Kenya
Lightweight suits are recommended for all occasions. Prior appointments are necessary. Although Swahili is the national language, English is the official language and is widely spoken. In general, Kenya business executives are relatively informal and open. The use of first names at an early stage of a business relationship is acceptable. Friendship and mutual trust are highly valued, and once trust has been earned, a productive working relationship can usually be expected.
Local distributors/representatives should serve as a good source of local market requirement information and as appraisers of product market acceptance. In most instances, mail, fax or telephone communications is sufficient, but the understanding developed through periodic personal visits is the best way to keep distributors appraised of new developments and to resolve problems quickly. Prompt acknowledgment of correspondence by airmail or fax is recommended. Office hours are 0800-1300 and 1400-1700 Monday to Friday. Banking hours are from 9:00 am to 3:00 PM. In Mombasa, offices usually open and close half an hour earlier.
There is a high rate of street crime in downtown Nairobi, Mombasa and at coastal beach resorts. Reports of attacks against tourists by groups of two or more armed assailants continue. Pickpockets and thieves also carry out "snatch and run" crimes near crowds. Visitors have found it safer not to carry valuables, but rather to store them in hotel safety deposit boxes or safe rooms.
Thieves routinely snatch jewelry and other objects from open vehicle windows while motorists are either stopped at traffic lights or in heavy traffic. Armed vehicle hijackings are common in Nairobi, but can occur anywhere in the country. Armed robbers in the capital steal some four or five vehicles every day. Although these attacks are often violent, victims are generally injured only if they resist. There is also a high incidence of residential break-ins. Thieves and con artists have been known to impersonate hotel employees, police officers or government officials. Thieves on buses and trains may steal valuables from inattentive passengers. Passengers on intercity buses should not accept food or drink from a new acquaintance, even a child, as such food or drink may contain narcotics used to incapacitate a victim and facilitate a robbery.
Highway banditry is common in much of North Eastern Province, significant portions of Eastern Province, the northern part of Coast Province, and the northern part of the Rift Valley Province--areas that are remote and sparsely populated. Incidents also occur occasionally on Kenya's main highways, particularly after dark. Air travel is the safest means of transportation when visiting any of the coastal resorts north of Malindi. Walking alone or at night in public parks, along footpaths or beaches and in poorly lit areas can be dangerous.
There have been recent attacks on ships in the vicinity of Kenyan waters, in particular near the Kenya-Somalia border. Mariners should be vigilant.
The Kenyan mail system can be unreliable, and monetary instruments (credit cards, checks, etc.) are frequently stolen. International couriers have proven to be the safest means of shipping envelopes and packages.
Scams against unsuspecting tourists and foreign-looking residents on foot, are prevalent in and around the city of Nairobi. Many of these involve persons impersonating police officers and using fake police ID badges and other credentials. In one of the latest scams, a tourist was stopped by someone who appeared to be a beggar telling a "sob story." The tourist agreed to purchase a cup of coffee for the beggar. The tourist was then approached by "police officers" who told him that he was seen talking with a drug dealer/counterfeit suspect and demand money from the victim. Con artists may park their cars on the side of a road, pretending that they broke down, and rob persons who stop to offer assistance.
Many of Nairobi’s hotels are up to top international standards, and some of them are very much in the colonial style. Cheaper hotels are also available. Hotel bills must be paid in foreign currency, or in Kenyan Shillings drawn from an external, shipping or an airline account. Accommodation in Kenya is divided into groups by Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers & Caterers: town hotels, vacation hotels, lodges and country hotels. Within each group, grading is according to amenities and variety of facilities. The rating is subject to the fulfilment of strict requirements concerning technical equipment, comfort, services, sanitation and security.
Telephone: IDD service is available to the main cities. The country code is 254 (followed by 2 for Nairobi, 11 for Mombassa and 37 for Nakuru). The outgoing international code is 000. Fax services are available to the public at the Main Post Office and the Kenyatta International Conference Center in Nairobi, and at some major hotels in Nairobi and Mombassa. Post offices are open 0800-1700 Monday to Friday and 0800-1300 Saturday.
Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are UK-type round 2-pin or flat 3-pin. Bayonet-type light sockets exist in Kenya.
220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are UK-type square three-pin. Bayonet-type light sockets exist in Kenya.
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Kenya’s national dishes appear on most hotel menus. The country’s beef, chicken, lamb and pork are outstandingly good, as is the wide variety of tropical fruits. Local trout, Nile perch and lobster, shrimps and Mombasa oysters are included on menus in season. Indian and Middle Eastern food is available in most areas. There is a wide range of restaurants in Nairobi and Mombasa, otherwise hotels in smaller towns offer restaurant service. National specialties:
• Some game-park lodges serve game, including buffalo steaks marinated in local liqueurs and berries,
often garnished with wild honey and cream.
• Nyma Choma literally means roasted meat, and is one of Kenya's best known specialties.
• Most Kenyans eat maize, beans and maize meal.
• At the small ‘hotelis’, chai (tea boiled with milk and sugar) and mandazi (doughnuts) are popular. National drinks:
• Locally brewed beer (Tusker and White Cap) and bottled sodas may be found throughout the country.
• Kenya Cane (spirit distilled from sugar cane).
• Kenya Gold (a coffee liqueur).
• Traditional beer made with honey (uki).
• Locally made spirit distilled from maize (changaa) may sometimes be found. Tipping:
This is not required. Most hotels include a 10 per cent service charge to the bill. If the service charge has not been included, a KES20 tip is usual, although the amount is entirely at the visitor’s discretion.Nightlife
Most of the major hotels in Nairobi and the tourist resorts have dancing with live bands or discos each evening. There are also a few nightclubs. There is a large selection of cinemas in Nairobi which show mainly British, European and US films. Theater is popular in Nairobi. There is a National Theater and several small groups of dramatic companies, probably the best known are the Phoenix Players.
