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CHI Home >> Work & Travel Abroad >> Teach in Kenya | |
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Kenya
Programs Available: Overseas English Tutor
Overview | Climate | Culture | History | Sightseeing | Travel Tips | Expenses | Support | MapOverview:
Kenya is known for its spectacular wildlife, beautiful lakes, beaches, and for the sweeping vistas of the Great Rift Valley. In the game parks and reserves, you're likely to be joined by swarms of other tourists, who convene in droves around the animals. If you spend some time in its cities, you are increasingly likely to encounter petty crime. The Rift Valley and Central Highlands area form the backbone of the country, and this is where Kenya's scenery is at its most spectacular. The humid coastal belt includes the Tana River estuary and a string of good beaches. Western Kenya takes in the fertile fringes of Lake Victoria and, with the southern part of the country, some prime wildlife parks. The vast, arid northern region is where Kenya is at its wildest and most untouched by the modern world. Climate:
The Rift Valley offers the most agreeable weather, while the arid bush lands and semi-desert regions can range from daytime highs of up to 105 degrees to lows of about 68 at night. Western Kenya and the eastern coastal fringe are generally hot and humid year-round. Population: 31.63 million Culture:There are more than 70 tribal groups among the Africans in Kenya. Distinctions between many of them are blurred - western cultural values are becoming more ingrained and traditional values are disintegrating.
Most Kenyans outside the coastal and eastern provinces are Christians of one sort or another, while most of those on the coast and in the eastern part of the country are Muslim. Muslims make up some 30% of the population. In the more remote tribal areas you'll find a mixture of Muslims, Christians and those who follow their ancestral tribal beliefs. Kenyans love to party, and the music style known as benga is the contemporary dance music that rules. It originated among the Luo people of western Kenya and became popular in the area in the 1950s. Some well-known exponents of benga include Shirati Jazz, Victoria Kings, Globestyle and the Ambira Boys. Food and Drink Kenyan cuisine generally consists of stodge filler with beans or a meat sauce. It's really just survival fodder for the locals - maximum filling-up potential at minimum cost. If you had to name a national dish in Kenya, nyama choma (barbecued meat, usually goat), would probably be it. Kenyan food is not exactly designed for gourmets - or vegetarians. Beer drinkers, on the other hand, are well supplied. Kenyans love their beer almost as much as their dancing and there's a thriving local brewing industry. History:Nomadic Cushitic tribes from Ethiopia are known to have made their way onto Kenyan soil back near 2000 BC. A second group followed around 1000 BC and occupied much of central Kenya. The rest of the ancestors of the country's medley of tribes arrived from all over the continent between 500 BC and AD 500. The Bantu-speaking people (such as the Gusii, Kikuyu, Akamba and Meru) arrived from West Africa while the Nilotic speakers (Maasai, Luo, Samburu and Turkana) came from the Nile Valley in southern Sudan. As tribes migrated throughout the interior, Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula and Shirazis from Persia (now Iran) settled along the East African coast from the 8th century Drawn by spices and money, the Portuguese started scoping out Kenya in the 15th century. After venturing further and further down the western coast of Africa, Vasco da Gama finally rounded the Cape of Good Hope and headed up the continent's eastern coast in 1498. Seven years later, the Portuguese onslaught on the region began. By the 16th century, most of the indigenous Swahili trading towns, including Mombasa, had been either sacked or occupied by the Portuguese - marking the end of the Arab monopoly of the Indian Ocean trade. The Portuguese settled in for a long period of harsh colonial rule, playing one sultan off against another. But their grip on the coast was always tenuous because their outposts had to be supplied from Goa in India. Control of the coast was won back by the Arabs in 1720.
