About Kenya
Kenya is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator. It has a land area of 580,000 km2 and a population of nearly 41 million (by 2010), representing 42 different peoples and cultures. The country is named after Mount Kenya, a significant landmark and second among Africa's highest mountain peaks. Neighbouring Kenya is the Indian Ocean to its south-east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-east.
Kenya's capital city, Nairobi, is situated next to a national park. The country is famous for its safaris and diverse world-famous wildlife reserves such as Nairobi National Park, Tsavo National Park, the Maasai Mara, Nakuru National Park, and Aberdares National Park that attract tourists from all over the world. |
View Larger Map |
Keeping informed
Always find out the location of your country Embassy or High Commission. It is also advisable to give them an itinerary of your travel plans. That way, your embassy will be able to contact you when necessary as well as keep you informed on what is going on in your country of origin and the rest of the world.
Vaccines
Kenya is a tropical country and has a number of tropical illnesses. Always be sure to find out all the necessary vaccines that you will need to take before you leave your country. Make sure you have vaccines for polio, yellow fever, meningitis, hepatitis, typhoid and malaria.
Climate
Being a tropical country, the climate in Kenya is generally very pleasant. The coastal region as well as the lake region is usually hot and humid. The rift valley and central highlands are cooler with heavy winds most of the time. Temperatures range from 17-30 degrees centigrade in most parts of the country. Click here to view weather forecast in Kenya.
Travel Insurance
Before leaving your country of origin, be sure to get insured for your luggage, health and travel. This will ensure that you do not get stranded in the case that anything should happen, such as losing your luggage.
Food & Drink
There are very many types of eateries in Kenya, to suit every need and pocket. It is advisable to eat only from places, which are presentable and adhere to general hygiene standards. Ensure that your foods are well cooked as well, to minimize chances of food poisoning. Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching any food. Also ensure that your fruits and vegetables are thoroughly cleaned before you eat them. Nairobi tap water is generally considered fit for human consumption. However, It is advisable to drink only bottled water bought from reliable retailers.
Money
The national currency in Kenya is the Kenya shilling. It is found in coins of 5, 10, 20 and 40 shilling denominations, as well as notes of 50, 100, 200,500, 1,000 denominations. To get Kenyan shillings, it is advisable to make the exchanges in registered foreign exchange bureaus that are available everywhere.
In certain places such as hotels and certain touristic sites, you might be able to use US dollars to make payments. Credit cards are also acceptable in several retail places to make payments.
Language
English is the official language in Kenya. Everybody who has been to school speaks it as it is the teaching language in all educational institutes in the country.
Kiswahili, is also taught in the first 8 years of school and is the national language, that unites all of the Kenyans.
There are over 42 tribes in Kenya, each of which have their own tribal language. They originated from three main groups - Bantus, such as the Kikuyu, Kamba, Kisii, Embu, Meru, Luyhia, Mijikenda, Pokomo and Swahili; Cushites such as the Somali, Boran, Orma, and Boni; and Nilotes such as Maasai, Samburu, Luo, Teso, Kalenjin, Kipsigis and Pokot. Some of the most common ones are Kamba, Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Masai, Luo, Meru, Embu.
Sheng is another language result of the combination of English, Kiswahili and Bantu tribal languages, this language primarily was used by the urban youths, nowadays it has spread across social classes, it is hard to differentiate from Kiswahili without knowing the language.
|
|
|
|
