If you have a question that is not listed below, please contact us. Be sure to read through the exhaustive list of questions below before submitting your question.

>> Download in an easy to use PDF format FAQs on Nairobi ( 237 kB)

01. What language is spoken in Kenya?
02. Do I need a visa to enter Kenya?
03. How do I get from the airport to my hotel?
04. Is Nairobi a major city?
05. What is the economic status of Nairobi’s residents?
06. What is there to see and do in Nairobi?
07. What can I buy in Nairobi?
08. How can I change my money to local currency?
09. At shops and restaurant, should I expect an additional VAT or pay a tip?
10. What health issues should I consider pre-departure?
11. What happens if I get sick?
12. What weather should I expect?
13. What about security?
14. What if my country has a travel advisory against Kenya?
15. Can I use my laptop, hairdryer, or other electronic gadgets in Kenya?
16. Can I use my mobile/cell phone in Kenya?
17. How do I contact my friends staying in other hotels?
18. How can I contact the conference secretariat?
19. What Tourism opportunities does Kenya offer?
20. What is the Kenyan culture like?

01. What language is spoken in Kenya?

The official language of Kenya is English, which is used to instruct students in schools and is used in Government, business, commerce and tourism. The national language is Kiswahili, also widely used for business. Most people speak English, Swahili and an ethnic language. With a population of 30 million people, Kenya boasts 61 distinct local languages.

Kenya hosts many foreign embassies, which may have information in your own language. Some people like to register with their embassies when they travel, you may do so if you wish.
English, French, Spanish and Swahili will be the official languages of the World YWCA Council and International Women’s Summit.
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02. Do I need a visa to enter Kenya?

Visa agreements between countries differ. Please ask your travel agent whether you need a visa for Kenya, or transit visas if you do not have a direct flight to Kenya. We strongly advice you to obtain your visa in advance, many airlines will not let you board a flight without the propoer visa or documentation. Do carry the name and address of your hotel, together with the conference information from World YWCA, to show the authorities when you arrive.

If you plan to visit neighbouring countries after or before the Council, you will need a multiple entry visa for Kenya. Please make sure the visa you apply for will allow you to travel freely. It is easy to travel in and out of Kenya as the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi is a hub and transit airport for many airlines.

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03. How do I get from the airport to my hotel?

All participants will be met at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. A representative travel company will be stationed at the airport around the clock. If your plane is delayed or the route changed, you will still be met and taken to your hotel.

You will receive information from World YWCA about alternative transport options should you miss the meet and greet company. We are excited that you are coming and we shall make your arrival as comfortable as possible.

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04. Is Nairobi a major city?

Greater Nairobi: Area: 684 km², Population: 4 million
Nairobi city: Area: 154 km², Population: 3 million

Nairobi is a prominent social centre and a hub for business and culture. Several multinational corporations and international media have representation in Nairobi including Citibank, Cisco, Deloitte, Procter and Gamble, Microsoft, HP, CNN, BBC, Reuters among others.

Nairobi is proud to be the international headquarters of several non-governmental organisations and inter-governmental organisations including the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and UN Habitat. Many other organisations have a presence in Nairobi including the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), UNICEF, Kenya Red Cross Society, World Vision, World Bank, among many others.
Due to its location, political climate, history and infrastructure, Nairobi hosts a fleet of journalists from all major media who cover Africa, making it one of the most widely covered cities in Africa.

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05. What is the economic status of Nairobi’s residents?

The Nairobi Stock Exchange was recently listed as one of the world’s best performing markets by the British daily newspaper, The Guardian - making Nairobi one of the most prominent cities in Africa politically and financially.

Nairobi has experienced some of the highest growth rates of any city in Africa. Since its foundation in 1899 it has grown to become the largest city in East Africa. The growth rate of Nairobi is currently 6.3%, which is attributed to rural-urban migration. Many rural migrants, however, are often unable to find suitable work or accommodation in Nairobi. As a result, urban poverty has also increased.
Standards of living in Nairobi vary widely. Nairobi is home to some of the wealthiest people with affluent homes, and lifestyles; but the city also has several slums, including Kibera - the largest and poorest slum in Africa. A quarter of Nairobi’s population lives in Kibera.

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06. What is there to see and do in Nairobi?

Nairobi is a modern, vibrant capital city full of contemporary, high-rise buildings. Nairobi boasts a vast variety of international cuisine to suit all tastes in its high quality restaurants. While in Nairobi try Japanese, Indian or Ethiopian cuisine, or have a unique experience at The Carnivore Restaurant, one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. The city also has exceptional clubs, shopping centres and cinemas.

The National Museum of Kenya houses a large and fascinating archive from around the region, including the full remains of a homo erectus boy – one of the oldest human remains in the world. The Karen Blixen museum describes the life and times of the famous early pioneer settler and writer.

