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Kenya

The Kenyan Meteorological service, www.meteo.go.ke, is currently one of the groups in the process of digitizing their upper air data.

When Martin Munkhondya visited the Kenya office to train its staff, he was kind enough to take some photos of the people involved with the project. Thanks Martin! Here are several recent photos of the people involved with the data rescue project.

The team members of Kenya Upper Air Data Rescue Project. [TOP] Front row, left to right: Mr. S. Mbugua, Mr. P. Nzioka, Mr. W. Nganyi, Mr. J. Maina, Mr. J.M. Kimani, Mr. D. Gikungu. The man standing behind Mr. W. Nganyi was not identified. [BOTTOM, left to right] Mr. David Gikungu, team leader; Mr. J.G. Wairoto, Deputy Director; Mr. J.M. Kimani and M. Mukhondya.

Population: 37,953,840

Capital: Nairobi

Ethnic groups: Kikuyu, Luhya, Luo, Kalenjin, Kamba, Kisii, Meru, other African, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab)

Language: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages

Religion: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Muslim, indigenous beliefs, other

Median age: 18.6 years

Life expectancy: 56.64 years

GDP per capita: $1,800/year

Refugees: 173,702 (Somalia); 73,004 (Sudan); 16,428 (Ethiopia)

Industries: Small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, clothing, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, horticulture, oil refining; aluminum, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair, and tourism

Economy: Kenya has been hampered by corruption and reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. In 1997, the IMF suspended Kenya’s Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the government’s failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya’s problems, causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output. As a result, GDP contracted by 0.2% in 2000. The IMF, which had resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low investment limited Kenya’s economic growth to 1.2%. Growth lagged at 1.1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence, meager donor support, and political infighting up to the elections.

Reference: CIA World Factbook: Kenya