General information

Kenya is a republic with nearly 37 million inhabitants. Over 50 different tribes live here, of which many have kept their own identities and habits, whereas other tribes have completely adapted themselves to western society.

Kenya is one of the few African countries where you may find tribes who live according to their own traditions, without it becoming a tourist attraction every time. Kenya is 14 times bigger than The Netherlands and is situated on both sides of the equator. Neighboring countries are: Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The capitol of Kenya is Nairobi. Mombasa is the second largest city and is situated on the eastern coast. Mombasa is a major port, with the sole international sea harbor of Kenya. It is also an important centre for the tourist industry, especially for beach holidays along the Kenyan coast.

Kenya is situated on the equator. Because of this, the temperature during the year  doesn’t vary much. But when looking at it on a height level it varies enormously. Especially during the nights, temperatures may drop below zero in higher situated areas, whereas in the lower parts of the country temperatures may go up to as high as 35 degrees centigrade during the day. It is therefore necessary that you take a warm sweater and jacket with you.

In Kenya Swahili (or Kiswahili as the population call it) and English are the languages in which education is given. But there are also various tribal languages, i.e. Kikuyu, Luhia, Luo and Kikamba. It may come in very handy if you speak some Swahili. Did you know that the word “safari” is a Swahili word?