Kenya Country Facts
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Kenya Country Facts Peoples & Culture Kenya is made up of more than 70 or so tribal groups. There are also small but influential minorities of Asian, Arab and European origin. More than 90% of the African population falls within the broad categories of Bantu and Nilotic speakers. The main Bantu speakers are Kikuyu, Luhya, Kamba, Gusii, Mijikenda, Embu and Meru. Nilitoc speakers are Maasai, Samburu, Pokot, Turkana, Luo and Kalenjin. At the coast, the interaction of Arabs, Persians and Bantu Africans has resulted in the Swahili people. The Swahili language is now widely spoken in Kenya and throughout Eastern and Central Africa. It is quite useful to have a working knowledge of Swahili if you intend to travel outside the main urban and tourist routes. English is widely understood in urban centers. The de facto national dish is Nyama Choma, barbecued goat meat. But the guy in the street survives on that stodgy filler called Ugali, prepared using maize meal accompanied with some greens. At the coast however the traditional food of the Swahili is a good experience. This is usually based on seafood and rice dishes. Beer lovers will have a good time in Kenya. There are several international standard lagers produced locally. The most popular is named after the elephant, thus Tusker. While on safari, remember to celebrate the African elephant by taking a little Tusker. In the last few years there has been some kind of revival in local music. This revival is led by younger urban artists who sing in Swahili and Sheng, a kind of Creole mix of Swahili and English. The music is a local blend of hip-hop and rap. Communications Telephone, fax, telegram, post and Internet services are available in urban centers and locations popular with tourists. International direct dialing to many countries is available in most urban centres. In rural areas international calling is through the operator. The country code for Kenya is 254. Mobile phones are based on GSM 900 network. Coverage extends to the principal urban centres, major highways and parts of popular game reserves such as the Mara. You are however advised to check beforehand whether your GSM phone is usable if you are traveling outside the main urban centres. You can obtain a GSM card that will allow you to make international calls to any country. Currently the country is served by three network operators: Zain Kenya (www.ke.zain.com), Safaricom (www.safaricom.co.ke), and Orange Mobile (www.orange.co.ke). There are Internet cafes in urban centres and hotels around the country. 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. * Full Country Name: Republic of Kenya * Area: 583,000 sq km * Population: 37 million (2008 estimate) * Capital City: Nairobi * Other Major Towns: Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret * Peoples: Kikuyu (21%), Luhya (14%), Luo (13%), Kamba (11%), Kalenjin * (11%), Gusii (6%), Meru (5%) plus Asian, Arab and European minorities * Language: English, Swahili & indigenous languages * Religion: Christian (54%), Muslim (6%) and traditional religions * Government: Republic * Time: GMT + 3 hours * Currency: Kenya Shilling (Ksh) * Electricity: 220/240 V, 50 Hz * Weights and Measures: Metric * Economy: Textiles, tea, horticultural produce, agricultural processing,oil refining, cement, tourism |