Kenya Industry Sectors
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Major Kenya Industry Sectors
Kenya’s industry sectors consist of mining, horticulture, tourism, manufacturing, electricity and information technology. Agriculture is the mainstay of the Kenyan economy. It engages more than 75% of the population and contributes almost 21% to the country’s GDP. However, industrial output accounts for only 16% of the national production.[br]
Major Kenya Industry Sectors
Some of the major Kenya industry sectors are:
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Mining: Kenya’s mining sector consists of non-metallic minerals. The country has considerable reserves of industrial minerals, such as soda ash, kaolin, flourspar and gemstones. The mining sector is not fully developed in the country and contributes less than 1% to the GDP. Since 2000, the country has invested in gold mining in the Lake Victoria greenstone belt region. Exploration surveys are being conducted in the south-eastern coast, which is a potential site for metallic mineral ores.
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Oil: Kenya has an underdeveloped upstream oil sector. The government is taking initiatives to foster foreign investment to boost the oil industry. A majority of the petroleum consumed is imported from other African nations. It is the major source of commercial energy, accounting for almost 80% of the gross energy requirements.
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Electricity: Almost 60% of Kenya’s electricity is generated through five hydro-power plants on River Tana. The thermal power plant is located in the capital city of Nairobi. Geo-thermal power is also produced through natural steam, generated from volcanic zones in the Rift Valley. State-owned KenGen is the leading power generation company.
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Tourism: The tourism industry is the leading foreign exchange earner for Kenya. The country has several attractions for tourists such as wild safaris, beach resorts and theme parks.
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Horticulture: Kenya is one of the major producers and exporters of horticultural products in the world. A large part of the production is exported to the EU, duty free.
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ICT: Kenya is one of the fastest growing African nations in terms of the IT sector. The country has several internet service providers. With infrastructural aid from India, e-governance services were launched in 2008.[br]
Owing to trade liberalization policies, Kenya’s industry sectors have witnessed tremendous growth after 2003. However, since 2008, foreign investment is again depleting due to an increase in corruption cases.
