Defining the Kenyan elite

First of all, I would define the elite as a special group that doesn't mingle with the masses. Wealth and power are the main things that define the elite class. In Kenya, these are the high-powered govt. officials and also all the superwealthy families.(How they got their fortunes is a whole other topic). The truly wealthy do not have to work for an income aka old money--I won't be talking much about them.
There's also an academic elite class. These days, going to university and pursuing a post-grad education is becoming more mainstream, but in our parents' time those who went to grad school are part of an elite class. They are defined not just by their academic degrees, but also by other professional credentials and their involvement in academia & research. They send their children to the best schools they can and expose themselves to various cultures, music, arts, foreign languages, travel..etc
I think it's possible to belong to either one or both of the groups above. But there are things that each group is constantly pursuing. For example, the are the wealthy elite (corrupt govt. leaders or business people whatever) who suddenly have a lot of money then realize that they cannot continue hanging out @ Mama opiyo's local nyama choma joint on weekends and their new S-class Mercs stand out whenever they go shopping at the kiosk next door. They realize that people in their economic bracket spend their weekends at the local country club golfing and eating nyama choma roasted by a professional chef. Woe unto those whose jobs require attending social functions frequented by international leaders, expats, and top intellectual minds. They realize that money does NOT buy class--it takes some investment to polish the rough edges and become knowledgeable about arts/music/travel....
On the other hand, most members of the academic elite don't have enormous amounts of disposable cash; they also don't command armies of thugs, oops! I meant 'security detail' ready to do their bidding; when they go on their well-deserved holiday, they don't hop on the private jet or drive a fleet of BMWs. Unlike their counterparts above, they can usually define morality and ethics although they may not apply them to everyday life. For example, they may be involved in legal matters and suddenly realize that nobody cares that they authored a paper nominated for a Pulitzer.
The bottom line is that each group wants something that other group possesses. So they cannot survive without each other.