Everyday practical information for Kenya

Two laws that catch visitors out

• Single-use plastic bags are banned and the penalties in the statute are enormous. Enforcement at the airport targets importers rather than tourists, but do not pack your shoes in a carrier bag, and take a cloth bag for shopping.
• Plastic bottles and single-use plastics are banned inside national parks and reserves. Take a refillable bottle; the lodges refill it.
• Drones need Kenya Civil Aviation Authority approval arranged before arrival, plus a temporary import permit, and Kenya Wildlife Service does not allow casual drone flying in parks. Equipment is confiscated at the airport otherwise.

Manners

• Greet before anything else. "Habari" or "Jambo", a handshake, and a moment of small talk, before you ask a question or start a transaction.
• "Asante" for thank you, "karibu" for you're welcome, "pole" for sorry. A little Swahili is received warmly.
• Use the right hand for giving, receiving and eating.
• Elders are greeted first and addressed respectfully.
• "Pole pole" - slowly - is a genuine cultural setting, not an excuse. Schedules bend.

Dress and behaviour

• Nairobi dresses smartly. Scruffy visitors stand out more than they expect.
• The coast is Muslim and Mombasa's Old Town, Lamu and the villages expect covered shoulders and knees away from the beach.
• Swimwear is for the beach and pool, not the street.
• Public affection is not done, and for same-sex couples it carries legal risk.
• Ask before photographing people, and expect to be asked for money at markets.

Practical

• 240 V and type G sockets, the British three-pin. Most lodges have a universal socket somewhere.
• Power cuts are routine and everything worth staying in has a generator.
• Kenya is UTC+3 and does not change clocks.
• English and Swahili are both official, and English is spoken almost everywhere in tourism and business.
• Swahili time is counted from sunrise, so "saa mbili" is 08:00. It rarely comes up but it explains a confusing conversation.
• Bargaining is expected at markets and never at supermarkets, restaurants or fixed-price shops.
• Do not give money to children, which entrenches begging over school; give to a project instead if you want to help.