KENYA

Volume 1
Welcome to Volume One of ‘Best of Kenya’

‘Best of Kenya’ is a celebration of the success of varied and valued enterprises in both Publisher: Intermac Communications Limited
private and public sectors and sets a trend we will continue in the coming months with
Volume II. Sales Director: Simon Mugo

Sales Team: Chris Nyaoro, Leonard Sichemo,

We are all proud to join the distinguished GVP family and, through showcasing success in Shane Mwigereri, Derrick Wanjawa
enterprise and entrepreneurship, play a role in marketing Kenya to the rest of the world as
a place where business survives and thrives. Editorial Director: W Kwendo Opanga

We hope that by celebrating these success stories and taking their uniqueness to the Editorial Team: Matthew Gathigira, Mike Ngwalla,

world, we will encourage many more entrepreneurs and enterprises to devise ways and Matiko Bohoko

means of joining the very best locally and globally.

Administration: Josephine Wambui, Stephen Otieno

Please sit back and enjoy the features on and images of articles on Kenya, its sporting
prowess, uniqueness, banks, hotels, education, birthplace of Barrack Obama Snr, the
father of the 44th President of the United States of America, among other delightful
articles.
We single out one enterprise for special mention. This is the story of Ranalo Foods, a
well liked eatery in Nairobi that is run by an amiable and humble couple that started their
business from the humblest of beginnings and locations.
Creative Direction: Allan Anjeo, Extreme Designs
Photography: Walter Boermeester, Yahya Mohamed,
Sam Ouma, Noor Khamis, Kenya Tourism Board, Kenya
Film Commission, Department of Film Services.
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the
accuracy of the information in Best of Kenya Vol.1.
Neither Best of Kenya nor Intermac Communications

In Volume II we will dwell at length on Kenya as a tourist destination and also look at the
government’s blueprint – Vision 2030 - for transforming the country into a developed
nation by 2030.
Karibu
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BEST OF
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Best of Kenya 1
 Hotels & Casinos

2
Best of Kenya
 National Anthem

O God of all creation,

Bless this our land and nation.
Justice be our shield and defender,
May we dwell in unity,
Peace and liberty,
Plenty be found within our borders.

Let one and all arise

With hearts both strong and true.
Service be our earnest endeavour,
And our Homeland of Kenya,
Heritage of splendour,
Firm may we stand to defend.

Let all with one accord

In common bond united,
Build this our nation together,
And the glory of Kenya,
The fruit of our labour,
Fill every heart with thanksgiving.

Best of Kenya 3
 Foreword from the President
Foreword

I am pleased to write a foreword for this attractive and

insightful publication about Kenya.

In this book, you will find many things said about Kenya, some of which may be new, and
others that you already know. It is my hope that the book will enable readers to broaden their
knowledge of our country and experience a new understanding and perception of Kenya and its
people.

Kenya remains a relatively stable and peaceful nation, despite the challenges we have faced
over the years. The stability and success of our nation demonstrates that we are a resilient
people, and we are always ready to find solutions to our problems. And more importantly, we
have been swift to seize the challenges that confront us and transform them into opportunities
for enhancing the political, social, and economic development of our society.

In this respect, the Grand Coalition Government, working together with Parliament, passed
various legislation this year to enable the government to implement various reforms to ensure
transparency in the management of the affairs of our nation. I am confident that, as a people, we
are capable of overcoming the problems we face, and building a united, stable and prosperous
nation.

I therefore want to assure our friends and well-wishers that Kenyans are determined to uphold
our nationhood. We are committed to living in unity, while recognizing the diversity of our
people. Indeed, all of us, regardless of ethnicity, race or religion, are inextricably tied together,
with a common destiny. That destiny, as spelt out in Vision 2030, aims at building a prosperous
and equitable nation that is an example to the region and the world of what Africa is capable of
achieving.

Accordingly, the theme of this publication is not only appropriate but also timely. Over the last
six years, the government has implemented a variety of reforms to make our country investor-
friendly. We welcome investors to take advantage of the unique and abundant opportunities we
offer to put their money in various sectors of our economy.

Indeed, Kenya is today one of Africa’s most well endowed countries in terms of human capital,
entrepreneurship and work ethic. The country has a large portfolio of investment opportunities,
ranging from the diverse natural resources and a vibrant agricultural sector to sophisticated
infrastructure as well as the financial and information services sectors.

In this regard, Nairobi has grown to become the region’s financial, transport and tourism hub,
while Mombasa is the gateway to the Eastern Africa region. Investors will find well developed
infrastructure, including roads, railways, air transport, and telecommunications linking Kenya to
the rest of Africa and the world. Investors will also be happy to know that Kenya has a large pool
of highly talented and skilled labour.

This publication is, therefore, also an invitation to investors, friends and well-wishers to
visit Kenya. I assure you that you will not be disappointed. Kenya is a land of contrasts – of
enchanting landscapes, a snow-capped mountain on the Equator, expansive savannas that are
home of the Big Five and countless, varied wildlife in their natural habitats that make Kenya a
true safari country.

Moreover, Kenya’s coastal region tells the story of hospitality and of timeless contacts with the
rest of the world, a story that is still eloquently told by the numerous historical monuments and
sites, while the beautiful, white sandy beaches and an all-year-round warm climate assure our
visitors a fun-filled holiday experience.

Welcome to Kenya.

H.E. Mwai Kibaki

President of the Republic of Kenya

4 Best of Kenya
Foreword from the Prime Minister
It is my pleasure to write the foreword to this useful fact-book on Kenya, especially at this
particular time when our country has regained its balance following the political crisis that
engulfed it in early 2008.

Kenya is back in business as a gateway to the vast and fast growing African market on the
eastern seaboard. We have reclaimed our reputation and position as the destination of choice
for investment, trade and tourism in Eastern and Central Africa.

We in Kenya firmly believe that the private sector provides the main engine for sustainable
economic growth. The Government of Kenya is firmly committed to working closely with both
the domestic and foreign private sector to generate wealth in the fight against poverty and
underdevelopment. Kenya offers guaranteed lower production and operational costs and faster
business set-up than most other countries, through the following measures:

• a one-stop-shop system for required licenses upon entry.

• a ten-year Corporate Tax holiday and a 25 per cent tax rate reduction for 10 years
thereafter.

• a ten-year withholding Tax holiday on non-resident remittances.

• duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) exemption on imported or locally sourced raw materials,
construction equipment and other business inputs except motor vehicles and some fuels.

• a 100 per cent investment deduction on capital expenditure within 20 years.

• exemption from Stamp Duty.

The Government places great emphasis on providing a conducive and enabling environment
for business. Maintaining Kenya’s highly skilled labour force is a top priority alongside issues
of security, affordable energy supply, responsiveness of the public sector to business needs,
upgrading infrastructure and ensuring a pleasant multicultural environment to live in.

Kenya’s unique geographical position offers time flexibility in cross-interaction with businesses
in other time zones from Auckland in New Zealand to Los Angeles in the U.S., without loss of
sleep! Nairobi is the regional hub for air and sea transport for East, Central and Southern Africa,
offering daily air connections to West Africa and other parts of the world.

As a founder-member of the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa (COMESA), Kenya offers access to a vast market of more than 400 million
people.

Kenya hosts a large number of regional bodies, multinationals and international organizations.
This, together with the multi-racial fabric of Kenyan society, makes most cities and urban
centres in this country global in matters of faith, education, culture, cuisine and character.

Welcome to Kenya! You will enjoy visiting or doing business in Kenya.

Raila Amolo Odinga

Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya

Best of Kenya 5
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6 Best of Kenya
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Best of Kenya 7
ChapterS
Best of Kenya

Kenya at a Glance Hotels and Resorts

10-47

48-57
Chapter 1

Chapter 2
Fashion Healthcare
76-81

82-95
Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Banking and Finance Technology

116-123

124-137
Chapter 10
Chapter 9

Property and Real Estate Media and Marketing

148-151

152-163
Chapter 12

Chapter 13

8 Best of Kenya
 Dining and Eating Out Shopping and Retail
58-67

68-75
Chapter 3

Chapter 4
Coffee, Tea and Horticulture Corporate Profile
96-107

108-115
Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Transport and Logistics

138-147
Chapter 11

Education and Training

164-183

BEST OF
Kenya
Chapter 14

Best of Kenya 9
Chapter 1
Kenya at a Glance

10 Best of Kenya
Best of Kenya 11
 Kenya at a Glance
Kenya at a Glance

POPULATION ECONOMY CURRENCY

Estimated in 2007 at 37,183,924 Free market enterprise Kenya shilling (at current rates KSh75
exchanges for One US dollar)
LAND AREA GOVERNMENT
591,383 square kilometres Coalition of parties LANGUAGES
English and Swahili are the main and
CAPITAL CITY PARLIAMENT official languages and there are over 40
Nairobi A single Chamber of 210 elected and 12 other local vernaculars
nominated Members whose term lasts
PRINCIPAL TOWNS five years
Mombasa
Nakuru MAIN GATEWAYS
Kisumu Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,
Nairobi
Moi International Airport, Mombasa
Wilson Airport, Nairobi

A version of this chapter was published

for the Brand Kenya Board under the title
Kenya: The World's Favourite Destination.

12 Best of Kenya
Inviting Savannah: Open and expansive
grasslands home to varied and valued game

Best safari time

A visit to Kenya is a truly unique and

unforgettable experience. The best times to
fulfill one’s lifetime dream for a great safari to
Kenya (ideally for two to three weeks) is July
to February, although the country is hospitable
and attractive to visitors throughout the year.

The time for an idyllic game viewing safari is

July to September, when one of the greatest
spectacles on earth takes place as more
than a million wild animals, mainly wildebeest
and zebra, cross the Mara River into Kenya’s
world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve.
The Great Migration has been classified the
Eighth Wonder of the World and is the only
living event among the Wonders, and also one
of the very oldest, far older even than Egypt’s
pyramids.

National carrier

Kenya Airways, affectionately tagged

“The Pride of Africa”, flies to more than 48 Up, up and away: Balloon safaris are popular events in the
destinations in Africa, Europe, the Middle and world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve
Far East and is soon to fly to the US.

Best of Kenya 13
Kenya at a Glance
Kenya: Land of infinite variety
Renowned globally as the Cradle of Mankind, Kenya is a land
of great variety and spectacular physical and climatic contrasts
and beauty that are so diverse they are usually found in an
entire continent.
These range from high snow-capped mountains with alpine
forests to hot dry deserts and lovely sandy beaches. There is so
much to be seen and enjoyed in Kenya, ranging from the pre-
Elephants in Amboseli: The game and view, with Mt
Kilimanjaro in the background, are stunning
14 Best of Kenya
historic splendour of the Rift Valley, a geographic feature that is
visible from space, to the beautiful shores of the Indian Ocean,
lined with unique mangrove forests, and to Lake Turkana, the
world’s largest desert lake.
From the modern social and cultural hub of Nairobi (the only
city in the world with a national park within its boundaries),
to the vast breathtaking expanses of wildlife parks such as
the Tsavo, Mt Kenya, the Masai Mara and Amboseli, a visit to
Kenya presents the ultimate dream for any traveller.
The world’s only wildlife capital: No other city on earth has a national park full of wild animals and birds in
their natural habitat. Ostriches strut and groom themselves against the background of Nairobi’s skyscrapers.
Fresh water lake: Fishing boat on Lake Victoria,
the world’s second largest fresh water lake
In the words of the 1954 Nobel laureate
for literature Ernest Hemingway, “Kenya
is unknowable, unimaginable, and
unbelievable”.
In terms of size, this great East African
country is some 583,000 kilometres square,
lying at the centre of the eastern part of the
continent of Africa, and right on the Equator.
Like its spectacular variety of wildlife,
physical and climatic conditions, Kenya is
a linguistic and cultural melting pot, with at
least 42 different communities and people
of different races who live harmoniously
together.
The rich vegetation that acts as cover for
some of Kenya’s spectacular landscapes also
provides shelter for a great variety of wildlife.
The varied altitudes of Kenya give the country
unique climatic features. The lower areas of
the country have high temperatures, with
humidity dependent on their proximity to
Tusks of Mombasa: They are like an emblem for the
historic coastal city that is the gateway to East Africa
water bodies. The highlands are mild and
cool, with relatively high rainfall patterns.
The popular Kenyan Coast, along the Indian
Ocean, and the regions around Lake Victoria,
the second largest freshwater body in the
world and the source of the River Nile, are
usually hot, or warm and humid. A visitor to
Kenya can experience and enjoy these varied
climatic conditions within a short time.
Melting Pot of Cultures
Kenya is a melting pot of varied, valued and
vibrant cultures.
Each of Kenya’s 42 main ethnic communities
has a strong and dynamic culture that it is
proud of.
This is not to suggest that the people of
Kenya are stuck in the past. These cultures
are dynamic, which is why they have survived
despite the strong influences they have been
subjected to or come into contact with.
Best of Kenya 15

Melting pot of culture: Various Kenyan peoples in
their traditional regalia representing Kenya’s rich
and varied culture and heritage
Song, dance and drum extravaganza: An expression
of sound, acrobatic action and vibrant colours is
the unmistakable trade mark of the Kamba dance
troupes from Kenya’s Eastern province.
16 Best of Kenya
Ministry
The centrality of culture in Kenyan society
is perhaps best explained by the creation of
the Ministry of Culture, which is specifically
tasked with recognition and promotion of the
country’s myriad cultures.
The 42 main ethnicities, while distinctly
different, are brought together by Kiswahili,
which is Kenya’s official language and
English, the medium of instruction in schools
through colleges and universities and the
language of international commerce and
diplomacy.
Greeting
For example, in most parts of Kenya or
among Kenya’s varied communities, a
greeting is a demonstration of goodwill.
Indeed, among some cultures, especially
at the Coast, people will be offended if one
joins their group or passes by them without
uttering a word of greeting.
Perhaps the best demonstration of greeting-
as-a-demonstration-of-goodwill is attested
to by the popularity of the Kiswahili word
Jambo. Indeed, a local band has made the
greeting popular abroad with its track of the
same name and chorus and it is a common
feature at tourist resorts across the country.
Cultural Festivals
In Kenya’s primary and secondary, private
or public schools, the annual countrywide
music and drama competitions, which are
meant to mainly showcase the talents of
young people, often turn into celebrations
of both the dominant and the little-known
cultures of the country.
However, given that media, communication
and technology keep bringing the various
continents of the world ever closer together,
the music and plays in the schools through
universities and outside the school system
depict the dynamism of Kenya’s cultures.

Indeed, song and dance, drama and film are

the vehicles of choice for those who seek to
showcase both the dynamism and resilience
of Kenya’s cultures. Each of Kenya’s eight
provinces also hosts annual cultural events
that are also festivals of culture.

Cultural Centre

The Bomas of Kenya is a cultural awareness-

creation centre started by the Government in
1971 with the express purpose of preserving,
maintaining and promoting the rich diverse
cultural values of the country’s multiplicity
of ethnic communities. A wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Kenya Tourist Development
Corporation (KTDC) Bomas’s mandate is
to preserve the authenticity of the nation’s
cultural values and portray them in pure form
for educational and entertainment purposes.

Religion

Just as Kenya’s peoples have different

cultures so also do they have varied religions,
and while Christianity and Islam predominate,
there are still many Kenyan peoples who
believe in the power of their ancestors, spirits
and medicine men and women to influence
their lives in very fundamental ways.

Kenya’s Coast Province, perhaps because of

the Indian Ocean and proximity to the Arab
world, is home to the majority of the country’s
Muslim population, followed by the North
Eastern and Eastern provinces. Islam is,
however, spread throughout the country.

Kenya’s interior is home to the Christians.

Catholics are in the majority, followed by
several Protestant faiths, chief among
them being the Anglicans, Presbyterians,
Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists,
Lutherans, and the Evangelicals.

Brilliant vision for a beautiful country

Kenya’s vision is to become a middle- Going for the Jugular: The Maasai community are famed for their drinking of mixtures of cow’s milk and
income industrialised economy by the year blood during ceremonial rites of passage such as circumcision. Here a group of morans are drawing blood
2030 and towards this end the Government from the jugular vein of a cow. The animal survives the ritual because it is not let to bleed and is cared for
has developed a comprehensive blueprint until it recovers and heals.

Best of Kenya 17
Twin Peaks: The two tallest buildings in Kenya and the Eastern African region, Nairobi‘s
International Conference Centre (KICC) in the foregound with its amphitheatre built in the
shape of a traditional African hut. In the background is the hulking Times Tower.

called Vision 2030. This blueprint is housed

City of the future: An artist’s impression of Nairobi in the next 25 years as by the Ministry for Planning, National
depicted in Kenya’s blueprint for economic transformation called Vision 2030 Development and Vision 2030.

The Government is committed to achieving

Vision 2030 through a series of planned
and well-coordinated initiatives aimed at
increasing productivity and ensuring that
the living standard of the majority of the
population is positively transformed. In
this respect Vision 2030 clearly spells out
the social, economic and political priorities
that the country needs to focus on in
order to achieve rapid industrialisation and
economic self-reliance within the next 25 to
30 years.

The Government is already putting in place

measures to drive this transformation;
notable among these being the creation of a
favourable investment climate for both local
and external entrepreneurs.

18 Best of Kenya
 population size, Kenya has often been at
the centre of global attention and affairs.
Kenya’s prowess in sports, peace-keeping
missions and capacity as a safe haven for
refugees have positioned the country as a
high profile and impactful regional and global
player.
In addition, Kenya holds some of the most
valuable treasures on the origins and global
distribution of various life forms, giving it
unique potential to positively contribute to
the future of the world and humankind. As a
young and vibrant developing nation, Kenya
is determined to forge ahead and join the
developed post-industrial countries.
Nairobi: Green City in the Sun
Nicknamed the Green City in the Sun, the
modern city of Nairobi, with a population
of around 4.5 million inhabitants, occupies
a unique place in the world, being the only
global metropolis with a large wildlife park
close to its central business district!
It is also the only city of a developing country
that hosts the global headquarters of several
United Nations’ specialised agencies.
Its moderate climate, rich history, modern
facilities and central location make Nairobi
the most ideal starting point for a Kenyan
safari adventure.
Situated just 140km south of the Equator,
494km west of the port of Mombasa on
the Indian Ocean and 338km east of Lake
Victoria, at an altitude of 1,670 metres,
Nairobi is not only Kenya’s principal city but
also East Africa’s economic and business
focal point.
In 1907, the British transferred their colonial
administration from Mombasa at the Coast to
In order to realise the goals of Vision 2030,
Kenya requires massive investments from
both domestic and external sources. The
priority areas in the Vision present enormous
investment opportunities for both public
and private investors. Apart from a visionary
political leadership, Kenya has a number
of advantages that make it one of the few
countries on the African continent most likely
to achieve a socio-economic transformation
in the near future.
A well-educated, youthful and vibrant
population, vast, largely untapped natural
resources, enormous investment in
infrastructure and a well developed private
sector are among the country’s assets.
Small country, big reputation
Although a relatively small country in Green City in the Sun: A view of Nairobi’s Central Business District as seen from
the world in its geographical extent and nearby Uhuru Park, centre for recreation and national and cultural events
Nairobi in the highlands, and since then what
was once a small group of huts has been
spectacularly transformed into East Africa’s
most modern metropolis. Nairobi attained city
status in 1950.
Mombasa: Romantic, historic island port
The island town of Mombasa is the main
Seagate on the eastern African coastline
and is Kenya’s oldest and second largest
metropolis. The port city has a rich romantic
history, going back over a millennium.
The unrivalled beauty of the Kenyan coastline
is a distinctive feature of the country’s
tourism industry.
Mombasa, a splendid city, is home to a rich
historic civilisation that gave East Africa
the Swahili language. Kiswahili is Kenya’s
lingua franca and is now spoken across half
of Africa. One of the most famous Swahili
words that has not only found its way into the
English dictionary but also is a brand name for
a wide range of products, from perfumes to
sport, is safari.
Close to the palm-fringed beaches lies the
natural marvel of the coral reef, which runs
uninterrupted for close to 500km. The Kenyan
Coast teems with various wonders of marine
life, mysterious lagoons and creeks that
attract exploration.
There are also the mangrove forests and
awesome cliffs overhanging some of the
beaches. Another great coastal spectacle is
the variety of wildlife, especially birds.
Fort Jesus, built by Portuguese adventurers
during the 16th Century, is one of the most
important historical monuments in the city of
Mombasa.
Best of Kenya 19
Kenya at a Glance

Takes your breath away: The vegetation on the ground and

clouds above combine to form breathtaking views

Loving and caring: A baby elephant and its
mother take a leisurely walk
With such exciting features, together with a
wide variety of entertainment, a visit to the
Kenyan Coast is a must for the discerning
visitor. The experience is truly memorable.
Kisumu: Lively lakeside fishing town
The surrounding region is rich in culture
and history, with many intriguing and
historic sites, among them Rusinga
Island, the weeping stones and forests of
Kakamega, and a variety of wild flora and
fauna to be found all the way to Mt Elgon.

The lively lakeside city of Kisumu, formerly
known as Port Florence, is situated along
Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest
freshwater body and only about 80km
southeast of Nyang’oma Kogelo, the
ancestral home of the father of the 44th
President of the United States of America,
Barack Obama. Kisumu is Kenya’s third
largest city.
Located 355km to the west of Nairobi,
Kisumu is a thriving, tourist, fishing
and commercial city which is steadily
positioning itself as the socio-economic
hub of Western Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
and the Great Lakes region.
For a visitor looking for a warm and
tranquil resting place, Kisumu is the ideal
place. Kenya Airways, the national airline,
and other local carriers, operate daily
flights between Nairobi and Kisumu.
The Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is one of the most
awesome and breathtaking natural
physical phenomena on earth. Estimated
to have formed some 20 million years ago,
it is visible from space.
The name Great Rift Valley was coined
by the Scottish explorer and geologist

20 Best of Kenya
Pretty in pink: Tens of thousands of flamingo lie in the shores of Lake Nakuru, feeding on algae and creating one of the most spectacular sites in all of nature
John Walter Gregory in his book The
Great Rift Valley (1896).
With its steep and jagged escarpment
walls, mountains and flat floor, the
Great Rift Valley is one of the most
attractive and popular parts of Kenya.
It is also among the most agriculturally
productive, providing most of Kenya’s
wheat, maize and dairy products.
The floor of the valley is at its lowest
near Lake Turkana, where there is
virtually no distinction between the
Great Rift Valley and the surrounding
desert. Lake Turkana, which is 400km
north of Nairobi, is the largest desert
lake in the world.
As it heads south, the Great Rift Valley
walls form sheer cliffs rising to 1,900km
(6,232ft) at Lake Naivasha, thereafter
the valley descends again to 580
metres (1,902 feet) as it approaches the
border with Tanzania.
Subterranean movement is still
common as the Rift Valley is home to
30 active and semi-active volcanoes
and countless hot springs. This string
of alkaline lakes and boiling springs
includes lakes Baringo, Bogoria,
Nakuru, Elementaita, Naivasha, and
Magadi in the south.
These lakes are rich in sodium carbonate,
which creates an ideal breeding ground
for algae. Several species of fish, tilapia in
particular, thrive in this environment. As a
result, millions of birds flock to these soda
lakes to feast on the abundant algae and
fish, making these lakes a unique spot for
bird watching, the most spectacular being
the flamingoes of Lake Nakuru.
Then there is the dramatic Hell’s Gate near
Lake Naivasha, a truly awesome natural
wonder, with steep and deep walls and a
cavernous emptiness dug by nature. The
name is deceptive for this is no hell on
earth!
Among the Great Rift Valley’s unique
features is Lake Turkana. Also known as the
Jade Sea for the unique turquoise colour
of its waters, it has shores longer than the
entire Kenyan Coast.
This lake not only has an abundance of
the delicious tropical fresh-water fish, the
Tilapia, but also contains the world’s largest
crocodile population. Fishing and livestock
rearing and agriculture are among the
activities within and around the lake.
There are numerous spectacular natural
wonders that surround the lake, with
fantastic opportunities for the intrepid
adventurer.
The Masai Mara: Eighth Wonder
of the World
Lying 224km to the south-west of Nairobi, the
Masai Mara Game Reserve provides one of
nature’s most dramatic and awesome spectacles
ever; the annual Great Migration of over a million
wildebeest and zebra, teeming from the south to
cross the Mara River into the Game Reserve.
The migration, which has come to be known
as the Eighth Wonder of the World, takes place
between July and September, making this the
most ideal time for a classic safari.
The stunning Savannah grasslands with
scattered shrubs stretch for as far as the eye can
see. They are an endless spectacle of nature’s
most creative designs. In the vast landscape can
be seen the cheetah, the fastest animal on earth,
chasing antelope and gazelle, in the Mara River
hippos bathe, and, on the banks, crocodiles sun
themselves.
It is in the predator-infested waters of the Mara
that thousands of wildebeest, hundreds of zebra,
eland and gazelle must fight for their lives in a
vast theatre of the jungle’s law of survival of the
fittest.
For the nature loving and adventurous visitor,
the wildebeest migration is a must-see event.
A balloon safari provides an exciting birds’- eye
view of this mighty African wilderness.
Best of Kenya 21
 Just a glimpse of Kenya: (From top to bottom)
22 Best of Kenya Wildebeest, the people, Rhino and Zebra
Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha:
Home of flamingoes
About 160km west of Nairobi, Lakes
Nakuru and Naivasha, and the thousands of
flamingoes that reside in them, together form
a bewitching spectacle, beloved of many a
local and foreign visitor.
Naivasha is best seen by boat. Within close
proximity of Nakuru town and covering
an area of 200 square kilometers, Nakuru
National Park is undoubtedly a great
ornithological wonder of the world.
It is the congregation point of an estimated
100,000 to two million flamingoes and
over 400 other species of birds. With the
wildlife sanctuary greatly expanded since its
creation in 1961, and extensive ecological
clean-up of the area, wildlife of a wide
variety can now be seen in the park.
Lake Bogoria, to the north of Nakuru, features
enticing hot springs, made even more inviting
by the sight of fishermen in papyrus boats and
the rare greater kudu. Nakuru boasts the rare
Rothschild Giraffe and an extraordinary rhino
sanctuary.
Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo:
A tale of three parks
The arid and semi-arid regions of northern
Kenya, framed by volcanic mountain ranges
and dotted with lakes, provide a uniquely
picturesque holiday for the visitor.
Throughout the region, rare animals such as
the reticulated giraffe, oryx, Grevy’s zebra,
and long-necked gerenuk abound.
Between the drier northern region and the
imposing, densely forested Mt Kenya lies the
serrated and beautiful Meru National Park,
home of Elsa the Lioness befriended by Joy
and George Adamson and featured in Joy’s
book Born Free and film of the same name.
Almost similar in the variety of flora and fauna
are the three wildlife reserves of Samburu,
Shaba and Buffalo Springs located about
342km to the north of Nairobi along the Uaso
Nyiro River.
The Meru National Park is home to the rare
species of grazing white rhino. It lies in a
semi-arid, open savannah plain broken
occasionally by small rugged hills.
Mount Kenya:
Snow and wildlife on the Equator
Snow-capped Mount Kenya is Africa’s second
highest peak, a stunning and challenging
destination for adventurous tourists, climbers
and trekkers.
Below the mountain’s alpine meadows roam
elephant, black rhino, Cape buffalo and
antelope. On its lower slopes is Ol Pejeta, a
private ranch and rhino sanctuary, and nearby
is the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club.
The Aberdare Ranges sport high alpine
moorland and primeval aloe forest. Here one
can visit the famous Treetops Hotel, where
leopards are regular visitors and can be
viewed in the act of refreshing themselves.
Treetops is renowned because the then
Princess Elizabeth visited in 1952, went up
Treetops, received word of King Edward VI’s
death and came down as Queen.
The Aberdare Ranges were named by Joseph
Thomson in 1883 after Lord Aberdare,
who was the then president of the Royal
Geographical Society. Lying in these
mountains, this park covers an area of 770
square kilometres.
Rising to the heavens: The hot springs of Lake
Bogoria in the Rift Valley
A tantalising mixture of mountain rain
forest, moorland, thick bamboo forests and
sub-alpine plants make up the vegetation
in this park. Giant heath and tussock grass
cover the moorlands, which are crossed by
wandering trout-inhabited streams that, in
some places, cascade into scenic waterfalls
and rapids.
Amboseli:
Expansive pride of the Maasai
The imposing, ever-present view of
Kilimanjaro provides the main background
feature for this unique wildlife habitat
situated some 260km south of Nairobi.
The Amboseli has some of Kenya’s largest
herds of elephants. Hemingway once wrote
of the Amboseli as “the essence of Africa”,
where elephants rummage in the lower
forests, leopards prowl the salt flats while
antelope graze the expansive grasslands; all
these against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro’s
majestic peak. Few natural scenes in the
world are more inspiring.
Apart from the patches of acacia forest, the
Amboseli grasslands are dotted with shrubs
and fragile saline grass. The dry volcanic ash
can support little more.
The melting snows of Kilimanjaro feed
rivers and springs that supply water to
the swamps and the Amboseli, which
Best of Kenya 23
Kenya at a Glance
Two of the Big Five: The Rhino, famed for its size
and insecure because of its horn, and the Buffalo,
known for its sharp horns and sharper temper
is usually completely dry. Occasional
flooding of the rivers occurs during rainy
seasons.
A wide variety of wildlife that include
antelope, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra,
elephant, rhino and buffalo, the predatory
lion, the cheetah and occasionally the
elusive and secretive leopard are attracted
to these rivers and swamps.
As much a part of the Amboseli landscape
are the Maasai people who graze their
cattle here. Amboseli is home of the
colourful and iconic Maasai, with their rich
and proud cultural heritage.
Amboseli National Park was in 1991
declared a biosphere reserve by
UNESCO. It has some 380 bird species,
over 56 animal species and an elephant
population that has been studied for more
than two decades.
24 Best of Kenya
Tsavo East and West:
World’s largest game sanctuary
The entire Tsavo ecosystem, about 333km
to the east of Nairobi, is possibly the
world’s biggest game sanctuary. It is an
expansive model wildlife sanctuary in terms
of geographical and ecological features, with
a great variety of plant and animal life. The
Tsavo is situated halfway between Nairobi
and Mombasa.
The two adjacent sprawling animal parks are
ideal for visitors who wish to include both
wildlife safari and coastal luxury on their
itinerary. Sunsets in the Tsavo offer a peculiar
display, filling the sky with an incredibly
beautiful spectrum of colour and splendour.
In Tsavo East roam red elephants, so-called
because of the colour of the rich volcanic soil
that they throw over their bodies with their
trunks to diminish the effects of the tropical
sun.
The Tsavos have the world’s largest and most
important concentration of elephants, with a
population estimated at more than 20,000.
Peacemaker:
Kenya’s esteemed place on world map
Kenya continues to play important roles on
the international scene. Over the years, this
country has been a regional peacemaker.
Peace talks to end internal and external
conflicts in various African countries have
been held in Nairobi, with Kenya playing
a vital mediation role. Peace talks on the
conflicts in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) and Burundi have been hosted
by Kenya.
As a result of its engagement in numerous
efforts to end conflicts around the world,
Kenya has gained a reputation as a peace-
loving nation. Whenever the international
community seeks a suitable place in which

to hold talks on matters ranging from war to
climate change, Kenya is often among the
countries considered.
Visits by world leaders
Prominent world leaders have been to Kenya
on various occasions to attend both regional
and global events or simply on holiday. In
November 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-Moon was in Kenya to help broker peace
in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kenyan soldiers and police officers have
served in numerous peace-keeping missions
on the African continent and around the
world.
Under the aegis of the United Nations, Kenya
has sent peacekeeping forces to Bosnia,
Namibia and Sierra Leone. During the past
four decades, Kenya has initiated, guided
and hosted peace talks for troubled African
countries, starting with Angola, during the
Son of Kenya: Barack Obama, then the Senator from Illinois, now the 44th President of the United States,
chats with elders in Nyang’oma Kogelo Village during his visit to Kenya in August 2006. Kogelo is the
ancestral village of the President’s father, the late Barack Obama Snr. Below: Obama is escorted into the
Standard Media Group’s offices in Nairobi in 2006.
rule of this country’s internationally respected
first President, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
More recently, Kenya has also spearheaded
successful peace processes for the Sudan
and Somalia under the leadership of former
President Daniel Moi and current President
Mwai Kibaki.
The United Nations in Nairobi
Nairobi is the only city in the developing
world that hosts global headquarters for
a number of United Nations specialised
agencies.
It is the world headquarters of the United
Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
and the United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (UN Habitat). It is also the
regional headquarters for Africa of several
other UN bodies. Kenya has been a full and
committed member of the United Nations
Organisation since Independence in 1963.
Best of Kenya 25
Kenya at a Glance
Rich and diverse heritage
From the pre-historic times of the evolution
of humankind through the eras of slavery,
voyages of discovery and colonisation to the
modern post-Independence period, Kenya
has always occupied a unique place in
human development.
In fact, Kenya and the East African region
are often referred to as the Cradle of
Mankind due to the discovery by world-
renowned palaeontologists of pre-historic
remains of the ancestors of modern homo
sapiens.
The Museums of Kenya, rich with all forms
of heritage, are among the most interesting
places to visit for a view of the development
of humankind and African culture.
Melting pot of cultures
Inhabited by different races and a total of 42
ethnic communities with varying historical
and cultural backgrounds, Kenya is a prime
example of harmony in diversity, a true
melting-pot of religions, races and cultures.
The majority of its people are black Africans
from different linguistic and cultural stocks,
with migrant minorities of Middle Eastern,
European (Caucasian) and Asian extraction.
More than 40 different languages are spoken
in Kenya. Swahili (a mixture of Arabic and
local vernacular languages) and English
are the national and official languages
Tower, ceremonial dress and warrior dance: (From top to bottom) The Kenyatta
International Conference Centre, a warrior and the postcard Maasai jump
26 Best of Kenya
respectively as well as the most widely
spoken.
Dominating distance athletics
Kenya is a global giant in long-distance
athletics, having produced a long line of
world class runners since 1968. At the
Beijing Olympics in 2008, Kenya led Africa
with a record harvest of 8 gold, 8 silver and
5 bronze medals. Kenyan athletes have won
almost every known city marathon or road
race in the world.
Track sensation Pamela Jelimo won not only
an Olympic gold medal in her 800m specialty
in Beijing, but also scooped the International
Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) US$1
million Golden League Jackpot.
Kenya is now also one of the top swimming
nations in Africa, with several continental
titles. Other major sports in the country
include football (most popular), sport-
shooting, sailing, motor rallying (the world
famous Safari Rally), horse racing, golf,
boxing and angling.
Conferencing in Kenya
Many important regional and global
meetings and forums are often held in
Nairobi. They include the UN Conference on
Climate Change in 2006, the UN Women’s
Decade Meeting in 1985 and the joint World
Bank/IMF Meeting in Nairobi in 1975. There
was also the UNCTAD conference in 1979.
 The power and
the glory: Kenya’s
athletes conquer
the world and bring
fame to the country

Best of Kenya 27
Hotels & Casinos In 2007, there was the World Social Forum, one of the largest
conferences ever held anywhere on earth, with more than 20,000
delegates from around the globe.