The Nairobi National Park, the only protected game reserve within the boundaries of a major city, gives a glimpse of the famed Kenyan wildlife. The park lies only 20 minutes from the city centre, and is home to lions, cheetahs, zebras and hundreds of different species of birds.

The Giraffe Center, about 30 minutes from the city center, is one of the few places in Kenya where visitors can get close to the majestic giraffes, touch them and feed them.

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07. What can I buy in Nairobi?

Nairobi is a great place to shop; shopping malls and complexes dot the city. Unique coffee-table books, novels, semi-precious stones, or daily products such as toiletries, electrical products and other locally and internationally produced goods can be found in the many shops within the city.

For the bargain-hunter, Nairobi’s ‘maasai markets’ are a must. These open-air markets are full of traditional craft products, ranging from stone carved chess sets to African drums, from woven “kiondo” baskets to richly coloured “kikoy” wrap-around cloths. Enjoy a taste of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables or buy a bouquet of Kenya’s famous flowers while you shop at the maasai market.

During the World YWCA Council you will find many of the same traditional products on sale at the ‘Sokoni’- so be prepared to buy some beautiful beads hand-made by Maasai women.

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08. How can I change my money to local currency?

Most restaurants and shops accept international credit cards, although the local economy benefits more if you change your currency into Kenyan shillings. Most hotels have a Foreign Exchange counter making it convenient for guests to change money as needed. The current exchange rate is about 69 Kenyan shillings to 1 US dollar. All major banks have international currency exchange facilities, though ATMs or cash-points can be faster and cheaper to use.

ATMs are widely available around the city. Visa and Visa Electron are the most widely used electronic card and can be used at most restaurants and shops and at all ATMs. MasterCard and Maestro are becoming more common, and are accepted at some ATMs and all major banks in Nairobi.

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09. At shops and restaurant, should I expect an additional VAT or pay a tip?

Restaurant and shop bills quote VAT in their prices and in their total bills. VAT is not added to an item at point of sale.

At a restaurant or coffee shop, it is usual to leave a tip of your choice in cash on the table for the waiter/waitress, once the bill has been paid. There are no regulated tips and if you do not like the service you need not tip.

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10. What health issues should I consider pre-departure?

Nairobi is at 1,661 meters (5,449 feet) above sea level, therefore, malaria is not common. Visitors are very unlikely to contract malaria in the city. The easiest way to protect yourself from malaria is to avoid mosquito bites: use insect-repellent on exposed parts of the body especially in the evenings, plug-in special anti-malaria heaters that release vapours from anti-mosquito tablets (readily available in supermarkets across Nairobi).

For those who want to be cautious and take anti-malaria treatment, remember treatment begins a week before the departure date - plan early and ensure your local pharmacy carries anti-malaria tablets. Participants travelling outside Nairobi should seek advice about anti-malarial treatment and other vaccines from travel agents, health practitioners or visit the website of the World Health Organisation www.who.org for accurate information.

For participants travelling from areas where Yellow Fever is endemic a Yellow Fever certificate will be required to enter Kenya. For people living with HIV, the Yellow Fever vaccine is not recommended, as it is a live vaccine. In this case, please travel with a letter from your doctor explaining that, for medical reasons, you have been advised not to have the vaccine. Other routine vaccinations to consider include Typhoid, Tetanus and TB. Please consult with your physician.

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11. What happens if I get sick?

If you follow normal hygiene precautions such as buying bottled water, available all over Kenya, and not buying food from street vendors, you should be able to maintain your normal health status. If you do have a medical problem while in Kenya, there are many well-stocked pharmacies, with skilled staff available for regular complaints, such as headaches or other pains, fever or stomach trouble.

Do remember to bring sufficent supplies of any medication you take regulalry.

Nairobi has several modern private hospitals, which serve all of eastern Africa. We suggest you set up a buddy system with other conference participants to check up on you if they haven’t seen you in a while and vice-versa.

Some people worry about snake and scorpion bites when they travel to tropical countries. These are not city animals and are extremely rare occurrences, even in rural areas. When travelling on Safari the tour agents are trained to take tourists to places where they are safe from attacks by animals of any kind.

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12. What weather should I expect?

July is the monsoon season around the Indian Ocean and that brings with it cool air. Expect cool weather in the mornings and evenings and warmer days. Daily temperatures in Nairobi in July range between 11°C/51°F - 21°C /70°F. Pack your spring or early autumn clothes, in other words a trench coat or light jacket; cardigans, sweaters or jumpers; trousers or pants; and socks, stockings or tights. It may rain, so do carry your umbrella.

Some hotels also have swimming pools, so don’t forget your swimming suit/costume.

