Kenya: country facts, travel advice and health

Bolt: ride-hailing with the fare shown upfront, in many towns.Uber: ride-hailing in Nairobi.Mpesa: mobile-phone payments, the most common way to pay after cash.Google Maps: navigation in cities and on country roads, but of little help inside the parks.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Cards or cash

Mostly cashMostly cards

Step 2 of 5: Cash is used for most payments, so carry enough of it.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Money in Kenya

Kenyan Shilling · KES

ATMs of Ecobank, Co-operative Bank and NCBA charged no withdrawal fee as of January 2024.

Ask prices in whatever Swahili you know, not English, or expect a much higher quote.

Arrange park entry before you go: many gates want advance payment or take only Mpesa.

Handicrafts are cheapest bought straight from the makers in their rural villages.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Collect Kenyan Shilling in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen

Public holidays in the next 12 months

Sat, 12 Dec 2026 · Jamhuri Day

Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day

Sat, 26 Dec 2026 · Boxing Day

Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day

Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday

Mon, 29 Mar 2027 · Easter Monday

Sat, 1 May 2027 · Labour Day

Tue, 1 Jun 2027 · Madaraka Day

Mon, 11 Oct 2027 · Mazingira Day

Wed, 20 Oct 2027 · Mashujaa Day

Source: Nager.Date · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

02Free

Safety today

Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Kenya say, side by side, checked daily.

German Foreign Office says

Travel warning for some regions

Calm

Caution ●

Serious

Don’t go

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 19 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

U.S. Department of State says

Reconsider travel

Calm

Caution

Serious ●

Don’t go

Level 3 of 4

Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 18 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

UK Foreign Office says

Advises against all travel to parts of the country

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: GOV.UK
Updated 16 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Scams to know

Fake police or security guards

Ask for identification before handing over passports, valuables or a vehicle.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Safari tours sold by touts

Book safaris only through reputable, established tour operators.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Dating-app lures

Be cautious; meet only in a well-lit public place and tell someone where you are.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Bogus roadside checkpoints

Keep windows closed and doors locked while driving, and avoid driving at night.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

On-the-spot traffic fines

If traffic police stop you, ask for the proper paperwork instead of paying cash.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.

03Free

Health

Yellow fever certificate if from a risk country; malaria in some areas; altitude sickness on high hikes.

Vaccinations

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you arrive from a country with yellow fever transmission risk.

Malaria

In some regions

Altitude

High hikes, Mount Kenya among them, carry a risk of altitude sickness.

Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.

Source: GOV.UK
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.

04Travel layer

In the app: the travel layer

The travel layer

Read a country like someone who’s been there.

What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use

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Must-see · 1Nairobi

Lively capital, business hub and most visitors' gateway.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strange & surprising · #1

Matatu minibuses are named after the Swahili for three, from an old fare of three ten-cent coins.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

National anthem: Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu. The lyrics, translated, and the story are in the app. Source: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

8 World Heritage sites in Kenya, each with a photo and its story, in the app. Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

05Free

Deep facts

Economy
GDP	≈ $135.9 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Per person	≈ $2,363Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Top exports	tea, cut flowers, garments, gold, tropical fruits (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Population
Population	57.5 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Median age	21.5 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Life expectancy	70.4 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Religions	Christian 85.5% (Protestant 33.4%, Catholic 20.6%, Evangelical 20.4%, African Instituted Churches 7%, other Christian 4.1%), Muslim 10.9%, other 1.8%, none 1.6%, don't know/no answer 0.2% (2019 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2019 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Geography
Area	580,367 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Climate	varies from tropical along coast to arid in interiorSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Terrain	low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in westSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Government
Type of government	presidential republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Calling code	+254Source: libphonenumber · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

About the data

Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.

From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.

GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).