Conference facilities in Kenya include the famous Kenyatta

International Conference Centre (KICC) in Nairobi. Various
regional and global meetings take place in Kenya on a regular
basis since it is the main organisational and communications hub
in the entire eastern Africa region.

There are sufficient world-class conference facilities, excellent

accommodation, entertainment and diverse cuisine in all the
major cities and within the wildlife parks.

Centre for international media

Many major international media organisations and news agencies

have their Africa regional offices based in Nairobi.

From the Kenyan capital, which enjoys excellent communication

with the rest of the world, media representatives from around the
world can cover events and transmit news across continents.

The local media are among the most vibrant and diversified
in the developing world. Media freedom is guaranteed in the
Constitution. The Nation Media Group is the largest in eastern
and Central Africa, with the Daily Nation and its sister publication
the Sunday Nation being by far the most widely read daily and
Sunday newspapers in the region.

Parks of the Big Five

The famous Big Five wild animals, the elephant, rhino, lion,
leopard and buffalo, are all found in Kenya’s national parks and
game reserves.

The lion is known for its strength and power, speed and stealth,
attributes that make it a menacing predator and which have given
it the deserved nickname of King of the Jungle.

The rhino is a one-tonne creature, with a pair of horns for which it

is hunted by poachers. It is often found alone or in small groups.

The leopard is also a solitary animal but its strength is such that
it can haul its prey vertically up a tree. It is also known for speed,
stealth and surprise.

The buffalo has a fierce temper and will fearlessly stand up to

the lion. Lions prey on buffalo, the reason why the two are mortal
enemies.

Elephants move in a herd and, like buffalo, keep the calves in the
middle of the group, a strategy designed to fend off predators. It
is this unique behaviour of these animals that make them a joy to
watch.

Best tea, coffee and flowers

Kenya produces the best tea, coffee and cut flowers in the world.

As a leading producer and global exporter of very high quality

aromatic Arabica coffee and excellent brown teas, Kenya is well-
placed to supply large quantities of the popular beverages to any
market around the world.

Home of the Big Five: Some of the world’s most amazing wildlife has its
natural home in Kenya, including, from top, the King of the jungle, the lion,
the seemingly armour-plated rhino, the treeclimbing leopard, the often
angry buffalo and the gentle-giant elephant, the largest land-based animal

28 Best of Kenya
 Coming to a cottage near you: An elephant march
past parade in a resort in the Taita Hills
Kenya is the leading exporter of cut flowers
in the world. Its flowers are renowned,
particularly in the large European Union
market, for their freshness and beauty. A wide
variety of juicy tropical and temperate fruits
and vegetables are also produced in Kenya
for both domestic consumption and export.
Art and film out of Kenya
As a filming destination, Kenya has few
equals, with spectacular landscapes and a
wide variety of flora and fauna, natural light
(more than 200 days of sunlight annually)
, a pool of talent and some of the world’s most
warm-hearted and hospitable peoples.
The spectacular landscape of Kenya has
featured in many internationally acclaimed
films, notable among them being King
Solomon’s Mines, made in the 1950s,
Sydney Pollack’s multiple Oscar-winning
Out of Africa, The Constant Gardener, White
Mischief, Born Free, The Rise and Fall of Idi
Amin, Tomb Raider, Cradle of Life, Walk With
the Lions were all shot in Kenya.
Kenyan filmmakers, with the Kenya Film
Commission, are making their presence felt on
the international stage.
The city of Nairobi teems with art galleries,
among them Gallery Watatu, Ramoma, African
Heritage and Elimo Njau’s Paa Ya Paa, all with
global name recognition.
Theatre is popular in Kenya, which has
witnessed a major recent revival of the Kenya
National Theatre to the accompaniment of a
resurgence of local plays and programming
on all leading television channels in the
country.
Visitors to Kenya are able to enjoy numerous
plays and cultural events, especially the
popular Kenya School and College Drama
Festivals that takes place every year.
Curios and curiosity
The best and most popular wood carvings
depicting the country’s rich wildlife and
cultural heritage are on sale in almost all
major towns countrywide.
Curios and curiosity: Exquisite handmade baskets
Some of the most exquisite carvings are and wood carvings depict Kenya’s rich heritage
made from Kisii soapstone, a unique natural
stone that lends itself well to the mallet and
chisel.
Kenya is also renowned worldwide for its
handmade traditional baskets known as
kiondo or chiondos from various materials,
including sisal fibre, reeds and grass.
World class beers
Kenyan beers, especially the Tusker, Tusker
Malt, White Cap and Pilsner brands, have
won awards at the International Monde
Selection for their excellent taste, high quality Tip-top tipples: Kenya’s beers have won many
and purity. internationally recognised awards
Best of Kenya 29
Kenya at a Glance
Tusker Lager, which embodies Kenya’s
great heritage, has found its place along
other world popular beers, especially in
America and Europe.

Nobel for noble cause

Kenya’s first Nobel laureate (Peace,

2004), Professor Wangari Maathai, was
so honoured because of her relentless
crusading for the environment.

The country hosts the global headquarters

of UNEP, and in Prof Maathai has the first
African woman to win the Nobel Peace
Prize. She was a Member of Parliament
and assistant minister for the environment
and natural resources in 2003-2007.

United we share power

Kenya was the first country in Africa to

succeed in reaching a power-sharing
agreement between the government and
the opposition after a disputed General
Election, in December 2007.

The power-sharing agreement and the

resultant Coalition Government have
become models for Africa and enhanced
Kenya’s reputation as a politically stable
Prof Wangari Maathai country in a turbulent continent.

Swords into ploughshares: President Mwai Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga (seated) sign the National Peace Accord on
February 28, 2008, ending the post-election violence. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (white-haired) and other dignitaries look on`.

30 Best of Kenya
The Grand Coalition Government also Drumbeat: A Chuka troupe from Eastern
underscored the undying desire of Kenyans Province drums to thrill
for peace and security and an environment
that enables them to thrive in business.

Investing in education

In preparation for Kenya’s transformation

in line with its economic blueprint, the
Government introduced free primary and
secondary school education in 2003 and
2008 respectively.

Kenya has 26 universities, some of which

are branches or affiliates of well-known
European, American, Australian and other
centres of learning around the world.

In almost every field of endeavour, Kenya

has a well-focused, highly skilled and hard-
working pool of talent.

Kenya also has the world’s oldest primary

school pupil, Kimani Maruge, whose
unique feat won him an invitation to UN Beachside barbeque: Dining by the
Headquarters in New York and made him a Indian Ocean, Kenyan style
permanent feature at National Day events
besides being entered in the Guinness
Book of World Records. He died in August
2009, aged 90.

Investment opportunities in Kenya

Kenya is East Africa’s leading economy,

stable and vibrant, with considerable growth
spurred by several key factors.

It is more than double the size of Uganda’s

economy, US$60 billion.
Kenya prides itself on having a well-educated
and skilled human resource, an effective and
well-managed port which serves as gateway
to the East and Central African hinterland.
Kenya has a robust tourism sector stimulated
by a range of wildlife and a vast coastline of
white sand beaches. There are beckoning
world class tourist hotels managed by a
proficient and hospitable staff.
The hospitality of the Kenyan people is
legendary
Kenya has a stable government committed to
implementing business reforms and providing
an enabling environment and attractive
investment incentives for foreign investors.
The elimination of bureaucratic red tape
in business licensing and registration
procedures, enacted a few years ago, has
given the country the impetus to improve her
positioning in Doing Business (DOB), ranking
globally from 83 in 2006 to 72 in 2007.
A superb infrastructural paradigm with a well-
maintained road and rail network and modern
airports provides investment opportunities
and facilitates enterprise.
Kenya’s strategic location in the heart of
eastern Africa offers a pivotal transport link,
a regional conveyance hub where several
international airlines make frequent stopovers
to drop and pick up transit cargo and
passengers.
Kenya has two major international airports –
the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
in Nairobi and the Moi International Airport in
Mombasa – which together handle over 15
million passengers yearly.
The Kisumu and Eldoret airports are currently
being upgraded to international status.
Both JKIA and Moi serve as a fundamental
link and transport artery for landlocked
countries like Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and
the eastern part of the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC).
The opening up of the Southern Sudan
trade market after the signing of the
Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) with
the Arab-dominated north in 2004, ending
20 years of civil war, broadened Kenya’s
bazaar spectrum for goods ranging from
manufacturing commodities to foodstuffs.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act
(AGOA) passed by the US Government
granting duty-free entry to its markets
for exports from Kenya in 2000 and its
subsequent extension to 2015 offered Kenya
a chance to increase her exports, mainly
textiles and apparels. The Eighth AGOA
Forum was held in Kenya in August 2009
There has also been increased investment
in ICT and mobile telephony services, hence
strategising the country as an important
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub.
The Kenya Government lays emphasis
on the development of ICT, and therefore
enacted a telecommunication policy in 1997
that underscored the desire to have a well-
developed communications network by
2015.
The policy aims to bring down
communication costs, improve accessibility
and create jobs by positioning the country as
a regional ICT outsourcing focal point.

Best of Kenya 31
32 Best of Kenya
Port
The port of Mombasa is Kenya’s only deep-
sea port and freight gateway for half-a- dozen
nations in East and Central Africa, a market
for over 130 million people.
To serve this expansive and increasingly
demanding hinterland, the port is involved in a
major modernisation programme that will see
it become one of the world’s top 20 gateways
in terms of reputation and performance by
2010.
The port’s advantageous location in the
centre of the East African coastline makes
it an excellent export base and many goods
are exempt from import duties, Kenya being
a signatory to several international Customs
agreements.
To be compliant with global privatisation
initiatives, the Mombasa port is being
prepared for transformation into a landlord
port authority, with most of the cargo handling
and complementary services being opened up
to the private sector.
Airports
transport sector, JKIA is undergoing a major
and deserving rehabilitation programme
to expand and equip it with state-of-the-
art modern passenger and cargo handling
facilities.
The construction of aprons linking taxiways
with associated airside roads, the expansion
of terminals to a total floor area of 15,700sq
kms and the renovation of passenger
terminal buildings which, once completed,
will be able to comfortably accommodate 9
million passengers, is ongoing.
KQ
Kenya Airways, otherwise referred to as The
Pride of Africa, is the country’s national flag
carrier and continues to buoy up spirits in
the transport sector.
It is a shining example of how privatisation
can work miracles in a former State-
dominated air transport economy.
KQ operates to over 48 destinations in 39
countries throughout the world and has an
expansive fleet of 26 aircraft – 23 Boeing
planes and 3 Embraer 170 jets.
In 2007 the national flag carrier won the Public
Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) award for
Excellence for In-house Publication Msafiri,
the IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) and
Ektron All-Star Win – Best Travel Site.
Other awards won by KQ in 2006 were East
Africa’s Most Respected Company and the
prestigious African Aviation Award.
The airline was also voted East Africa’s Most
Respected Company in 2005.
In 2004, KQ scooped a triple win as Best
Domestic Airline 2003, Best Regional Airline
2002 and 2003 and Best In-flight Magazine
2002 and 2003 awarded by Travel News &
Lifestyle magazine.
In 2001 KQ was voted Best User of
Information Technology in Kenya by the
Computer Society of Kenya as well as named
African Airline of the Year for the third year
running by African Aviation magazine, among
others.

The unprecedented growth in aviation fuelled
by tourism and horticultural exports has
enabled the Kenya Airports Authority’s (KAA)
flagship brand, Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport, to develop into a regional hub served
by more than 33 airlines.
JKIA continues to record an impressive
growth in passenger and freight numbers due
to its efficiency and modern facilities.
To address challenges of the ever increasing
and changing priorities in the global air
Since its transformation into semi-
autonomous status, KQ has continued
to document record results, with soaring
profits complemented by great industry
awards.
KQ won the COYA (Company of the Year)
top awards for strategic planning and
emergency preparedness in 2008, as well as
the African Airline of Choice, Best Regional
Airline, Best Frequent Flier Programme
and its magazine – Msafiri – Best In-flight
Magazine.

Best of Kenya 33
Hotels & Casinos

Pick of choice: Kenya produces the best tea in the world and
Kenyans proudly declare that any time is tea time

Exports ranging from 1,500 to 2,700m above sea

Kenya’s export commodities are top-notch
goods on the world market. They are
exported to the European Union (EU), the
Common Market for East and Southern
Africa (COMESA), US and Asian markets.
Kenya’s exports are essentially
agricultural. Agriculture is a sector that
generates 28 per cent of Kenya’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), with its lead
export commodities being tea, coffee,
horticultural products, textiles and fish.
Tea
level.
The tea leaves come from the upper two
leaves and a bud plucked from the tea
bushes. Tea bushes are plucked in a regular
cycle ranging from 7 to 14 days to maintain
the quality of the product.
Horticulture products
Kenya’s horticultural products have accounted
for two-thirds of all growth in agricultural
exports and have surpassed coffee to become
the second largest export commodity, after
tea.

Saying it with flowers: Kenya has a flourishing
flower industry and the best flowers in the world
Kenya is the world’s third largest producer
and leading exporter of black tea.
The world over, Kenya tea has won
international acclaim for its consistent high
quality and delightful aroma.
Kenya tea, mostly referred to as Kenya’s
green gold, has long been considered and
marketed as a health enhancing beverage.
Kenya teas are famous for their distinct
taste and flavour.
Tea was the Kenya’s third leading foreign
exchange earner in 2007.
As a natural drink without additives
and preservatives, it has over the years
dominated the world market because of its
natural ingredients and taste.
In some countries, Kenyan tea is boiled
and drunk to cure fevers due to its herbal
constituent.
The main tea growing districts are situated
in or around the highland areas on either
side of the Great Rift Valley at altitudes
Kenya is the second largest horticultural
exporter in sub-Saharan Africa and the
second largest developing-country exporter of
flowers in the world.
It is also the second largest developing-
country supplier of vegetables to the
European Union.
The horticulture sub-sector has grown
tremendously in the last decade to become a
major foreign exchange earner, employer and
contributor to food needs in the country.
The industry is currently the fastest growing
agricultural sub-sector in the country, ranked
third in terms of foreign exchange earnings
from exports after tourism and tea.
Fruits, vegetables and cut-flower production
are the main pillars of horticultural production
in Kenya.
The sub-sector generates over US$300 million
in foreign exchange earnings.
Europe is the main market for Kenyan fresh
horticultural produce, with the main importing

34 Best of Kenya
 Smell the coffee: A powerhouse of the coffee world,
Kenya produces the best coffee in the world
countries being the United Kingdom,
Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium,
Holland and Italy.
Other importing countries include Saudi
Arabia and South Africa.
A well developed and dynamic private sector
has profitably marketed a wide range of
horticultural products to diverse international
markets.
Government intervention in this area has
mainly been facilitating the sector’s growth
through infrastructure development,
incentives and support services.
Structural and macroeconomic reforms, plus
the introduction of a more liberal trading
environment, has also provided a major boost
to the country’s horticultural prospects.
Coffee
Kenya is the East African powerhouse of
the coffee world. Coffee was Kenya’s third
leading export commodity in 2007.
Kenya’s coffee is popular for its intense
flavour, full body, pleasant aroma and
fragrance.
It has a distinctly bright acidity and potent
sweetness with a dry winy aftertaste. There is
also the intoxicating black-currant flavour and
aroma of Kenya’s famed “black gold” coffee.
Kenya’s coffee industry is estimated to
employ over six million Kenyans directly or
indirectly.
The major coffee-growing regions in Kenya
are the high plateaus around Mt. Kenya, the
Aberdares range, Kisii, Nyanza, Bungoma,
Nakuru and Kericho.
The high plateaus of Mt Kenya, plus the
acidic soil, provide excellent conditions
for growing coffee plants. Coffee from
Kenya is well known for its intense flavour,
robustness, and pleasant aroma.
AA coffee, a type that is much-fancied in
the world market as the best, is actually
Kenyan coffee. All Kenyan coffee is
graded after it is milled.
Beans with a screen size of 17 or 18 are
assigned the grade AA, generally the
largest bean and the best. The large bean
size is considered as quality and is the
pride of Kenyan farmers.
Fish Exports
Kenya’s fish exports are among the best
quality on the world market.
Fish exports to the European Union (EU)
market started in the early 1980s, when
fish processing factories commenced
work around the Lake Victoria region.
The total annual production of fish in
Kenya is approximately 180,000 metric
tons, with about 92% coming from Lake
Victoria.
Other sources of fish exports are from
the Indian Ocean, inland lakes, rivers and
aquaculture.
Nile Perch, which constitutes about 50%
of the fish caught in Kenya, is the main
export type, earning more than US$50
million annually.
There are also other commercially
important species in the domestic market
such as the small sardine fish dagaa and Check my catch: Kenya’s fish exports to Europe
tilapia. compare favourably with other products
Best of Kenya 35
Hotels & Casinos
Remove the entire caption and replace it with the following, Presidents (from Left) H.E Yoweri Museveni, H.E Mwai Kibaki (Kenya), H.E Paul Kagame (Rwanda)
and H.E Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania) during the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite High-level Conference on the North and South Corridor at Mulungushi International
Conferenced Centre, Lusaka.
Ten of the 18 fish-processing and exporting
firms in Kenya specialise in Nile Perch
products while seven handle marine products
such as shrimp, crustaceans and tuna.
Nile Perch exports from Kenya to the
European Union market have increased
tremendously since 2000.
Kenya in COMESA
Kenya has been a vibrant member of the
Common Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA), established in 1994
effectively replacing the Preferential Trade Act
(PTA).
COMESA seeks to attain economic prosperity
through regional integration, where Kenya has
been instrumental in influencing the joining of
the Common External Tariff (CET) rates with
those of the East African Community.
Kenya successfully influenced the reduction of
the differences from over 2,500 to 1,078 tariff
lines by August 2008 – which translates into a
success rate of 43.12%.
As a principal member of COMESA, Kenya is
poised to convince the other member-states
on the rationale for going along with the EAC
tariff structure on a line-by–line basis.
These are likely to reduce the less than 1,000
tariff lines once the exercise of the tariff splits
and further negotiations are finalised.
COMESA’s Common Tariff Nomenclature
(CTN) has approximately 5,000 tariff lines.
36 Best of Kenya
Kenya in IGAD
Kenya has played a leading role in
the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) in eastern Africa
since its inception in 1996 to supersede
the Intergovernmental Authority on
Drought and Development (IGADD).
IGADD was founded in 1986 to come up
with measures to combat the recurring
severe droughts and other natural
disasters in the Horn of Africa region.
In 1983 and 1984, Kenya spearheaded
six countries in the Horn of Africa –
Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan
and Uganda – to take action through
the United Nations to establish an
intergovernmental body for development
and drought control in their region.
IGAD has however diversified its
activities to include conflict resolution in
the region, with Kenya brokering most
of the peace talks and signing of peace
accords between warring nations and
factions.
Such was the role played by Kenya in
talks which led to the signing of the
Sudan peace accord between the Arab-
dominated government of the North and
the Southern Sudan People’s Liberation
Army (SPLA) in 2004.
Kenya also brokered the Somali peace
process involving the warring factions,
resulting in the formation of the Somali
Transitional National Government (TNG), which
has since been replaced.
Kenya, under the auspices of IGAD,
has subsequently chaired numerous
intergovernmental ministerial committee
meetings whose outcome has been lasting
solutions to territorial disputes and conflicts
within the Horn of Africa region.
Kenya hosts the Small Arms and Light Weapons
(SALW) Secretariat as well as the Regional
Centre for Small Arms, which seeks to control
and eradicate the proliferation of illicit arms
within the East and Central African region.
Private sector
The liberalisation of Kenya’s economy and
efforts by the Government to improve the
business environment have indeed been the
proverbial stitch in time that saves nine to
bolster investment and create opportunities in
the country.
Investment incentives to potential investors
under the Export Processing Zones (EPZ)
package have offered the requisite thrust to
private investment.
The rationalization of business licenses and
reduction of business registration procedures
have been a stimulus to a vibrant private sector
involvement in business ventures.
Kenya is endowed with a heavy presence
of financial, manufacturing and agricultural
multinational companies doing lucrative
business.
Over 100 multinational firms from the US,
UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Africa
and other parts of the world operate business
here.

Barclays Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and

mobile service provider Vodafone – all from
the United Kingdom – are among top-notch
multinationals doing business in Kenya.

Also doing business in Kenya is global shoe

company Bata, headquartered in Canada.
Beirsdorf, the German chemical manufacturer
and producer of Nivea skin products, is well
established and operational here.

The British American Tobacco (BAT) Company

and Cadbury’s, the food manufacturer, are
among many others operating in Kenya.

Kenya’s service sector is currently the

highest contributor to GDP, at 55% against
agriculture’s 28%. The industrial sector
contributes around 17% to GDP.

Fibre-optic

Kenya’s focus in transforming its economy

from agriculture-anchored to technology-
propelled is in top gear as the high-speed
Internet bandwidth expected to reduce
telecommunications costs by at least 60%
becomes operational by 2010.

There are great expectations and the

Government is optimistic that the landing of
the fibre-optic cable will thrust Kenya into a
regional IT powerhouse by creating jobs within
the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
industry once the cable is linked.
Service-sector jobs as diverse as call
centre agencies, data processing, software
programming and other IT-related businesses
are what Kenya hopes to achieve by the end
of 2009.
The establishment of contact centres services
both in the rural and urban areas for general
inquiries and digitisation of millions of
documents and records in Government and
ministries agencies is the relief Kenya will
afford once connected.
Kenya will soon be a call centre destination,
create abundant jobs and accelerate
economic growth. The process will also
promote competition in the ICT sector and
encourage Research and Development.
In this paradigm shift, the Government has
taken the lead role in leveraging, investing
and supporting both local and foreign ICT
investors.
In 2006, a national ICT policy was launched
and in 2007 the ICT Strategy for Economic
Growth was operationalised.
Top: President Mwai Kibaki outgoing COMESA chairman receives President Ismail Guella of Djibouti for the
regional COMESA Head of states meeting in Zimbabwe. Below: Kibaki admires the Victoria falls
To ensure the success of this venture, the
Government has adopted a three-pronged
approach in undersea cable prospects.
Priority has been given to the East African
Marine System (TEAMS), a cable which will
connect Africa to Fujairah in the UAE.
Under the TEAMS agreement, the Kenya
Government has a 40% holding in the project,
Etisalat of UAE 20% and the remaining 40% is
with other investors in the East African region.
The East African Submarine Cable System
(EASSy) is an initiative aimed at constructing
and operating a submarine fibre-optic cable
along the East African Coast.
EASSy hopes to connect nine coastal
countries and island nations to the rest of the
world.
A technology savvy Kenya is optimistic about
going places and turning itself into a regional
ICT hub and premier BPO location in Africa.
Already, the SEACOM fibre-optic cable
has been laid up to Mombasa, signalling
the onset of a whole new era in the
telecommunications industry.
The project cost is estimated at US$700m
upon completion and could soon end
the over-reliance on satellite-based data
solutions blamed for the high cost of
communications in the region.
Local companies that will buy bandwidth
from SEACOM have already laid the
groundwork to ensure they start business as
soon as the cable becomes operational in
2009.
These companies intend to resell the
extended bandwidth to users both corporate
and individual.
Telecommunications costs are expected
to go down by 60% and high-speed data
solutions, especially Internet, are expected
with the increased bandwidth.

Best of Kenya 37
Kenya at a Glance
Roads for prosperity: Government lays great emphasis on
development of infrastructure to spur growth
Telecommunications: Information Technology is at
the core of government’s development plans
38 Best of Kenya
SEACOM is a fully-funded private sector
project with most of the ownership in the
hands of African entrepreneurs. Construction
of the cable station in Kenya is already
complete.
Move towards investments
The Government has progressively moved to
introduce a number of investment incentives
in both the industrial and agricultural sectors.
These incentives are designed to promote
investment, employment, product mix, add
value and boost national economic growth.
By launching these measures, the
Government hopes to enhance business
partnership and investments through offering
excellent and attractive concessions to
investors.
In this regard, the Government offers 100 per
cent investment allowance and a Duty and
VAT exemption on machinery, equipment and
raw materials to be used in both agricultural
and industrial development.
Export Processing Zones (EPZ) have been
created. This is a scheme that is managed
by the EPZ Authority and promotes export-
oriented industrial investment within
designated areas.
Through EPZ investors enjoy attractive
fiscal incentives with simplified operational
procedures and a superior infrastructure.
The managing authority also gives excellent
facilitation and after-care service to new and
existing investors to assure them of lower
operational costs, faster set up and smoother
operations.
Fiscal incentives calculated to stabilise
investor ego and comfort are also on the
cards, e.g. a 10-year tax-free holiday, Duty
and VAT exemption, single business licence,
exemption from Stamp Duty, exemption from
Withholding Tax and 25% Corporate Tax for
10 years after the first 10 years expire.
Investors also get Duty remission by being
exempted from duties and VAT on raw
materials utilized to process confirmed
exports orders.
They can also enjoy a loss-carry-forward
package by being given a grace period for
their businesses to recover previous losses
before paying Corporate Tax.
On capital expenditure, an investor is
allowed to recover from Corporate Tax duties
paid for capital expenditure in excess of
US$70,000. Capital goods and other basic
raw materials have been zero-rated.
The Government also gives lavish incentives
for those interested in investing in tourism-
related activities.
Investors interested in building tourist hotels
can apply for a waiver on duties and VAT
while foreigners in the tourism business are
allowed to bring in cars for personal use
Duty Free.
100% investment allowance for new
investments in manufacturing and tourist
hotels is offered while there is 25%
Corporate Tax for companies issuing
Initial Public Offers on the Nairobi Stock
Exchange.
Investors wanting to trade in computers
and other IT-related materials are allowed to
import their merchandise Duty Free.
For investors in the export business, there
is unrestricted entry for Kenyan goods into
the US market under the African Growth and
Opportunity Act (AGOA) and access to the
COMESA market serving 400 million people.
The East African Community (EAC) market
of 80 million is also accessible for Kenyan
products while the Lome-Cotonou Agreement
offers access to the European Union market.
There is also access to other markets in
Europe, the US and Japan, under the GSP,
for many other Kenyan products.
On taxation and investment protection
agreements, Kenya has concluded
agreements with the EU, Germany, India,
Belgium and Switzerland, while other
earlier agreements are being revised and
renegotiated.
Kenya has an excellent network of banks,
insurance, transport, professional services
legal, engineering, human resources with
advanced skills, international languages, and
research institutions to provide support for
business infrastructure.
The country prides itself on having a well-
developed professional services sector with Opportunities for investment: Kenya’s Export
some multinational professional companies Processing Zone is home to thriving textile industry
Best of Kenya 39
Kenya at a Glance
Welcome to Kenya: This is what the Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport will look like when ongoing expansion
is completed. Inset is the Eldoret International Airport
such as KPMG and E&Y having regional
offices in Nairobi.
There are plentiful reliable insurance
companies and banks ready to cater for
investors needs.
Airport Expansion
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
is one of the busiest in Africa, serving as a
major hub in East and Central Africa for cargo
and tourist passengers.
Cargo handled at the airport increased from
192,300t in 2004 to 220,900t in 2005.
To tackle the rapid upsurge and effectively
40 Best of Kenya
handle global air transport challenges, the
Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has embarked
on an expansion programme to improve
facilities in JKIA and other vital airport links
across Kenya.
When JKIA was first opened in 1978 it had
been designed for a maximum capacity of 2.5
million passengers a year. In 2006 the airport
handled in excess of 4.4 million passengers.
KAA declared their intention to expand and
improve JKIA to make it a premier regional
focal point in East and Central Africa in
December 2005.
A Canadian-Kenyan consortium led by
Queen’s Quay Architects International Inc
(Q2) and including Mueller International
Inc (Sypher) won the consulting contract
for the renovation and forecast expansion
requirements for JKIA.
The expansion project was valued at $115m
and part of the cost is intended to be
provided out of revenues and World Bank
funding (10%).
The expansion project targets to double
the current size of JKIA from 25,662m² to
55,222m² with the new Terminal 4 building.
Aircraft parking will be improved by an
increase in apron space from 200,000m²
to over 300,000m², as well as additional
taxiways.
The arrivals and departures sections will be
separated for increased security.
The expansion project has been divided
into three phases to avoid disruption of the
airport’s operations.
In subsequent phases the airport is set to
have a new parking lot to accommodate
1,500 cars, airfield lighting, apron floodlights
and the parking stands will be increased to
accommodate 43 aircraft from the current 23.
Projections indicate that by 2024 JKIA will be
handling over nine million passengers yearly.
Currently the JKIA terminal has three sections
catering for both arrivals and departures.
Sections One and Two are used for
international flights and Section Three is used
for domestic flights.
Check-in occurs through sections One
and Two, depending on destination and all
the check-in counters operate on a CUTE
(Common Use Terminal Equipment) system.
There are eight gates in the departures area
and the aircraft are boarded via boarding
bridges.
International arrivals disembark via the same
gates into the A concourse, which leads to the
Immigration counters on the first floor before
they are directed to the baggage hall on the
ground floor.
Best of Kenya 41
 Top of the world: Golden Girl Pamela Jelimo wins
the Women’s 800m race at the Beijing Olympiad
closely followed by Janeth Jepkosgei in an
electrifying 1-2 finish that enthralled the world.

