Kenya

American  

[ken-yuh, keen-] / ˈkɛn yə, ˈkin- /

noun

1. a republic in E Africa: member of the Commonwealth of Nations; formerly a British crown colony and protectorate. 223,478 sq. mi. (578,808 sq. km). Nairobi.

2. Mount, an extinct volcano in central Kenya. 17,040 feet (5,194 meters).

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Kenya British  

/ ˈkɛnjə, ˈkiːnjə /

noun

1. a republic in E Africa, on the Indian Ocean: became a British protectorate in 1895 and a colony in 1920; gained independence in 1963 and is a member of the Commonwealth. Tea and coffee constitute about a third of the total exports. Official languages: Swahili and English. Religions: Christian majority, animist minority. Currency: shilling. Capital: Nairobi. Pop: 44 037 656 (2013 est). Area: 582 647 sq km (224 960 sq miles)

2. Local name: Kirinyaga.  an extinct volcano in central Kenya: the second highest mountain in Africa; girth at 2400 m (8000 ft) is about 150 km (95 miles). The regions above 3200 m (10 500 ft) constitute Mount Kenya National Park . Height: 5199 m (17 058 ft)

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Kenya Cultural  

1. Republic in eastern Africa bordered by Sudan and Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, Tanzania to the southwest, and Uganda to the west. Its capital and largest city is Nairobi.

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Discover More

The Great Rift Valley in Kenya is the site of some major archaeological discoveries, including remains of the earliest known humans.

Other Word Forms

• Kenyan adjective

Example Sentences

Kenya is reportedly experiencing retail fuel shortages, and greater Africa could see up to 250,000 barrels per day of demand losses in April.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

The World Anti-Doping Agency said in October that Kenya had made “significant” progress in tackling doping but the country remains on probation while it seeks to improve its monitoring.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Similar global events spanned 16 countries including Mexico, the Caribbean, Ecuador, Kenya, Australia and most of Europe.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

After stalling for weeks, the DEA arranged for the Colombian posing as an ELN interlocutor to meet Kassis in Kenya to inspect the weapons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

One of my dad’s doctors was from Kenya, and he became a friend to our family.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana