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Africa Safaris and Overland Adventures Country Profiles
Guaranteed Departures from 3 to 56 Days
South Africa, Namibia,
Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and
Kenya.
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Country
Information Kenya
A short history of Kenya
History Paleontologists believe people may first have
inhabited Kenya about 2 million years ago. In the 700s, Arab seafarers
established settlements along the coast, and the Portuguese took control
of the area in the early 1500s. More than 40 ethnic groups reside in
Kenya. Its largest group, the Kikuyu, migrated to the region at the
beginning of the 18th century. The land became a British protectorate in
1890 and a Crown colony in 1920, when it went by the name British East
Africa. Nationalist stirrings began in the 1940s, and in 1952 the Mau
Mau movement, made up of Kikuyu militants, rebelled against the
government. The fighting lasted until 1956. On Dec. 12, 1963, Kenya
became fully independent. Jomo Kenyatta, a nationalist leader during the
independence struggle who had been jailed by the British, became its
first president. From 1964 to 1992, the country was ruled as a one-party
state by the Kenya African National Union (KANU), first under Kenyatta
and then under Daniel arap Moi. Demonstrations and riots pressured Moi
to allow for multiparty elections in 1992. The economy did not flourish
under Moi's rule. In the 1990s, Kenya's infrastructure began
disintegrating and official graft was rampant, contributing to the
withdrawal of much foreign aid. In early 1995, President Moi moved
against the opposition and ordered the arrest of anyone who insulted
him. A series of disasters plagued Kenya in 1997 and 1998: severe
flooding destroyed roads, bridges, and crops; epidemics of malaria and
cholera overwhelmed the ineffectual health care system; and ethnic
clashes erupted between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin ethnic groups in the
Rift Valley. On Aug. 7, 1998, the U.S. embassy in Nairobi was bombed by
terrorists, killing 243 and injuring more than 1,000. The embassy in
neighbouring Tanzania was bombed the same day, killing 10.
Health Warnings
Immunizations No immunizations are required by law to enter Kenya if you
are travelling directly from Europe or the US. If you are travelling
from a country where Yellow Fever is present you will need to prove you
have had the inoculation. Several vaccinations are highly recommended,
they include: Yellow Fever Typhoid Hepatitis A Diptheria It is also
recommended that you are up to date with your polio and tetanus
vaccinations. Contact a travel clinic at least 3 months before you plan
to travel. Here's a list of travel clinics for US residents. Malaria
There's a risk of catching malaria pretty much everywhere you travel in
Kenya. The highlands used to be a low-risk area, but even there you have
to be careful and take precautions. Kenya is home to the chloroquine-resistant
strain of malaria as well as several others. Make sure your doctor or
travel clinic knows you are travelling to Kenya (don't just say Africa)
so s/he can prescribe the right anti-malarial medication.
Currency & Climate
Currency: KES Climate: Kenya generally has excellent weather, with warm
sunny days, cool evenings. Two rainy seasons occur - March to May and
October to November. Days may still be sunny and warm during these rainy
seasons. |