42 Best of Kenya
Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS) and
signage are in place to assist the passengers
finding their way around the airport.
The Moi International Airport Mombasa and the
Kisumu Airport are also undergoing expansion.
Home of world achievers
Kenyans are a resilient, proud, innovative
and hardworking people. Global surveys
conducted by the BBC in 2002 and 2006
ranked Kenyans among the most optimistic
people in the world. A strong sense of national
belonging and excellent international linkages
give Kenyans great advantage in seeking
excellence.
Kenya proudly boasts some of the best
and brightest in diverse fields, including
writers, technologists, technicians, scientists,
researchers, poets, palaeontologists,
musicians, lawyers, athletes, artists, and
academics, among other disciplines, around
the world.
They are a source of inspiration to many
locally and globally. Sample a few:
Prof Wangari Maathai
Undoubtedly one of the most recognisable
Kenyan faces around the world. She is a top
celebrity as Kenya’s first Nobel Peace Prize
laureate, (and so far the only African woman
to win the coveted award), for her work for the
environment.
A long-time academic who taught veterinary
anatomy at the University of Nairobi, she
was the first Kenyan woman to obtain a PhD,
become a lecturer and then a professor in
any field of academic study. Maathai was
a Member of Parliament and an assistant
minister for the environment and natural
resources between 2003 and 2007. She has
won 20 international awards since 1983.
Prof Miriam Were
Another internationally celebrated Kenyan
and a former chairperson of the National AIDS
Control Council (NACC) that coordinates
Kenya’s HIV/AIDS response, Were has served
in several UN bodies, including the World
Health Organisation, UNICEF and the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
A highly regarded chemist, biologist and
medical doctor, with a string of qualifications
in Public Health from Johns Hopkins
University in the USA, she taught medicine
at the University of Nairobi before taking up
international assignments. Were won the
UNICEF Maurice Pate Award for her work in
community health in 1978 and in 2008 won
the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize for her work
in medical services.
Kipchoge Keino
He won Kenya’s first gold medal at the
Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968. Keino
won the 1500 metres race and put Kenya
firmly on the global sporting map as home of
the long distance runners. He repeated this
feat in Munich, Germany, by winning another
gold medal for Kenya in the 3000 metres
steeple chase race in 1972 and, once again,
set Kenya on the road to claiming this race as
its specialty.
In 1965, Keino became the first Kenyan to win
the 1500 metres and 5000 meters respectively
at the All-Africa Games held in Brazzaville,
Congo. He was crowned Sportsman of
the Year in 1987 and characterised among
Athletes Who Care (for his work with
orphans) by the well-known Sports Illustrated
magazine.
In 1996 Keino was inducted into the World
Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. Kipchoge Keino
Michael Werikhe
When he visited Kenya in 2006 as Illinois
Senator, President Barack Obama was gifted
a rhino carving by the Standard Group media
house. Smiling, Obama said the rhino is a
stubborn animal. Perhaps that is one reason
the rhino still graces Kenya’s wild, but could
there be another reason?
Yes. Before Wangari Maathai became Kenya’s
best known campaigning ‘green’, there was
the world famous walker for the preservation
of the rhino – Michael Sampson Werikhe.
‘The Rhino Man’, to media and
conservationists around the world, Werikhe Michael Werikhe
became famous through his long fund-raising
walks. He began his first walk in December
1982 from Mombasa to Nairobi, a distance of
about 500 kilometres. In 1985, he walked from
Kampala to Dar-es-Salaam and to Mombasa.
Werikhe took his campaign to Europe in 1988
and to the United States in 1991. In 1993 he
was in Taiwan, a consumer nation of rhino
horns. Werikhe won 10 international awards
for his efforts. August 9 marks the anniversary
of Werikhe’s passing – the death of a brilliant
conservationist.
Pamela Jelimo
Is the first African woman to win the US$1
million jackpot of the International Association
of Athletics Associations (IAAF), in 2008.
Jelimo is also the first Kenyan woman to win
the 800-metre Olympic gold (at the Beijing
Olympiad in 2008).
Before exploding into fame, Jelimo had
won the junior national 400 metres title in
2007 at the age of 17 and also set a junior Richard Matelong
Best of Kenya 43
Hotels & Casinos
record of 24.68 seconds in 200 metres the
same year. She is now undoubtedly Kenya’s
most renowned female athlete, and greater
athletics achievements are predicted of this
highly talented sportswoman.
Inspirational Pamela embodies the
determination of the Kenyan youth poised to
take their place in national and international
affairs.
A Thrilling Combination of Pleasure and
Business
The Tusker Safari Sevens
The Tusker Safari Sevens is all about fast-
paced rugby made in Kenya, a real sporting
thriller that provides entertainment for the
whole family and burgeoning business
opportunities in advertising.
Since its inception in 1996, the tournament
has grown expotentially and is no longer just
an occasion for diehard rugby lovers, but
a weekend where most of Nairobi and its
environs buzz with activity in what has turned
out to be a landmark event in the Kenyan
sporting calendar.
The first tournament was played by 20 teams
from 12 countries that had not qualified for
the 1995 Rugby World Cup and, in just three
years, had secured the viewership rights
of African media giants Supersport — a
44 Best of Kenya
great achievement for Kenya, as for the first
time, our teams and country were being
showcased to the whole world.
With the tournament now getting the much-
needed publicity, it was time to expand
and introduce the Safari Village, where all
the merchandising and entertainment were
to take place, making the tournament an
occasion for the whole family. Rugby now had
another avenue to introduce young lads and
lasses to what had been deemed a macho, if
elite rowdies’, game.
The tournament organisers were not going to
settle for the young just watching the sport
from the stands, as in 2001, it was expanded
to include the schools’ and veterans’
categories, which have remained very popular
to date.
By 2003, news of the tournament’s success
story had reached far and wide and very
strong teams started to trickle in, with South
Africa bringing their development side, which
later went on to represent them in the IRB
Sevens circuit.
With South Africa giving the tournament the
nod, teams like Japan, France and Samoa
have had no problem gracing the occasion.
The Safari Sevens, which usually runs in
June, weeks after the conclusion of the IRB
Sevens circuit, continues to attract top-notch
Fast-paced Rugby from Kenya: The thrill-a-minute national Sevens side
and annual Safari Sevens tournament side have won world acclaim

countries every year, with teams like Fiji,

England and New Zealand likely to attend the
tournament in the near future.

The Sevens is all about top class rugby, with

the trophy having been juggled mostly by
the Kenyan national team and British sides
like Wanderers, Bristol University and British
Army. It was only recently that the Emerging
Springboks and Samoa have broken that
pattern.

It is no surprise that the tournament

has continued to attract high-profile
personalities in both the sporting and
interactive worlds. Rugby icons like
Confederation of Africa Rugby chairman
Abdelaziz Bougja, World Sevens legend
Waisale Serevi and South Africa’s Chester
Williams have all made an appearance in
what they termed one of the best organised
tournaments on the continent.

Kenyan music celebrities like Jua Kali,

Amani and Nameless are regular features
of Sevens events and fans always get a
chance to interact with their local stars
in-between being treated to some seriously
entertaining rugby. Sevens’ events
attract only the most up-to-date and best
performers in comedy, music and fashion.
Even politicians are attracted to these
interactive events – last year, Information
Minister Samuel Poghisio, Deputy
Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and
Prime Minister Raila Odinga made an
appearance.
The Safari Sevens have been instrumental
in the development of rugby and sports in
general in Kenya and Africa as a whole.
Kenya has had the privilege of being
the first country in Africa to hold a major
IRB tournament of the magnitude of the
Junior World Rugby Trophy. When IRB
was considering which host country would
follow the inaugural tournament in Chile,
Kenya stood out of the pack like a giraffe
in a herd of gazelles as they had already
had the experience of hosting other
internationals in a successful, critically
acclaimed rugby tournament.
With the IRB Sevens circuit venues up for
consideration next season, Kenya will have
a strong case to present in front of the
IRB owing to the recent successes of the
Safari Sevens, and, with the recent superb
performances of the men’s National Sevens
team, a home leg in the international circuit
will definitely increase the team’s chances
of winning a major trophy.
The Safari Sevens has been of great
convenience to the Sevens national
technical bench, with the tournament
being used to test new players. The
Shujaa team, which comprises mostly
players who have not yet made the cut for
the national team, has been participating
in the games since its inception and is
responsible for exposing some of our
biggest stars, such as current IRB top
scorer Collins Injera.
Kenya have not been the only ones who have
used the tournament to try out new players.
Other squads include Zimbabwe, Tunisia
and Tanzania, the most notable being South
Africa, who have for four years kept bringing
on players like Mzwandile Stick and Ryno
Benjamin, as young emerging Boks, but

Best of Kenya 45
Kenya at a Glance

Back to my roots: Barack Obama and daughters Malia and

Sasha (foreground) visit with Kenyan relatives in 2006 in the
village where his father was born. The lady in the headdress in
all three photos is Mama Sarah Obama, the President’s step-
grandmother, who lives in Nyang’oma Kogelo Village.

have left the carriers of their national flag in
international tournaments.
Apart from being a social, sporty event,
the Safari Sevens has also proved to be a
booming business, with sponsors pouring in
every year hoping to grab the attention of the
crowds that attend the tournament.
Companies get a chance to fulfil their
corporate social responsibility as well as
market their goods.
The Kenyan roots of the 44th US President
Nyang’oma-Kogelo is perhaps Kenya’s most
celebrated rural village – known by Kenyans
themselves and the world at large. But it was
not always like that.
This is the village where Barack Hussein
Obama Snr, father of Barack Hussein Obama
Jnr, the 44th President of the United States of
America (and the first black one), was born,
bred and buried.
Some now think Kogelo is Kenya’s village of
the future.
In 2006 when Obama, then an Illinois
Senator, and his wife, Michelle, visited
Kogelo, it was a sleepy little-known village
in Kenya’s Nyanza Province. Not anymore,
the senator’s visit awakened the village.
Local and international journalists are
regular visitors to Nyang’oma-Kogelo
and their stories of the joy of the people
of Kogelo continue to grace the screens
and pages of both local and international
media.
Already, there are a number of local tour
companies offering services to bring the
international visitor not only to Kenya,
but also, and more importantly, to
Nyang’oma-Kogelo.
In Kogelo, Obama has become a role
model and an inspiration for the next
generation. His principles and values are
likely to remain the key driving force for

46 Best of Kenya
the youth of this village and it is perhaps
this that will propel Kogelo into a popular
tourist destination, surely a secular
pilgrimage destination.

President Obama’s philanthropic trait

appears to have been inherited from his
late father, who donated the land on which
the two village schools now named after
the President stand.

As the ancestral home of the father of 44th

President of the United States, Kogelo will
undoubtedly remain the focus of a lot of
international attention and an interesting
destination to visit long after Obama has
left office.

Best of Kenya 47
Chapter 2
Hotels and Resorts

48 Best of Kenya
Best of Kenya 49
 Superlative Serenity in the
Hotels and Resorts

Lap of Luxury

The Serena Hotel Nairobi

Famed for its superlative standards of efficiency, service and
hospitality, the elegantly sophisticated Nairobi Serena Hotel is a
member of the Leading Hotels of the World and the proud flagship
of the Serena Hotels fleet of world class establishments.

Considered by many to be one of Nairobi’s finest hotels, the Sensitively constructed from ecologically sympathetic materials,
Serena stands amidst lush tropical gardens with panoramic the interior of the hotel reflects a kaleidoscope of cultural
views over Nairobi’s Central Park and the glittering influences, blending Moroccan mystique with a breath of
downtown skyline. African heritage into an elegant harmonious whole.

Despite its pivotal central location, the Serena also remains
true to its title and offers an oasis of serenity amidst the
bustle of one of Africa’s most vibrant capital cities.
Established in the mid-1970s, the Serena Group was
launched with a challenging goal – to become the leading
hotel group in East Africa. The goal has today been
achieved.
The Serena enjoys one of the finest locations in the city of
Nairobi.
As is the trend today in the hotel industry, the Millennium guest
isn’t interested in how many rooms a hotel boasts, but how big
they are, and what options are offered for private entertaining,
exclusive meetings and efficient working space.
The discerning guest, it seems, demands a suite rather than
a room, preferably with its own reception area, workspace,
cocktail terrace, private sundeck and opulent bathroom, which
explains why the Nairobi Serena Hotel has restructured its room
selection to offer a stunning new choice of executive suites. It is
a spectacular line-up.

50 Best of Kenya

On the ground floor are three opulently
efficient Garden Suites, each with their own
luxurious workspace, reception area and
picture window leading to a private garden
with dining pergola, cocktail terrace and
gilded gate leading through onto the hotel
gardens.
On the first floor, five gorgeous new Superior
Rooms have been luxuriantly appointed, each
with its own technology-efficient workspace,
lounge and lavish balcony. And above them
the cleverly expanded new accommodation
wing boasts 6 generously extended Executive
Suites with panoramic balconies, 5 opulently
enlarged Business Suites and 4 elegant
Standard Rooms with spacious balconies and
stunning views.
As befits one of Africa’s finest hotels, the
Nairobi Serena’s newly refurbished Stateroom
Suite is fit for a king. Gloriously presented in
regal crimson and gleaming gold colours, and
opulently appointed in the Zanzibari style,
the breathtaking new suite boasts a private
dining room (with integrated kitchen), sitting
room (with plasma-screen TV and globally
connected workstation), bar, magnificent state
bedroom and bathroom, guest washroom and
guest reception area.
Conference Centre
Introducing a bouquet of beautiful conference
options solely responsible for the setting
of a whole new range of standards on the
Nairobi conference venue scene, the recently
completed Nairobi Serena Hotel Conference
Centre has enjoyed a season of unrivalled
bookings and guest profiles.
Everyone, it seems, wants to hold their
conference at the new facility. Designed to
blend discreetly into the assured elegance
that already distinguishes the Nairobi Serena
Hotel from other capital city business venues,
the revolutionary new facility enjoys its own
private marbled entrance lobby, which leads
to the imposingly elegant Orchid Room, which
accommodates 130 delegates and opens
onto a natural stone garden terrace where
sparkling fountains play.
The Orchid Room also boasts studio-
quality sound, lighting, audio-visual effects,
individual notebook workstations and “Hot
Spot” Internet connectivity. Three additional
seminar rooms, Hibiscus, Canna and Lantana,
accommodate 30 delegates each; both Canna
and Hibiscus feature their own exclusive
garden terraces and Hibiscus has an elegant
wrought iron gate leading into the main hotel
grounds, where themed al fresco receptions
can be accommodated.
Tel: +254-20-2842000
www.serena.co.ke
Best of Kenya 51
 Historic Hotels with 21st Century
Hotels and Resorts

Hospitality The Sarova Stanley

NAIROBI SINCE 1902

Refreshing African Hospitality

The Sarova Group

As Kenya’s first luxury hotel, The Sarova Stanley has always
occupied a special place in Nairobi’s heart. From the day it
opened its doors in 1902, it has been making history by hosting
royal safaris, groundbreaking business events and a long line of
legendary personalities such as Edward, Prince of Wales, Nobel
Literature laureate Ernest Hemingway and actress Ava Gardner,
to name a few.

From the moment you pass through the century-old revolving
doors, you leave the heat and bustle of modern Nairobi
for a world of cool Victorian elegance. The spacious foyer,
with its marble floors, leather furniture, antique brass and
wrought-iron fittings, recalls a graceful era of fine furnishings
and grand living. From the grandeur of the presidential suite,
the charm of the Lamu and Karen Blixen suites, to the chic
and sophistication of the club rooms or the contemporary
functionality of the deluxe rooms, The Sarova Stanley has a
fine range of accommodation to choose from. An eclectic mix
of dining and entertainment options is on offer. One can enjoy
the legendary Thorn Tree Café – reputed to be Nairobi’s first

52 Best of Kenya
post office, or the casual atmosphere at the
Pool Deck restaurant. Thai Chi restaurant is
reputed to be the finest in Thai cuisine within
the region. The Exchange Bar is an elegantly
decadent, plush lounge bar, home to the
Nairobi Stock Exchange since incorporation, a
period of over 50 years.
The Sarova Stanley also offers superlative
conferencing and banqueting facilities with its
9 meeting and conference rooms. A heated
swimming pool and state-of-the-art health
club and gymnasium take pride of place in the
hotel’s inventory.
Sarova Panafric
NAIROBI
Refreshing African Hospitality
When the quest for Africa’s Independence
raged in the 1960s, the Sarova Panafric was
the centre of liberalism and hushed political
meetings, hosting many of Africa’s nationalists
and future African statesmen. Named in
honour of the Pan African movement, the
Sarova Panafric was inaugurated by the
first President of Kenya, H.E. Mzee Jomo
Kenyatta, on January 5, 1965, and truly
represents neo-Africa. Idyllically located
amidst beautifully landscaped gardens in a
quiet suburb of Nairobi, the Sarova Panafric
makes a great retreat from the bustling life of
the city, yet is only five minutes away from the
CBD.
The hotel offers 153 rooms in a range of
standard, superior and suites all recently
refurbished and decorated in neo-African style
with panoramic views of the city. Equipped
with modern amenities and conveniences,
the rooms provide excellent value for the
discerning business and leisure travelers.
The hotel also boasts 43 fully-furnished
apartments.
Enjoy leisurely meals at the award-winning
Flame Tree restaurant, once the watering
hole for freedom fighters, spies and foreign
correspondents and named after the Flame
Tree that holds pride of place in the middle
of the restaurant. Most weekends, the
Flame Tree comes alive with people flocking
to its African theme nights that showcase
Kenya’s cuisine, cultural heritage and music.
The Sarova Panafric offers state-of-the art
banqueting and conferencing facilities with
a range of meeting and function rooms
equipped with the latest audio visual and WIFI
equipment. To wind down the day, take a dip
in the pool or go for a leisurely massage – or
simply enjoy a cool drink to the soothing
sounds of African tunes from one of Kenya’s
finest local bands.
Sarova whitesands
Beach resort & spa
m o m basa
Refreshing African Hospitality
Among the many Kenyan beach hotels, the
Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa
stands out as being amongst the favorite
Mombasa beach hotels, perfect for either
a beach holiday or for state-of-the-art
conferencing facilities. Situated on 22 acres
of the longest of pristine, pure white sandy
beachfronts, the hotel encompasses 338
rooms, ranging from the refreshing standard,
sea-front, deluxe, and executive suites to the
grand presidential suites and our signature
wellness spa, proudly known as Tulia.
The facilities offered at the Resort are as
follows:
• Pavilions – These 2 restaurants have a
total seating capacity for 680 people
and offer dinner based on 14-day
theme nights.
• Minazi Café – has a 92-person
capacity offering tastefully prepared
snacks and light meals, plus 24-hour
room service.
• Lido Seafood Grill – a seafood heaven
of “Fish on the beach”, it is a Chaîne
des Rotisseurs-certified fine dining
restaurant.
• Cocos Beach Bar – open-air disco
with a capacity for 150 people.
• An exquisite range of state-of-the-art,
air-conditioned Motivator Conferencing
facilities are available.
• Tulia Spa & Health Bar – offers
Western, Oriental and Ayurvedic
Massage therapies in addition to full
salon treatments.
• A wide selection of PADI-certified
water-sports, ranging from jet skiing to
deep sea diving and Buccaneer diving.
• A top-of-the-range gym plus a
keenly experienced and enthusiastic
Animation Team ensures that you can
stay as actively engaged as you wish.
• The Ozone Kids Club caters to every
whim for the young ones, ensuring a
truly memorable stay for the children.
Tel: +254-20-2716688
www.sarovahotels.com
Best of Kenya 53
 Africa’s Best Kept Secret
Hotels and Resorts
Oasis of Tranquillity Near City Centre
The Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club
Looking for an idyllic country setting and a life of supreme luxury a
stone’s throw away from an African metropolis? Then look no further
than the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club.
Located on the northern outskirts of the city, the Windsor
is the apex of Kenya’s tourist facilities, complete with a
golf course and other sporting facilities, apart from the top
quality accommodation and first class international cuisine.
Located just a 15-minute drive from the city centre of
Nairobi, and a 45-minute drive from the Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport (JKIA), the Windsor Golf Hotel &
Country Club is a cluster of impressive Victorian style
buildings with 130 deluxe rooms comprising twins, doubles,
studio suites and cottages all overlooking a spectacular 18-
hole championship golf course and tastefully decorated with
five-star amenities in each room.
The hotel has a modern 16-hour business centre, complete
with an array of computers and communications facilities
that ensure that the visitor is in touch with the rest of the
54 Best of Kenya
world at any given time. There is also a wellness centre, with
a well-equipped gym.
Describing itself as “Africa’s Best Kept Secret”, the
hotel and club facility in Nairobi appropriately derives its
famous name from one of the most renowned residences
of the British monarchy, Windsor Castle. When the hotel
first opened its doors in the early 1990s, it was a hugely
important and welcome addition to Nairobi’s top class
tourist facilities. The Windsor Golf & Country Club has since
become the preferred meeting place for top political leaders
and captains of business and industry in Kenya and the East
African region.
Whether visiting or staying in Nairobi for business, pleasure
or both, the Windsor offers a breathtakingly beautiful oasis
of comfort and tranquillity – the perfect place for a getaway!

The water cascades and the greenery are
unique features of this hotel-cum-resort.
Opened in 1992, the Windsor Golf Hotel &
Country Club Resort has an inimitable style
and culture.
All rooms are supplied with a colour TV
set, in-room safes, direct-dial telephones
and mini bars. The attached bathrooms are
well-designed for comfort. Set amidst lush
tropical manicured gardens, the hardwood
floored rooms, suites and cottages are
spacious and elegant. Most of them overlook
the spectacular championship 18-hole golf
course. All rooms are tastefully decorated
in pastel colors and include numerous other
amenities for the convenience of the visitor.
The 18-hole championship golf course,
designed by the renowned Tom Macauley,
threads its way through coffee farms
and indigenous forest, with lush, springy
fairways, fast, true greens and a sprinkling
of challenging water hazards. There are also
73 well located sand bunkers to provide for a
challenging, international class golf course.
The resort offers other sporting, health and
fitness facilities as well as a well-stocked
shopping arcade with a wide range of
products, including golfing equipment
and other sporting gear. Several local and
international competitions take place at the
Windsor Golf and Country Club every year.
For the nature lovers, there is a wide variety
of flora and fauna, especially birds, in the
vicinity, with a resident ornithologist available
to organize walks around the luxury resort.
Bars and Restaurants at the Windsor
Country Club:
The Country Room – The Country Room is
a spacious but lovely restaurant adjacent to
the famous Windsor Terraces, which provides
a largely international cuisine for breakfast,
lunch and dinner.
The Windsor Room – The main restaurant
is an unforgettable dining experience with
a large variety of dishes from an a-la-carte
menu, which features, among other foods,
game meat, poultry dishes and fine fish
delicacies.
The Conservatory Restaurant – Situated
next to the swimming pool and offering
an a-la-carte menu with offerings such as
pastries, coffee and tea and other savories
throughout the day.
The Library Lounge – Located at the level
of the lobby and serves drinks in a luxury
setting from around 4.00pm to the last
guest.
The Kingfisher Bar – Overlooks the hotel’s
crystal blue heated swimming pool and
offers a wide variety of cocktails from
10.00am to 11.00pm.
The Club Bar – with its hardwood interior
and tall vaulted ceilings offers a cool and
relaxing venue for drinks and cocktails after
a challenging round of golf.
Conference and Banquet Facilities:
The Windsor Golf & Country Club has six
large and elegant and quiet conference
rooms that can accommodate anything
ranging from a small family gathering or
board meeting of 5 people to a conference
of 240 people theatre style. All conference
facilities have brilliant natural light and
hardwood interiors, with all the other
facilities and equipment for such meetings.
Tel: +254-20-8562300
Email: info@windsor.co.ke
www.windsorgolfresort.com
Best of Kenya 55
 A study in lakeside hospitality
Hotels and Resorts

The Kisumu Hotel

The pride of Kisumu City,
it is The Star of Lakeside Hospitality.

56 Best of Kenya
The Star of Lakeside Hospitality
A discerning visitor to Kisumu City, Kenya’s
third largest metropolis of around 600,000
inhabitants on the shores of Lake Victoria,
the second largest fresh water body on earth,
will probably be directed to the Kisumu
Hotel, which is under the ownership and
management of Maseno University, for
the best food, accommodation, as well as
the most appropriate social gathering and
conference facility.
Kisumu, once known as Port Florence when
the Kenya-Uganda railway, “the Lunatic
Express”, reached the lakeshore in 1901,
is a city now renowned for its vigour and
hospitality to all comers. The people are
friendly and easy-going. There are various
interesting sites for the visitor to enjoy both
within and outside the city. The Kisumu
Hotel forms an ideal starting point for any
touristic expeditions in the lake region and the
hinterland.
One of the oldest and finest structures,
the Kisumu Hotel was once the leading
accommodation facility in the lakeside city
during the 1960s and 1970s until it fell on
bad times during the 1980s. Under the new
ownership and management of Maseno
University, which prides itself as the “Fountain
of Excellence”, the hotel facility is even better
and more accommodating than during its
previous glory days.
Located along the main thoroughfare of
Kisumu City, the Jomo Kenyatta Highway
within the Central Business District and
within a short walking distance of all the most
important administrative offices, the Kisumu
Hotel was an old and dilapidated structure
until it was bought by Maseno
University. Following extensive renovation that
took two and a half years, the hotel is now the
pride of Kisumu City, indeed it is The Star of
Lakeside Hospitality.
The snow-white exterior of the hotel is
unmistakable while the interior ambiance has
been vastly improved along with the service,
cuisine and accommodation. It is now the
most popular establishment in Kisumu City,
able to accommodate 120 to 150 guests in
exceptional comfort.
There are 80 large, well ventilated and
tastefully furnished single and double rooms
at the hotel, three of which are executive
suites, including one that is fit for presidential
accommodation. Several lounges, an
expansive dining area and corridors/walkways
that exude class have become the hallmarks
of the Kisumu Hotel.
The youthful management of the hotel, all
graduates of Maseno University led by the
General Manager, Mr Paul Ouma, offers the
best possible service available in a high class
tourist hotel. The waiters and other service
personnel are welldressed, prompt and polite.
Transport to and from the hotel is readily
available with several taxi ranks and other
means of transport stationed conveniently in
the vicinity.
A large new multi-storey conference complex
has been constructed behind the completely
renovated structure of the hotel. Modern
conference facilities and equipment have
been installed to enable meetings of up to
600 delegates to run in one place. This is
apart from several other smaller conference
rooms. There is also an adjacent hall that can
accommodate 500 conference participants at
once.
Hotel and Teaching Lab
The Hotel also serves as a training facility.
Maseno University has the Department
of Ecotourism, Hotel and Institution
Management, which o ers a wide range of
undergraduate and postgraduate courses in
the fields of hospitality and ecotourism. In
all the courses requiring practicals the Hotel
is used as a Teaching Lab. The hotel and
conference facilities provide a major boost for
practical work during the academic hospitality
and related programmes o ered by Maseno
University.
Contacts:
Kenyatta Highway
P. O. Box 3335-40100, Kisumu
Tel: 254-057-2022833/2021504
Fax: 254-057-2020508
Email: hotel@maseno.ac.ke
www.maseno.ac.ke
Best of Kenya 57
Chapter 3
Dining and Eating Out

58 Best of Kenya
Best of Kenya 59
 Kenya’s Ultimate
Dining and Eating Out

Meating Place
The popular Carnivore Restaurant is known
for meat, all sorts of meats.

Indeed, the restaurant’s motto is Nyama Tu, which is Kiswahili The Carnivore is a meat specialty restaurant and it is justifiably
for Solely Meat! referred to as ‘Africa’s Greatest Eating Experience’.

Situated just 4 kilometres from Nairobi’s central business
district, the Carnivore opened its doors in September 1980
to instant success. The food, service and atmosphere are
strikingly different from anything ever seen in Kenya.
That the Carnivore is about meat is typically Kenyan for, in
many middle class Kenyan eateries and homes, a meal is
incomplete without meat or meat sauce.
Every type of meat imaginable, such as a selection of exotic
meats including crocodile and ostrich, is roasted over
charcoal and carved at the table. Delicious side dishes and an
exceptional array of sauces complement this fixed-price feast
that also includes soup, a selection of desserts and Kenyan
coffee.
The Carnivore’s main restaurant has a seating capacity of 420

60 Best of Kenya
and caters to a cosmopolitan blend of local
residents. It is also one of the most popular
tourist restaurants and regularly caters for
large parties of tourists and conference
delegates.
Set in attractive tropical gardens, the service
and the décor are outstanding.
The Carnivore is also home of the Simba
Saloon, a delicious a la carte restaurant by
day and Nairobi’s most popular nightclub.
The informal indoor/outdoor atmosphere,
exceptional snacks and the pulsating
rhythms of Africa combine to ensure an
exciting ambiance.
Twice voted amongst the world’s 50 best
restaurants by Restaurant Magazine the
Carnivore is described as ‘amazing’.
Since its inception, the Carnivore has played
host to over 2 million customers from across
the globe, including numerous celebrities. In
fact, the Carnivore visitor’s book reads like a
global Who is Who.
Whole joints of meat – legs of lamb and
pork, haunches of exotic meat, rumps of
beef, sirloins, racks of lamb, spare ribs,
sausages, chicken wings, skewered kidneys,
even crocodile, and other tasty morsels –
are roasted on traditional Maasai swords
over a huge, spectacular charcoal pit that
dominates the entrance to the restaurant.
Constantly basted and turned until cooked
to perfection, the meat is succulent and
well flavoured. The Carnivore does not
conform to the familiar restaurant traditions
of passing out menus and waiting for people
to order.
Diners simply take their seats on the zebra-
striped chairs and the movable feast begins.
First comes the soup of the day and a
sizzling cast-iron plate is placed in front
of each guest along with a plate of home-
baked brown bread and butter.
An army of carvers wearing zebra-striped
aprons and straw hats move from table to
table carrying Maasai swords laden with
different prime meats deliberately carving
unlimited amounts onto the sizzling, cast
iron plates in front of each guest.
Accompanying the meat feast is a wide
selection of salads and vegetable side
dishes, and also a variety of exotic
sauces made from the Carnivore’s own
recipes and stacked on to a double-storey
revolving tray in the centre of the table.
The feeding frenzy doesn’t stop until
the guests signal that enough is enough
by the lowering of a white paper flag
perched atop the central tray. This is
followed by dessert and coffee. The full
meal, including a soup course, is at a set
price.
A vegetarian menu is also offered.
First-time visitors to the Carnivore
are enthralled by the spectacle of
the roasting pit, the service and the
distinctive flavours of food.
The atmosphere of the Carnivore
combines the rustic feel of a rural
environment with the air of a medieval
banqueting hall. This is accomplished by
the use of streams and tropical gardens
throughout the restaurant, and by using
rough-hewn beams and local woods.
Another famous feature to set the tone
of the Carnivore experience is the
house cocktail, the Dawa (which means
medicine or magic potion in Kiswahili).
This is based on a famous Brazilian drink,
and was introduced to Kenyans at the
Carnivore. It has now become one of
the most widely consumed cocktails in
Kenya and it is brought to the guest on
a portable tray by the medicine man,
fittingly named Dr. Dawa.
Adjoining the main restaurant is the
Simba Saloon – a vibrant informal
restaurant that incorporates a children’s
playground (very popular on weekends)
and a lively nightclub.
The Simba Saloon provides an alternative
to those who do not want to indulge
in a large meal, serving pizzas (from
a traditional, domed, brick oven), an
extremely popular salad bar at lunchtime,
steaks, hamburgers, scampi, trout,
chicken, and other light snacks.
The nightclub operates from Wednesday
to Sunday and has themed nights to cater
for fans of contemporary African music,
rock, soul, jazz and the latest hits.
The Simba Saloon has hosted some of
Africa’s best musicians and international
stars such as Maxi Priest, Yellowman,
Sadao Watanabe, Manu Dibango, Salif
Keta, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Ismael Lo,
Habib Koite, Hugh Masakela and Morgan
Heritage, just to mention a few.
The Carnivore has struck the rare balance
of catering to a cosmopolitan blend of
local residents whilst becoming a must-
see stopover for tourists.
Tel: +254-20-605933
www.tamarind.co.ke
Best of Kenya 61
 No compromise on flavour
Dining and Eating Out

and satisfaction

Kosewe, Ranalo
Do not be surprised, walking through the streets of Kenya’s capital,
to hear people talking about, or asking each other whether they have
been to, one restaurant and club at the centre of the great metropolis
that offers excellent traditional Kenyan cuisine as well as music and a
wonderful atmosphere for socialising.

House of flavour: The restaurant at Kosewe, Ranalo,

and, inset, a mouth-watering fish dish. Mrs Osewe,
co-proprietor of Kosewe, samples a lunchtime buffet.

62 Best of Kenya
THIS WAY TO A GREAT MEAL: The entrance to Ranalo Foods of Kimathi Street, Nairobi. A waitress serves lunch. Mr and Mrs Osewe in their office at the restaurant.
Such conversation is usually centered on
Ranalo Restaurant and Club, which belongs
to Ronald Osewe, the man whose from-
rags-to-riches story is an inspiration to many
Kenyans. He represents one of the country’s
most exemplary business success stories
that epitomise the entrepreneurial spirit of the
Kenyan people.
Having started a small meat-roasting outfit
in one of the poorer residential areas of
Nairobi, Osewe is now the owner of a
big and rapidly growing business empire.
Serving up delicious hot meals of popular
traditional and modern dishes is the main
activity that has made Osewe a renowned
and popular figure in Kenya and elsewhere.
The core of his fast expanding business
empire is the restaurant whose name,
Ranalo, is the embodiment of Osewe’s
humble beginnings. Ranalo is the name of
the poor rural village from where he hails in
Nyanza Province.
Nairobi’s Ranalo is one of the most popular
eateries, serving a wide variety of traditional
foods from the Luo ethnic community to
which Osewe belongs, as well as modern
dishes. Regular customers at Ranalo swear
that the place serves some of the most
delicious traditional foods in the country, if
not in the entire eastern African region. The
place has a welcoming ambience and a
mix of customers that reflects both Kenya’s
multi-ethnic composition and its position as
a globally popular tourist destination.
Ranalo is now a well established restaurant
in Nairobi, and Osewe has replicated his
successful enterprise elsewhere within the
capital city and in Kisumu. He has plans to
establish similar restaurants in other major
urban centres in Kenya, such as Mombasa,
Nakuru, Eldoret, Embu and Machakos.
Although “cooking and serving the best and
most delicious traditional foods” remains at
the core of Osewe’s business enterprise, he
has branched into other fields such as real
estate and food processing for export.
A humble, self-effacing man, Osewe started
his business on a very small scale, buying
several kilogrammes of meat, usually pork
ribs, and roasting it for sale at Kaloleni, using
a charcoal grill, known as jiko in Swahili. It
was hard work and the returns at the initial
stages were not so good. It was in 1979
that Osewe took the initial steps towards
establishing his now flourishing business. It
all started at Kaloleni with the purchase of a
charcoal grill and grilling wire mesh. Charcoal
and meat were the main raw materials. After
operating for some years in the open at
Kaloleni, the enterprising Osewe rented a
place in one of the former Kenya Railways
godowns near the Nairobi Railway Station.
Being close to Nairobi’s central business
district, it was an ideal place for business
expansion.
The affordable and delicious traditional and
modern foods offered at the new Kosewe
eating place near the Nairobi Railway Station An Osewe classic, fish and osuga.
was to be the recipe for the success of the
enterprise. All classes of Kenyans working a cleaner, better and more comfortable
within and around the CBD found an easy restaurant to offer traditional dishes to both
place to go for a satisfying lunch that did the working Kenyan middle class and tourists.
not inconvenience them pocket-wise. The
tasty dishes on offer included several types Although the new Ranalo Restaurant at the
of meats, fishes, vegetables, potatoes, rice, Cameo Cinema building was more expensive
fruits and the popular ugali made from maize, than the former Kosewe near the Nairobi
millet and sorghum. The cooking was and Railway Station, it became, nevertheless, a
still is first class, attracting both Kenyans and very popular eating place for office workers
foreigners to the eatery. in the CBD. The new restaurant could remain
open both during the day and in the evenings
As the business at the Nairobi Railway Station when most people in Nairobi like to enjoy
expanded rapidly during the early 1990s, a drink and relax before heading to their
the imaginative Osewe was already thinking residences.
big. Noticing that the place was becoming
too small for the large and growing numbers The popularity of Ranalo at the Cameo
of customers who came for lunch, he made Cinema led to Osewe looking for an even
plans to expand and sought a bigger and more accommodative place. He soon moved
more comfortable place within Nairobi’s CBD to the building along Kimathi Street, close to
for an even more impressive restaurant. the imposing Nation Centre, headquarters of
Eastern Africa’s largest and most prestigious
In 1996 he rented the expansive lounge on media house, and set up the current
the first floor of the Cameo Cinema building Ranalo Restaurant and Club. It is a place
on Kenyatta Avenue – plumb in the centre that embodies the joyful and lively spirit of
of Nairobi. It was an ideal place to put up Nairobi’s day and night life.
Best of Kenya 63
 The Star of the Sea
Dining and Eating Out

Tamarind Mombasa
The Tamarind restaurant is a five-star tourist hotel
in the north of Mombasa, Kenya’s port city and the
gateway to eastern and Central Africa.

