health services in all public hospitals.

Economic growth - Kenya's economic growth has risen from less than one percent in 2002 to 6.1 percent in 2006. The government is also making efforts to revive many local public industries that had collapsed or were on the verge of collapsing. These include the Kenya Meat Commission and Rivatex Textile Mills.

Improved living conditions in rural areas - As a result of the government's rural electrification program, many rural areas are now supplied with electricity. The introduction of devolved funds, such as the constituency development funds (CDF) and local authority transfer funds (LATF), has led to improved rural road infrastructure and better social services. The government has also worked to provide clean piped water to many rural areas.

Provincial Administration

The Provincial Administration is a department of the central government, falling under the Office of the President. The Provincial Administration system divides Kenya into eight administrative provinces: Coast, Eastern, Central, Nairobi, Rift-Valley, North-Eastern, Nyanza, and Western. Each province is sub-divided into districts, districts into divisions, and divisions into locations and sub-locations. A provincial commissioner heads each province and is appointed by the president. The district administrative head is the district commissioner.

Kenyan laws establish four classes of local authorities: City, Municipal, Town and County Councils. The first three are all urban authorities, while county councils are rural. The local authorities are divided into several wards, depending on the population and geographical area. In the general elections held every five years, each ward elects one councilor to the local authority. The councilors then elect one member for the position of mayor (for the urban authorities) or chairperson (for county councils). A portion of the local authorities' revenue comes from local levies and local business licensing fees. The local authorities also receive allocations from the central government.

Extra Resources about Kenya

Kenya's flag and national anthem - the symbols of nationhood

The Constitution of Kenya: What does it say? How does it govern the country and its citizens?

The population of Kenya

Find books about Kenya, including books by Kenyan authors, or about Kenya's culture, religion and more