Kenya
Kenya lies across the equator in east-central Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is
twice the size of Nevada. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Tanzania to
the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. In the north, the land is arid; the
southwest corner is in the fertile Lake Victoria Basin; and a length of the eastern depression of
the Great Rift Valley separates western highlands from those that rise from the lowland coastal
strip.
Government - Republic.
History
Paleontologists believe people may first have inhabited Kenya about 2 million years ago. In the
700s, Arab seafarers established settlements along the coast, and the Portuguese took control
of the area in the early 1500s. More than 40 ethnic groups reside in Kenya. Its largest group,
the Kikuyu, migrated to the region at the beginning of the 18th century.
The land became a British protectorate in 1890 and a Crown colony in 1920, called British East
Africa. Nationalist stirrings began in the 1940s, and in 1952 the Mau Mau movement, made up of
Kikuyu militants, rebelled against the government. The fighting lasted until 1956.
Land area: 219,788 sq mi (569,251 sq km); total area: 224,961 sq mi (582,650 sq km)
Population (2014 est.): 45,010,056 (growth rate: 2.11%); birth rate: 28.27/1000; infant
mortality rate: 40.71/1000; life expectancy: 63.52
Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Nairobi, 3.363 million
Other large city: Mombasa, 972,000
Monetary unit: Kenya shilling
Culture
The country has at least 40 different ethnic African groups (including the Kikuyu, Luhya,
Kalenjin tribes, Luo, Kamba, Somali, Kisii, Meru & Embu, Mijikenda, Turkana and Maasai) who
speak a variety of mother tongues.
The different languages in Kenya fall into three categories – Bantu (Niger-Congo) languages
which are spoken by around 65% of people, the Nilo-Saharan group of languages spoken among
another third of the population and the Cushitic language, an Afro-Asian tongue spoken in the
north by around 3% of the population.
Added to this mixture, Kenya is also home to large populations of Europeans, Arabs, Indians and
Pakistanis, many of whom came to the country in the 19th century.
The most widely spoken language – Swahili – is essentially Bantu infused with Arabic, Asian and
European elements. Swahili is used as the national language of Kenya along with English, the
official language.
Native African culture has been diluted in many parts of Kenya by outside influences. So for
example, Kenya’s music is often a mixture of African, Indian, European and American styles.
Many Kenyan communities have also adopted westernised or Islamic forms of dress, with their
original tribal clothes, jewellery, body ornamentation and weaponry kept for special occasions or
celebrations.
However, in certain parts of Kenya, particularly across the more arid and inaccessible north,
communities retain their traditional culture and ways of living. Among nomadic and pastoral
tribes such as the Maasai, Samburu and Turkana, people still wear clothes or skins and elaborate
jewellery of beads and metalwork.
Belief systems among some remote tribes also remain indigenous. Across Kenya as a whole twothirds of people are Christian. With the centuries-old influence of Arabic and Islamic traders
and settlers (particularly along the coast), around 15% of Kenyans are Muslim.
Travel Visas
Basic Requirements
While Kenya does have a visa waiver system that allows nationals from certain countries to visit
the country for up to three months, this is generally excluded to African, Caribbean and a few
European and Asian states. The majority of EU nations, as well as the USA, will be required to
make a Kenyan visa application.
Additionally, while UK passport holders are eligible to purchase a visa on arrival, it is generally
advised that travellers to Kenya buy their visa in advance to avoid complications.
Processing Times
The processing time for a Kenyan visa depends greatly on the method in which the visa is applied
for. If the visa application is made in person, then the processing time can be as little as three
days. However, postal applications and referral cases can take a number of weeks. A visa
application will be referred if the applicant is a national of one of the countries that is subject
to further checks in order to gain visa approval.
Kenyan Tourist Visa
A Kenyan Tourist Visa is issued only to applicants entering the country for the purpose of
tourism. The duration of the visa means the holder is eligible to visit the country for up to 3
months in total.
Additionally, multiple entry visas are also an option, but these can only be issued to British
Passport holders currently. Multiple entry visas are also eligible for a maximum of 3 months,
but they allow the holder to enter and leave Kenya as often as they like within either a 1 year
or 2 year period (depending on the type of multiple entry Kenyan visa they apply for).
An application for a Kenyan tourist visa requires that the applicant submit a valid passport, as
well as a completed visa application form, a recent passport-sized photo and their travel
itinerary.
The Kenyan tourist visa is granted on the basis that the holder return to their country of
residence upon the expiry of the visa, and not engage in employment while residing in Kenya.
Kenyan Business Visa
The application process for the Kenyan business visa is very similar to the process for the
Kenyan tourist visa, as it also guarantees entry to Kenya for no longer than 3 months.
The Kenyan business visa grants holders the right to attend meetings, conferences and
other business-related activities. However, the holder is not permitted to be employed in any
capacity during their time in Kenya.
An application for a Kenyan business visa requires that the applicant submit a valid passport, as
well as a completed visa application form, a recent passport-sized photo and a letter from an
acknowledged business as proof of their need to visit Kenya for business purposes.
Tourist Attractions
1. Masai Mara National Reserve
The Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the top tourist attractions in Kenya and the
country’s most popular game park. Each year the Masai Mara National Reserve is visited by
thousands of tourists who come here to watch the exceptional population of game and the annual
migration of zebra and wildebeest. The “Great Migration” takes place every year from July to
October when millions of wildebeest and zebra migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania.
2. Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park is a relatively small park located close to the Tanzania border at the
foot of Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. The park is famous for being the best
place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants. Other attractions of the Amboseli
National Park include opportunities to meet the Maasai people and spectacular views of Mount
Kilimanjaro.
3. Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is a very shallow lake in central Kenya. The lake’s abundance of algae attracts vast
quantities of lesser flamingos, sometimes more than one million at once. Often called the
greatest bird spectacle on earth, the flamingos are one of Kenya’s top attractions. Sadly, in
recent years the number of flamingos at Lake Nakuru has been decreasing, due to environmental
degradation and pollution.
4. Tsavo National Park
Tsavo is the largest national park in Kenya and one of the largest in the world. Due to its size
the park was divided into Tsavo West and Tsavo East. The Tsavo West has spectacular scenery
with a rolling volcanic landscape while Tsavo East has more open savannah than its western
sibling. Tsavo National Park is the ideal destination in Kenya for people who seek solitude and
privacy as well as the chance to explore the wilderness.