Lunch on the ocean wave: It’s lunchtime

on the famous Tamarind dhow.

The Mombasa Tamarind is built in Arab style with high arches
and a crenellated roof.
It is in an elegant, gleaming white building with a perfect
setting and a starlit terrace perched on a cliff overlooking the
picturesque Old Harbour of Mombasa.
Its history spans back to the early seventies when there were no
quality restaurants in Mombasa, and Kenyan-born Chris Seex,
who was managing a coastal resort hotel at the time, sought to
correct the imbalance.
He embarked on an ambitions mission to create the finest
seafood restaurant in Africa. With little financial and moral
support he designed and built the Mombasa Tamarind, a dream
which he fulfilled with a passion.
The hotel menu is a blend of the best of French, Asian and
African cuisines.
The Tamarind’s specialty is seafood and only the freshest
ingredients are applied in food preparations. The Prawns
Peri Peri, Chili Crab and Lobster have earned the Tamarind

64 Best of Kenya
worldwide fame and rave reviews from
publications such as Gourmet, the London
Times and the International Herald Tribune.
Tamarind Village
The Tamarind Village, a luxurious collection
of fully serviced apartments, is situated
directly adjacent to Mombasa’s famous
Tamarind Restaurant and overlooks the
picturesque Old Town of Mombasa.
At Tamarind Village, ancient artistry meets
contemporary comfort. Just 10 minutes from
the city centre, this collection of elegant
apartments blends age-old ambience with
state-of-the-art business facilities, modern
land and sea sports, and two world-famous
restaurants – one overlooks the ocean,
the other, seaborne, cruising its coastline
aboard a majestic Arab dhow.
In a world of modern architectural clones,
Tamarind Village stands apart from the
crowd. With its towering white walls,
curling archways and classical turrets, the
village rises from its coral ramparts like a
formidable 14th Century fortress.
Within these great walls are to be found
some of the finest apartments in 21st
Century Africa.
Offering a wonderful alternative to any
luxury hotel accommodation on the Coast,
‘the Village’, which consists of one-, two-
and three-bedroom apartments, is set in a
beautiful lush garden with a surrounding air
of comfortable privacy.
Built in coastal style architecture with
authentically styled Swahili furnishings,
each apartment has air-conditioned
bedrooms with bathrooms en-suite, a
well appointed and equipped kitchen for
self-catering, satellite TV and a spacious
verandah with a stunning view of the Old
Town of Mombasa.
The Village is an ideal place for business
visitors looking for a quiet environment and
is able to cater for residential conferences of Mombasa and the starlit skies provide
of up to 40 in the conference room, as well idyllic surroundings for a delicious
as providing business facilities such as fax, seafood dinner meticulously prepared in
e-mail, telephone and secretarial services. the Swahili style on the deck in front of
the guests.
For holidaymakers, the Village makes
a secure and perfect setting for leisure Tamarind Nairobi
and relaxation, offering two swimming
pools with jacuzzi, the Creek Club The Nairobi Tamarind is situated in the centre
fitness centre and therapy room, a of the city, adjacent to the National Bank
glass-backed squash court, deep sea Building, Haile Selassie Avenue, close to the
fishing, water skiing and excellent food Central Bank of Kenya.
and service.
It has an ambience of elegance and calm in
The Tamarind Dhow addition to delicious food and superb service.
The Nairobi Tamarind is an invitation to dine or
The Tamarind Dhows Nawalilkher and do business over lunch.
Babulkher are authentic ocean going
jahazi (traditional Arab sailing boats), As Nairobi’s leading seafood restaurant, it flies
formerly used for cargo trading along in fresh giant prawns, sweet young crab, juicy
the Kenyan Coast and to the Arab lobster, squid, octopus and oysters from the
states. The dhows have been completely Coast daily.
refurbished as floating restaurants,
without losing any of the traditional It also offers the finest venison, steak and
aspects of the original vessels. poultry in the country for those whom seafood
is not their first choice.
They are now moored at the Mombasa
Tamarind Jetty. The Nairobi Tamarind has built up and
maintained a reputation for superb cuisine,
As a restaurant, the Nawalilkher is and has been voted Restaurant of the Year on
available for individual bookings, and has many occasions.
a sitting capacity of 70 for dinner, which
leaves plenty of room for dancing on Tel: +254-041-474600
night cruises. By removing some of the www.tamarind.co.ke
tables, the dhow has ample room to hold
a cocktail party for up to 100 people.
The Nawalilkher sails every day except
Sundays for both day and evening
cruises. Private charters can be
organised for Sundays.
The lunchtime cruise departs from the
Tamarind Jetty at 1pm, cruises gently
up Tudor Creek, to a quiet spot where
the dhow moors.
The dinner cruise, commencing at
6.30pm, begins with a welcome Dawa
cocktail as the dhow sails smoothly
towards Fort Jesus. The twinkling lights
Best of Kenya 65
 Taste sensations:
Dining and Eating Out

The culinary artistry of Blanco’s

One of the places that brings out the very best of Nairobi
and provides an unforgettable culinary experience,
blending perfectly with renowned Kenyan hospitality.

66 Best of Kenya
Nairobi, with its population of more than
4.2 million, is the region’s largest metropolis
as well as the capital city of Kenya. It has
a wide variety of attractions to the visitor,
including an expansive wildlife sanctuary, the
Nairobi National Park, within its boundaries.
The Kenyan city is a veritable melting pot
of lifestyles and cultures, both local and
international.
As one of the top ranked tourist destinations
on the African continent, Kenya is a
multicultural society that has a great
variety to o er to the visitor. Among the
most important attractions, apart from the
tropical climate, the sandy beaches and the
abundant wildlife in their natural habitat, is
the culture of the people and the variety of
food.
One of the places that brings out the very
best of Nairobi is Blanco’s Lounge and Grill,
situated in the visually attractive Timau Plaza
at the junction of Argwings Kodhek Road and
Timau Road in the Hurlingham/Kilimani area
of the city close to the Yaya Centre shopping
complex.
Blanco’s, as the restaurant is popularly known,
provides an unforgettable culinary experience,
blending perfectly with renowned Kenyan
hospitality at its best. The food is simply
delicious while the assorted wines from various
parts of the world are rst class. The culinary
specialty of Blanco’s is a unique “fusion” of
Kenyan specialty dishes with European, Asian
and other international cooking styles and
ingredients.
According to the restaurant’s Executive
Director, Mr. Leonard Mudachi, “cooking good
food is both a delicate art and a precious
science” and Blanco’s is endeavouring to
explore the upper limits of both by constantly
experimenting with various ingredients,
combinations and blends. The result of this
experimentation and fusion is a wide variety of
innovative dishes and sauces. It is Kenyan and
African cuisine at its very best.
The unique and delicious dishes that come
out of the kitchens at Blanco’s are combined
with a carefully designed internal decor
and ambiance which give the eatery a very
comfortable look. The modern and traditional
African art that decorate the walls combine
well with the well-designed but practical
furniture. On entering the place, one is
immediately struck by the vibrant decor with
warm tropical colours.
Upcoming and renowned Kenyan artists
display their works at Blanco’s. They include
Carol Kipsanai of La Tua Casa, Lawi Muriuki of
Housemark Limited and Kioko Mitiki. A special
highlight of the interior decor displays works of
art by Mwitiki, a well known Kenyan master.
Other local painters are encouraged to come
to Blanco’s and display their works to potential
clients and art connoisseurs, both local and
international.
On designated days every week, different
Kenyan music artists are invited to perform
at Blanco’s in order to add cultural value to
the great atmosphere. Some of the musicians
who have played at Blanco’s have become
local and international stars. Like its cuisine,
the restaurant encourages innovativeness in
music, especially the fusion or blending of
traditional and modern strains.
It is the aim of Blanco’s to transport and
transform Kenyan and African cuisine to
heights never experienced before and to
enhance international appreciation of Kenya’s
exciting cultural diversity. This is a restaurant
that has been conceptualized, designed,
developed and is managed by young,
enterprising Kenyans who have excellent
culinary expertise.
Blanco’s lounge o ers a wide variety of new
wines from di fferent countries, with different
drink cocktail combinations and assorted fresh
juices made from delicious and vitamin-rich
tropical fruits. Great emphasis is placed on
quality and timely service. Great attention is
paid to detail in every service provided while
speed of delivery is also given high priority.
Despite the initial challenges presented by
being a relatively new business in a highly
competitive culinary market, Blanco’s is
already planning expansion to other parts
of Kenya, especially the tourism-rich Coast
Province, before venturing outside the
country into other parts of the world. Useful
partnerships with international players in
the hospitality and culinary industries are
also being explored by this forward-looking
management team.
On average, prices at Blanco’s Lounge and
Grill range between KSh 1,000 (US$15) to KSh
1,600 (US$25).
Operating Hours:
Monday - Saturday inclusive of Public Holidays
12.00pm to 3.00pm and 5.00pm to 11.30pm
Sundays - Closed
Tel: +254-20-386470/1
Best of Kenya 67
Chapter 4
Shopping and Retail

68 Best of Kenya
Best of Kenya 69
 Pioneer in mall culture
Shopping and Retail
Sarit Centre
The Sarit Centre not only pioneered and introduced the enclosed
shopping mall culture in Kenya, but also provided the impetus for
the rapid transformation of Westlands into a thriving and vibrant
business zone within Nairobi.
It is a challenging architectural concept, designed as a
shopper’s paradise. It does not disappoint. At the end of
any given day some 24,000 shoppers will have entered this
welcoming edifice. That translates into a total of 8.8 million
people going through its entrance and exit doors in a year.
Welcome to The Sarit Centre.
If one considers that some 6,000 cars use its three parking
lots every day you have a lot of vehicular and human traffic to
make for a very busy and popular shopping spot indeed. That
is the way the founders of the Centre intended it to be – a city
within a city integrating the Westlands suburb into the Nairobi
business district.
From the very beginning in the 1970s, the founders of The Sarit
Centre aimed to create Kenya’s premier shopping mall. Away
from the hustle and bustle of the central business district, but
within striking distance of it; offering variety and choice, but in a
relaxed and secure atmosphere devoid of the strain and stress
of the city centre.
70 Best of Kenya
That is why The Sarit Centre is situated in Nairobi’s Westlands
suburb. This is an enclosed centre that the founders conceived
as a complete shopping hub; having everything that a shopper
wants under one roof, easily accessible with secure large
protected parking lots.
The Sarit Centre not only pioneered and introduced the
enclosed shopping mall culture in Kenya, but also provided the
impetus for the rapid transformation of Westlands into a thriving
and vibrant business zone within Nairobi. That the Centre has
been emulated by many implies its transformation of Westlands
has been truly appreciated.
The opening of The Sarit Centre on April 27, 1983 changed
emphatically and forever retail trading patterns in Kenya. The
concept of a one-stop shop took hold and remains many a
developer’s favourite. It is why the Centre’s management says
that Sarit boasts multiple firsts:
• the first enclosed mall in Kenya;
• the first to operate a shopper loyalty programme;
• the first to decorate and light up its
premises both internally and externally;
• the first to offer prize shopping
promotions at Christmas;
• the first to introduce paid parking;
• the first with trade and consumer
exhibitions
However, success did not come straight
away. For example, the management says,
it was not easy initially getting tenants and
the Centre only filled up after 18 months of
operations.
But since the Centre took off in between
1985 and 1986, says Centre Manager Nitin
Shah, there has been no looking back. Mr
Shah says some of the original tenants,
such as Hotpoint Appliances which now
has a presence throughout the East Africa
region, were indeed small businesses and
start-ups.
In the planning days of the 1970s it targeted
some 25,000 households. Its current
catchments encompass nearly 100,000
households. It has 260,000 square feet of
fully-serviced leased space out of a total
built up area of 500,000 square feet on six
levels. Its third – and not necessarily final -
phase of development is about to begin.
The Sarit Centre was founded by two
families who originally carried out business
in Karatina and Murang’a towns of Central
Province beginning the pre-Independence
days. The families of Vidhu Ramji Shah of
Murang’a and Jadavji Ratanji Rughani of
Karatina moved to Nairobi in 1964.
It is they who came up with the concept
and, more importantly, saw it through the
planning and execution.
Their first business in Nairobi was the well
known Text Book Centre. The families
had run bookshops or sold books in their
shops in Karatina and Nyeri. Text Book
Centre soon established itself and remains
to this day the most successful supplier of
educational books in Kenya. Little wonder
that to this day TBC remains a major retail
outlet at The Sarit Centre.
TBC, the most comprehensive and best
stocked book outlet in Africa, and Uchumi
Supermarket, the anchor store of the
Centre, however, compete with such famed
names as Woolworths, Truworths, Bata,
Hotpoint Appliances, Anicare, Audio Point,
some five banks and 12 Automated Teller
Machines (ATMs). The medical services
have not been left out. Fifteen of them, led
by AAR (African Air Rescue) occupy two
floors.
The Centre’s Atrium Food Court is a special
attraction, with nine different units offering
a variety of African, Oriental, Indian, and
Italian and fast food options. Then there is
the Amusement Arcade and the two-screen
500-seat Fox Cineplex on the second floor.
On the same floor is one of Nairobi’s best-
equipped fitness centres, the Arena Health
Club.
The Sarit Centre’s tenant mix, the
management advises, has been strictly
controlled to ensure that units complement,
and do not directly compete, with each other
within the Centre.
Community and cultural events, for which
Sarit is famous, have been instrumental in
marketing the Centre.
That explains why the Centre has a purpose
– built 10,000 square foot air-conditioned
and carpeted exhibition hall, with the
necessary international shell stand scheme
and a comprehensive range of accessories
and its own PA system.
That also explains why since this facility was
expanded and reopened in 1998, the Sarit
Expo Centre has become the acknowledged
exhibition fulcrum of Nairobi, playing host to
numerous in-house and independent trade
and consumer fairs and attracting thousands
of visitors to Westlands and the city.
Indeed several single-country trade fairs
have been staged at the Sarit Centre, among
them the Turkish, French and Korean trade
exhibitions.
The Sarit Centre hosts weddings, receptions,
seminars, flower and fashion shows, beauty
pageants, art and photographic exhibitions
and school career evenings. Indeed, the
Centre is regarded as a major contributor to
domestic tourism.
There is always something happening at
The Sarit Centre. There is a full calendar of
exhibitions. Indeed, the exhibition hall has
helped differentiate The Sarit Centre from
many traditional and street malls.
The management of The Sarit Centre
recognises the need to assist the less
fortunate and has a policy of offering free
or subsidised space to young, upcoming
entrepreneurs and craftsmen to display and
sell their products.
These crafts range from pottery, hand-woven
wool carpets and wall hangings to bead-
work and cotton fabrics from across Kenya.
The Centre also invests significantly
in improving the infrastructure of its
neighbourhood, usually in conjunction
with the local residents’ association and
the City Council of Nairobi and recently
financed major up-grades of the Karuna and
Parklands roads.
The long and short of this is that The Sarit
Centre is an interactive shopping mall
offering one-stop access to a complete
range of supermarkets, stores, service
outlets, entertainment and professional and
medical facilities unrivalled elsewhere in
Kenya.
Tel: +254-20-3747408
www.saritcentre.com
Best of Kenya 71
 You need it, they’ve got it!
Shopping and Retail

Nakumatt Holdings is the company that owns Kenya’s

leading chain of retail supermarkets. As the largest retail
market player in Kenya, and currently expanding to the wider
East African region, Nakumatt have 19 supermarkets dealing
in general merchandise.

Established in 1987, Nakumatt Holdings Limited stays ahead of
the competition by providing quality, value, service, variety and
lifestyle.
Nakumatt’s shop formats range from supermarkets to
hypermarkets that showcase distinct world-class shopping floor
layouts and amenities. All their branches hold a range of over
50,000 quality products
Thanks to their rich heritage and passion for retail excellence,
Nakumatt supermarkets countrywide have carved out a niche
for themselves as the ideal shopping and entertainment centres
for the whole family.
They pride themselves on delivering Quality, Value, Service,
Variety and Lifestyle enhancing products.
Management and policy
A key element of this company as a retail chain of super stores
is corporate governance and sector compliance. Nakumatt
pride themselves on conforming to local and international
laws, policies and regulations governing business and related
operations.
Nakumatt conduct their business with honesty and integrity.
This ensures that they maintain high standards in all areas to

72 Best of Kenya
improve the economy of both the country
and the region.
The responsibility for managing the
company at the top level rests with the
Nakumatt Board of Directors, who meet
regularly to provide corporate guidance and
review operation strategies.
It is a dynamic management team that is
committed to obtaining the best possible
results so that the accumulated benefits
can be passed on to the consumers
through offering a wider range of quality
products in an accessible and affordable
way, providing excellent services and
enormous benefits.
To ensure a clear focus of Quality across the
organization and direct employee activities
on Quality, customer focus and continual
improvement, Nakumatt’s top management
has given its commitment through a Quality
policy statement, which states:
“Nakumatt Holdings Limited is committed
to providing a variety of affordable, quality
brands as well as excellent and superior
quality service to our customers.”
Awards and certifications
Nakumatt Holdings have, in keeping with
global standards, managed to bag a string
of internationally-recognised awards
and certifications. All the awards and
certifications confirm Nakumatt’s world-
class superiority. Some of these include:
• Price Waterhouse Coopers East Africa
Most Respected Service Sector Award
• Kenya Bureau of Standards ISO
9001:2000 Quality Management
System
• Planet Retail Global Ranking
• East Africa Superbrand
• GCR Credit Rating
Branch network
All 19 strategically located Nakumatt outlets
have been tastefully designed with wide
aisles for a pleasurable shopping experience.
Attractive display units for convenient
shopping have been installed to hold well-
defined product categories in a well-lit
shopping environment with ample parking and
convenient opening hours even on weekends
and public holidays.
The Head Office and distribution centre has
some 140,000 square feet of storage and
office space. The total selling space of the
Nakumatt outlets is approximately 1 million
square feet.
Corporate strategy
Nakumatt have distinguished themselves
from their peers on a 10-point differentiating
aspects system that includes:
1. A Truly Kenyan outlook – Nakumatt are
truly Kenyan and employ more than 3,000
indigenous Kenyans across their 19
branches.
2. Corporate governance and social
investments – Nakumatt’s corporate
governance is championed across the
company and involves the directors,
management and staff. On the Social
investment front a KSh150million CSR
budget has enabled Nakumatt to touch
live in the environmental, educational,
cultural and health sectors.
3. Commitment to managing a model
business – Nakumatt have always
maintained a lead in responsible business
practice. Small wonder that they were the
first retailers to introduce the Electronic
Tax Register (ETR) across their branch
network. They have also paid out around
KSh420 million in taxes and are projecting
to pay a total of KSh600 million.
4. Cutting edge IT system – Nakumatt have
invested more then US$ 2 million to roll
out the most advanced retail chains
information technology system on this
continent.
5. Nakumatt’s Mission – is to create a chain
of world-class superstores in strategic
locations delivering quality, value, service,
variety and lifestyle with convenient
opening hours giving everyone the
opportunity to shop at Nakumatt.
6. Nakumatt’s wide variety – Nakumatt
stocks a variety of more than 50,000 local
and international products to cater for
the more than 154 nationalities who shop
with them.
7. Nakumatt’s locations – Nakumatt
have strived with success to locate
their outlets at the most strategic and
convenient locations.
8. Smart Card rewards – Afford their
customers a range of point-based
benefits that include discounts service
providers and partners, redemption of
points fees and many more benefits.
9. Environment and quality policy –
Nakumatt’s stringent environment and
quality policy and processes ensure that
their customers are afforded products
and goods that meet world environment
and quality standards.
10. Strategic expansion plans – Nakumatt’s
vision for the future is centered on an
achievable expansion plan into the
region backed by a scheduled listing on
the Nairobi Stock Exchange by the year
2009.
Tel: +254-20-650137
www.nakumatt.net
Best of Kenya 73
 The Village Market, Nairobi
Shopping and Retail

A Multinational Shopper’s Delight The Village Market

Shopping and Recreation Complex
The international flavour of The Village Market in Nairobi is
a shopping delight for the discerning bargain hunter. The
Village is one of Kenya’s top attractions for the traveller who
wants to sample and explore the very choicest of what this
East African country has to offer.

74 Best of Kenya
A walk within or around the Village Market
gives one the feeling of being a true citizen
of the world. Large numbers of people of
different races and colours mingle here,
shopping, socializing, lunching, wining and
dining.
A weekend family outing at the shopping
complex is something to savour for a long
time.
Variety and luxury are just two words that may
serve to describe the experience of visiting
and shopping at the Village Market. The
Village’s shopping experience can be a real
pleasure as well as a challenge due to the
difficulty of making choices on where to go
within the complex and what to purchase.
The variety of goods on offer is simply
stunning and shoppers are seriously spoilt for
choice.
When on a visit to Kenya, a tourist might
wish to have a little taste of “home away
from home” – at the Village Market, with
its multinational ambience, this is easily
arranged. With more than 150 stores, shops,
offices and eateries offering a variety of
products and services from around the region
and the world, the Village Market is a treasure
trove of shopping.
Conveniently located near the United Nations
Centre in Nairobi, the Village Market is a
global marketplace.
Every Friday, the Village Market hold an open-
air Maasai market where colorful artifacts
and traditional Kenyan crafts from over 300
traditional artists and vendors are on offer.
The Village Market is located at Gigiri, about
16 miles from Nairobi’s central business
district. It is arguably the capital city’s most
spectacular shopping complex, with its food
courts, restaurants, movie theatres, 20-feet-
high water slides, bowling alleys, and many
shops, this is one of the places that family and
tourists tend to visit, during the day and well
into the night.
Among the most popular places within the
Village Market complex are the various
eateries and cafes, which offer both traditional
and modern cuisine at affordable prices.
After one has done some shopping or simply
walked around to view what items are on offer,
it is usually time to sit down and relax in one
of the cafes before making an order for a hot
or cool drink/beverage. Coffee and tea, along
with the various delicious tropical fruit juices
are popular.
The variety of foods and cuisine on offer range
from Kenyan maize meal-based (ugali) dishes
to Italian pizza and Chinese fried noodles.
The Village Market hosts more than 300
events and activities annually making it one of
the busiest shopping and recreation complexs
in the region. With estimated foot traffic of
up to 6,000 visitors daily, the Village Market
is a good choice for organizations targeting
various clientele for their products and
services.
The complex’s marketing and public relations
departments organize the events and
exhibitions, usually choosing African themes,
with art exhibitions being are a weekly feature
in the mall’s exhibition halls. Kenyan-made
curios and artifacts as well as other works
of art such as paintings are usually the main
feature at the exhibitions, with traditional
music and dances as an additional attraction.
International anniversaries and holidays,
such as Halloween and Christmas, are
celebrated in pomp and colour as visitors in
their thousands come together to join in the
merry and cheer of the season. The Christmas
season is usually the busiest, with a lot of
activity in every corner of the Village Market
from the barber’s shops to the electronics
outlets.
The famous Maasai Market, where one
can view and purchase various offerings
of traditional Kenyan fashions, curios and
artifacts, usually takes place every Friday. For
the tourist, small traders offer a wide variety of
souvenir Kenyan items at good prices. These
include colourful beaded necklaces, headwear
and belts, among other things. Items of
clothing include the famous kitenge, kikoi and
khanga. There are also the famous weaved
Kenyan kiondo baskets.
Ladies Day and the Car Boot Sale are among
the most popular activities and events that the
Village Market is proud to host all through the
year. The “City within a City” concept works
well among the residents of the surrounding
up-market residential areas of Nairobi.
Tel: +254-20-7122489
www.villagemarket-kenya.com
Best of Kenya 75
Chapter 5
Fashion

76 Best of Kenya
Best of Kenya 77
 Sanabora Design House Limited
Fashion
• Graphics & Communication • Business Development Training • Product Design
A fusion of creativity and innovation
Effective use of Design improves prosperity and the general
well being of society. It is on this ground that Sanabora Design
House Limited was established way back in 2004, to enable
enterprise development through design support.
The word ‘Sanabora’ is a literal translation of the Swahili
words ‘very good’, a metaphor for the reputation Sanabora
is committed to uphold.
To achieve the above goal, Sanabora offers design support
and business development training tailored to enable
competitiveness of enterprises in local and international
markets.
This in addition to communication support offered to
encourage conception of ideas and promotional materials
that inform, motivate and educate consumers on products
offered.
Sanabora prides its success in the application of creativity
and innovation in meeting the needs of its clientele and the
markets. This is on the belief that success in the corporate
world today is likely to come through offering differentiated
products.
With a pool of highly qualified design and business
professionals, Sanabora offers unmatched value in product
and service delivery, a position that has earned Sanabora
a strong client base in Kenya. Among these clients are;
Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Export Promotional
Council (EPC), German Technical Corporation (GTZ),
United Nations Education and Scientific Organization
(UNESCO), Africa Medical and Research Foundation
(AMREF), Oxfam - UK, Jetlink Express Ltd and the list
goes on.
78 Best of Kenya
On its journey to becoming a benchmark for sustainable design
in Kenya, Sanabora is keen on forming partnerships with those
who seek to pave the way for Kenya in the global market place.
Graphics & Communication
Sanabora doesn’t just put words in your mouth. They scan you
business to establish its initial impact, its clarity, content and
potential for excellence. Asking the questions that your client
might have about your business and evaluating ways
in which they can improve your business by designing identity
systems, publicity and promotional materials that supply the
much needed pizzazz and well crafted enthusiasm needed to
sell you and what you do.
Business Development Training
Sanabora Design House offers a wide range of short term
enterprise development courses. Each training programme is
tailored to meet the needs of individual businesses both
in the formal and informal sectors of Kenya.
Product Design
Product design support is offered to business in developing
the thousands of products required by consumers each year.
Teams of experienced technical professionals lead clients
through taking a product form concept to fulfillment of market
needs.
Tel:+254 20 374 1240/46
Cell:+254 721 828 699
www.info@sanabora.com
Sanabora - Contemporary African Design
Best of Kenya 79
 KikoRomeo
Fashion

KikoRomeo design and fashion house cuts a niche in outstanding

designs with great emphasis on excellent cut, fit and finish.

80 Best of Kenya
Ann McCreath and other partners founded the
business which deals in African fashion and
design in 1996 and have since produced high
quality fashion incorporating community trade
materials and craftsmanship.
KikoRomeo collections have been shown and
won accolades in Kenya at FAFA and
overseas including Italy, Cameroon, South
Africa and the Seychelles.
The design and fashion house’s core business
has been garment production and retail of
KikoRomeo and Kikoti brands – both done in
fabulous African design. They include fashion
and accessories for men, women and
children.
KikoRomeo is currently developing a line
of recycled and organic items, to meet the
growing demands of the international market.
KikoRomeo lines are designed by Ann
McCreath together with Norbert Ochieng and
Martha Gakii. In its outstanding design, great
emphasis is put on excellent cut, fit and finish.
Most of the textiles are from Africa produced
both industrially and handcrafted.
KikoRomeo holding company Kiro Limited’s
philosophy is fair trade and commitment
to working with local artisans to promoting
community development through economic
empowerment.
Kiro Ltd has developed a concept in which it
works in support of Africa’s heritage by
actively promoting traditional skills and crafts.
The KikoRomeo line incorporates a lot of
handcrafting and hand-painting, to create
unique individual items.
New KikoRomeo products are being
introduced and will be designed using
recycled and organic material. Kikoti and the
uniforms design are produced in a factory
setting, incorporating textiles from the
continent.
They are produced in bigger numbers, with
little hand crafting, thereby reducing costs and
provide for the middle market with a smart
African fashion option.
KikoRomeo’s business sprouted in 2006,
after venturing into business contracts with
blue chip corporate firms by designing and
making their corporate uniforms. Among the
companies KikoRomeo landed successful
contracts with are; Safaricom Customer Care,
Air Kenya, KACA, Java Coffee House, Origins
Safaris and Mercury Lounge.
In June 2007, a new line “Kikoti” (“the place
where life began” in Maasai’s Maa language)
was launched, with the aim of offering a more
affordable African fashion to suit the middle
market.
In November 2007, Kiro, East African
Designer Store was opened in the Yaya
centre together with other East African
designers. This was to enable designers to
retail their ready-made garments at a central
spot.
Outlets:
KikoRomeo has its studio on Mogotio Rd,
Westlands, Nairobi. Collections are also sold
through KikoRomeo, 2nd floor Yaya Centre,
and KooRoo at le Rustique on General
Mathenge Drive, Nairobi.
Tel: (254) 722 516317 / (254) 733 835438
sales@kikoromeo.com
www.kikoromeo.com
Best of Kenya 81
Chapter 6
Healthcare

82 Best of Kenya
Best of Kenya 83
 Home of the best of the best
Healthcare

The above words are said with an air of confidence and

finality. But we are not done yet. “We have highly skilled
and qualified nursing staff that is well grounded in bedside
nursing quite apart from being registered nurses.”

The speaker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Nairobi Hospital, Dr

Cleopa Mailu. His first statement is about the doctors at the Nairobi
Hospital. The second is about the nursing staff.

84 Best of Kenya
And this about the hospital itself:
“It is assumed, indeed believed, that if it fails
at the Nairobi Hospital, then nothing can be
done or, to put it another way, when all else
fails, you have to go to the Nairobi Hospital.
If you get to us alive, chances are you will
survive.”
Dr Mailu says that this belief about The
Nairobi Hospital is firmly held and buttressed
by those who have been at the hospital,
“brought in when they were on the brink
and came back to life” and their relatives.
And that fits in well with the hospital’s motto
Lux Tenebris which translates as Light in
Darkness.
Those who have been wheeled into the wards
after they were mauled by wild animals or had
been involved in freak or tragic accidents and
were in a state of darkness have seen light
after treatment at the Nairobi Hospital.
And the motto has an ironic twist to it too.
The foundation stone for the Nairobi Hospital
was laid on October 20, 1952. That is the
same day the colonial state herded the
leaders of the nationalist movement into
prison and declared a State of Emergency.
The stone was laid by the Governor, Sir
Evelyn Baring, after he had sent the resisting
Kenyans to jail. That was a dark day for
Kenya, but the laying of the stone could be
said to have lit a light in healthcare terms.
has the best skilled nurses, but also trains
them.
It is instructive here to note that the current
matron not only trained at the hospital, but
was also a nurse there for 27 years. “Our
nurses have a great attachment to the
institution that trains them just as most people
are greatly attached to their schools much
more than they are to their universities,” says
Dr Mailu.
The idea here is that nursing staff will undergo
targeted training that will enable them to bond
with the patients and ultimately meet their
needs and yield excellent practice.
The Nairobi Hospital is reputed to have the
best training for nurses and while many of
them prefer to work at the hospital, there are Those who practice at the hospital must be
others who join different institutions spread accomplished specialists recognised as such
all over the country. That means the Nairobi by the Doctors and Dentists Medical Board
Hospital trains nurses for itself as well as the and must practice for at least three years
country. before they can get admitting rights.
The hospital has over 400 consulting doctors The third pillar of the hospital is the deliberate
who specialise in varied disciplines of investment in advanced technology. “We
medicine. challenge professionals to exercise what

From the small facility of 57 years ago, The

Nairobi Hospital is now a 14-ward, 302-
bed facility, with Intensive Care and High
Dependency units, Casualty and six theatres.
Its 32-bed pediatric ward was opened recently
and the aim is that the hospital catches them
early so that they can stay with it throughout
their life.

