Kenya Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

East Africa.

Language

Kiswahili is the national language and English is the official language. The terms Swahili and Kiswahili are used interchangeably, though the term Swahili normally refers to the people while Kiswahili refers to the language. There are over 42 ethnic languages spoken, including Kikuyu and Luo.

Area

582,646 sq km (224,961 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 3.

Electricity

220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are UK-type square three-pin.

Population

38.5 million (2008).

Population Density

66 per sq km.

Capital City

Nairobi.

Government

Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1963.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Raila Odinga since 2008.

Head of State

President Emilio Mwai Kibaki since 2002.

Religion

Mostly traditional but there is a sizeable Christian population (both Catholic and Protestant) and the majority of people living along the coast are Muslim.

Recent History

President Mwai Kibaki claimed victory in controversial presidential elections in December 2007. His swearing-in for a second term in office prompted a wave of unrest across the country and 300 people were killed in the bloodshed that followed the polls. Opposition candidate Raila Odinga rejected Kibaki's victory and accused the government of rigging the result. International observers also expressed doubts about the poll, and called for an independent inquiry. After peace negotiations, Odinga was awarded the post of prime minister in a new coalition government between the Party of National Unity (PNU) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +254. International calls can usually be made directly, but in some rural areas, international calls are diverted through the operator. Public telephones, operated by Telkom Kenya (www.telkom.co.ke), work with coins or with phone cards (which may be purchased from post offices or from international call services in major towns); coin-operated phone booths are painted red, card-operated booths are painted blue. Major hotels also offer an international phone service, but they usually charge up to 100% more. In larger towns, private telecommunication centers offer international services. For local calls, it is useful to have plenty of small change available.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. The main network providers are Airtel (www.africa.airtel.com), and Safaricom (www.safaricom.co.ke). Local SIM cards and top-up cards are available to buy everywhere. Wide areas around Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa, as well as the whole coast region, the popular safari parks and the road between Nairobi and Mombasa, have good network coverage. Outside of these areas coverage is limited.

Internet

There are internet cafes in the cities. Even smaller towns have at least one venue, usually on the main street. Almost all post offices now offer at least one terminal for public access. Tourists can also access the internet in many hotels; the more upmarket and business orientated ones have in-room Wi-Fi. Accommodation in parks and reserves generally don't have internet.

Media

Kenya enjoys a more diverse media scene than many other African countries. The print media is dominated by two publishing houses, the Nation Media Group and the Standard Group, which also have broadcasting interests. The main dailies (all published in English) include Daily Nation, The East African Standard and Kenya Times. Newspapers from Tanzania and Uganda are also widely circulated in Kenya. State-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC; www.kbc.co.ke) has TV channels in English and Swahili; Kenya Television Network (www.ktnkenya.tv) is operated by the Standard Group; NTV (www.ntv.co.ke) is a Nairobi-based station operated by the Nation Media Group. Other private channels include Nairobi-based station Citizen TV and Family TV. DSTV (www.dstvafrica.com) is multi-channel international satellite TV found in most hotels.

In Nairobi and Mombasa there is a comprehensive choice of international newspapers and magazines sold in bookshops, airports, hotels and at pavement kiosks. Day-old copies of UK and other European newspapers are available.

Post

Post is efficient and most towns have post offices run by the Postal Corporation of Kenya (www.posta.co.ke). Post boxes are red. Stamps can usually be bought at post offices, stationers, souvenir shops and hotels. Airmail to Western Europe takes around five days, and to the US, 10 days. The service is generally reliable. If you are sending parcels out of the country the contents must be inspected and the parcel wrapped (in brown paper and string) at the post office.Mon-Fri 0800-1700; Sat 0800-1200. Small branches close for an hour at lunchtime.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
12 Dec Independence Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
22 Apr Good Friday
25 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
1 Jun Madaraka Day
31 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
10 Oct Moi Day
20 Oct Kenyatta Day
6 Nov Feast of the Sacrifice
12 Dec Independence Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
6 Apr Good Friday
9 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
1 Jun Madaraka Day
19 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
10 Oct Moi Day
20 Oct Kenyatta Day
25 Oct Feast of the Sacrifice
12 Dec Independence Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day
(a) Holidays falling on a Sunday are observed the following Monday. (b) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Contact Information

British High Commission in Kenya

Upper Hill Road, P.O. Box 30465-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (20) 2844 000.
Website: www.ukinkenya.fco.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs: 0700-1600; Fri: 0700-1300.

Kenya Wildlife Service in Kenya

PO Box 40241-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (020) 600 800.
Website: www.kws.org

Kenya High Commission in the UK

45 Portland Place, London W1B 1AS, UK
Tel: (020) 7636 2371/5.
Website: www.kenyahighcommission.net
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: applications 0930-1200, collections 1400-1530.

Kenya Tourist Board in the UK

c/o Hills Balfour Synergy, Colechurch House, 1 London Bridge Walk, London SEI 2SX, UK
Tel: (020) 7367 0931.
Website: www.magicalkenya.com

Kenya Embassy in the USA

2249 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 387 6101.
Website: www.kenyaembassy.com