kenya

• country in eastern africa
the republic of kenya is a country in eastern africa. it became a british colony in the 19th century. the mau mau rising, a kikuyu independence movement which aimed to expel european settlers from kenya, occurred from 1952 to 1956. kenya became independent in 1963. jomo kenyatta, of the kenya african national union (kanu), was the first president and ruled until his death in 1978. kanu was the sole legal party from 1969 until 1991, when political parties were legalized. daniel t arap moi succeeded kenyatta as president in 1978. conflict between kikuyu and masai in the rift valley increased in the early 1990s. kenya is a member of the commonwealth and the organization of african unity. it exports coffee and tea. cannabis is illegally produced. tourism is an important industry. large foreign debts and high inflation are major economic problems.