The highly skilled nursing staff and the best-

of-the-best doctors are only two of the pillars
of the Nairobi Hospital. The hospital not only

Best of Kenya 85
Healthcare
they were taught. We invest in technology to
enable us to give the best healthcare.
“We have also invested in the best there
is in information technology to drive our
business, our front and back offices, ease our
processes and enable us to serve our clients
quickly, simply and efficiently”, says Dr Mailu.
The Nairobi Hospital has positioned itself as a
market leader and Dr Mailu says that it has to
innovate for others to follow or the healthcare
sector in Kenya will stagnate!
That is to say the hospital intends to stay
ahead of the competition or to be a market
leader always. This is in tandem with the
hospital’s stated corporate culture of caring
about quality, providing the highest standards
Dr. Cleopa Mailu of healthcare and its belief that patient
CEO, The Nairobi Hospital satisfaction is paramount.
Indeed, the Nairobi Hospital has positioned
itself well to take advantage of the emerging
and fast-growing field of medical tourism.
Given its facilities, expertise and the
infrastructure the country has, the Nairobi
Hospital is in good stead to lead the way in
welcoming patients from all corners of the
globe.
86 Best of Kenya
This could well be the best part of the Nairobi
Hospital: It is a non-profit institution. The
Board of directors is voluntary and it prides
itself on being a public hospital well run. Dr
Mailu says “it is Kenya’s jewel, the hope of
Kenyans when public hospitals go down.
The ten gentlemen who came together to
found The Nairobi Hospital under the aegis of
the Kenya European Hospital Association did
not make this a private company, but opted
to bequeath it to posterity.
Founding President Kenyatta, former
President Moi and current President Kibaki
have all been treated here, but it is a general
hospital, admitting all and one paying
patients. However, the hospital will not turn
away a patient when there is an emergency
because they do not have money.
Talking about the future is especially
interesting for CEO and staff of the Nairobi
Hospital, not only because they want to excel,
but also because of what it is they intend to
do.
“We intend to invest in innovative areas
of medicine such as telemedicine and
other cutting edge diagnostic and curative
 Innovation provides horizon scanning to keep
us in the right direction - The Axion Artis dTC
Cardiac Angiography System

technologies. We intend to enter into

strategic partnerships with other medical
institutions in Kenya and beyond,” says a
hospital brochure.

The Nairobi Hospital, true to its reputation

and standing, has received several awards
over the last two years, beginning with its
being ranked sixth in Africa by the African
Almanac list of the top 20 hospitals on the
continent.
It was the recipient of the 2005 Johnson
Midwives of the Year Award, has an HACCP
certification in catering and has been
awarded the Afya (Kiswahili for health)
Excellence Awards in the rational use of
medicine and in innovation and leadership.
In 2005, 2006 and 2007 the Nairobi Hospital
was recognised by the Computer Society
of Kenya and given the award of Best
Health Applications. Still in 2006, UNICEF
and Kenya’s Ministry of Health certified the
hospital as baby-friendly.
Where does the inspiration come from? A
brochure from the hospital informs that staff
is inspired by the institution’s mission, vision
and core values. The mission says that the
hospital seeks to “provide a regional centre
of excellence for quality healthcare through
efficient services and facilities”.
The Nairobi Hospital’s vision is to “be a leader
in healthcare within Central and eastern
Africa”.
This is to be done by staff being passionate
about the quality of service, supporting,
strengthening and involving staff, innovation,
growth of institution and leadership by and
through example.
The hospital’s core values revolve around
visionary leadership, quality healthcare,
compassionate care, professionalism,
integrity, social responsibility and dynamism.
Tel: +254-20-2845000
www.nairobihospital.org

Best of Kenya 87
 Award-winning trailblazers
Healthcare

Avenue Group
“We want to be known for providing high quality
healthcare at an affordable price.”

This, says Managing Director Diana Patel, is the driving force, indeed
the mission, of the Avenue Group, Kenya’s multiple award-winning
and trailblazing healthcare providers.

88 Best of Kenya
The Avenue Group is unique as a provider of
healthcare, having established Kenya’s first
private and self-contained psychiatric facility
in 1990, a time when most such patients
had no place to go to other than the public
Mathare Hospital.
That was but the beginning of the Avenue
Group’s firsts, for, in 1994, the group led the
way in providing home-based nursing care
and in the same year pioneered the still rare
service of rental of medical equipment.
“We want to be in the lead; we want to keep
innovating and, that way, not only stay ahead
of the competition, but also introduce the
best healthcare products and services in
Kenya,” says Diana.
In 1995 the group became Kenya’s first
provider-based health management
organisation (HMO) and the following year
introduced the country’s first managed
healthcare system.
The group’s last two firsts are not just
trailblazers but assert emphatically The
Avenue Group’s commitment to training
and patient safety and comfort as pillars of
excellence in healthcare. The Emergency
Medical Technicians
Training Course commenced in 2000 and
2005 saw the introduction of the Medical
Taxi. Medical taxi? “Exactly,” says Ms Etta
Ligale, the Operations General Manager,
“often times we realise that what a patient
needs is not an ambulance, but transport to
hospital.”
What comprises The Avenue Group? If you
stay in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city and you
hear the name Avenue, it is highly unlikely
you will think about any of the metropolis’
streets or boulevards.
Most Kenyans know Avenue Hospital, a
70-bed modern facility with male and female
wards, a dedicated paediatric wing, maternity
wards, a psychiatric wing, and theatre and
mortuary services.
Next in the group’s stable is the flagship
Lifestyle Clinic so called because it is situated
on a facility of the same name in the Central
Business District. Then there is the P J Place
in Nairobi’s Industrial Area to complete The
Avenue Group facilities in the capital.
There are three more clinics which are
situated in Mombasa, Kenya’s world-famous
coastal resort, Kisumu on Lake Victoria and
Thika which is some 40 kilometres away from
Nairobi.
It is the services offered at these facilities, say
Diana and Etta, that set The Avenue Group
apart from the rest. For example the 24 hour
medical taxi is part of the group’s rescuen
package which provide for high quality
rescue, evacuation and transport services.
Avenue Healthcare (AHC) was founded in
1995 specifically to manage the Avenue
Hospital Outpatient Department and offer
mobile medical services to company clients
and is the one tasked with operating the
Mombasa, Kisumu and Thika outpatient
clinics.
Apart from the outpatient services, Avenue
Healthcare offers inpatient services,
Best of Kenya 89
Healthcare
in-house clinics, special clinic services
and medical examinations. Regarding
examinations, Avenue Healthcare is licensed
by the City Council of Nairobi, for example,
to carry out tests for food handlers.
And Avenue doctors carry out routine
preemployment examinations, including
urine and stool, HIV, VDRL, widals, and
chest x-ray.
The Special Clinics, which are housed at
the Avenue Hospital Special Clinics Wing,
include antenatal clinics, well baby clinics,
90 Best of Kenya
a diabetic clinic and Voluntary Counseling,
Testing and Treatment (VCTT). Notice that
most are VCT clinics but Avenue’s includes
treatment hence the extra T in VCTT!
Avenue also offers training in emergency
medicine, including cardiopulmonary
resuscitation as well as First Aid training for
corporates and the general public.
The medical taxi service includes scheduled
doctor and late night casualty visits. This
service also offers travel home from the
group’s hospital or clinics and the vehicles

are equipped with a wheel chair, first aid
kit, sickness bags and radio call. The taxi
comes complete with nurse aid, security
guards and drivers who are trained in First
Aid.
Avenue Homecare is a service that provides
nurse aids under the supervision of
qualified nurses and offers a less expensive
alternative to hospital care, with medical
equipment such as wheelchairs and
crutches available for weekly or monthly
hire.
This has been hailed as a cost effective
service carried out in an environment that is
familiar and comfortable to the patients and,
therefore enhancing recuperation in privacy
and freedom and reduced risk of cross
infection.
This service is especially recommended
for elderly and terminal ill patients, those
addicted to substance abuse, post-surgery
patients and general convalescents.
The Avenue Group has offers in-house
clinics for corporate clients which enhance
access to medical care and reduce time
off work to seek treatment as well as
personalised service for staff and their
families. It is the group which furnishes and
equips the in-house clinics and manages What this boils down to, Etta takes over,
them. is that at Avenue patients have the right to
The Avenue Group operates a diabetic clinic participate in decisions involving their health
at Avenue Hospital and at the Lifestyle clinic care and give informed consent to treatment.
whose services include advising patients
on management of diabetics, diet, exercise Professional talks
and modification of one’s lifestyle, laboratory
services and specialist referrals where The Group is well known for the health talks
necessary. its professionals give for such clients and
beyond. These acclaimed speeches revolve
Indeed, of the many card products that around varied and valued topics such as:
Avenue Group has on offer, the Diabetics
Card stands out because it guarantees one u HIV/Aids
unlimited outpatient consultations at the u Alcoholism
Diabetic Clinic. u Occupational health and safety
u Infectious diseases
Most visitors and patients at the Avenue u Rational use of drugs
Group facilities are often pleasantly surprised u Health, living and lifestyle
to be informed that patients have rights u Malaria
such as the right to receive superior health u Smoking
care regardless of their race, tribe, national u Stress
origin, sex, age, financial status or cultural u Nutrition
preferences. u Hygiene
u Family planning
Patients are informed that they have the right u Breast cancer
to be treated with respect and courtesy, their u First Aid
personal privacy is respected and medical
records handled with utmost confidentiality. The above are also available as full courses
by Avenue Rescue Services.
Indeed, it is also made known to patients
that they have the right to demand to know AWARDS
the names, qualifications and professional
responsibilities of their health care providers. It is not an idle boast when the Avenue Group
executives say they believe in leading the way
At Avenue Group they make it plain for the group is the winner of four Afya (by the
that patients have the right to treatment Ministry of Health) awards.
appropriate to their choice, age, physical,
spiritual, emotional, cultural and intellectual These are:
needs.
u Quality, Affordable, Health Care (2003)
Given that most will find a doctor’s notes u Health Insurance and Finance (2006)
cryptic, Diana enlightens that a patient, u Innovative Leadership - First runner-up
has the right to receive information (2006)
about diagnosis and treatment plans in a u Diabetes Care (2006)
language he or she easily understands, with
explanations of alternatives, including risks, Tel: +254-20-3742907
benefits and burdens of each. www.avenuehealthcare.com
Best of Kenya 91
 Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)
Healthcare

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) is the oldest hospital in

the country, having been founded in 1901 as the Native Civil
Hospital and then King George VI Hospital in 1952. It is currently
the largest national referral, teaching and research hospital.

Kenyatta National Hospital plays a major role in healthcare
delivery system in the country, East Africa and the whole of
Africa region as provided for in its mandate. The hospital has
an efficient and effective referral system and receives referral
cases for specialized healthcare from other health institutions
within and outside the country. KNH is the hospital of choice
to the majority of the population in the capital city, Nairobi,
and it’s environ due to its affordability and quality healthcare
The institution facilitates medical training for students of the
College of Health Sciences of the University of Nairobi, The
Kenya Medical Training College, and other higher learning
institutions. This is in addition to facilitating research either
directly and/or through other cooperating health institutions.
The hospital also participates in national health policy
planning.

92 Best of Kenya
 Clinical Departments
Medicine Obstetrics& Gynaecology Dentistry Laboratory Medicine
Nursing Dermatology Paediatrics Pharmacy
Surgery Respiratory & Infectious Diseases Ophthalmology Radiotherapy
Radiology Accident and Emergency Anaesthesia Quality Assurance

Professional Support Departments

Medical Records Occupational Therapy Public Health Laundry
Medical Social Work Physiotherapy Nutrition Catering

Administrative Departments:
Administration Personnel Finance Supplies & Procurement
Public Relations Legal Planning Maintenance & Transport
Security

Specialized Units
Renal Unit The Heart Unit Interventional Cardiology Intensive Care Unit and HDU

Kenyatta National Hospital is well equipped
to set stage for attaining continental and
international healthcare standards. This
has led to efficient diagnosis and patient
management for better medical outcomes
as well as enhanced its competitiveness
in the contemporary healthcare industry at
local, regional and international level.
KNH has comprehensive care centre that
handles HIV/Aids patients, dispensing
medicine, monitoring viral loads, and
counseling. The centre has a patient
support centre devoted to recovery of
gender violence victims.
The Accident and Emergency facility
was expanded to improve patient flow.
Improved integration of emergency and
support services has made it a one-
stop patient management complex.
The complex has an acute room, six
emergency beds, laboratory and three
spacious operating theatres dedicated to
emergencies and surgery trauma patients
as well as financial services, counseling
and pharmacy. The hospital has also
improved other services such as Radiology,
Cardiology, Neonatal Critical Care Unit,
laundry and power upgrade.
KNH provides specialized services like
open-heart operations, brain surgery,
complicated eye surgery (intra-ocular), skin
operations using laser and plastic surgery.
Private Wing Wards
In an effort to improve quality of services
and at the same time boost its financial
base, KNH opened amenity wards which
today form a fully fledged Private Wing
occupying the 9th and 10th floors of the
Tower Block. The Private Wing concept
aims at providing quality healthcare at an
affordable cost and retaining most of the
professional staff within reach even as they
continue with their private practice within
the hospital.
The Private Wing wards have enabled the
hospital to improve the quality of care and
reach out to the corporate clientele. The
quality of services provided in the Private
Wing is comparable to that of other private
hospitals. This facility has indeed given
Kenyans an alternative quality medical
care that is affordable and competitive to
In addition, the existing services offered
by KNH private hospitals have attracted
clientele in some parts of Africa with
patients coming from the larger Eastern
and Southern Africa region for specialized
care.
Doctors Plaza
These facilities enable the specialist
doctors to do private practice within easy
reach of the hospital. The project earns
the hospital revenue and helps keep many
doctors within the hospital (KNH).
Key Statistics
Staff Capacity: 6,000
Bed Capacity: 1,800 beds
Average annual Outpatient attendance:
600,000 visits
Average Annual Inpatient attendance:
89,000 patients
Average length of stay: 7 Days
Annual budgetary allocation: KSh4.6 billion
Tel: +254-20-2726300
www.knh.or.ke

Best of Kenya 93
 A bastion of care and service
Healthcare

Upper Hill Medical Centre

An array of medical services is situated under one roof at the
Upper Hill Medical Centre, which is ideally located in the middle
of a rapidly growing business district of Nairobi.

It is a private healthcare facility with a wide variety of medical services, including a sophisticated diagnostics laboratory, a
services and some of the most modern equipment as well as diagnostic imaging unit, a kidney centre, a laser kidney and
highly qualified medical personnel who are dedicated to the endoscopy centre, a hearing aid centre, a physiotherapy centre,
provision of the best services in Kenya and beyond. a children’s clinic and a chemist.

Both tourists and local residents of Nairobi and the entire The all-inclusive ultra-modern six-storey complex situated
eastern and Central African region are assured of an impressive along Ralph Bunche Road only a short distance from another
world-class medical facility which provides a wide variety of top private medical facility that is the Nairobi Hospital,

94 Best of Kenya
houses specialists in various medical
fields that include allergies, anaesthetics,
aurology, cardiology, cosmetics, dentistry,
dermatology, endoscopy, ENT (ear nose &
throat), gynaecology, laparoscopy, neurology,
nutrition, obstetrics, opthalmology and
pediatrics.
Other specialist medical fields offered at
the Upper Hill Medical Centre, which is
one of the most sophisticated privately-
owned healthcare facilities throughout the
eastern African region, including pathology,
psychiatry and medical psychology,
physiotherapy, plastic surgery, radiology,
reproductive health, traumatology, urology
and vascular surgery. There are also
pathologists and various categories of
paramedics at the facility.
A number of highly qualified general
physicians and surgeons are located at
the Upper Hill Medical Centre, which has
numerous well-equipped, state-of-the art
surgical theatres. Patients whose ailments
do not require lengthy or complicated
surgical procedures are normally treated
and discharged on the same day. The health
environment provided by this superlative
medical facility is highly supportive of the
various needs of patients.
Doctors and other medical staff at the Upper
Hill Medical Centre, although hailing from
different social and academic backgrounds,
form a harmonious entity, dedicated to the
provision of the best healthcare available
anywhere at affordable prices. Support
for continued professional education for
members of staff ensures a workforce that
is reliable, fast, and friendly. The highly
trained and experienced staff is available for
consultation on drug information.
The UHMC Pharmacy is conveniently
located on the ground floor. It is dedicated to
ensuring the health and well-being of every
patient through stocking of an extensive
range of prescription drugs and healthcare
products. The health facility has partnered
with drug manufacturers and suppliers for
the supply of drugs at discounted prices.
The reduced cost is passed to customers
ensuring low retail prices. Owing to
continuing research and development in drug
manufacturing, pharmacists must constantly
keep abreast of new information.
At this Centre, the patient is provided with
every available service, hospitality and
care. Children are given particular attention
because of their fragile and still growing
bodies and minds. Safety enhancement
is a highly valued feature of the Upper Hill
Medical Centre, which is easily accessible
from the Nairobi central business district,
without going through the sometimes
stressful traffic jams that have become a
common feature on the roads of Kenya’s
principal metropolis due to the rapid increase
in the number of public and private vehicles.
UHMC has good security and ample parking
space.
In a region where good medical and
healthcare facilities are at a premium,
the Upper Hill Medical Centre is a unique
enterprise. Services to corporate clients
are provided on credit without requirement
for a deposit. The process is easy and has
no waiting time. UHMC Corporate Account
members can receive services from any of
the specialists or centres. The client is then Insurance Co., CFC Life, Heritage AII,
billed through a central billing system. Madison Insurance Co., AAR Health Services/
Insurance, AON Minet, Health Management
Many organizations have chosen the Upper Solutions, and Apollo Insurance.
Hill Medical Centre as their preferred medical
service provider. Reliable and consistently The reputation of the Upper Hill Medical
high service standards have been recognized Centre has continued to grow rapidly since
by many corporate clients in Kenya. Some of it was established in 2001. It is highly
UHMC’s leading partners include important rated both in Kenya and internationally as a
public sector organizations like the Kenya first-class healthcare provider that provides
National Assembly (Parliament), the Kenya unrivalled medical services within the eastern
Anti-Corruption Authority (KACC), and the and Central African region. The Centre has
National Security Intelligence Services (NSIS). been accredited by several governmental and
international organizations while patients of
Valuable private clients of UHMC include Zain all classes highly value its high standards of
(formerly Celtel Kenya Limited), the United medical care.
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), PricewaterhouseCoopers, HTH
Worldwide, the British High Commission, Tel: +254-20-2721580
Oxfam GB, Jubilee Insurance Co., APA www.uhmc.co.ke
Best of Kenya 95
Chapter 7
Coffee, Tea and Horticulture

96 Best of Kenya
Best of Kenya 97
 Coffee Board of Kenya
Coffee, Tea and Horticulture
Best of Kenya interviewed CEO Mrs Louise Wanjira Njeru
Q: How can you describe the current state of Kenya’s
coffee industry, considering the fact that it was once
the country’s leading export crop, but has now been
overtaken by horticulture and tea?
A: The coffee industry in Kenya is currently on a strong
recovery path, with excellent prospects for local
processing and branding, coupled with an upward,
though still volatile, price movement since the year 2000.
Kenyan coffee has witnessed a steady rise in both value
and quality in recent years. The industry can now look
forward to real growth and diversification of production.
Q: What distinguishes Kenyan coffee from that produced in
other countries around the world? Is there anything that is
special about coffee grown in Kenya?
A: Oh yes, Kenya leads the world in having the best coffee
found anywhere. We produce very high quality and
98 Best of Kenya
aromatic Arabica coffee that is used in blending with
coffees produced in other countries in order to improve
their quality and make them milder and more appealing
to the consumer. Arabica coffee is usually mild and
aromatic, while the other main type of coffee, known as
Robusta, is much stronger in taste. Robusta is the type
grown in many countries around the world, especially in
Latin America. Here in Kenya only negligible amounts of
Robusta coffee are grown, mainly in the lowlands.
Q: What are the Coffee Board of Kenya and the other
stakeholders in the industry doing to make Kenyan coffee
even more popular around the world?
A: The main issues at the moment in marketing Kenyan
coffee around the world revolve around value addition,
quality assurance, packaging and branding. At the
moment, Kenya is selling most of its coffee abroad as a
commodity rather than a brand. Apart from drying and
 roasting there is little value addition
in the coffee exported abroad from
Kenya. We are shifting focus and
looking at various ways to add value
and sell pure, high quality Kenyan
coffee abroad as a distinctive brand.
Our neighbour, Ethiopia, is already
branding its coffee but we are fast
catching up with them.
Q: Which are the most important
international markets for Kenyan coffee
and what are the current trends in
those countries?
A: The most important markets for
Kenyan coffee at the moment are the
Federal Republic of Germany, which
imports around 30%, followed by
the Scandinavian countries (Sweden,
Norway, Denmark) with around 25% to
30% and the United States of America
at 20%. There are other emerging
markets, especially in Asia, with
China, Japan, India and Iran coming
up strongly. Others are Russia and
the Middle East. Unfortunately, in the
Arab countries, most people prefer
the strong, low quality coffee of the
Robusta type.
Q: When was the Coffee Board of Kenya
established, what are its functions and
how does it fulfill that mandate?
A: The Coffee Board of Kenya was
established in 1935 for the purposes
of regulation, research, marketing and
development of the coffee industry in
the country. Since its establishment,
the CBK has evolved considerably
and emerged rightfully as a key player
within the Kenyan coffee industry. In
2002, there was a major restructuring
that not only liberalized the industry, but
also delinked the marketing function
from the Board. The liberalization of
the coffee industry had some serious
financial implications for the Board,
which is currently allowed by law to
charge only a 1% levy on the marketed
coffee. This has necessitated some
restructuring and downsizing of
operations in certain non-essential
areas. Regulation, research and
development remain the core functions
of the Coffee Board of Kenya. Research
is conducted through the Coffee
Research Foundation at Ruiru on the
northern outskirts of Nairobi.
Q: What are the top accomplishments of
the Coffee Board of Kenya and what
challenges now face the Board and the
coffee industry in general as it faces the
future?
A: The CBK, through the Coffee Research
Foundation, has developed several
valuable varieties of coffee, which
include the famous Ruiru 11. The other
main commercial varieties are SL28
and SL34. The Blue Mountain variety
is mainly grown in the Kisii highlands
of western Kenya. We have managed
to maintain the high quality of Kenyan
coffee, although there have been
declines in production volumes. Prices
on the world market still fluctuate
widely, depending on production
and consumption elsewhere in the
world. We still have challenges with
productivity among smallholder coffee
growers and diseases such as Coffee
Berry Disease (CBD) and Coffee Leaf
Rust (CLR). Low productivity, especially
among smallholder coffee growers due
to various factors such as poor farming
and management techniques, increased
soil acidity and climatic vagaries,
still pose a major challenge to our
coffee industry. For the CBK, the main
challenge is how to maintain relevance
and growth within a liberalized regime
and within a smaller budget. Despite
all these challenges, I see the future of CEO Louise W Njeru
the industry in Kenya as very bright;
especially if we can produce and market
high quality processed, packaged and Tel: +254-20-315754
branded coffee. www.coffeeboard.co.ke
Best of Kenya 99
 Iconic and tech-savvy farmers’ union
Coffee, Tea and Horticulture

The Kenya Planters’ Co-operative Union Limited, better known by its

acronym KPCU, is one of Kenya’s iconic, best known and well-run non-
governmental public institutions.

100 Best of Kenya

It is also a unique institution because it is
wholly owned by coffee farmers who vote in
the leadership or management at all levels
from the grassroots to the national office.
KPCU boasts more than 70 years of
experience in the production and processing
of coffee and representing the interests of
Kenya’s farmers on all fronts.
Indeed, all coffee farmers in Kenya are
shareholders of KPCU, with the membership
of the union consisting of 3,000 plantation
farmers and over 700,000 small-scale farmers
who are represented through more than 600
co-operative societies.
Kenya’s coffee growing regions are divided
into 15 electoral districts, each of which
nominates one representative to sit on the
KPCU Board. The Board is the supreme organ
in the decision-making process of the Union.
The Board in turn delegates specific functions
to the Audit Committee, Finance and Tender
Committee, Staff Committee and Milling and
Marketing Committee. These committees
operate under specific terms of reference
sanctioned by the Board.
Advisory committees oversee the day-to-
day running of KPCU’s countrywide network
of branches, with the specific mandate of
ensuring the greater involvement of farmers in
the decision-making process. The decisions
of the committees are ratified by the Board.
KPCU is known for value adding services to
farmers that include:
w Milling, polishing and grading;
w Quality control and liquoring;
w Transit storage facilities;
w Farmer education, especially on
production of quality coffee;
w Provision of crop advances to finance
production;
w Coffee nurseries for high quality seedlings;
w Value addition and marketing;
w Provision of farm inputs;
w Direct coffee sales and export;
w Designated clean coffee warehousing;
and,
w Facilitation of joint small and medium
scale coffee farmers’ business units to
access credit and related services.
Through these services KPCU provides
forward and backward linkages to farmers
and consumers through vertical integration
of the services.
KPCU not only keeps abreast of farming
technologies but also embraces modern
communication technologies to make its
work more efficient and effective.
That is why the Union has modern
information communication technology
(ICT) facilities, which has seen all its
branches across the country networked for
faster exchange and flow of information.
Farmers are, therefore, able to receive
crucial information at branch level online.
Storage is an important service in the
production of coffee, which is why KPCU incorporates HIV/Aids awareness sessions
has transit stores throughout the country in educational forums for farmers.
whose total capacity is 80,000 tons. The
Union operates mills across Kenya whose As part of its contribution to poverty
total capacity per hour is 34 tons. alleviation and food security, KPCU
supports educational programmes and
As a responsible corporate citizen, it rural micro-credit schemes to foster
recycles waste coffee husks into Kahawa economic growth and wealth creation.
Coal (literally Coffee Coal), high energy
coffee charcoal briquettes that serve as Tel: +254-20-2210288
an alternative food fuel. The Union also www.kpcu.co.ke
Best of Kenya 101
 Kenya Flower Council
Coffee, Tea and Horticulture

Flowers are a natural expression of elegance and beauty, apart

from performing functions that are vital to the planetary biosphere.
To human society, flowers have since time immemorial signified
intense feelings of romance, love and decorative importance.
They are also used for the production or manufacture of different
kinds of perfumes and aromatic fragrances.

102 Best of Kenya

Kenya is a country of great natural beauty
and one of the leading flower and ornamental
plant producers in the world and certainly the
top on the African continent. This East African
country produces a wide variety of flowers
and ornamental plants for markets in Europe,
Asia and America. In 2008, Kenya’s floriculture
produce was worth more than US$870 million
(KSh64 billion) in foreign exchange.
Even with the global economic recession
which started in late 2008, Kenya’s cut flowers
and ornamental plants are still prized around
the world, especially in Europe and North
America. Other markets for Kenyan flowers
and other horticultural produce are in the
Middle East and the vast Asian continent.
The Kenya Flower Council (KFC) is a voluntary
private association of the floriculture industry
in Kenya. Formed in 1996 to represent
independent Kenyan cut flower and
ornamental plant growers and exporters,
as well as to foster responsible and safe
production of cut flowers and ornamental
plants, the KFC also seeks to provide a
common platform for growers and exporters
to ensure the implementation of strict local
and international standards.
Currently one of the richest, most influential
and best organized industry organizations
in Kenya, KFC is involved a variety of issues
of concern to the stakeholders in industry
lobbying, worker safety, environmental
protection, industrial regulation, industrial
development and floriculture company
accreditation, as well as more weighty issues
of global carbon dioxide emissions and
international industrial diplomacy.
With its headquarters in Kenya’s capital city,
Nairobi, the Kenya Flower Council currently
counts a regular membership of more than
60 flower growing and exporting member
companies and organizations owning 70
farms around the country, and representing
around 60% of Kenya’s exports of cut
flowers and ornamental plants. There are
also 25 associate members from different
countries of the European Union, which is by
far the largest and most important market.
The associate members are involved in the
Kenyan floriculture industry through carrying
out importation, provision of farm inputs and
other related services.
The KFC very is active in promoting Kenyan
flowers to European supermarkets, florists,
and at trade shows in the United Kingdom,
Holland, Germany and other European Union
countries. The floriculture industry body
has embarked on a well-organized global
marketing for Kenyan flowers and ornamental
plants. Globally, the board subscribes to the
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) guideline
system of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization, and to EurepGAP.
Domestically, the Kenya Flower Council is
affiliated with the Kenya Horticulture Council,
the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of
Kenya (FPEAK) and with the Kenya Bureau
of Standards (KEBS). It publishes a detailed
Code of Practice and employs a rating system
for its member companies, involving Gold
Standard ranking, Silver Standard ranking and
Associate rankings.
Efforts are currently underway to harmonize
the activities of KFC with those of FPEAK
under the umbrella of the Kenya Horticultural
Council (KHC), which was established in
2007 with the main objective of enhancing
the efficiency and effectiveness of resource
utilization and service delivery within the
horticulture industry in Kenya.
Tel: +254-20-3876597
www.kenyaflowers.co.ke
Best of Kenya 103
 Impressive growth with effective
Coffee, Tea and Horticulture

authority H CD A
As the regulatory agency for the horticultural sub-sector, the
Horticultural Crops Development Authority (HCDA) aspires to be
at the forefront in providing efficient, effective and quality service.

Established as a state corporation in

1967 under the Agriculture Act, HCDA is
mandated to regulate the horticultural industry
through licensing and application of rules
as prescribed under the Act. HCDA also
provides advisory and marketing services to
the stakeholders in the industry for planning
purposes.

HCDA ranks among the most important

agricultural institutions in Kenya. Horticultural
exports are among the top foreign exchange
earners for the country, while the growing and
processing of horticultural crops is a major
industry employing more that three million
Kenyans directly and indirectly.

The massive growth of the horticultural sub-

sector under the supervision of HCDA is one
of Kenya’s most important economic miracles.

104 Best of Kenya

 noteworthy that indigenous Kenyans hardly
participated in the introduction or growing of
horticultural crops which were not part of their
diets and were inaccessible because trade did
not exist.

After independence in 1963, the government

In 2008, recorded marketed horticultural
produce in Kenya was valued at around
KSh58 billion, a drop from the KSh67.2 billion
in 2007, mainly due to changing climatic
patterns. In 2004, Kenya’s total marketed
horticultural produce was still worth only
KSh32.5 billion.
The figures indicate that the value of the
country’s horticultural produce, which
includes cut flowers, fruits and vegetables,
has almost doubled in just four years.
recognised early the need to develop
effective marketing systems for the
horticultural subsector however, because of
the overwhelming demands on the young
government to provide both political, social
and economic changes, efforts to give priority
to horticulture were slow.
Horticulture is a viable solution for Kenya’s
need for cash crop diversification, enhanced
nutrition, income generation, employment
creation and foreign exchange earning in
addition to providing raw material for the
agro processing industries. The focus of
the Authority is mainly on the smallholder
farmers who use labour-intensive methods of
production.