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13. What about security?

Like any cosmopolitan city these days, Nairobi is not free from crime. However, to put this in perspective, the UK Government Foreign Office website reports that of 150,000 UK tourists who visited Kenya in 2006, only 13 reported crime from theft or muggings. If visitors take the normal precautions needed in any international city, especially where there are visible disparities in wealth, there is no need for them to feel particularly at risk in Kenya.

Advisable precautions include making sure that when walking in the city you don’t tempt theft by wearing or carrying conspicuous valuables, such as expensive jewellery, cameras, open bags or bags hanging loosely from your shoulders.

Other routine common-sense measures to think of are:

1. Only use registered taxis for hire and agree on the fare before the journey begins
2. Lock taxi doors and keep windows up, especially when stationary at junctions, crossroads or traffic lights
3. Be particularly aware of others around you if someone stops to ask you a question – they may be trying to distract you
4. Keep any essential valuables, such as passport and credit cards locked in your hotel safe,
5. Keep valuables that you need with you close to your person, such as across your body or in a waist belt, so as not to attract attention to them
6. In restaurants, place your bag on your lap, or around the table leg

A useful tip from frequent travellers is to send yourself an e-mail with details of your passport and visa numbers, essential details such as bank account number, medical prescriptions, etc so that if anything goes astray you can easily retrieve the information through your e-mail account. Carry a photocopy of the important pages of your passport.

If you follow these and similar common sense measures, you should be as safe in Nairobi as any visitors are likely to be in your own capital city.

All Nairobi hotels used by conference participants have full security guard services. The Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC) has x-ray machines and security guards at its points of entrance, in line with all international conference facilities.

Nairobi hosts many international conferences, most recently the United Nations Climate Change conference and the International Olympic Committee Conference on Sport and Environment. The World Social Forum also took place in Nairobi; the Long Distance Runner Conference will take place in March of 2007. The Kenyatta International Concference Center runs many of these international conference events smoothly and efficiently.

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14. What if my country has a travel advisory against Kenya?

Read it seriously and carefully and take it for what it is, an advice. Identify your fears and questions and you may even consider calling the number given for further clarification. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact the World YWCA for details on the particular measures already in place to ensure your safety.

Do remember that we live in a globalised world and there is no place that can be identified as a completely safe zone. There have been terrorist attacks in many cities of the world including Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, New York, Washington DC, London, Delhi, Madrid etc. The Kenya government is working as hard as all other governments to protect its citizen and visitors. We believe our conference will be as protected in Nairobi as in any other part of the world.

Everyone everywhere needs to be vigilant but not traumatised by fear and panic. It is important to follow the security information at airports and in public places and report any suspicious incidents. The YWCA of Kenya is working with security authorities in Kenya to ensure normal safe procedures are applied to conference participants as is done in all parts of the world today. Below are some useful tips for travellers anywhere.

General Safety Tips

1. Hotline numbers in Nairobi are 999 from a landline, 112 from a mobile phone. Memorize these numbers or save them on your phone
2. If you have access to a mobile/cellular phone, carry it with you
3. Make a list of all your valuables and mark them. Include any serial numbers so that if found, they can be identified as yours
4. Ask the staff at your hotel or a trusted person to point out safe areas of the city
5. Report missing property immediately
6. Use safety deposit boxes at your hotel for your valuables

While in the City

1. Do not carry more cash than you need
2. In public places, do not leave items unattended
3. Do not leave credit cards or other valuables readily accessible
4. Do not carry pin numbers with ATM or credit cards.
5. Before you share any personal information, confirm that you are dealing with a legitimate organisation
6. Visit bank machines (ATMs) during daylight hours if possible
7. Walk in groups, especially in the evenings or at night.
8. Do not walk alone at night
9. Do not walk in dark alleys; do not allow hawkers to lure you to locations away from the main shopping areas
10. Be aware of your surroundings
11. Conceal expensive looking jewellery made of gold or diamonds

While in a car or taxi

1. Only use official public transport: marked taxis, buses or matatus (minibuses)
2. Wind up windows and lock doors when in a traffic jam
3. If travelling outside the conference centre, inform a friend or YWCA volunteer of your plans and when to expect you back
4. Travel and conduct your business during daylight hours if possible
5. On longer trips, it is advisable to have bottled water and food

While Shopping

1. Remain alert in crowded places particularly when going through revolving doors, in elevators/lifts, walking on crowded pavements, and at bus stops
2. Stay near well-lit areas and crowds. Remember there is safety in numbers
3. If you feel apprehensive about any location for any reason, leave and get help

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15. Can I use my laptop, hairdryer, or other electronic gadgets in Kenya?

