Government

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western

Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)

Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1997

Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Daniel Emilio Mwai Kibaki (since 29 Dec 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats, 12 appointed by the president, 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 29 December 2003

Electoral Commission Chairman Samuel Kivuitu officially declared National Rainbow Coalition's Emilio Mwai Kibaki Kenya's third President after having a land slide victory over his opponents in the hotly contested election in 2002.

The votes were as follows: Mwai Kibaki votes 3,657,668 - 63%, Uhuru Kenyatta votes 1,747,373 - 31%, Simeon Nyachae votes 323,663 - 6%, Orengo votes 24,665 <1%, Waweru Kangethe votes 9,170 <1%

election results (seats by party): NARC 123, KANU 56, FORD P 13, SAFINA 1, SHIRIKISHO 1, SISI 2, FORD A 1

President-elect Mwai Kibaki held his first post victory press conference with a pledge to embark on the revival of the country's dilapidated economy. He said he would embark on forming a government of national unity in which Cabinet ministers and other government officers were to be given the freedom to fully perform their roles.
The Narc government would also identify priority development projects for implementation, while at regional level, conflict resolution efforts in the Great Lakes Region, Somalia and Sudan would be continued. The Narc government would also pursue efforts to enhance the East African Community.
He thanked Kenyans for voting for Narc, pledging to implement the party manifesto.

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