Rapid growth in Kenya’s horticultural sub-
sector began in 1966 with the creation of the
Interim Horticultural Development Council.
A year later the council was converted by
the government into the Horticultural Crops
Development Authority (HCDA).
Since its establishment, HCDA has never
looked back and is now focused on making
horticulture the main source of income for
Kenya and its people.
Horticultural farming in Kenya began during
the early settlements of immigrant races under
British colonial rule. Missionaries brought with
them some fruit trees and vegetable seeds for
growing in their kitchen gardens and so did
the early settlers. There was no commercial
activity as all the products were consumed at
family/group level.
The Asian workers who came in during
the building of the Kenya–Uganda Railway
between 1893 and 1902 brought with them
vegetables and fruits such as (mooli, karela,
mangoes, gourds, drumsticks, etc) while the
Europeans brought in cabbages, carrots,
beetroots, rhubarb, plums, apples, pears,
peaches and strawberries.
With the Dutch settlers came citrus,
avocados, South African grapes, potatoes,
fennel, kales, fenugreek and cape
gooseberries, essential oils such as tung,
geranium, eucalyptus and cedar. It is
Horticulture offers high returns for small
scale farmers with limited land resources and
thus remains at the centre of focus by most
government policies including the current
Poverty Reduction Strategy Programmes to
which it can make substantial contribution.
Over the years, HCDA’s functions have
evolved with changing government policies
and industry demands.
Vision
To be the centre of excellence in providing
services in production and marketing of
quality horticultural products both locally and
internationally.
Mission
To promote, develop and facilitate production
and marketing of horticultural products that
meet customer driven needs at competitive
costs through appropriate policies and
technologies, and enhance socio-economic
sustainability.
Objectives
To accelerate the rate of horticultural
growth and production, the following broad
objectives are pursued in the sub sector to
facilitate increased production of top quality
horticultural produce in order to:
• Meet the rising demand for more food
and nutritious diets for the ever-rising
population
• Attain food self-sufficiency and security at
household, local and national levels
• Provide processors with dependable
supply of suitable raw materials
• Meet the increasing demand for top quality
produce in the export market
• To earn foreign exchange by diversifying
crops grown in suitable agro-ecological
zones
• To generate more employment
opportunities within the horticultural sub-
sector by introducing layout intensive
enterprises and use of appropriate
technology
• To enhance development in arid and semi-
arid areas through horticultural production
under irrigation
• To contribute to generation of income and
alleviation of poverty
Tel: +254-20-3597356
www.hcda.co.ke

Best of Kenya 105

 SOCFINAF
COMPANY LTD

Largest Private estate

grower with 8% of national
crop and 58 years of
agronomy experience

Leading quality commercial

millers and marketers

Our eight coffee plantations

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We play a major role of

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PO BOX 10 –00232 RUIRU

106
Tel. 020 8011041 Fax 020 8011045 info@socfinaf.co.ke
Best of Kenya
Chapter 8
Corporate Profiles

108 Best of Kenya

Best of Kenya 109
 Kenya’s top notch regional
Corporate Profiles
development power house
The Coast Development Authority (CDA) is Kenya’s top-
notch Regional Development Authority seeking to better the
livelihoods of the nation’s populace.
Its area of jurisdiction is within the coastal belt, covering all
the 13 districts of the Coast Province. Due to its positioning,
it also serves a swathe of the expansive and semi-arid North
Eastern Province.
The authority’s operational area has a total population of
about 3 million people, and a region endowed with unique
natural resources.
CDA’s fundamental duty is to initiate, plan, coordinate and
implement integrated development programmes and projects
within the coastal region and its environs. That explains
why its vision is to be the lead agency in exploitation and
development of resources for the betterment of the people of
the province.
With the occasional cereal food deficit and food importation
from neighboring regions, resulting in skyrocketing prices, the
110 Best of Kenya
Authority intends to close the food deficit gap by encouraging
a deliberate shift from rain-fed agriculture to irrigated crop
production.
To achieve these goals, the Authority has focused on the
revival of Irrigation Schemes (IS), having conducted a
feasibility study to identify potential areas along rivers that
farmers could adopt.
Under the minor irrigation scheme the Authority embarked
on the construction of a permanent weir in Vanga. The Vanga
Irrigation Scheme is made up of five sub-schemes and
abstracts its water from the Umba River, which is seasonal
through temporary weirs constructed across the river.
Also in its arrangement is to build farmers’ capacity via
training on crop production, marketing and improvement of
irrigation infrastructure.
The programmes are as a result of a
strategic study and research, conducted by
the authority and which identified causes
of underperformance. Weak scheme
committees, lack of good governance,
appropriate food production skills and
group cohesiveness were identified as major
drawbacks.
Others are capital deficiency, costly farm
inputs, conflicts among clans due to
undefined landownership, poor marketing
linkages, bad roads leading to crop loses,
lack of repair of facilities and irrigation
infrastructure, donor inconsistency and
intermittent funding by the Government of
Kenya.
Lack of model irrigation schemes was
also identified as a hitch. And in efforts to
create such a model, the CDA has set funds
to revive Chakama Irrigation Scheme to
benchmark its revival endeavours.
The scheme is located 75 Kms to the west of
Malindi town and 20 Km from the Malindi –
Tsavo road at Kitsanga in Malindi district.
The scheme is within the arid and semi arid
lands (ASAL) where the main economic
activity is livestock keeping. Subsistence
farming particularly in the Galana riverine is
also practiced here.
The United States Aid for International
Development (USAID) and the Ministry of
Agriculture (MOA) were co-partners in the
initiative at inception while IFAD through
the Ministry of Agriculture assisted with the
rehabilitation and putting in place a new
main canal in the 1990s..
The authority though, has identified areas
of intervention such as increasing the
participation of farmers through awareness
creation, sensitisation and mobilisation,
strengthening the scheme committees by
training on roles and responsibilities of the
various stakeholders.
Improvement of irrigation infrastructure,
training of farmers on appropriate irrigation
methods, provision of market linkages
and training on micro-credit as means to
self sustaining schemes are continuously
addressed.
On catchment conservation CDA has set
a target of planting at least 100,000 tree
seedlings in the Mwache catchment area,
while also teaching the community on
methods of tree-planting and caring.
A project on ranching which aims to
promote the livelihood of the communities
by transferring appropriate ranching
technologies to farmers has also been
established.
About 100 cattle were restocked in a ranch in
Kilifi and a cattle crush constructed.
The water department has been charged
with the responsibility of facilitating rural
communities’ access to reliable and
adequate water.
CDA is also undertaking, the Palm Product
Use Project, which was started and made
operational through the formation of the Palm
Products Working Group (PPWG) in May
2007.
Priority has also been given to exploration of
minerals in areas endowed with rich mineral which seeks to empower farmers, strengthen
deposits such as gemstones, iron ores, public and private sectors with knowledge
gypsum, silica sand and lead. There are and skills to address production, processing,
also abundant deposits for building sands, and marketing and credit issues.
limestone and salts which are mined on a
small scale basis-in the Taita and Kwale The project has adopted the FAO Farmer
districts. Field Schools (FFS) approach to address
the production constraints in areas with
The authority is also involved in the favourable conditions for the production of
promotion of eco-tourism where it is the lead mangoes, citrus and cashew nut.
agency in the Technical Working Group
Farmers groups are trained on various aspect
(TWG) in the Ishaqbini Conservancy. of production such as nursery establishment,
grafting/budding of seedlings and orchard
The conservancy initiative brings together establishment and management.
pastoral communities of Hara, Korissa,
and Kotile where residents are engaged in Another project undertaken by the CDA is the
advocacy against the translocation of the improvement of the Borstal Institute, which is
Hirola antelope to ‘safe havens’ outside Ijara. a facility for juvenile delinquents who by virtue
of their age cannot be integrated into the main
Other projects in this cluster include; the Shimo La Tewa GK Prison system.
Bodhai Community Conservation Project
targeting the flora and fauna around Lake The institution currently houses almost 300
Jerey, construction of a water pan in inmates with a daily staff attendance of some
Hulugho, livestock purchase and marketing 30 people. Its capacity was 100 people at its
and rehabilitation of Bodhai dispensary to inception by the colonial government.
improve access to health care facilities
Tel: +254-041-2224490
There is also the integrated tree crops project www.cdakenya.org
Best of Kenya 111
 The Better Option
Corporate Profiles

Despite the global economic downturn, Safaricom Kenya is

Safaricom
still the largest and most profitable corporate organisation in
the eastern and Central African region. Although its profits
dropped from a record KSh19 billion in 2007 to KSh15
billion in 2008 due to the economic recession and increased
competition, Safaricom remains the telecommunications
giant of Kenya. The Company is set for the future with great
foresight and determination.

With greater clarity about global challenges, Safaricom’s main
areas of focus remains meeting its subscriber and customer
needs, offering unparallel quality service and continuing to
improve on its communications coverage countrywide and
regionally. In order to succeed in its core business, Safaricom
has come to symbolise success and foresight. The Company
takes pride in its unique understanding of a variety of customer
segments where it continues to make a great difference in the
field of modern communication.
The Brand
Being the leading telecommunications company operating in
Kenya and East Africa, Safaricom provide a host of products
and services for telephony, GPRS, 3G, EDGE, Data and Fax.
The Company’s services are all geared towards growth.
Having established a highly successful and recognizable brand
name, Safaricom now seeks to make positive contributions to
communities in direct ways through value added services and

112 Best of Kenya

financial support for community projects. Our
commitment in giving back to the society
seeks to address Health, Sports, Culture and
Education.
The Company relies on its versatile and
skilled employees to make it tick. That is why
Safaricom has been exceptionally successful
by always seeking to attract, develop, reward
and retain outstanding individuals who we
are committed to offering quality service and
taking on challenging responsibilities and
development opportunities.
Heritage
Having started its long and ultimately highly
successful journey to corporate stardom
as a department of the Kenya Posts &
Telecommunications Corporation (KP&TC),
the former monopoly operator, Safaricom
was initially a State-owned entity with strong
government involvement in its shareholding.
The Company launched its operations in
1993 based on an analogue ETACS network
and continued to develop innovatively,
upgrading to GSM in 1996 (the licence
awarded in 1999).
With a majority shareholding by the
Government of Kenya through KP&TC,
Safaricom Limited was incorporated on 3
April 1997 under the Companies Act as a
private limited liability company before it
converted into a public company with limited
liability on 16 May 2002. By the time it was
on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) the new
telecommunications company was already on
a highly profitable business trajectory.
By virtue of the initial 60 per cent
shareholding held by the Government of
Kenya, Safaricom was a State corporation
within the meaning of the State Corporations
Act (Chapter 446) the Laws of Kenya, which
defines a State corporation to include
all corporate bodies operating under the
Companies Act wholly or partly owned or
controlled by the Government.
The main strategic partner was Vodacom
(Kenya) Ltd., a subsidiary of Vodacom Plc of
Great Britain, with 35 per cent shareholding
while a minority shareholder was Mobitelea at
5 per cent. Until 20 December 2007, the GoK
shares were held by Telkom Kenya Limited
(“TKL”), which was a State corporation under
the Act.
Following the public offer and sale of 25 per
cent of the issued shares it held in Safaricom
through the NSE in March 2008, the Kenya
Government ceased to have a controlling
interest in the local telecommunications giant
under the State Corporations Act. From that
time on, therefore, the provisions of the State
Corporations Act were no longer applicable.
Safaricom thus became a public liability
company trading vigorously on the NSE. The
initial public offer was worth KSh50 billion but
was oversubscribed by more than 200 per
cent.
Interview with CEO Michael Joseph
Q: Safaricom is currently the biggest and
most successful corporate entity, not only
in Kenya, but throughout the East African
region. How did you get there?
A: Safaricom was established in October
2000, some eight years ago, as a wholly
owned subsidiary of Telkom Kenya. We
started out with a very small group of
about five people in June 2000, but we
inherited some of Telkom Kenya’s network
at the time. We had to work hard to
revamp the communications network that
existed at the time. The decisions that
we made at the time (between June and
October 2000) would have a huge impact
on our success in the future.
Q: So, what is the secret of Safaricom’s huge
success in the mobile telephony market
since its establishment?
A: There is not one single secret for our
success. In fact, it is a combination of
Michael Joseph
factors and the decisions that we have
made from time to time, such as the
tariff structure that we adopted at the
beginning, charging our network users
per second rather than per minute. Our
customers found per second charges we
settled for to be cheaper than the per-
minute charging that was adopted by our
rivals. Our customer base grew rapidly
from then on. Our marketing strategies
have also been adapted to the prevailing
local market conditions.
Q: How do you assess the state of Safaricom
and the Kenyan mobile telephony data
transmission market at the moment, given
the fact that several more players have
either entered or are preparing for entry?
A: Safaricom is currently the market leader
and we intend to remain there for as long
as possible, although it will be increasingly
more difficult in the future given the stiff
competition offered both by newcomers
and more experienced operators. We
have to constantly adapt our operations in
the volatile market conditions. Flexibility
is one of the key factors for our success
and we must maintain that competitive
edge by providing our customers with
the best possible services in the market.
We must always design our products to
provide us with a competitive edge.
Tel: +254-20-4273272
www.safaricom.co.ke
Best of Kenya 113
 It’s no gamble when 200 million
Corporate Profiles
customers are satisfied!
Procter & Gamble (P&G) East Africa is one of the smallest
subsidiaries of the multi-national company. It has however
diligently kept 200 million customers spread across sub-
Saharan Africa satisfied and happy by consistently supplying
them with its high quality range of products.
P&G is organized into three business units namely beauty, health and well-being
and household care. The company boasts a wide product range that cuts across
beauty, grooming, healthcare and snacks.
In Kenya P&G has built an enormous base of loyal consumers to its diverse set
of brands with catchy names such as Pampers diapers and Always sanitary pads
which are all leading players in their categories.
114 Best of Kenya
It also provides Duracell batteries, Gillette
shaving products, Oral B toothbrushes, Vicks
Kingo lozenges and Ariel Washing Powder
which was re-launched in the market recently.
For consumers the combination represents, in
its barest terms, the potential for getting most
of the products they may need from the same
company.
Andrew Plastow, the P&G Country Manager,
is happy to be part of the success, “We offer
a variety of products and most of our brands
are market leaders in their own niches, he
says.
P&G brands such as Always and Pampers
have been blended into Kenya’s national
psyche and as a result have become an
integral part of the country’s history, reflecting
customers’ faith in quality products and
resonating with their passion.
Being mass brands, the products appeal to
both the top end and low end consumers.
Pampers is a market leader commanding
about 70% of the diaper market in Kenya
and is expected to perform even better as its
popularity and consumption increase.
P&G is committed to the delivery of quality
for its consumers, rewarding them for their
loyalty and ensuring they get the best value
for money.
P&G believes the Kenyan market has potential
for growth as customer preferences become
more sophisticated and quality driven. With
the attractive appearances of the Company’s
products and consistency in quality, the
brands’ volumes, market share and turnover
are also expected to increase.
Heavy Investment
Plastow attributes P&G’s success in part
to the Company’s substantial investment in
human resource development, which he says
has been shaping employees and preparing
them to take up future roles in managing the
firm’s affairs.
purpose of providing products and services
of superior quality and value.
The power of P&G’s purpose is the one
factor that has contributed to the company’s
long heritage of growth. It first entered the
East African market when it bought the
Vicks Richardson Company, which was
manufacturing Vicks lozenges, Vicks inhaler,
Vicks Vaporub, Vicks Triangles and Vicks
Kingo Lemon.
In 1992, it began an Always line to
manufacture various variants of the brand.

“I’ve worked with the company for 12 Corporate Social Responsibility

years now in different positions, I started
out small, but I’ve risen to the current
position. There are several other individuals
with similar stories, which is testimony to
P&G’s strong emphasis on human resource
development”.
With the growing economy and changing
retail trends, the Company has been
working hard to take its products to the
consumer. Plastow says ensuring products
are available in shelves is key to winning
consumers. This calls for better distribution
network (visible distribution.)
P&G has a continuous strategy of taking
services closer to the consumers to serve
them better. The firm also ensures it meets
the Kenya Bureau of Standard (KEBS)
minimum standards for all products.
History: The Power of Purpose
P&G, in partnership with a local non-
governmental organisation (NGO), has
provided approximately 3.2 million free
sanitary pads to 15,000 girls from poor
families in a project that ended in December
2008.
Dubbed ‘Always Keeping Girls in School,’
the programme provided each girl from the
target schools with free pads for every month
in each school term. In addition, the girls also
received education on issues of feminine
hygiene, puberty and menstrual protection.
The programme whose immense effect was
felt when enrolment of girls increased in
both primary and secondary schools in the
selected areas, targeted girls in their last two
years of primary education in order to help
them stay in school as they prepared for the
final examinations.
disparity in primary and secondary education.
The Company has recently expanded the
Always Keeping Girls in School programme
through a pilot with the Ministry of Education
targeting 20,000 girls in over 200 schools.
The Ministry of Education is using the pilot to
collect data on the need for pads in schools.
P&G, through Population Services
International (PSI) a social marketing NGO
has a programme where they visit schools in
areas with unsafe water sources to educate
students on the importance of drinking
purified water. They also provide them with
free sachets of Pur, a low cost technology that
purifies contaminated water, and a brochure
to reinforce the message.

P&G’s story started in 1837 when
distinguished entrepreneurs William Procter
and James Gamble formed a humble, but
bold new enterprise. What began as a
small, family-operated soap-and-candle
company, has grown into a multinational
and thrived, inspired hugely by P&G’s
The premise was that if the girls were able to P&G has reached over 400,000 children with
stay in school and concentrate, they would the free samples and education since the
be able to perform better and also compete programme begun in 2007.
on an almost equal platform with their boy
counterparts. The programme is in line with
Agenda Three of the Millennium Development Tel: +254-20-3601300
Goals, which seeks to eliminate gender www.pg.com

Best of Kenya 115

Chapter 9
Banking and Finance

116 Best of Kenya

Best of Kenya 117
 A giant at home and beyond
Banking and Finance

Kenya Commercial Bank

KCB, as the Kenya Commercial Bank is popularly known, is
the one financial institution that is making the biggest and
most positive difference in the lives of many people, not
only in Kenya, but also in other countries in the eastern and
Central African region.

118 Best of Kenya

It is a bank of many attributes, with a
solid capital base, numerous branches
country-wide and a wide variety of financial
services and instruments.
Having established itself as one of the
most reliable banks in Kenya, the KCB
Group has looked beyond the boundaries
of its original base to make itself into a
regional financial giant and has become the
preferred bank for big and small savers,
traders, entrepreneurs and builders alike.
The KCB Group has transformed itself from
a purely one-country-based, State-owned
bank into the main player in the financial
and banking sectors within the entire
eastern and Central African region, with
branches in Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan and
Rwanda.
Solid Asset Base, Widest Outlets Network
The leading position occupied by the KCB
Group in the region is securely buttressed
by a formidable asset base of close to
US$2.5 billion and the widest network
of outlets, comprising more than 150
branches across the region and over 300
Automated Teller Machines (ATM).
Serving the Eastern, Great Lakes Regions
As a Financial Services Provider within
the eastern and Central African region,
the KCB Group has no equal. From its
headquarters, which are situated in an
imposing white-painted building right in
the centre of Nairobi, KCB controls a vast
financial business and banking empire.
The giant financial institution, whose
shareholding is now mostly in private
hands with many small savers, prides itself
on being the “Green Bank” of the region.
Destined for Greatness
The next destination in the strategic plan
of the KCB Group in the Great Lakes
Region is to move into Burundi and the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) once
the security and political situation in those
two countries stabilises sufficiently for
sustainable financial and banking business.
In Tanzania and Uganda, the KCB Group
is already making a name for itself in the
financial markets.
As a financial and banking institution, the
KCB Group now consists of the Kenya
Commercial Bank (a combined retail and
merchant bank); Savings and Loan (S&L – a
mortgage lender); KCB Uganda Limited;
KCB Tanzania Limited; KCB Sudan Limited
and KCB Rwanda Limited. The bank’s
branches in the different countries are
registered and licensed as autonomous
corporations owned by the Group. The
KCB Group is currently listed on the
Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) and on the
Kampala and Dar es Salaam bourses.
From State to Public Ownership
The Government of Kenya, the original and
principal shareholder of the KCB Group, has
gradually reduced its stake in the financial
institution to the current 23.1 per cent
through the public sale of its shares at the
NSE. Last year, a second rights Issue by the
Kenya Government, which raised additional
capital in the region of US$80 million
(KSh5.5 billion), was one of the largest at
the most active bourse in the region.
Historically, the KCB Group can be
described as the oldest financial institution
in the eastern and Central African region,
tracing its roots to 1896, when one of
its progenitors, the National Bank of
India, opened its first outlet at Mombasa,
now Kenya’s leading port and second
largest city. Eight years later, in 1904,
the National Bank of India established a
branch in Nairobi, which had become the
headquarters of the newly constructed
Uganda Railway.
Exponential Growth
In 1970, the Government of Kenya bought
the remaining foreign-owned 40 per cent
stake in the National and Grindlays Bank
to take full control of the then largest
commercial bank in the country. National
and Grindlays Bank was then renamed the
Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). Two years
later, in 1972, KCB took over the ownership
of Savings & Loan, which specialised in
mortgage finance. KCB and its various
financial services were growing rapidly.
The first branch of this giant financial
institution outside Kenya was established
in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 1997 as
Kenya Commercial Bank or KCB (Tanzania)
Limited. Other branches have since
been established in three of the largest
Tanzanian urban centres of Arusha, Dar es
Salaam and Mwanza. In pursuit of its vision
to be the best bank in the region, KCB
extended its financial and banking services
to southern Sudan. The South Sudanese
subsidiary, KCB Sudan Limited, now has
branches in Juba and Rumbek.
Further expansion to make the KCB Group
the largest and most prestigious financial
and banking institution within the eastern
and Central African region took place in
2007 with the establishment of KCB Bank
Uganda Limited. Then in December 2008
the latest subsidiary, KCB Rwanda, began
its operations, with ready plans for rapid
expansion.
KCB’s balance sheet now stands at
KSh183 billion, making it one of the largest
in the region.
Tel: +254-20-3270000
www.kcb.co.ke
Best of Kenya 119
 Rapid Growth from
Banking and Finance

Humble Beginnings
The beginnings of the Co-operative Bank of Kenya – simply
Coop Bank to many Kenyans – can be traced back to January
1968, when it first opened business as a financial institution
under the Co-operatives Department of the then Ministry of
Agriculture. From the time of its registration in 1965, the bank had
been restricted by statute to serving co-operative societies and
unions, but since 1994 serves the entire market, albeit retaining a
strategic focus on the co-operative movement.

120 Best of Kenya

G. B. Muriuki
In 2003 the bank re-occupied its headquarters
in Nairobi, Co-operative Bank House, after
renovations following the extensive damage
by the terrorist bomb blast of August 1998.
Despite this major setback, in October of the
same year, the Bank signed a contract with
MoneyGram International to become an agent
of the global company’s funds remittance
business. In 2000, the bank became only the
second bank in Kenya to interconnect all its
branches in order to offer fully centralised
banking.
Market Leadership
Coop Bank led the market in pioneering
mobile banking in Kenya by launching
M-Banking in 2004, a banking service
delivered via mobile phones. M-Banking
enables customers to access their bank
accounts and carry out transactions such
as getting bank balances, paying utility bills,
registering for salary alerts and loading airtime
on cell phones, among others.
Co-operative Bank recently expanded into
stock broking by acquiring a 60% controlling
stake in Bob Mathews Stockbrokers, now
re-named Kingdom Securities Limited. This
has enabled Coop Bank to move a step closer
towards realization of a financial supermarket
model. Coop Bank also operates two wholly-
owned subsidiary companies, namely
CoopTrust Investment Services Limited, which
is a licensed Fund Manager and Investment
Advisor; and Co-operative Consultancy
Services (K) Limited, the capacity-building
and management advisory that specialises in
providing subsidised consultancy to Kenya’s
cooperatives.
Services to Co-operative Movement
With every one in 5 Kenyans being a member
of a co-operative, the role of the Coop
Bank as an apex financial institution for co-
operatives becomes even more critical, as it
affects the lives of the majority of Kenyans
who directly or indirectly derive their livelihood
from the Movement.
Coop Bank continues to enhance the capacity
of the movement to offer products through
their Front Office Service Activities (FOSAs)
thereby reaching every Kenyan household
with banking services even in locations that
are unattractive to mainstream financial
institutions. In addition to the conventional
lending and deposit-taking service, Coop
Bank is adding value to this relationship
by launching Sacco Link, which is an IT-
supported link that connects the FOSA
banking outlets to Coop Bank systems.
The bank then issues the Sacco Link Visa
debit cards to members of participating co-
operatives, thereby enabling them to access
their money from any Visa ATM or other Visa-
accepting outlets worldwide.
Co-operatives to Public Listing
The Cooperative Bank of Kenya was listed
on the Nairobi Stock Exchange on December
22 2008, with a public offer of 710.3 million
shares at KSh9.50 ($1.3), which raised around
US$80 million (KSh5.4 billion). This was a
vital boost to the Bank’s capital base, which
stood at roughly US$100 million (KSh.7.4
billion) before the offer. The public share offer
was made possible through the resolution
passed by a Special General Meeting held on
June 27, 2008, which approved the change
in the status of the Bank from a cooperative
society to a limited liability company. Under
the new regime allowing for private individuals
and corporate bodies to hold a stake in the
Bank, its previous shareholding, which was
previously limited to cooperative societies and
unions, was ring-fenced and placed under
Co-op Holdings Co-operative Society Limited
as a strategic investor. The bank today has
116,000 shareholders.
Going Regional
Coop Bank is expanding footprint by
venturing into the wider Eastern Africa,
beginning with Uganda and Southern Sudan.
The one feature that distinguishes Coop
Bank’s regional strategy from its peers is
the adoption of its successful co-operative
banking model in the new markets. Already,
the Southern Sudan operation will see the
bank allocate a 30 per cent shareholding in
the proposed Co-operative Bank of Southern
Sudan to co-operatives in the new market.
Tel: +254-20-2776000
www.co-opbank.co.ke
Best of Kenya 121
 Tour de force in finance
Banking and Finance

The success story of Equity Bank has been like a

fairytale, capturing the financial worlds attention and
earning many local and international awards. It is the one
bank with which the ordinary Kenyan can most easily
identify because it has opened a completely new chapter
in financial services for them.

Bank of the Future
Kenya is a fast growing market for financial services and
banking. A growing economy needs fast, reliable financial
services. As a locally developed concept in financial and
banking concepts, Equity Bank has had a steady, unrivalled
run of success, showing the kind of innovation that other
financial
institutions can emulate. Equity, as it commonly known, is truly
a financial institution for now and the future.
One of the biggest attractions of Equity Bank to the ordinary
person is the easy and relaxed manner in which it transacts its
business, without compromising quality and ethical standards.
It is a bank of the people, for the people and by the
people. Opening an account of whatever nature with Equity is
as easy as having a snack and Kenyans have been trooping to
its outlets and branches in their hundreds of thousands.
Fastest Growing Bank in Kenya
Over the past few years, Equity Bank Ltd has been the fastest
growing financial institution, not only within Kenya, but in
the entire eastern and Central African region. The Bank has
won various local and international awards for its pioneering
efforts to bring the benefits of modern financial services to the
common man and woman.

122 Best of Kenya

It has become the preferred bank for the
small saver, providing a vital and secure
link between the rural trader or farmer and
the complex modern world of financial
transactions.

Established initially as a building society,

Equity Bank commenced business upon
registration in 1984 and has evolved from a
relatively small microfinance institution to a
giant, all-inclusive commercial bank that is
now listed at the Nairobi Stock Exchange
(NSE), the leading bourse within the entire
eastern and Central African region.

Before and soon after its listing on the NSE in

2004, Equity Bank experienced phenomenal
growth with its focus on the “unbanked”
segment of the population, which constituted
the largest portion of the people of Kenya.

Excellent Services for the Small Saver

Success for Equity Bank is pinned on a

deliberate strategy that relies heavily on
Kenya’s important agricultural sector in
the rural areas, where the majority of its
customers are found. The bulk of the Bank’s
deposits and the majority of its lending target
the rural folk. In the short-term, Equity Bank
has made a major impact in the Kenyan
financial sector, while, in the long-term,
prospects for continued growth look fairly
bright after institution of processes and
systems aimed at ensuring sustainability of its
operations at various levels.

With more than 3.1 million accounts, Equity

Bank is currently home to around 48 per cent
of all bank accounts in Kenya. This makes it
the largest bank in the entire region in terms of Dr. James Mwangi, CEO Equity Bank
customer base.

Equity Bank has also been named by Africa opening of Equity Bank in Uganda
The solid foundation upon which Equity Bank
Investor as the 2008 Best Performing Public and Equity Bank in Southern Sudan.
transacts its financial and other business is
Listed Company in Africa (AI 100). The bank
underpinned by its massive shareholder fund
has been voted by the African Banker 2nd Adopting Modern Technology
base of over KSh18 billion complemented
Edition as the Best Microfinance Institution
by an additional KSh7 billion of subordinated
in the entire continent. It won the African Equity runs on a state-of-the art Global
tier-two capital. The capital base makes
Business Award and the FT Financial Robust Information Technology (GRIT)
Equity the most capitalised bank in the region.
Sustainable Institution in the emerging Computer System supported by Infosys, HP,
markets, Africa and Middle East by the FT Oracle and Microsoft. As a financial
The Bank is credited for taking banking
and ther IFC. Equity enjoys an AA- Long institution, Equity Bank is guided by principles
services to the people through its accessible,
term and A1+ Short term credit rating from and core values that can be translated into
affordable and flexible service provision.
the Global Credit Rating Agency. the following simple illustration:
Dr. James Mwangi, CEO Equity Bank
Multiple Award Winner
As it seeks to expand its activities even • Professionalism
further afield, Equity continues to offer a • Integrity
In 2007 and 2008 consecutively, Equity was
variety of attractive and affordable financial • Creativity and Innovation
named the Best Bank in Kenya by Euromoney
services through its over 110 (and still • Teamwork
Awards for Excellence. Equity is also the
expanding) branches countrywide network • Unity of purpose
holder of the 2007 Global Vision Award in
in Kenya, supported by Alternate Delivery • Respect and dignity for customers
Microfinance “for initiating a concept of the
Channels, which include 550 Visa-branded • Effective Corporate Governance
future that will shape the global economy”.
automated teller machines (ATMs), 2,500 which abbreviates as
In 2008, the Kenya Banking Survey named
Points of Sale (POS) cash back services in PICTURE.
Equity as the top ranked bank in Kenya, and
all leading supermarkets as well as Internet
the Renaissance Capital Bank Awards 2008
and mobile banking channels.
also named the bank as the Overall Best Bank Tel: +254-20-2736620
Equity has also gone regional with the
in Kenya. www.equitybank.co.ke

Best of Kenya 123

Chapter 10
Technology

124 Best of Kenya

Best of Kenya 125
 Driving Kenya’s economic
Technology

transformation, the power of IT

The leveraging of information and communication technologies (ICT) is
increasingly critical to Kenya’s socio-economic development. Indeed,
the Government of Kenya has made ICT a priority in its economic
recovery strategy, continuously putting in place sound and responsive
regulatory policies to enhance the socio-economic impact of the ICT
sector and maximise its contribution to Kenya’s development.

The development of ICT in Kenya is guided and governed by a
well-thought-out strategy whose objectives include:
• The promotion of the deployment and exploitation
of information, knowledge and technology within the
economy and society as key drivers for socio-economic
development.
This is given impetus by the modernisation and expansion of
Kenya’s ICT infrastructure and services to improve universal
access and service as well as the quality of service;
• The transformation of Kenya into a destination of choice
for ICT-related Foreign Direct Investment with the potential
to become a competitive regional and international ICT
business hub.
This takes on board the development and promotion of a
globally competitive local ICT industry for the development,
production and sale of information, knowledge and technology
products and services.
• To develop a highly competitive ICT-led valueadded and

126 Best of Kenya

 export oriented services sector driven by
a dynamic ICT services sub-sector and
manufacturing.
This emphasises the need to promote and
facilitate the development of the private
sector to serve as a key driver for the
development of the economy.
• To create a dynamic knowledgebased,
technology-driven, light and modern
industrial sector that is export-led and
globally competitive.
• To improve both the national human
resource development and research
and development capacities to meet
the demands and requirements for
developing this country’s information and
knowledge-based economy.
• To modernise Kenya’s education system
using ICTs to improve and expand access
to education, training and research
resources and facilities, as well as to
improve the quality of education and
training and make the education system
responsive to the needs and requirements
of the economy and society, with specific
reference to the creation of an information
and knowledgebased economy and
society.
The desire to achieve these objectives
explains why the Government has put in
place an ICT master plan which outlines
the roadmap and implementation strategy
to actualise public policy pronouncements
spelt out in the National ICT Policy adopted
in 2005.
A key objective of the policy is to make ICT
more accessible and affordable to the wider
population and therefore accelerate Kenya’s
transformation into a prosperous society
where day-to-day decisionmaking is driven
by knowledge.
This kind of society, which is also envisaged
in Kenya’s economic transformation
blueprint, Vision 2030, is known as a
knowledge society.
President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga witness the completion of the final stretch of the
shoreend cable during the official launch of the East African Marine System (TEAMS) at the Fort Jesus,
Mombasa.
The Government recognises that Kenyans
are increasingly becoming reliant on
information and communications services to
enable their effective participation in national
economic and socio-political development.
The national ICT master plan aims to
achieve the following objectives:
• Enhance Kenya’s economic
competitiveness through utilisation of its
abundant human resources in Business
Processing Outsourcing (BPO);
• Develop a knowledge-based society and
thereby enhance the quality of life of the
Kenyan people;
• Ensure universal access to ICT for
sustainable development through Digital
Villages countrywide;
• Strengthen Kenya’s learning opportunities
and capacity to meet future technological
challenges.
The achievement of these objectives
is in turn dependent on the ongoing
implementation of the following strategies:
• Expanding infrastructure with the aim of
making Kenya the ICT hub of Africa;
• Developing rural ICT centres to ensure
awareness and application of technology
throughout the country;
• Aggressively reforming and enhancing
ICT research and development in all
institutions of higher learning through
Industrial Incubation Centres to ensure
linkages between industry and academia
in hardware and software development
and Value Added Services (VAS);
• Revamping and extending e-government
throughout the country to ensure
exemplary service delivery to citizens;
• Encouraging ICT entrepreneurship while
discouraging the culture of dependency
and unsuitable projects;
• Allocating sufficient resources for human
capital development and training for the
industry (with emphasis on Business
Process Outsourcing and VAS).
Tel: +254-20-2211960
www.ict.go.ke
Best of Kenya 127
 It is crucial the rural areas are not left behind
Technology

when it comes to Internet access

The Chief Executive Officer of the ICT Board, Mr Paul Kukubo, was
interviewed by Best of Kenya.
Excerpts:
Q. What is the mandate of the ICT Board?

Our mandate is to position Kenya locally and globally as an ICT destination in terms of investment and in terms of
activity in ICT. Secondly, we have an advisory role, which sees us act as a link between the private and public sectors
in terms of ICT advice.

Our third mandate is capacity building, where we provide government and stakeholders with capacity and skills
where they are required in order to raise the country’s capacity in ICT.