Electric plugs in Kenya have 3 square points/slots (like the UK plugs); bring a converter if you are travelling with a laptop, mobile phone charger, hairdryer or other electrical equipment. The electric voltage is the same as Europe, 240 volts.

All hotels have Internet and e-mail access, some shopping malls and coffee shops have wireless hot spots.

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16. Can I use my mobile/cell phone in Kenya?

If you do not want to use the roaming service on your current phone, you can buy a prepaid (pay-as-you-go) Kenya SIM cards that is cheap and easy to use. Top-up or refill vouchers are widely available in all hotels, newsagents, supermarkets and several shops. There will be a mobile/cell phone agent at the conference centre.

Kenya operates on a GSM system (compatible with tri-band phones). North American and Japanese phones may not work in Kenya. Local and international calling cards are available wherever SIM cards are sold. Cheap international calls can be made from most cyber cafes in town.

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17. How do I contact my friends staying in other hotels?

Before you travel, confirm where your friends plan to stay. You can contact them by phone from your hotel. It is best to do this by buying a prepaid Kenyan SIM card for your mobile/cell phone or buying an international or local calling card. Please note, as in all major cities, hotels add a premium to phone calls made through their lines.

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18. How can I contact the conference secretariat?

The conference secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland where the World YWCA office is located and in Nairobi at the YWCA of Kenya office. Until June 20, the Geneva based secretariat can be reached through:
Daniela Schwiefert
phone: + 41 22 929 6033 or
email: daniela.schwiefert@worldywca.ordg or worldcouncil2007@worldywca.org

You can reach the Kenya bases secretariat through:

Caroline Maneno-Oketch
Phone: +254 20 2724 789 or +254 20 2724 699
Email: ywca@iconnect.co.ke

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19. What Tourism opportunities does Kenya offer?

If you have time, we suggest you take a full safari to Maasai Mara or Tsavo and other wonderful game parks in East Africa. Travelling to Uganda, Tanzania or Rwanda is quite easy. The Maasai Mara Game Reserve, named ‘the 7th new wonder of the world’ by a panel of experts for USA Today and ABC News in November 2006, is a must. Experiencing the sights and sounds of a Kenyan dawn - from a safari lodge or waking up in a tent with antelopes grazing close by and a fish eagle calling to its mate - can never to be forgotten.

Kenya is world-renowned for the rich diversity of its landscape and its many cultures. The variety is endless, game parks, the snow-covered peaks of Mount Kenya, flocks of flamingos on Lakes Nakuru, Magadi and Naivasha, the great Rift Valley home to the earliest remains of humankind on the planet, golden beaches and white sands of the Indian Ocean, scenic tea and coffee plantations, Northern deserts, the rain forest of Kakamega - all never-to-be forgotten experiences.

Kenya’s highlands are home to most of the world’s top long-distance runners, as well as producing much of the world’s best coffee and tea crops.

There are many well-known international tourist companies that operate guided and personally tailored safaris across the country. You can find these on the Internet – but book early, as July is high tourist season in Kenya and availability of good tours fill-up quickly. Also be sure to book your hotel through the World YWCA in good time to avoid disappointment.

Day trips can be arranged through tour operators at the World YWCA council. If you do not have more than a day to see Nairobi, a visit to Nairobi National Park, just half an hour outside the city, is highly recommended. The Giraffe Centre, 30 minutes drive from the city center, is a good stop if you would like to see giraffe up close. For more adventurous participants, white-water rafting or biking in the Rift Valley can be arranged as day-trips. Nairobi is also a great place for bird watching with over 600 different species within the greater city region.

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20. What is the Kenyan culture like?

A former British colony, Kenya gained independence in 1962. With a population of 30 million people, Kenya boasts 61 distinct local languages, many varied cultures and customs with rich and diverse music, dance, oral and cultural traditions. The many and diverse ethnic groups which populate the nation include pastoralists and agriculturalists, urban and rural, Christians, Muslims, Bahais, Sikhs, Hindus, and people with indigenous belief systems living together in religious harmony.

Kenya has featured in many films, some of which include “Out of Africa”, starring Meryl Streep and The Constant Gardener starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachell Weisz, both of which won Academy Awards.
So to make your preparation to Kenya exciting, here are some basic Swahili words, which will endear you to local Kenyans.

Habari How are you?
Mzuri Fine, well
Asante Thank you
Hodi Hello, may I come in?
Karibu Welcome
Jina Name
Jambo Hello
Kwaheri Goodbye
Pole Pardon, sorry
Hatari Danger
Jua kali Hot sun
Ndio Yes
La No
Wapi Where
Hapa Here
Bei gani How much
Inatosha That’s enough
Maji Water
Chakula Food
Chai Tea
Kahawa Coffee
Safari Travel, journey
Hakuna Matata No problem

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