KENYA is located in East Africa and is bordered by Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, with the southeastern portion of the
country's coast lying along the Indian Ocean. The area of Kenya is 582,650 square kilometers. Kenya is in the East African Standard Time zone which is 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
The Kenya currency is called the Kenya Shilling. The country’s foreign exchange market is fully liberalised.
Approximately 70 languages are spoken in the country. English and Kiswahili are the official languages, and virtually all business transactions are conducted in English.
The main cities in Kenya are Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
The capital city (where the Conference will be held) is Nairobi which has an estimated population of four million. The government ministries, legislature and judiciary are based here. Mombasa is a major coastal port, while Kisumu, the birthplace of US President Barack Obama’s father, is located on the shores of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya.
Travelling to Kenya
You are requested to select the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as your destination when booking your flights to Nairobi. The airport is 23km from Brookhouse School.
There are two main airports in Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the country’s busiest, is located on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi; while Moi International Airport is located in Mombasa.
Visas to Kenya
It is strongly advised that all Round Square delegates obtain a Kenyan visa from your country of origin before you travel to Kenya.
If you cannot obtain your visa before you travel, then it is possible (but highly problematic) to obtain a visa upon arrival at the Kenya Immigration Office at the airport; this will involve significant delays.
Not everyone needs a visa to enter Kenya. To check whether or not you need a visa please click on the link below:-
http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/kenya-visa.html
Upon entering Kenya at the airport passport control, you will be required to show the following:
- An official letter of invitation from your host indicating the purpose of your visit to Kenya.
(This letter will be distributed to RS reps via email in due course)
- A passport that is valid for not less than six months.
For additional travel information and a list of consulates in your country go to: www.immigration.go.ke
Health Advice to Kenya
Before you travel to Kenya, make sure that you are up-to-date with all relevant immunisations.
Inoculation against yellow fever and cholera are not mandatory but recommended.
Anyone entering Kenya from or via a yellow fever infected area must however be in possession of a valid International Certificate of Vaccination against yellow fever.
In Nairobi there is no need for malaria prophylactics; indeed continuously taking malaria tablets is not good for one's health. However protection against malaria is considered necessary for visits to the Coast and most areas lower than Nairobi. Individual doctors will recommend current dosages; anti-malarial tablets are readily available in Nairobi and can be bought over the counter in any pharmacy. For current recommendations ask your doctor before travelling. Typically malaria tablets are taken for a specified period prior to visiting a malarial area, throughout the stay, and for a specified period after your trip.
Sensible preventative measures are important: long-sleeved shirts and long pants (especially for evenings), mosquito repellant and mosquito nets. If you are travelling to the Kenyan Coast or Western Kenya it is necessary to take anti-malaria pills.
