What Are The Main Industries In Kenya?

By Author: Amar Shah
Total Articles: 215
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Kenya is the most industrialised country in East and Central Africa. Other countries in this region have for a long time been looking up to Kenya because of her strong political as well as economic strength.

Agriculture has over the years been the backbone of Kenya's economy. This is the most vibrant of all industries in the country and this country has therefore been the source of many agricultural products for export. This industry is well distributed across the country with different regions favouring the growth of various agricultural products depending mostly on climatic conditions. The Rift Valley is in particular identified with the growth of cereals like maize, wheat and sorghum as well as beef farming and milk production. Other parts of this region are also famous for horticultural products like flowers and fruits which make Kenya a major exporter of these products across the world. The Central region is on the other hand identified with the production of coffee and tea as well as a variety of nuts and fruits. All of the above products are majorly for export as well as for local consumption. Other parts of the ...
... country that are largely involved in major agricultural products include the Western part of Kenya where fishing is the main agricultural activity.

Besides agriculture, tourism is the other main industry in Kenya. Over the years, Kenya has been widely known for her diverse wildlife and cultural activities. This stature was further boosted in the recent past when Kenya was put on the international spotlight for her famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve. This was as a result of the now world renown phenomenon: the wildebeest migration that is witnessed around the months of August and September every year.

This aspect of the Mara has provided a great deal of publicity of not only this reserve but also other reserves, National Parks and the rich cultural experience that keeps visitors flowing to Kenya. One of the most famous of these cultures is that of the Kenya Maasai that has been well embraced by visitors across the world. The intrigue of their high jumping morans and the way they interact with the wildlife is a major attraction.

Besides the Mara, the Kenyan Coast is another major tourist attraction. It has been identified with international celebrities who not only visit regularly but have also gone ahead to buy prestigious homes here where they reside during their visits. Other visitors have an ample variety of world-class hotels to choose from on their visits to the Coast. Most of them are fully booked during the tourism boom periods mostly during winter seasons in the US and Britain.

Having realised the importance of tourism to the economy, the Kenyan Government has been working extremely hard to further promote tourism all over the world.

Another major industry in Kenya is the manufacturing industry. The country is not only involved in the export of raw products but it also has well established processing and manufacturing plants for different products. A number of these industries are for agricultural products mainly meat processing, coffee and tea processing and milk processing among others. A couple of other manufacturing firms have received international acclamation and they include alcohol production and a number of companies that manufacture food products. All of these products are not only for local consumption, but also for export in the East and Central Africa region and beyond.