Kenya Country & Tourist Information

Location
East Africa.

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

Population
34.7 million (CIA estimate 2006).

Population Density
59.5 per sq km.

Capital
Nairobi.
Population: 2.5 million (UN estimate 2003).

Government
Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1963.

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.

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.

Time
GMT + 3.

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

Head of Government
Prime Minister Raila Odinga since 2008.

Head of State
President Emilio Mwai Kibaki since 2002.

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 enquiry. After peace negotiations, Odinga was awarded the post of prime minister in a new coalition government.

When President Kibaki’s National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) won a parliamentary majority in 2002, he promised to fight against corruption. However, both former and current ministers became embroiled in a corruption scandal. Furthermore, voters rejected a draft constitution in a referendum in late 2005. While the president presented it as a modernising measure, his opponents said that it would have left too much power in the hands of the president. Kibaki responded by sacking his entire cabinet and appointed new ministers.

Telephone
Country code: 254 (followed by 20 for Nairobi, 41 for Mombasa and 51 for Nakuru). International calls can usually be made directly, but in some rural areas, international calls are diverted through the operator. Public telephones 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 Celtel (website: www.celtel.com), which has extensive coverage in the southwest, around the coast and Mombasa, and Safaricom (website: www.safaricom.co.ke), with coverage in from Mombasa to Nairobi and in the southeast. Local SIM cards and top-up cards are available to buy everywhere.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in major cities and hotels.

Media
Kenya enjoys a more diverse media scene than many other African countries, although some media have been harrassed for upsetting the government. Most Kenyans rely on the broadcast media, particularly radio, for news. The print media is dominated by two publishing houses, the Nation Media Group and the Standard Group, which also have broadcasting interests.

Post
Post offices are identified by Telkom Kenya (Kenya Posts & Telecommunications Corporation). Post boxes are red. Stamps can usually be bought at post offices, stationers, souvenir shops and hotels. Airmail to Western Europe takes up to four days, and 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.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700, Sat 0900-1200 (main post offices).

Press
• The main dailies (all published in English) include Daily Nation, The East African Standard and Kenya Times.
• Nairobi is the main publishing center.
• Newspapers from Tanzania and Uganda are also widely circulated in Kenya.

Radio
• Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is state owned, with language-based networks in English, Swahili and 15 other indigenous languages.
• Metro FM is a national music-based station operated by KBC.
• Capital FM and Kiss FM are music stations.
• Radio Citizen is a private station with wide coverage, which also operates Kikuyu-language Inooro FM and Luo-language.
• Full-time FM relays of the BBC World Service are on the air in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, and some BBC programs are also rebroadcast by private Kameme FM.
• The Voice of America and Radio France Internationale are relayed on FM in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day. 
10 Apr Good Friday. 
13 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
1 Jun Madaraka Day.
10 Oct Moi Day.
21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
20 Oct Kenyatta Day.
28 Nov Feast of the Sacrifice.
12 Dec Independence Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day. 
2 Apr Good Friday. 
5 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
1 Jun Madaraka Day.
10 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
10 Oct Moi Day.
20 Oct Kenyatta Day.
16 Nov Feast of the Sacrifice.
12 Dec Independence Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

Note
(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:

Kenya Wildlife Service
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, Colechurch House, 1 London Bridge Walk, London SEI 2SX, UK
Tel: (020) 7367 0900.
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


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