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Travellers Guide
Currency
The official currency
is the Kenya Shilling.
The written abbreviation is either KSh or
using /= after the amount (ie 500/=)
Available Notes are 50, 100,
200, 500 and 1000 shillings.
Available coins are 5, 10 and 20
shillings.
Visitors to Kenya should change foreign currency at
banks, bureaux de change or authorized hotels. The easiest currencies to
exchange are US Dollars, Pounds sterling and EURO.
Travellers
Cheques are widely accepted, and many hotels, travel agencies, safari companies
and restaurants accept Credit Cards. Most Banks in Kenya are equipped to
advance cash on credit cards.
There are no restrictions on the
amount of foreign currency that can be brought into Kenya.
Before
departure, travellers are advised to convert any excess Kenya shillings into
foreign currency at a bank or bureau de change before departure. Departure
taxes can be paid in local or foreign currency.
Anyone wishing to
take more than 500,000 Kenya Shillings out of the country will require written
authorization from the Central Bank.
Tipping
Tipping is not mandatory in Kenya. Guides, drivers,
waiters and hotel staff can be tipped at your discretion.
Time, Public Holidays and Business Hours
Kenya has a
single time zone- which is GMT+3.
Kenyan Public holidays include:
1st January New Years Day
February/March Idd il Fitr *
March/April Good Friday**
March/April Easter Monday**
1st May
Labour Day
1st June Madaraka Day
10th October Moi Day
20th
October Kenyatta Day
12th December Jamhuri Day
25th December
Christmas Day
26th December Boxing Day
*The Muslim
Festival of Idd il Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadhan. The date varies each
year depending on the sighting of a new moon in Mecca.
** Dates
for the Christian festival of Easter vary from year to year.
Most
businesses in Kenya are open from Monday to Friday, though some also trade on
Saturday.
Business hours are generally 9:00am to 5:00pm, closing
for an hour over lunch (1:00pm – 2:00pm).
Banks are open from
9:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday. Some branches open on Saturdays from 9:00am
to 11:00am.
Many banks are now equipped with 24 hour ATM
machines.
The Bank branches at Jomo Kenyatta International
airport (Nairobi) and Moi International Airport both run 24 hour forex
services.
Communication
Post
Kenya has a good postal
service for both local and international post. There are post offices and post
boxes in most towns. Many shops in tourist lodges and hotels sell stamps.
There are different rates for letters by weight, airletters, and
postcards by size.
Parcel services are available from larger post
offices.
There are post restante services in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Telecommunications
Kenya has a good network of telephone, cellular and satellite connections.
Work is under way to expand this network and introduce fibre optic cables.
Most hotels and lodges offer International telephone and fax
services. In larger towns, private telecommunication centres also offer
international services.
If you have a mobile phone with a roaming
connection, then you can make use of Kenya’s excellent cellular networks, which
covers most larger towns and tourist areas.
When calling Kenya,
the International code is 254+ local area code.
Internet
Kenya has good Internet Service Providers.
Email and Internet services are offered by many hotels and lodges. In
most towns, there are plenty of private business centres and cyber cafes
offering email and internet access.
Media
Kenya has several English language newspapers. The most popular are the
Daily Nation (www.nationaudio.com) and the East African Standard
(www.eastandard.net).
The East African is a weekly newspaper sold
throughout Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
There are two seperate
Swahili newspapers, Taifa Leo and Kenya Leo.
There is also
locally produced television and radio media.
International
newspapers and magazines are widely available in Kenya.
Digital
Satellite Television has become widespread throughout Kenya. Many hotels
provide this South African based service, offering a range of channels.
Electricity
The electricity supply
in Kenya is 220/240 v 50hz.
Plugs are 3 point square.
If you are planning to bring a video camera charger or any other electrical
advice, please bring voltage and plug adaptors where appropriate.
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