World class connections: Tennis star Serena Williams joins students in a computer class at the school she
co-founded with global ICT giant Hewlett Packard, in Makueni District, which is named after her.

128 Best of Kenya

Mr Paul Kukubo
Lastly, we are tasked with co-ordinating
and implementing government projects and
ensuring that prospective investors in Kenya
in ICT are provided with relevant information.
Q. How about your vision and mission?
The vision of the ICT Board is that Kenya
becomes a top-10 global ICT hub.
It is an ambitious vision, but that is what we
are meant to be and it fits in well with Kenya’s
economic transformation blueprint popularly
known as Vision 2030 and which seeks to
catapult Kenya into a developed economy by
2030.
We are important as a board in this regard
principally because ICT is seen as a cross-
cutting enabler of Vision 2030.
The mission of the Board is to rapidly and
innovatively transform Kenya through the
promotion of ICT for the socio-economic
development of our society. We are very clear
as a board that Kenya must be transformed
and ICT holds the key to this transformation.
Q. What are some of the specifics?
initiatives or projects in which the ICT Board
is involved or is undertaking with a view to
realising the foregoing?
The flagship initiative is the business process
outsourcing (BPO) programme, which is also
quite clearly articulated in Vision 2030. The
objective of the programme is to rapidly make
Kenya a top BPO destination in Africa and
compete with Egypt, South Africa, Mauritius,
Morocco, Ghana and Senegal who have got
very aggressive outsourcing initiatives.
What we basically mean is that there will be
job creation by enabling our young people to
get work that is sourced from international
markets and delivered over Internet-enabled
networks. This is akin to export of skilled
services, but it is all done from here and via
Internet-enabled networks without people
moving out of their geographical area.
We are confident this is an area of vast
potential and growth because we are
witnessing a lot of traction here already. Some
of the firms that we are targeting have the
potential to employ as many as 500 people
each.
The second initiative involves the Kenya
Transparency and Connectivity Project,
which aims to create transparency in
government interactions through conversion
of government data into electronic format
and connectivity to ensure that people are
connected to the Internet in a way that they
will be able to enjoy the benefits of a global
economy.
Q. How exactly is the ICT Board going
about this?
Under these objectives we have four projects
of which the first one is e-services facilitation,
which enables government services to be
delivered electronically; the second one is
making Internet services available in our
rural areas or Internet access for Kenyan
villages or the rural digital project. The third
is content development through which we
are encouraging the development of local
software, local applications and local content
editorial material so that Kenyans can start
using technology to store educational, cultural
and publication material.
This is important because the Internet is
a two-way pipe and if we do not have our
own material flowing in this pipe, we will be
overwhelmed by non-local material. The other
project is called Government Shared Services.
This a platform for sharing applications
developed by a department across all
government departments, thereby linking
these departments together.
Q. Why is rural access to Internet of such
concern to the ICT Board?
It is crucial that the rural areas are not left
behind when it comes to Internet access for
this will be an impediment to participation
in the global economy via Internet-enabled
networks.
A huge digital divide between rural and urban
Kenya may mean that entrepreneurs based in
the latter part of the country may not invest
in the former. They key issue is for us to bring
down the costs of Internet access to help
bridge the Digital Divide between the rural and
urban areas and this is why we are bringing in
the international fibre optic cable.
Apart from driving down costs, the fibre optic
cable will also provide high speed broadband
access.
Tel: +254-221-1960/1 / +254-208-9061
www.ict.go.ke
Best of Kenya 129
 From Digital Divide to Knowledge Society
Technology

The Permanent Secretary for Information and Communications,

Dr Bitange Ndemo, was interviewed by The Best of Kenya. Excerpts:

Q. A key plank of Kenya’s ICT policy is to bridge the rural/urban Digital Divide. Is this achievable?

A. We can almost instantly bridge the gap between the rural and urban divide, especially given that Kenya has very
many young people with sufficient education that can handle our rural ICT digital centres. They can collect content
from the rural areas and share it with the rest of the world.

130 Best of Kenya

 We can create revenue models from these digital villages
along the lines of Youtube, which is a multi-billion-shilling
enterprise. All it entails is collecting information (content)
and being able to share it with multitudes around the world.

Such content would be important for Kenya, for example,

in terms of preserving our national heritage. Right now
there may be no motivation for doing this, but if our young
people are given the monetary incentives that come with
sharing of information worldwide, they will be encouraged
to work in these digital centres and help bridge that rural/
urban divide.

With digital villages in place, the benefits of e-government

Dr. Bitange Ndemo will be evident and in this way government will have taken
services closer to the people. People will not, for example,
have to travel long distances to police stations or varied
government offices to get forms they need to fill in order
to get services. These will be available online in the digital
village centres.

Q. Why does the policy lay a great deal of emphasis on

creation of a knowledge society?

A. Because a knowledge society leads to greater

innovation, sharing of information and creation of quick
and multiple job opportunities, especially, for example, in
business process outsourcing. This will also lead to cost
reduction in terms of telecommunication. The benefits that
will accrue from this fibre optic cable are simply enormous.

Q. Why the migration from analogue to digital

broadcasting?

A. The reason why we must migrate is that the demand for

frequencies is much higher than before and it is the digital
format that creates more frequencies, the minimum being
eight for every frequency, depending on the technology
that is employed.

The more channels there are, the more entrepreneurs will

be challenged to come up with content to broadcast and
our airwaves will be filled with variety and there will be
more opportunities for creation of jobs.

The creation of more channels, in fact, fits in well with the

digital ICT villages we are creating in the country, especially
in terms of gathering of content. The rural ICT centres will
lead in gathering content for preserving and showcasing
our heritage.

Q. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) seems to have

a special place in the development of ICT in Kenya?
Explain.

A. Business Process Outsourcing is an area of high

potential as regards the creation of jobs and BPO is
therefore a key plank in Kenya’s ICT strategy. Many firms,
local and international, are outsourcing jobs and if we
become a knowledge society we stand in good stead to
attract these jobs. All we need to do is to train our young
people to take advantage of these opportunities and to
make Kenya a service hub. The service industry creates
more jobs quickly and helps to sustain other industries.

Best of Kenya 131

Technology
They keep the data flowing

Kenya Data Networks

The transfer of huge volumes of information and data over both short
and long distances has become a key component in the operation and
development of both the public and the private sectors around the world.

132 Best of Kenya

In Kenya, which plans to become a middle-
level industrialised country within the next
two decades in accordance with its Vision
2030 economic blueprint, information
technology remains a very important sector
for growth. In the short-term, Kenya plans
to become the Business Outsourcing
Centre (BOC) for the entire region within
the next few years.

Kenya Data Networks (KDN) is Kenya’s

largest and fastest growing private data
carrier and infrastructure provider in the
eastern and Central African region. KDN
operates a combination of microwave
radio and fibre optical links, over which it
provides Layer 2 carrier services (Ethernet,
Frame Relay) to corporate customers.
Furthermore, KDN houses and maintains a
number of international Internet gateways,
which it sells to corporate customers such
as Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Business Areas

As a private data communications carrier

in Kenya, KDN has witnessed tremendous
growth since 2006 to become the country’s
largest private data carrier, operating on a
similar scale as the state-run Telkom Kenya.
KDN started business when it was licensed
as a Public Data Network Operator by the
Communications Commission of Kenya
(CCK) in 2003.
As the communications regulatory body
in Kenya, the CCK has also licensed KDN
as a local loop operator that was also
authorised to provide fixed line voice and
data transmission services. KDN also owns
an International Gateway Licence, under
which it sells Internet connectivity to local
ISPs.
Fully owned by the Sameer Investment
Group, KDN, which has set up a number
of companies both in Kenya and other
African countries, is currently involved
in a number of valuable projects in the
telecommunications sector, although
its core business remains that of data
transmission. KDN’s motto is “Keep the
data flowing”. The KDN Managing Director
is Kai Wulff, a seasoned manager in the
telecommunications sector.
Infrastructure
KDN started off by providing infrastructure via
microwave radio in a hub-and-spoke fashion.
Currently, it operates a number of base
stations in Nairobi, Mombasa and upcountry
(Embu, Meru, Kisumu, Diani and Malindi),
which are connected via directed radio
backhauls. This rather old but still reliable
technology will eventually be completely
superseded by more advanced fibre-optic
infrastructure.
Fibre Optic Network
KDN has deployed the largest fibre optic
network in the eastern and Central African
region so far. With over 500km of Metropolitan
fibre optic cable in Nairobi, 50 in Kisumu
and Mombasa and 20 in Nakuru, Eldoret
and Thika, KDN has the key towns in Kenya
covered. The main backbone across the
country, from Mombasa (through Voi, Nairobi,
Nakuru and Eldoret) to Malaba (Kenya-
Uganda border) was completed in 2006.
Recently, KDN embarked on creating a
number of redundant data transmission links,
which will form figure eights on the main back
bone.
The first phase links Malaba to Nakuru
through Busia, Kisumu, Kisii, Kericho and
Njoro. Then the link from Nakuru to Nairobi
is backed up by the link through Nyahururu,
Nyeri and Thika to Nairobi. The Nairobi to
Mombasa leg is backed up by the link through
Thika, Garissa, Garsen, Malindi to Mombasa.
The fibre optic cable also goes round Mt.
Kenya to cover the towns of Nanyuki, Meru
and Embu. The fibre cable is now the main
backhaul for the 70-odd WiMAX base-stations
in different parts of the country. Kenya is now
truly on the path to becoming an electronically
wired country. The laying of the fibre optic
cables in the country should become the
backbone of national future development. It
will bring virtually all of Kenya into close links
with the rest of the world.
In a largely agricultural but rapidly developing
country like Kenya, the fast flow of data is vital
in linking farmers and small businesspeople,
especially in the rural areas, with essential
services and potential markets. Kenya will
soon become one of the few African countries
that are able to receive and transmit almost
unlimited volumes of information and data,
thanks to efforts of companies like KDN.

Best of Kenya 133

Technology
Philanthropic Projects
With the idea of providing connectivity to all,
KDN, in conjunction with Kenya SchoolNet,
is working on a project to donate free
wireless communication and Internet access
for connecting schools and marginalised
youth and communities. KDN is also
working with the Eagle Unlimited ICT4 E&D
project, which strives to facilitate education,
social and economical development to the
marginalised, underemployed and physically
challenged.
KDN Products & Services
Butterfly Wi-Fi
Intended to be used for wireless devices
and LANs (Local Area Network) like in
offices or homes, but is now often used for
Internet access. It enables a person with a
wirelessenabled computer or personal digital
assistant (PDA) to connect to the Internet
when in proximity of an access point called
a hotspot.
KDN is now setting up mobile internet/
networking products that end users with
Wi-Fi enabled computers and PDAs to link to
ISPs and other service providers or to their
offices in a more or less transparent way to
take advantage of the systems. KDN will
market this under the Brand name Butterfly
Freedom
134 Best of Kenya
The main advantages of Wi-Fi
• Uses an unlicensed bit of the broadcast
spectrum, this means less regulatory
controls.
• Many Notebook computers come with
inbuilt Wi-Fi devices. 90% of Laptops
produced last year were Wi-Fi enabled.
• Many reliable and inexpensive Wi-Fi
products in the market.
• While connected on a Wi-Fi network,
it is possible to move about without
breaking the network connection.
Butterfly ADSL
KDN has embarked on an exciting venture
to offer services to the homes. This will
through a digital subscriber line (DSL)
connection. DSL is a very high-speed
connection backhauled on fiber.
This enables KDN to provide fast, reliable
and affordable internet to all its users.
Benefits of this service are:
• Connect all PC’s to the internet via a
single broadband connection.
• Enjoy improved quality on-line activities
such as gaming & Shopping
• Enjoy IPTv and VoIP services
• Access to Butterfly Camera at your
house for traffic updates.
• Enjoy incentives such as rebates on
installation, reduced cost of service,
and bonus airtime for our broad-band
service.
Butterfly Portal
Kenya has very low internet penetration
due to lack of infrastructure and local
content.
We are developing a “shopping mall”
concept for internet services where users
get free access to the internet.
The Butterfly portal by Kenya Data
Networks will provide a platform that
will provide Kenyans with an avenue to
exchange information store it and develop
the local internet market.
All clients connected to the KDN network
across the country will have access to
local content at no cost whatsoever.
We are seeking to enter into partnership
with content providers interested in
expanding their distribution channels.
The Portal will be available to everyone
using the Butterfly (metropolitan wireless
network) and KDN ADSL network across
the country.

The Butterfly portal will provide content

to schools across the country in the KDN
i-schools initiative.

International gateway

KDN holds a license to provide Internet

backbone and gateway services. Currently
we are doing over 75% of all outbound
internet traffic in Kenya. With our
participation in the TEAMS, SEACOMM
and other Submarine projects, we expect
to bring faster, cheaper and efficient
services including cable TV. We shall
live up to our promise of providing low
cost bandwidth that will generate reliable
highspeed broadband service.

Izzytalk

VoIP allows one to make a call directly

from a computer, a special VoIP phone, or
a traditional phone connected to a special
adapter. In addition, wireless “hot spots”
in locations such as airports, parks, and
cafes allow you to connect to the Internet
and may enable you to use VoIP service
wirelessly. This service enables clients Hi-tech turns Kenya green: KDN staffers Evelyne (above) plants a seedling with a local boy in Siaya while
get digital quality communication while at Wangombe (below) joins students to plant a tree in Isiolo.
the same time save their company costs
associated with the normal telephony.

This service converts voice into a digital

signal that travels over the Butterfly Wi-Fi
network To use this service, register your
Softphone on your PDA or Laptop with the
KDN 5 Million numbers provider and TALK
within the butterfly network begins….

Home office

The home office solution is an extension of

the services we provide to our corporate
clients. We provide clients with a link from
their homes to the office so that they are
able to access the internet and the LAN at
the comfort of their homes.

• We use WIFI technology i.e our butterfly

product in the areas where we do have
the coverage and will even consider
providing coverage in the areas where
we do not have it. We use radio/
antennae in the areas where we do not
have the butterfly coverage.

• The service is on an unlimited access

basis and therefore no limit on the usage
time.

Tel: +254-20-500000
www.kdn.co.ke

Best of Kenya 135

Technology
Security, integrity and confidentiality
Isolutions Associates – Isols in short – is a Nairobi-based IT
network security provider whose products reduce systems’
downtime while ensuring information confidentiality and integrity.

As network security consultants Isols concentrates on system Revenue Authority, several government ministries, Centenary
hygiene, containment of viral outbreak, data availability, Bank of Uganda and government agencies across East
confidentiality and integrity. Africa.

The single most important reason for each Isols IT product is The IT security solutions Isols provides include:
the satisfaction of the client. It is why it proudly asserts that its
Reliable Support + Finest Products = Peace of Mind. ∞ Anti-virus;
∞ Content Filtering;
Founded in 2005, Isols provides comprehensive IT solutions ∞ Firewalls, Integrated Security Appliance (UTMs);
because it has strategic relationships with stalwart global ICT ∞ Network Management;
companies. These include Kaspersky Labs, Tripwire, Cyberoam, ∞ Encryption;
Websence, InfoWatch and GFI Software. ∞ Change and Configuration Audit;
∞ Backup and Data Recovery;
These firms have in turn appointed Isols their authorised ∞ Data Leakage Protection; and,
resellers. Isols is the sole authorised partner of Kaspersky Labs ∞ IDS/IPS
and Tripwire products in East Africa. Isols has in turn made
making Kaspersky the security solution of choice in the region Corporate Antivirus
its primary goal.
Isols specialises in high-performance virus protection and
The guiding light for Isols is the customer, which is why the content security products and services. Its solutions have
company insists on customising its products or solutions to the advanced centralized management capabilities that are
customer’s unique needs. scalable for any enterprise network or desktop.

Isols impressive and satisfied client base includes, but is not Kaspersky Lab delivers the world’s most immediate
limited to, Kenya’s National Assembly, blue chip telephony protection against IT security threats, including viruses,
firm Safaricom, banking giant Co-operative Bank, the Kenya spyware, crime ware, hackers, phishing and spam.

136 Best of Kenya


Kaspersky Lab products provide superior
detection rates and then industry’s fastest
outbreak response time for home users,
SMBs, large enterprises and the mobile
computing environment. Kaspersky’s
antivirus unique selling propositions include:
∞ Fast response to virus outbreaks;
∞ Very small antivirus files; and,
∞ Very low resource utilisation
Content Filtering Software
Most research findings have shown that
less than half of internet usage during office
hours is work-related. Websense content
control/filtering solutions are tailored to
ensuring that company internet usage
policies are observed without causing too
much discomfort among employees.
Network Management and Monitoring
Isols clients can manage their LAN from
a single console, monitoring traffic and
assessing their networks for vulnerabilities
with network management tools. Isols
solutions include Solarwinds, Retina
Security Scanner and GFI array of
products.
∞ GFI and Solarwinds solutions include:
∞ Scans computers in the network for
security vulnerabilities
∞ Monitors severs and routers to ensure
total integrity and availability
∞ Remote/central deployment of
application and Microsoft patches; and,
∞ Penetrating and testing and vulnerability
assessment.
End Point Security
The proliferation of consumer devices such
as iPods, USB drives, smart phones and
other has increased the risk of data leakage
and malicious activity on networks. GFI
End Point Security allows administrators to
actively manage user access and log the
activity of iPods, USB drives, CDs, laptops
and network cards.
Firewalls and Integrated Security Systems
Firewalls combine the best gateway
technologies available from stateful inspection
to VoIP. Firewalls are a means of protecting
networks by implementing access control to
and from the internet.
Isols offers both traditional firewalls like Cisco
ASA and UTM appliances like Cyberoam.
Cyberoam’s unique user identity-based Internet
Security Appliances solve today’s need to
control individual user behavior to ensure
comprehensive threat management.
It gives complete visibility into “Who is doing
What” in the network and allows policies to be
created at the user level based on work profiles.
Backup & Data Recovery
Data protection scalable from the desktop
to the data centre is the benchmark for
data backup and recovery in today’s IT
environments.
Regardless of the type or size of business
VERITAS backup solutions protect critical data,
simplify the management of data, backup and
recovery and provide consistent, reliable data
protection.
Encryption
PGP secures e-mails, disks and volumes
for office and home PCs. The solutions
allow enterprises to deploy gateway and
desktop-based encryption based on
specific requirements for data security
within an organisation.
PGP products can secure internal and
external communications, data stored
CEO, James Kinyua
on servers, desktops and laptops, and
automated backups and data transfers.
Change Audit & Configuration
Assessment
Tripwire is a change audit and
configuration management solution that
baselines (set approved standards) and
then monitors the systems of unathorised
changes. A client can monitor directory
servers such as Active Directories,
database systems and file servers,
Exchange, IIS and network nodes (Cisco,
Nokia, Nortell, Juniper) for configuration
changes and issue user-friendly reports
on the same.
Data Leakage Protection
InfoWatch develops anti-inside security
systems that detect and prevent
confidential data leakage through any
communication channels. This solution
protects the information from leaks on
the whole perimeter of an informational
system, both on communication servers
and on workstations.
Consultancy
Apart from the foregoing, Isols enables
clients:
∞ Develop sound IT security systems;
∞ Carry out vulnerability assessment
of networks before recommending
security solutions;
∞ Implement, reconfigure and manage
security solutions; and,
∞ Customise service agreement
solutions;
Tel: +254-20-2349887
+254-20-2113271
Cell phone: +254-722 331935
E-mail: info@isolutions.co.ke
Website: www.isolutions.co.ke
Best of Kenya 137
Chapter 11
Transport and Logistics

138 Best of Kenya

Best of Kenya 139
 The leading sea goods trans-shipment
Transport and Logistics
centre in the region
The port of Mombasa is excellently located on the east coast of Africa and
midway between the South African port of Durban and other major ports in
the Red Sea and Middle East.
Doorway to a vast hinterland: Aerial view of a section of the Port of Mombasa.
Since it was first developed in the time of British colonial rule
in the late 19th Century, the Port of Mombasa has provided a
main gateway for Kenya’s international trade.
With a history spanning many centuries, including when
dhows called at the old port on the north side of Mombasa
Island, the Port of Mombasa is today the premier port of call
in East and Central Africa, handling about 13 million tonnes
of cargo each year, including 3 million tonnes of transit
shipment.
As Kenya’s biggest and busiest seaport, Mombasa is the
doorway to a vast hinterland where people depend on
agriculture and economic growth for their livelihood.
It essentially serves the hinterland of Kenya, Uganda,
Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Northern Tanzania.
140 Best of Kenya
The Port of Mombasa is a superb natural harbour with first-
class shelter and an abundance of deepwater berths for large
vessels such as bulk carriers, container ships, motor vehicle
carriers and luxury cruise ships.
For those in trade – particularly transshipment consignments
– the port offers a broad range of shipping services to key
destinations around the world. The port’s major markets
encompass Western Europe, Asia, the Far East, the Americas
and the rest of Africa.
The port also provides anchorage and storage for regular
feeder services between Mombasa and Dar es Salaam,
Durban, Mogadishu, Djibouti and Dubai.
Container services are provided entirely by liner vessels, while
other types of cargo are carried by a mixture of liner and hobo
vessels.
The port is efficiently equipped to handle a
wide range of cargoes, including dry bulks
such as grain, fertilisers, cement and soda
ash and liquid bulks such as crude oil and
oil products as well as bagged products
(coffee, tea, sugar, etc) break bulks (iron and
steel, timber), motor vehicles, machinery and
containerized cargo.
The fastest growing traffic is containers,
which are handled at a dedicated terminal
with Ship-to-Shore Gantry (STGs) cranes and
a full range of yard equipment.
It is the best connected port of call in the
East Africa region after Durban, with 17
shipping lines calling and direct connectivity
to over 80 ports.
The Port of Mombasa is run by the Kenya
Ports Authority, which was established
on 20th January 1978 through an Act of
Parliament.
CFSs can execute documents online. This
is a brilliant IT system that helps in relieving
saturated container terminals through a
smooth flow of information on container
movement.
The Authority’s mission is to facilitate
seaborne trade in the most efficient manner
by progressively benchmarking its operational
targets to internationally acceptable
standards.
With key objectives anchored on
improvement of managerial, operational,
financial, performance and IT compliance, the
KPA targets to be a full e-port by the turn of
the year.
Round-the-clock efforts are employed in
ensuring that the port is well developed
and maintained, with efficient facilities and
infrastructure to meet up with customer
needs.
The Authority aims at promoting the Port of
Mombasa as a chief gateway to the Great
Lakes region and also serves the Horn of
Africa and beyond.
The KPA’s desire is to uphold and promote
a clean, safe, work and rewarding
environment and integrating its functionality
in the development of the country by
instilling sound corporate governance
practices.
To achieve this goal, the KPA invests
abundantly in Information Technology (IT)
programmes which cover every aspect of
port operations, competitively placing the
Port of Mombasa among world ports.
Tel: +254-041-211299
www.kpa.co.ke

It has a close working relationship with

the neighboring Moi International Airport
for clients intending to connect by flight to
various destinations of the world.

The KPA envisions to be rated amongst the

best top 20 ports in the world in terms of
status and performance by the year 2010.

The port has round-the-clock (24/7) working

schedules, a system that has been interfaced
with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) systems,
enabling flawless movement of crucial
documents between the two institutions for
the convenience of customers.

There is also a Container Freight Stations

(CFS) component where customers using

Best of Kenya 141

 Gateway to world-famous resort city
Transport and Logistics

Ferry services, a crucial transit system, in the world-famous city

of Mombasa, started early in the last century. Then they were
manually operated pontoons tied by cables to both ends of the
channel.

Later they were modified to use engine boat propulsion before

culminating in today’s cherished vessels. The Kenya Ferry
Services (KFS) Managing Director Mr John Ria walked Best of
Kenya through the development of the transit system.

Q. The Kenya Ferry Services is an integral segment of
Kenya’s overall transport system. Briefly, what is the
history of KFS?
A. The era of modern ferry operations began in Mombasa
in 1937. Kenya Bus Services Ltd, a privately owned-
company operating on a franchise arrangement with the
Municipal Council of Mombasa, took over the running of
the ferry services at Likoni and Mtongwe and introduced
modern ferries named St Christopher, St Michael and
Mvita in 1969 and Safina in 1975.
However, in November 1989 the Kenya Bus Services sold
the ferries to the government, which in turn handed over
the vessels and staff to the state-run parastatal Kenya
Ports Authority (KPA) to continue with the ferry operations.
KPA turned one of its subsidiaries into the Kenya
Ferry Services Limited and commenced the modern
operations.
Q. How many ferries does KFS operate and how reliable
are they?
A. The Kenya Ferry Services runs five large vessels
which ply the Likoni channel that links Mombasa Island
to the South Coast beach resorts, its agricultural rich
hinterland - which serves as the bread and fruit basket of
Mombasa - the southern part of Tanzania and the Congo
region.
KFS also operates two ferry services across the
500-metre wide Kilindini channel, which runs horizontally
to the shipping gateway into the port of Mombasa.
The Likoni crossing connects trunk road A15 between
Mombasa Island and the Mainland South, leading to
the Diani tourist haven, some 40 kilometres south and
beyond to the Kenya-Tanzania border.
The Mtongwe ferry is a passenger-only service that
operates between 0500hrs –1000hrs and 1600hrs –
2000hrs every day except Sundays and serves the
residents of Mtongwe, a densely populated residential
suburb situated on the south west of the mainland south
of Mombasa.
KFS has a state-of-the art maintenance facility which,
among other things, tremendously boosts vessel
availability and reliability.

142 Best of Kenya


Q. What is the lifespan of a ferry and how
do you guarantee the safety of the
users?
A. The economic lifespan of most of our
ferries is 25 years. We do however
refurbish them to comply with
international maritime standards in the
event of expiry.
And, in tandem with International Ship
and Port Security (ISPS) requirements,
KFS has put in place various security and
safety measures.
We have an elaborate internationally
benchmarked safety policy that ensures
the provision of all safety gadgetry and
trained staff on board all our vessels.
The flat-hulled, twin-engine ferries
currently in use can be navigated on
one engine should the other fail. In the
unlikely event of both engines failing, the
Coxswain can either use the services of
the onboard mechanics to address the
problem, or summon tow services which
are readily available on other ferries.
As a last resort the coxswain may use the
anchor to stop the ferry until help arrives.
The anchor is gravity-driven and does
not rely on the engine. An anchor has not
been so used since the start of the ferry
service at Likoni in 1937.
The flat hull also provides sufficient
displacement which ensures floating at all
times. Vessel stability is further ensured
by independent ballast tanks underneath
that are filled with water to maximize
stability and cancel any possibility of
tilting.
The available space on board for vehicles
and passengers is restricted and leaves
absolutely no room for overloading.
These vessels are structurally different
from the ill –fated, cone-hulled Mtongwe I
which sank in 1994.
On board all the vessels are modern
safety gadgets and equipment, ranging
from life rafts, life jackets, fire-fighting
equipment and First Aid Kit, to mention
but few, for use in an emergency.
These safety measures are complimented
by a well-trained KFS staff in line with
international sea-faring requirements.
Q. How many passengers use the
ferries daily?
A. Each day, the ferries transport an average
of 180,000 people to and from the
South Coast and some 3,100 vehicles
in scheduled 15-minute off-peak and
7.5-minute peak-time shuttles.
This translates into a whopping 67 million
passengers and 1.1 million vehicles
per year, with an average 8 and 5 per
cent increase respectively over the last
decade.
Projections for the next five years based
on the above averages show that traffic
is expected to peak at 74.5 million
passengers and 1.38 million vehicles per
year by 2010.
Q. How do you deal with congestion
given the large numbers of people and
vehicles crossing the channel?
A. Indeed, to keep up with the spiraling
traffic demands, KFS has plans to
purchase two new vessels to replace part
of the current fleet of five.
The flat-hulled MV Nyayo has a capacity
of 1,200 passengers and 60 vehicles,
while MV Harambee and MV Kilindini
together carry 1,440 passengers and 40
cars.
In a bid to streamline the increasing
traffic, KFS has embarked on the
construction of two public service termini
on both sides of the channel.
Construction work is at an advanced
stage on the mainland side which
apart from containing parking lots for
public service vehicles, will also house
pedestrian and passenger shelters, public
pay toilets and modern business stalls on
both sides.
Q. How is the security of passengers
organised both on board and across
the channels?
A. In line with the International Ship and Port
Security code, KFS has put in place an
integrated surveillance system consisting
of watch-towers, vehicle checks,
passenger scrutiny at both ends of the
channel and a meticulous crowd control
system.
Plans are at an advanced stage
for installation of Closed Circuit TV
surveillance systems to detect any
possible threats that might compromise
maritime security. This is in addition to
the well-trained KFS security personnel
as well as the regular and secret Kenya
Police officers on duty 24 hours a day.
Q. Huge ships and other sea-going
vessels enter the Port of Mombasa
through the Likoni channel; how do you
ensure the safety of both the ferries
and incoming and exiting vessels?
A. All vessels operating inside the Port of
Mombasa are controlled through VHF
radio by KPA lighthouse control tower.
The ferries are similarly on VHF radio 24
hours a day. Ships and other incoming
and exiting vessels have by law the right
of way. Ferries therefore always allow
them to pass before crossing the channel.
Q. Currently KFS operates ferries only at
the Likoni and Mtongwe channels. Are
there plans of broadening the services?
A. Plans are already underway to venture
into providing services in a wider scope
along Kenya’s coastline as well as
diversifying their products to include sea
cruises and party rides in the channels of
Mombasa and nearby islands.
We are also laying strategies for entering
the lucrative Lake Victoria market, buoyed
by the imminent integration of the East
African economies under the East African
Community.
There are also plans for provision of
bunkering for sea-faring vessels, a service
currently monopolised by the private
sector.
Tel: +254-041-2451351
www.kenyaferry.co.ke
Best of Kenya 143
 For the Pride of Africa,
Transport and Logistics

not even the sky is the limit

Kenya Airways, the national carrier, is truly the pride of
Kenya and the entire African continent. It is the only airline
in Africa that has so far escaped largely unscathed from the
turbulence within the global air travel industry.

144 Best of Kenya

In 2008, Kenya Airways, known to many
as KQ, won the top Company of the Year
Award for strategic planning and emergency
preparedness. Its Human Resources Manager,
Paul Kasimu, was voted Manager of the Year.

As one of the best managed companies in the

country, Kenya Airways has been and remains
an important emissary of Kenya’s booming
tourism industry. The national carrier is the
preferred choice for many tourists wishing to
enjoy the country’s unrivalled natural beauty
and hospitality.

KQ flies to more destinations around the world

than any other African airline. It entered into
a fruitful partnership with the Dutch national
airline KLM through Shareholders and Master
Cooperation Agreements. It has become an
excellent strategic partnership.
From the time of the agreement that brought
KLM aboard as a strategic partner, Kenya
Airways has been a unique company, with
three types of shareholding that include the
Government and the general public.
In addition to the high recognition and
numerous accolades that Kenya Airways has
received between 1996 and 2008, both locally
and internationally, the national carrier has
been one of the Kenya Government’s most
valuable investments. Among the numerous
honours Kenya Airways has bagged are
the African Airline of Choice, Best Regional
Airline, Flying Blue and the Best Frequent Flier
Programme run by the respected Travel News
& Lifestyle magazine in 2008. Its onboard
publication, Msafiri, was also voted the Best
In-flight Magazine.
A two-year renewal of the registration
of Kenya Airways for the International
Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) of the
International Air Travel Association (IATA) was
granted in 2007. In the same year, Kenya’s
national flag carrier joined SkyTeam as an
Associate Airline. Internally, Kenya Airways
established a leadership centre known as the
Pride Centre and also started the Flying Blue
Service Centre. KQ has expanded its routes
on the African continent, starting with flights
to Monrovia, Cotonou and Mayotte.
The airline owns a number of modern aircraft,
including Boeing 787, 777, 767, 757 and 737-
400. Other aircraft mainly used for internal
flights include the Brazilian manufactured
Ambraer 58. With the variety of modern state-
of-the-art aircraft for domestic, regional and
long-haul international flights it has, Kenya
Airways has established itself as a safe and
popular airline.
Established as a national carrier in February
1977, immediately after the demise of East
African Airways, following the collapse of
the East African Community (EAC), Kenya
Airways has undergone tremendous growth
from rather humble beginnings. With the
few aircraft – including the Boeing 707s,
MacDonnell Douglas DC-9s, ageing DC-3
turboprops and Dutch-made Fokker
Friendships – it inherited from the collapsed
East African Airways, the national carrier During the same year, the airline won the
embarked on an ambitious strategic growth prestigious African Aviation Award of the
plan. respected African Aviation magazine. It
had earlier won similar awards for three
Kenya Airways soon began to purchase or consecutive years from the London-based
lease newer aircraft while also modernising publication between 1999 and 2001.
its ground maintenance and repair facilities
as well as recruiting and training highly In 2005, Kenya Airways became the first
qualified personnel for various ground and airline in sub-Saharan Africa ever to achieve
flight activities. At its headquarters in the old the IOSA standards of the IATA after rigorous
Embakasi Airport in Nairobi and the nearby verification and testing. The airline passed all
ultra-modern Jomo Kenyatta International the various safety and operational tests with
Airport (JKIA), where it has its main flying colours. During the same year, KQ took
operational centre, Kenya Airways has highly delivery of two sparkling new Boeing 777-
skilled personnel in fields ranging from aircraft 200ER aircraft, bringing its total of this ultra-
maintenance and repair to in-flight hospitality. modern long-range carrier to three.