As a result of the 1885 Berlin Conference, Britain was given colonial control of Kenya and Uganda. White settlement in the early 20th century was initially disastrous, but once they bothered to learn a little about the land the British succeeded in making their colony viable. Other European settlers soon established coffee plantations and by the 1950s the white-settler population had reached about 80,000. The fight for liberation began after World War II. Kenyans first sought peaceful means to have their lands returned to them, but they resorted to violence in the 1950s under the Mau Mau freedom fighters. The death toll stood at over 13,500 Africans - Mau Mau guerrillas, civilians and troops - and just over 100 Europeans. The country gained independence in 1963 and became a republic in 1964. Jomo Kenyatta, a leader of the freedom fighters who had been imprisoned by the British, became Kenya's first president. Kenyatta was succeeded after his death in 1978 by Daniel Arap Moi, a member of the Tugen tribe. Moi's rule was characterized by nepotism, rifts and dissension. He took criticism badly and as a result oversaw the disbanding of tribal societies, disrupted universities and harassed opposition politicians. A coup attempt by the Kenyan Air Force in 1982 was put down by forces loyal to Moi. With the winds of democratic pluralism sweeping Africa in the late 1980s and early 1990s, international aid for Moi's Kenya was suspended. Elections were held in Kenya at the end of 1997. Despite widespread allegations of vote rigging and considerable intimidation of opposition candidates, Moi and KANU once again scraped home with a little over 40% of the vote. Although Moi promised to rid the government of corruption, this was met by an air of resignation in the country, with Kenyans sitting tight until the day when he retired. Then, in August 1998 terrorists bombed the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, killing over 250 people and injuring more than 5000, illustrating Kenya's vulnerability to increased social and political turmoil. In 2002 Moi decided to retire on very generous retirement benefits. The country's third president, Mwai Kibaki, was elected in December 2002. This brought about a feeling of new optimism in the country, but there have been signs since that the new government is as intolerant of dissent as its predecessor. Meanwhile, Kenya struggled with a number of familiar problems. HIV remains as a major problem and, as a reminder that the threat of terrorism was ongoing, there was a suicide bomb blast at a hotel north of Mombasa in November 2002. In recent years, Kenya has experienced major floods, cholera and malaria epidemics, ethnic fighting and drought, leading to food shortages in mid-2004 that were deemed a national crisis by President Kibaki. Sightseeing:Aberdare National Park This park encloses the moorland and high forest of the Kinangop plateau. Only rarely does this place see safari companies and even less individual travelers. But if you're willing to brave the inclement weather, this remote and formidably dense forest is well worth the effort. The park offers a variety of fauna, flora and scenery which you won't find elsewhere except, perhaps, on Mt Kenya. There are also the dramatic Gura Falls which drop a full 300 meters, along with alpine moorland, and the chance of seeing a black leopard, elephant, rhino or bongo (spiral-horned antelope). Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site Just outside Nakuru, this site first went under the archeological microscope in 1937 when Louis Leakey started poking about for signs of ancient life. The digs, which continued right up to the 1980s, indicate three settlements were made here - the earliest possibly 3000 years ago and the most recent about 200 to 300 years ago. Kakamega Forest Reserve Kakamega is a superb slab of virgin tropical rainforest in the heart of an intensively cultivated agricultural area of Western Kenya. It's home to a huge variety of birds and animals and is well worth the minimal effort required to get to it. The forest area of the reserve is where you'll find a number of primate species including the red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus monkey and the blue monkey. The Forest Department maintains a superb rest house here and some excellent guides are available for hire. Marsabit National Park and Reserve Because the area is thickly forested, you won't see much wildlife unless you spend quite some time here. This crater lake is aptly named. It's an enchanting place to rough it and few camp sites in Kenya can rival it for scenery and tranquility. While they might be obscured by the vegetation, this northern park is home to Kenya's larger mammals including lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, hyenas and gazelles. Masai Mara National Reserve The Mara is the most popular wildlife park in Kenya. Abounding with wildlife and joined to the Serengeti, this 320-sq-km reserve is anything but plain. Few visitors miss roaming at least part of its vast open savanna grasslands, or leaping out of the way of the annual wildebeest stampede. The western border of the park is the spectacular Esoit Olooloo (Siria) Escarpment where the concentrations of wildlife are the highest. Lions are found in large prides everywhere and it's not unusual to see them hunt. Elephants, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes and hippos also exist in large numbers. Mombasa
A Muslim haven for centuries, it was attacked by the Portuguese in 1505 and burnt to the ground. It was quickly rebuilt only to be reduced to rubble again by an embattled Mombasan ruler during the long fight against the Portuguese. Mombasa's Old Town is testament to this tumultuous era. Nairobi
