Claim: The Nile drains through a forest.

Kenya -LRB- -LSB- ˈkɛnjə -RSB- -LSB- ˈkɛɲa -RSB- -RRB- , officially the Republic of Kenya , is a country in Africa and a founding member of the East African Community -LRB- EAC -RRB- . Its capital and largest city is Nairobi . Kenya 's territory lies on the equator and overlies the East African Rift covering a diverse and expansive terrain that extends roughly from Lake Victoria to Lake Turkana -LRB- formerly called Lake Rudolf -RRB- and further south-east to the Indian Ocean . It is bordered by Tanzania to the south and southwest , Uganda to the west , South Sudan to the north-west , Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-east . Kenya covers 581309 km2 , and had a population of approximately 48 million people in January 2017 .   Kenya has a warm and humid tropical climate on its Indian Ocean coastline . The climate is cooler in the savannah grasslands around the capital city , Nairobi , and especially closer to Mount Kenya , which has snow permanently on its peaks . Further inland are highlands in Central and Rift Valley regions where tea and coffee are grown as cash crops which are major foreign revenue earners . In the West are Nyanza and Western regions , there is an equatorial , hot and dry climate which becomes humid around Lake Victoria , the largest tropical fresh-water lake in the world . This gives way to temperate and forested hilly areas in the neighbouring western region . The north-eastern regions along the border with Somalia and Ethiopia are arid and semi-arid areas with near-desert landscapes . Kenya is known for its world class athletes in track and field and rugby . Thanks to its diverse climate and geography , expansive wildlife reserves and national parks such as the East and West Tsavo National Park , Amboseli National Park , Maasai Mara , Lake Nakuru National Park , Aberdares National Park and white sand beaches at the Coastal region , Kenya is home to the modern safari and has several world heritage sites such as Lamu and numerous beaches , including in Diani , Bamburi and Kilifi , where international yachting competitions are held every year .   The African Great Lakes region , which Kenya is a part of , has been inhabited by humans since the Lower Paleolithic period . By the first millennium AD , the Bantu expansion had reached the area from West-Central Africa . The borders of the modern state consequently comprise the crossroads of the Niger-Congo , Nilo-Saharan and Afroasiatic areas of the continent , representing most major ethnolinguistic groups found in Africa . Bantu and Nilotic populations together constitute around 97 % of the nation 's residents . European and Arab presence in coastal Mombasa dates to the Early Modern period ; European exploration of the interior began in the 19th century . The British Empire established the East Africa Protectorate in 1895 , which starting in 1920 gave way to the Kenya Colony . Kenya obtained independence in December 1963 . Following a referendum in August 2010 and adoption of a new constitution , Kenya is now divided into 47 semi-autonomous counties , governed by elected governors .   The capital , Nairobi , is a regional commercial hub . The economy of Kenya is the largest by GDP in East and Central Africa . Agriculture is a major employer ; the country traditionally exports tea and coffee and has more recently begun to export fresh flowers to Europe . The service industry is also a major economic driver . Additionally , Kenya is a member of the East African Community trading bloc .