KINDER MORGAN ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
           EXHIBIT 31.1 - CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-14(A) OR
    15D-14(A) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


   I, Richard D. Kinder, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Kinder Morgan Energy
      Partners, L.P.;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement
      of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
      statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
      were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
      report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this report, fairly present in all material
      respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
      the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.    The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal
      control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
      13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

      a)  designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
          disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
          supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
          registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
          us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in
          which this report is being prepared;

      b)  designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused
          such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under
          our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
          reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial
          statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted
          accounting principles;

      c)  evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
          and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
          effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
          of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

      d)  disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
          control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
          fourth fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably
          likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over
          financial reporting; and

5.    The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
      our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,
      to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's
      board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

      a)  all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
          operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
          reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
          record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

      b)  any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
          employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
          control over financial information.


   Date:  March 4, 2005

                                 /s/ Richard D. Kinder
                                 ------------------------------
                                 Richard D. Kinder
                                 Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President