Kenya

The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Ethiopia borders Kenya to the north. Kenya is bordered by Somalia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west. On the Southeast is the Indian Ocean.

Mount Kenya is the highest point in this country. It is a wonderful place to see a great country. It really is the second highest mountain peak in Africa. Kenyans have much to be proud of, including a history of great cultures. This area was a trading center. And it still is a nature center. There are many acres of wildlife habitat where you can see native animals of Africa, especially lions, leopards, and elephants.

Part of their history was a time of problems. At some times, other countries attacked to take over the country. There was much fighting. Kenya was made a British colony. That meant that Kenyans did not rule their own land.

The native people of Kenya believed in independence. They did not want to be a colony. It took years, but they got their land back. Kenya became independent in 1963, and the Kenyan people declared not only their independence but formed a country. They took the name Kenya as the name of their country.

Kenya has a long history, and people lived there for thousands of years before the British took over. If you go to a museum in Kenya, you will see objects that people made hundreds of years ago. You will see that there were great leaders in the past. You will find that there are several different cultures within this one country.

Today Kenya’s economy relies on tourism and agriculture. The country exports many food products. Kenya has some of the most beautiful game parks and national parks on the continent. People come to see the animals living as they have lived for centuries.

There are different groups of people in Kenya. It was not one country before it became a colony. Different groups lived in different places and had their own languages and ways of living. After independence, they joined together in one country, but they still have differences.

The Kikuyu are one group in Kenya. They have lived there for centuries. When the area became a colony, one of the Kikuyu leaders helped bring about progress. That leader was named Jomo Kenyatta. He would become the first president of Kenya. Another Kikuyu has been a world leader. She is Wangari Maathai. She won the Nobel Peace Prize for her accomplishments to help people work together for progress.

There are other culture groups within Kenya. While they are from the same region they have different histories. Each has its own traditions. Traditions should be respected. While most people in Kenya speak and write in English because of the colonial years, each culture has its own language and history. There still are problems having a united country.

In 2008, all the people of Kenya joined together in pride. That was the year that the son of a Kenyan was elected the President of the United States. Barack Obama’s family includes people living in Kenya today as well as in the United States. We now have a very special connection to this great African country.