Kenya's capital is cosmopolitan, lively, interesting and pleasantly landscaped. Its central business district is handily compact and it's a great place to tune into modern urban African life. Unfortunately, it's also a great place to get mugged. Security, especially at night, is a definite concern. Often touted as the birthplace of humanity, Nairobi has artifacts galore in some very classy museums. If you'd prefer to look at exhibits that aren't stuffed there are plenty of rhinos, snakes and giraffes roaming in parks around the city - some you can even feed! Travel Tips:Safety Political rallies such as those held in Nairobi and Kisumu in July 2004 can become violent. Travel advisories recommend that visitors exercise caution, avoid rallies or demonstrations and stay aware of the situation as the details and dates of rallies may change. Nairobi isn't referred to as 'Nairobbery' for nothing, carry as little as possible and nothing of value. The areas around River Rd and Uhuru Park are particularly notorious for muggings, day or night, as are the beaches near Mombasa, and most encounters with the police are likely to end with money changing hands. Bandits have been known to operate near Lamu, between Isiolo in Kenya and the Ethiopian border, and in Kenya's northwest and northeast. Ask for advice locally about these areas, as well as travel along the Kitale-Lodwar road, which can be dangerous. The place to carry your money is in a pouch against your skin. Anything more obvious will only make a thief's job easier. Getting Around Kenya has a network of regular buses, matatus (usually minibuses), shared-taxis and private taxis. Matatus are notorious for their involvement in horror road smashes (the Mombasa-Nairobi road is particularly bad), and robberies by ambush (mainly in and near Nairobi) are common. To reduce the risk of both, never travel by matatu at night. Cycling is best done in rural areas due to the chaotic traffic on the main roads, but the distances between towns and the poor condition of roads needs to be kept in mind. Other Tips
Expenses:With the deregulation of the money supply, foreign-exchange bureaus are the best places to change money. Their rates are competitive and they don't charge commission. Banks will change money, but their commission can be steep. With such an active tourist industry, Kenya is a country where tipping is expected. In anything more than a basic eatery, 5-10% of the bill is the usual amount expected. On safari, drivers, guides and cooks often rely heavily on tips to get by. Around $3 per employee per day is about the right amount. When shopping, bargaining is the rule, though high-end stores and gift shops at camps and lodges will have set prices. A good rule of thumb: start your negotiations at a quarter of the asking price and then work up from there. Here are some approximate prices:
Support During Your Placement:We will be available to give you any support, advice, or guidance you may need with any issues. There will always be an emergency number for you to contact. Our aim is to ensure that you have a happy and successful experience during your stay in Kenya.
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Kenya is
located on the east coast of Africa. Its two major rivers, the Tana and the Galana, originate in the country's midsection
and flow through the eastern part of the country before emptying into the Indian Ocean. Lake Victoria (which is shared with
Tanzania and Uganda) and the Rift Valley are the two main geographical features of western Kenya. Mt. Kenya, the country's
highest peak, is in the central highlands.
Kenya's
climate varies enormously from place to place. Although Kenya spans the equator, most of it is situated at 4,000 feet or
higher, which tends to mitigate the heat. In higher elevations, expect temperatures to be about 10 degrees F cooler than in
low-lying parts of the country. Atop Mt. Kenya, temperatures can fall below freezing.
English and
Swahili are the languages taught throughout the country, but there are many other tribal languages. These include Kikuyu,
Luhia, Luo and Kikamba as well as a plethora of minor tribal tongues. It's useful for the traveler to have a working
knowledge of Swahili, especially outside the urban areas and in remote parts of the country. Another language you'll come
across is Sheng, spoken almost exclusively by the younger members of society. A fairly recent development, Sheng is a
mixture of Swahili and English along with a fair sprinkling of other languages.
In the 1800s,
Kenya saw an influx of explorers and Christian missionaries, followed by European settlers. With Europeans suddenly arriving
all over Africa in search of fame and fortune, even Kenya's intimidating interior was forced to give up its secrets to
outsiders. Until the 1880s, the Rift Valley and the Aberdare highlands remained the heartland of a proud warrior tribe, the
Maasai. By the late 19th century, years of civil war between the Maasai's two opposing factions had weakened the tribe.
Disease and famine had also taken their toll. This opened the way for the English to negotiate a treaty with the Maasai
laibon (chief, or spiritual leader) and begin work on the Mombasa-Uganda railway, which cut straight through the Maasai
grazing lands. The halfway point of this railway is roughly where Nairobi stands today.
The largest
port on the coast of East Africa, Mombasa is hot, steamy and historical. Its earliest history dates back to the 12th
century. Mombasa proper sprawls over Mombasa Island which is connected to the mainland both north and south of the city.
Nairobi is one
of Africa's largest and most interesting cities. It is a place of enormous energy, a tireless and thriving bustle of people,
and a city of differences. Assorted races, tribes and origins are all a part of its make-up. Rural immigrants and refugees
are drawn by the hope of wealth and opportunity, international businessmen are attracted by profitable business prospects,
and tourists are promised the makings of the perfect safari. The city centre buzzes with the energy, aspirations and
opportunism of moneychangers, safari touts, would-be thieves, food vendors and trinket sellers, prostitutes, shoppers,
security guards, and sharp-eyed shoe shiners assessing the footwear of the hurried throngs. Among them are the disillusioned
faces of the unemployed, the beggars and the destitute.