Both in 2005 and in 2006, Kenya Airways
was voted the Most Respected Company
in East Africa, as its profits continued to
soar. The airline reported a record pre-tax
profit of KSh4,829 million (around $82 million
at current exchange rates) on March 31st,
2006, marking a 24 per cent growth from the
previous year’s figure of KSh3,882 million ($67
million).
The first aircraft of the type had been
delivered a year earlier. Two new routes, one
to Istanbul in Turkey and the other to Bamako
in Mali and Dakar in Senegal were also
launched the same year.
Tel: +254-20-642000
www.kenya-airways.com

Best of Kenya 145

 Leaders in Land, Sea and
Transport and Logistics

Air Cargo

Siginon Freight Ltd

Siginon Freight Ltd (SFL) is a leading logistics solutions company in the region
with various business units that include a road transport division, clearing and
forwarding division, warehousing, Kencont Logistics CFS, Transworld Shipping,
and Siginon Cargo Centre – an airline ground handling service.

Siginon is an ISO-certified company serving various countries
in the world through its World Cargo Alliance (WCA) network.
Siginon will be celebrating 25 years of existence next year,
having been set up in 1985. It started from a humble clearing
and forwarding firm with three staff members to its current
state of being one of the market leaders in logistics and
transportation, employing directly 258 employees.
boasts being strategically located in a hub of logistics both in
sea and air cargo.
From a clearing and forwarding company, Siginon has
over the years grown and expanded into fulltime logistics
and transportation. Today their business is spread into the
following fields;

With its head office in Mombasa, the gateway to the eastern The Siginon Transport Division, with a modern fleet of over
Africa region, and branches in Nairobi and Eldoret, Siginon 70 trucks, is run by professional staff and backed by tracking

146 Best of Kenya

systems that ensure clients’ cargo is safe
and delivered within the specified time.
Siginon upholds integrity, working within the
required rules and regulations of the law of the
particular country being served.
Siginon boasts a three-year fatal accident-free
record and endeavours to uphold this in the
future.
The Siginon Cargo Centre Division is one
of the four licensed transit sheds in Kenya,
and the only one with locations both at the
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and
Eldoret International Airport. Cargo Centres
offer airlines/planes cargo ground handling/
warehousing services. With the world
being what it is today, security and safety
are paramount to the airlines. Siginon has
therefore ensured full compliance in these
areas.
The Siginon Clearing, Forwarding and
Warehousing Division is the division charged
with the responsibilities of providing logistics
solutions to their customers through
warehousing, clearing and forwarding. SFL
offers both sea and air freight clearance.
With 24 years of experience, they have been
in the forefront in giving personalised, friendly
yet efficient services to their customers.
SFL will give its customers the professional
guidance having worked closely with KRA
Customs over the years, and nurtured a
professional relationship.
Their customers range from major importers
and exporters in both the sea and air sectors,
to the small businessman in this field.
Kencont Logistics, a fully-owned Siginon
company, provides Container Freight Station
(CFS) logistics, handling vehicles, and, more
recently, containers imported into the country.
CFS act on behalf of the Kenya Ports
Authority. Their proximity to the port (2.5km)
has led to faster turnaround of cargo and
safety and zero security incidence over the
last five years,
making them the CFS of choice. In 2008 they
handled 8,000 units of cars through their car
terminal port.
Transworld Shipping, a subsidiary of Siginon,
deals with all sea shippingrelated matters.
The Company’s mission is to be the best
provider of logistics solutions to their
esteemed customers’ satisfaction, using the
latest technology, through a highly motivated
professional staff. Their values revolve around
customer service, integrity, quality and a
safety culture.
Here every employee is expected to
exhibit high standards of integrity and
professionalism. The Company believes in
upholding very high standards of morality,
honesty, sincerity and openness. They
promote and operate within a culture of
transparency, honesty and respect for and
upholding the laws of this country.
The Company always endeavours to
proactively ensure a safe and clean
environment and, under corporate social
responsibility (CSR), Siginon remains a
socially responsible and ethical corporate
citizen and supports the community in its
development activities.
Being a logistics company Siginon’s services
are spread globally, working with agents
in various countries. Their service delivery
footprint is found in Europe, the Middle East,
America, Africa, Australia and the Far East
and she is a member of WCA, hence its
global presence through various agencies
that enable the picking up of cargo from
anywhere in the world into the East African
and Great Lakes region. Locally, Siginon
covers the East Africa and the Great Lakes
region.
Over the last 24 years, Siginon has evolved
from a small clearing and forwarding firm to
a giant within the logistics and transportation
industry.
This growth has been phenomenal. Siginon’s
business ethics and practices have been
the cornerstone of this outstanding growth
and success. In an industry dogged by
corruption, Siginon has upheld integrity and
received commendations to this end from
law enforcement agencies like the Police
Department.
It has been the envy of the industry in terms
of skills, competencies and commitments in
discharging their duties. Technologically, they
have continuously invested in the latest and
most relevant technology, putting them a step
ahead of the best competition.
Knowing well that good businesses thrive
from continuous investment, Siginon plans to
invest an extra KSh1 billion in 2009 towards
business expansion and growth strategy,
over and above the more than KSh3.8 billion
already invested. The return on investment
in all their business lines has been at
approximately 25% over the last 5 years.
Siginon has had a number of milestones
marking part of their success. They range
from the Sondu Miriu Hydroelectric Project,
where they provided the logistics services to
the main contractors in ensuring the project
was completed within the schedule time,
to the Mombasa Road, part of the Northern
Corridor, in which they provided the main
contractor on the road with all the logistics
services.
They have also scooped the Lafarge Safety
Award, in the Safety on the Road Category.
Under CSR, Siginon has an education
scholarship that takes seven children from a
poor background in the Coast region through
high school.
Tel: +254-041-2314150
www.siginon.com
Best of Kenya 147
Chapter 12
Property and Real Estate

148 Best of Kenya

Best of Kenya 149
 A World-Class Record of Projects
Property and Real Estate
and Clients
Knight Frank LLP is the leading independent global property
consultancy. Headquartered in London, Knight Frank and
its New York-based global partner Newmark Knight Frank
operate from over165 of ces, in 37 countries, in six continents
inestablished and emerging property markets. With acombined
staff number of more than 5,300, this major force in real estate
is meeting the local and global needs of owners, occupiers,
investors and developers worldwide. Knight Frank has 17 of
ces in 9 countries in Africa, where Knight Frank is the only top
London practice making a serious and growing commitment.
Since its inception in 1998, Knight Frank Kenya has grown to
become a market leader in East Africa, offering a full range of
property consultancy services, in all property sectors, which
include agency (letting and selling), property management,
valuation, building surveying, project management, development
advice, site acquisition, research, corporate nance and
investment management.This limited company, a joint venture
with First Chartered Securities, forms part of the Knight Frank
Global Network.
Knight Frank Kenya sets the same standard to professionalism
and integrity in Kenya that is found in all of the Knight Frank
Global Network. With an emphasis on transparency and
accountability, Knight Frank Kenya has established itself as a
leader in real estate in Kenya, raising the level of performance
expectations within the marketplace. In Kenya, Knight Frank
employs over 60 of ce staff and provides services in the
commercial, retail and residential markets in Nairobi and
Mombasa.
150 Best of Kenya
Knight Frank Kenya also works closely with Knight Frank
Tanzania and Knight Frank Uganda and has done work
through out East and Central Africa in various countries such
as Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan,
Mauritius and Seychelles completing a regional network that
links with the Knight Frank group’s expanding Central and
South African interests. In Kenya, Knight Frank is synonymous
with the sale and rental of high quality residential and
commercial property and currently manages over 400 prime
market residential units and over of 1,500,000 square feet of
commercial property controlling the upper end of the residential
and commercial markets in Kenya.
Knight Frank Kenya’s clients include various leading banks,
lending institutions and insurance companies, Diplomatic
missions and Embassies, Oil companies, Universities, as well
as many public sector institutions, manufacturers, agricultural
enterprises, international investors, foreign governments, hotels
and developers.
Trading as Knight Frank Kenya Ltd
Knight Frank (Valuers) Ltd
Lion Place Waiyaki Way, Westlands
P.O. Box 39773, Parklands, Nairobi, 00623 Kenya
Tel: +(254) (0)20 4440174 – 6
+(254) (0)20 4442167 – 9
+(254) (0)20 4440040
Fax: +(254) (0)722-520773 or 733-603260 Mobile
E-Mail: info@ke.knightfrank.com
Website: www.knightfrank.com
Riverside Park, Nairobi
Amenities and F acilities
• Swimming pool and Health Club
• Children’s adventure play area
• Satellite TV
• Landscaped grounds, ponds and fountains
• 24 hour security and alarm systems
• State-of-the-art electronic access control system
• Walled compound with electric fencing and guard service
• Borehole water supply and storage tanks
• Intercom and telephone provisions
• Back-up generators
• Lifts
Sch. • Maintenance team on site
W ay
W aiya ki D.O'S Office Sch.

A.A.C.C
Center

WESTLANDS

Centre
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Best of Kenya 151

Gym Location Map
Chapter 13
Media and Marketing

152 Best of Kenya

Best of Kenya 153
 Hanningtone Gaya
Media and Marketing
Magazines publisher with a mission
Q. When did you first entertain the idea of
going into publishing?
A. I have always loved writing. In high school,
I was the editor of the school magazine in
1974.
When I finished high school I approached
quite a number of publishers to publish my
articles and Hilary Ng’weno, the publisher of
the now-defunct Weekly Review – Kenya’s
first analytical political and business magazine
- gave me audience and hired me as his
motoring correspondent in 1984.
He gave me lessons in writing and publishing
which have been my guiding principles in
Hanningtone Gaya writing and publishing.
154 Best of Kenya
He told me to do my research thoroughly
before writing. He also advised me never to
undermine or write something negative that
would destroy my country.
Q. What motivated you to plunge into
publishing?
A. The first article in the Weekly Review
magazine got me a lot of compliments from
readers. This motivated me to continue writing
regularly.
I later joined the Daily Nation newspaper,
also as a motoring correspondent, before I
launched my own motoring magazine in 1991.
My inspiration in journalism has been
Ng’weno, Isaiah Kabira (Head of the
Presidential Press Service), Herman Igambi
– a former Editor-in-Chief of the Kenya
Broadcasting Corporation - and esteemed
News Editor and trainer Mutegi Njau (now of
the trend-setting Royal Media Services).
Q. How many titles does Media7 Group
own?
A. Media7 Group has six specialised niche
magazines, namely the Motor Monthly,
Lifestyle magazine (a young ladies’ lifestyle
magazine), HM magazine (His Magazine –
now the only men’s-only lifestyle magazine in
East Africa) and Business Monthly (the only
serious business magazine that is published
monthly).
Others are Mum and Dad, (the first
professional parents’ magazine) and Her
(the first young women’s magazine which
celebrates the unsung heroines).
We however intend to have seven titles and
ultimately go into television broadcasting.
Q. Why must you publish all these
magazines?
Some magazine publishers do not go into
the publishing trade with good intentions,
which means their products can’t last. The
high cost of printing and poor quality in
colour printing is a major disadvantage in
Kenya.
Q. Who are your target clients?

A. My main motivation in publishing all
these titles is to inform Kenyans. I feel that
Kenyans still do not have enough sources
of well-researched and in-depth articles in
both specialised writing and lifestyle.
Am an expert in motoring and a fellow of
the Institute of the Motor Industry. I was
the first African in the Commonwealth to
hold that qualification.
A. My target clients are Kenyans who love
in-depth and well researched information.
These are the clients who consume foreign
magazines.
My magazines are well distributed
throughout East Africa by our distributors.
70 per cent of our products are bought in
Kenya, 20 per cent in Uganda and 10 per
cent in Tanzania.

Q. How do you find magazine Q. Do you contemplate getting into

publishing? weekly and daily publishing?

A. Magazine publishing in Kenya is
extremely challenging.
Kenyan advertisers do not believe in
advertising in magazines, therefore there
is no advertising revenue to sustain
magazine publishing. Kenyans do not
like reading books or magazines, which
undermines magazine circulation and
subscription.
Most magazine publishers carry very
shallow articles which are not well
researched. The magazines appear
sporadically and therefore disappointing to
loyal readers, subscribers and advertisers.
A. Yes. First I want to get into TV and then
daily news publishing. This is because I see
a gap in socio-economic news reporting.
Indeed I want to change the Kenyan mindset
and convince them that media content
is more than the screaming politics that
occupy Kenyan daily newspapers.
Am also tempted to get into weekly
newspaper publishing.
Q. What is your take on the Kenya media?
A. The Kenyan media is stereotyped and
copy-cat. This confuses the consumers.
The Kenya media has refused to recognise
investing in human resources. My hope is to
recruit the best professionals and pay them
well to discharge their duties. My view is that
the Kenyan media has for too long glorified
mediocrity in its human resource pooling. I
wish they can niche.
Q. Where do you see the Media7 Group in
the next 10 years?
A. I see the Media7 Group being the
pacesetter in professionalism with the
best niche magazines, a TV station, and a
respected socio- economic daily newspaper.
I see myself achieving these even before 10
years elapse.

Best of Kenya 155

 King of Outdoor Advertising
Media and Marketing
Magnate Ventures Limited is Kenya’s outdoor advertising
company of choice, with neon-lit billboards and creative
imagery promoting a wide variety of products from both local
and international firms.
Its signage and advertising billboards are a common feature,
dotting streets, buildings and other prominent places in the
country’s main urban centres and major highways.
Magnate Ventures, now in its tenth year of operation, has
developed into the leading promotional advertising and image
projection firm in East Africa.
In 2008 the company was ranked sixth among the top
100 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) surveyed by
reputable international accounting and polling firms, KPMG &
Steadman.
Established in 1996 by indigenous Kenyan entrepreneurs,
Magnate Ventures started operations after a two-year
gestation period during which a solid foundation was laid for
success and future growth.
156 Best of Kenya
In 1999, Magnate Ventures made its first strategic acquisition
when it bought Kenya Neon and General Signs, a long-standing
firm and the best equipped signage company in Kenya at the time.
Through this acquisition, Magnate Ventures took a vital step in
creating one of the strongest signage and image companies in
the region. Association with a company that was already well
known in the market gave Magnate Ventures a solid head start.
The company has since its first year of operation, experienced
healthy growth patterns and is now well prepared to maintain
sustained growth through expansion of its product lines and
services to cover the entire East and Central African region.
Magnate Ventures’ focus is in strategic advertising
development, printing, branding, supply, manufacture,
installation and maintenance of indoor, outdoor signage and
promotional materials. Its fundamental
objective is to deliver highly visible and
visually attractive images of customers’
products and services through creative
artistic impression and strategic positioning.
The Company’s range of products includes
billboards, screen printing, street lighting,
suburban signs, bus shelters, digital
advertising, electronic signage, wall branding
services, road signs, and petrol station
signage.
In recent years, Magnate Ventures has
achieved rapid regional expansion and
currently has operating bases in Uganda,
Tanzania, Rwanda and South Sudan. Locally,
the Company enjoys unmatched presence in
literally every location of mention. Magnate
Ventures ensures that it meets the changing
needs and requirements of the market by
targeting technological changes in outdoor
and indoor advertising and signage in
readiness to meet customer expectations
and demands.
The Company’s technological edge is
maintained through constantly keeping in
touch with developed markets and strategic
partners. Use of the latest technology and
equipment ensures increased efficiency
in production and reduces delivery time,
which results in cost-cutting and satisfied
customers. The multi-skilling of company
personnel through vigorous training and
development programmes ensures they are
well equipped with new and appropriate
skills and can, therefore, be in line with the
changing trends in the market.
The Company now has close to 100
employees and an annual sales volume of
around US$10 million.
Magnate Ventures is an ISO-certified
Company, which means its services and
products are of the highest international
standards.
Tel: +254-20-550950/4
www.magnate-ventures.com
Best of Kenya 157
 Why they acclaim Exclamation
Media and Marketing

Famed for its high standards and state-of-the-art

advertising and marketing techniques, Exclamation
Marketing Limited is a full-service marketing
communications agency that offers advertising,
public relations, and event management services.

Located at Whitefield Place in Nairobi’s

up-market Westlands citywithin-a-city,
Exclamation Marketing is known for
implementing creative and customised
programmes that are designed to impact
a client¹s specific business goals and
objectives.

Unlike most advertising agencies whose

promises sound the same and which appear
to be all trying to employ as much jargon as

158 Best of Kenya


possible, Exclamation Marketing feels there is
a better way to present its capabilities.
The agency believes communication is the
key to success and it is adept at effectively
communicating clients’ messages to target
audiences. Exclamation Marketing listens
to clients’ needs, gains insight, and creates
trusted extensions of marketing departments.
Founded in 1999, Exclamation Marketing
serves big names in corporate Kenya as
well as non-governmental organisations
and government entities. Over the years,
Exclamation Marketing has provided PR and
event management services to companies
such as East African Breweries Limited,
Old Mutual, Proctor and Gamble, HP, Bel
International, Resolution Health, the World
Bank, IFC (GOWE), Howard Humphreys, the
Public Procurement Oversight Authority and
more.
Exclamation Marketing has built a sound
reputation for shrewd development and
coordination of PR strategies, editorial
material and media liaison. It is equally
renowned for memorable corporate product
launches, client celebrations, sports
sponsorships, road shows and exciting
experiential marketing activities.
On the advertising front, the Company
believes in brand building campaigns which
it implements in an integrated, cost effective
and proactive manner. Chief Executive Officer
Sue Omanga attributes the Company’s
steady growth over the last 10 years to
its commitment to client service, quality,
creativity and innovation.
“We focus more on making the client win
and not on award winning campaigns with
no positive effect on the cash register or the
clients’ bank account. There are many ads
out there that are entertaining, but when it
comes to building business for the client, they
bring in very little. Our approach is different
as evidenced by the long running campaigns
that we have done for various clients and the
long relationships we build.”
Exclamation Marketing has a fully-fledged
audio visual department to capture, edit,
catalogue and archive video and photography
for all events. Besides capturing events, these
images and footage are reserved as back-up
to be used by media at the client’s request.
Exclamation Marketing has bagged many
awards for these exceptional services to
clients. Its energetic, fastpaced, and focused
culture earned the firm the prestigious
International Star for Leadership in Quality
(ISLQ) award 2008 in Paris. Exclamation
Marketing received the award in the gold
category for its outstanding business
achievements, perseverance and leadership
in excellence and quality.
Other prestigious awards and recognitions
Exclamation Marketing has won include:
• Public Sector PR Campaign Of The Year
– 1st runner up – 2008 (By the Public
Relations Society of Kenya – PRSK))
• Public Sector PR Campaign Of The Year –
runner up – 2007 (By PRSK)
• Best Stand Award for Exclamation
Marketing Ltd at the Marketing Expo 2001
• 1st Runners Up with the Public Sector PR
Campaign of the Year, at the 2008 PRSK
awards.
• 2nd runners up award for the Public
Sector PR Campaign of the Year at the
2007 PRSK awards in December.
• International Recognition AWARD in
France presented by Bel Africa for
outstanding work in Anglophone Africa -
Oct 24th 2002.
Exclamation Marketing has its eyes on East
Africa and is set to have a footprint in Uganda
by the end of 2009.
Best of Kenya 159
 98.4 Capital FM The Best Mix of Music!
Media and Marketing

‘We set the trends, and the others follow’. That’s one of
the Capital FM’s philosophies, and remains Kenya’s most
recognizable radio station, with its exceptional blend of
music, energetic and witty radio personalities, fun interactive
promotions and unique programming.

era of high competition in the Kenyan radio

market, stations continue to try and replicate
the programming, style and format of Capital
FM with little success. We remain relevant,
entertaining, informative and interactive all
day: morning to morning. Our breakfast show
‘Capital in the Morning’ handles issues on the
economy, society, and the political scene. It’s
witty, fast-paced and full of laughs.

If you love ROCK!, want to know about the

latest fashion and style, gadgets, hangouts,
cool drinks, and hot outfits, our mid morning
‘Fuse’ show will take care of you – the young
and upcoming socialite.

The afternoon airwaves on Kenyan radio are

ruled by the ‘Afternoon Jam’-a fun-filled, raw,
intelligent, and sometime cocky but always
entertaining show, with the most unique style
of music formatting each day-From the latest
R&B, Slow Jams, 80’s classics, Neo Soul, and
90’s hits and New Jack swing.

Hits not Homework comes next, targeted

at the young and young at heart, this show
has attitude and energy, and gives the
youth the chance to voice their opinions on
everything from relationships, sex, partying,
fashion, technology and much more. ‘Hits
Not Homework’ plays the hottest and most
current hip-hop, rap, crunk, and local tracks,
coupled with music exclusives, interviews
with your favorite artists and shout outs
between different high schools, colleges and
universities.

After the high octane energy of hits not

homework –slow it down with ‘Late Night
Capital’ our slow seductive way of winding
down your evening. It will mend broken hearts,
keep you in love and soothe your mind as you
prepare to call it a night.
Launched in 1996, 98.4 Capital FM has created its own niche in the Kenyan radio
market with its stand out style. Capital FM is a brand unlike any other in the Kenyan For all you night owls and international
market, that continues to excite, entertain, stimulate and reward its listeners. Capital audience in different time zones, ‘Urban
FM has the most loyal listeners of all stations, who have in turn been rewarded with Nights’ is definitely your show, with hot jams
consistent programming that continues to be a blueprint for the rest of the Kenyan and current affairs that will definitely hold your
radio market. attention.

PROGRAMMING As your Official weekend Station we give you

If you should ever traverse the airwaves moving from frequency to frequency, our an equally amazing line up of non-stop mixes
guarantee is that you will not find a fresher, edgier sound than Capital FM Kenya. to put you in the mood on Friday and Saturday
Capital FM Programmes have their finger on the pulse of the nation; our shows Nights.
are informative, fun and definitely set the trend. With Kenya’s most energetic, Watch out for the best syndicated countdown
witty, and lively presenters, we are often imitated, but never duplicated. In this shows, including Rick Dees, Randy Jackson

160 Best of Kenya

and Ryan Sea-crest! The best of the best call
Capital FM Home!
NEWS
As the company has grown, so has the News
Department, confidently filling the competitive
circle, where it has now earned the right to be
one of the most respected news sources in the
country. Speed, virtue, integral and expertise
have played an integral part in this.
Comprising of a formidable team of journalists,
editors, and news presenters, the Newsroom’s
main task is to give out the information
collected in a responsible, ethical and timely
fashion. The objective of our in-depth news
reports every top of the hour and informative
features is to keep Kenyans abreast of the
goings-on around them. Information is power
As Kenyans become increasingly aware of their
rights, more information is needed. And Capital
News team is here, fully loaded, to meet their
needs.
SALES AND MARKETING
The Capital Sales team is client-driven, working
as consultant rather than just regular sales
representatives or account managers. Want to
know more about our competitive rates, our
account managers will be your perfect guides.
Marketing in Capital FM is the nerve centre
of the organization. Capital Marketing goes
beyond the call of duty to link the client, the
listener and the station. Capital Marketing
keeps our award winning brand strong and
recognizable. As part of our Social Corporate
Responsibility, we initiate projects that uphold
humanity and the rights of the less fortunate.
We also sponsor organizations that do so.
CAPITAL CREATIVE
The 98.4 Capital Creative provides an
integrated service available to all advertisers,
advertising agencies, and promotions
companies alike, forming a strategic arm of
98.4 Capital FM’s commercial production and
promotions division.
They have consistently managed to keep up
with high quality commercials and the best
on-air promotions for the biggest brands in
Kenya. The Creative Services department at
98.4 Capital FM is innovative, competent and
will give your brand that extra edge needed to
make an impact in the market.
EVENTS
C.I.A (Capital Interactive Agents) is the
unique arm of Capital FM that is charged
with representing the brand on-ground. C.I.A.
creates, develops, manages and, executes
on-ground activations for the station and our
clients and advertisers.
C.I.A. creates and manages opportunities for
the listeners to experience the brand (98.4
Capital FM) and its attributes (The best Mix
of Music) on a one-on-one basis. It offers
experiential, on-site marketing to our clients
and advertisers. C.I.A. consistently creates
and develops cutting-edge promotions and
activations that are unique and specific to
each brand. From brand parties, to in-store
promotions, road shows, cocktails, corporate
parties, sports activations, launches, etc, we do
it all!
While Capital FM delivers brand equity on air,
C.I.A. delivers brand volumes. We make sure
your target market interacts with, samples, and
experiences your brand, redefining experiential
marketing in Kenya through the creation of
powerful and effective brand experiences!
CAPITAL DIGITAL MEDIA
The world has become a global village, and
capital fm have found a way to connect all
listeners worldwide through the Capital Digital
media. This interactive media service that
connects the Capital FM family to friends and
fans all over the world by use of its website:
www.capitalfm.co.ke.
In line with The Capital Group’s Mission, “To
responsibly entertain, educate, and inform a
dynamic audience”. Capital’s Digital Media
allows its audiences to make use of the
powerful tool that is the Internet to access
information ranging from:
• News (www.capitalnews.com) , where one
can have access to breaking local and
International news when it happens;
• Business (www.capitalbusiness.co.ke), with
access to business news and features from
industry experts;
• Radio (www.capitalradio.co.ke), where one
can stream live radio, download ring tones,
wallpaper, play games, enter radio contests,
win tickets to events, and much more.
For Kenyans in the Diaspora, the website
further serves the purpose of being one of the
few links they have with home. The best part
of it is that website users can not only listen
to Capital FM from anywhere in the world, but
they can also access breaking Kenyan news as
well. With interactive and multimedia tools like
live chat that allows listeners and presenters
to interact, blogs, and music and video
downloads, www.capital.fm.co.ke is a truly a
community on the web, and a grand marketing
tool that reaches a global audience who access
our website. Capital Digital Media truly has a
global presence that few companies in Kenya
can boast of.
CBC TV
CBC TV business television channel went live
in February 2008 and ever since has been the
source of business news on Kenyan television.
CBC TV partnered with CNBC Africa to bring
the Global business to your screen.
CBC TV on channel 47 is on the air round-
the-clock, covering economic, financial and
market analysis from around Africa and abroad.
CBC TV promises to provide excellence in
broadcasting.
TEL: 020-2210020
Website: www.capitalfm.co.ke
Best of Kenya 161
 Perfect Filming Locations
Kenya at a Glance

Some of the world’s best movies have been shot here

Kenya has long been a popular location for film production.

Hollywood has a longstanding affair with Kenya that dates back
to the 1930s.

Many classic adventure films were shot on location in Kenya,
including The Snows of Kilimanjaro, starring Gregory Peck,
King Solomon’s Mines, with Stewart Granger and Mogambo
featuring Clark Gable and Ava Gardner.
Joy Adamson’s book Born Free was made into a hit movie
filmed entirely on location in Kenya. George Adamson was
to later take the trained lions that were used in the film and
rehabilitate them in the wild.
The film’s stars, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, went on to
form a charity – The Born Free Foundation – which continues to
support conservation work in Kenya.
Hollywood’s greatest tribute to Kenya came with 1985’s Out of
Africa. Adapted from Karen Blixen’s classic book, the film told
the story of her life in colonial Kenya, with Meryl Streep in the
lead role and Robert Redford playing her lover, Denys Finch
Hatton.

162 Best of Kenya

With stunning cinematography and a rich
music score by John Barry, the film brought
Kenya to life for audiences all over the world.
It won 7 Oscars, including for Best Picture,
another 22 awards and 17 nominations.
In 1989, Kenya was the location for the filming
of Bob Rafelson’s historical drama Mountains
of the Moon. This epic film won great critical
acclaim for its vivid retelling of the conquest
of the Nile, and the great adventure of the
Burton and Speke expedition. Filmed in
diverse locations including Lamu, Hell’s Gate
and Lake Turkana, the film shows Kenya at its
best.
Kenya has since served as location for
several Hollywood blockbusters, including the
sequel to Tomb Raider.
In 2002 Nowhere in Africa, a German
language film about Jewish refugees
struggling to create a new life in wartime
Kenya, was shot on location in Baringo,
Bogoria and Mt Kenya.
The film was a major success, winning over
14 international awards, including the 2003
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language
film. The 2005 box-office hit The Constant
Gardener, from thriller maestro John le Carré,
was also filmed on location in Loiyangalani, a
small town located on the southeastern coast
of Lake Turkana.
Kenya is a great destination for television
wildlife productions. Many award winning
wildlife series have been shot on location in
Kenya by BBC Natural History, Discovery,
Survival and other production houses.
The Masai Mara continues to be the backdrop
for BBC’s popular Big Cat Diary, following the
lives of the reserve’s predators.
The Masai Mara, Kenya’s world-famous
game reserve, was recently named the Eighth
Wonder of the World in a poll conducted by
ABC Television’s Good Morning America, in a
telecast that took this spectacle into millions
of American homes, live from the Mara.
Kenya hit the top of the US TV ratings with
the arrival of Survivor Africa. The third series
of the hit reality show was filmed entirely on
location in the Shaba Reserve in Kenya.
For the producers, Kenya offered the perfect
combination of beautiful locale, stunning
wildlife and plenty of opportunity for
adventure.
Subsequent productions have included the
German film Nowhere in Africa, which won
14 international awards, including the Acemy
Award for Best Picture, and was filmed
on location in Nairobi, Mt Kenya and the
Baringo-Bogoria region
The Kenya Film Commission
It is against this backdrop of a rich filming
heritage that the Kenya Government
established The Kenya Film Commission
(KFC) in 2005 with an aim of promoting
the Kenyan film industry locally and
internationally.
The KFC was made operational in 2006 and
instantly got into the serious work of offering
detailed information on locations and liaison
services on behalf of the Government.
As the international community increasingly
looks to filming in Kenya, the Commission
gives information on the locations best
benefiting the clientele.
It also advises on film licensing and
immigration requirements, as well as
facilitating the filming process for filmmakers.
The KFC falls under the aegis of the Ministry
of Information and Communication headed by
Minister Samuel Poghisio and run by board
members appointed by the minister.
The Kenya Film Commission supports the
Kenyan film industry by providing facilities for
screenings and filming as well as organizing
various workshops that form the source of
education on production for local filmmakers.
The Commission has a well established
database that lists filmmakers, agents, local
talent, stakeholders and service providers of
the Kenyan film industry.
The KFC is a full member of the Association of
Film Commissions International (AFCI).
The Commission works closely with the
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) which has since
inception provided an active intermediary
role between foreign producers and relevant
government ministries, negotiating reductions
and waivers in licensing and location fees.
In a nutshell, the Commission’s business
entails making Kenya a centre of excellence
in film production. This includes helping
to create an enabling environment for the
development of a vibrant local industry as well
as marketing Kenya as a leading destination
for international filmmakers.
Tel: +254-20-2714073
www.filmingkenya.com
Best of Kenya 163
Chapter 14
Education and Training

164 Best of Kenya

Best of Kenya 165
 Oldest, most prestigious university
Education and Training

The University of Nairobi (UoN) is the oldest, largest, and

most prestigious public institution of higher learning in Kenya.

Situated within the central business district of Kenya’s capital city, the history of this great
academic institution goes back to 1956, but it did not become an independent university
until 1970, when the then University of East Africa was split into three independent national
universities. This led to the establishment of Makerere University in Uganda, the University of
Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and the University of Nairobi.

Since it was established as an independent university, UoN has produced more than 120,000
graduates in a wide variety of fields.

Close to 65 per cent of Kenya’s top leaders and a sizeable proportion of middle-level managers
of both public and private institutions have most probably passed at one time or another
through UoN. The list of the UoN’s alumni often reads like a Who is Who in Kenya, while, in
the other two East African countries, a sizeable number of leading technologists, scientists,
managers and engineers have been through Kenya’s prime institution of higher learning.

In 2008, UoN had some 28,000 students, of whom 22,200 were undergraduates and 6,800
postgraduates. In 2009, the intake was 3,280 students for the regular, Module I courses.

166 Best of Kenya

Among those who received honorary
academic awards from UoN last year
were President Mwai Kibaki and Prime
Minister Raila Odinga. They both received
LLD Degrees (causus honoris) for the
role they played in bringing about peace
and reconciliation after the 2007 General
Election crisis.
Seeking to maintain and strengthen
its position as Kenya’s pioneer and
still leading public institution of higher
learning, UoN has launched several policy
frameworks and introduced Module II
degrees to cope with the rapidly growing
demand for higher education in Kenya.
Currently, there are more than 200 different
academic programmes being undertaken
at UoN. Through its Module II programme
for continuing education, UoN opened up
invaluable opportunities for Kenyans and
people from other countries to access
academic and research programmes in
order to improve their education and better
their living standards.
History
The idea of an institution of higher learning
was first mooted in 1947, when the colonial
administration drew up a plan for the
setting up of a technical and commercial
institute in Nairobi.
By 1949, the plan had grown into an East
African concept, with the aim of providing
qualified manpower for the entire region.
In September 1951, a Royal Charter was
issued to the Royal Technical College
of East Africa, with the laying of the
foundation stone taking place in April 1952.
In the same period, the Asian community
in East Africa had been planning to set up
a college of arts, sciences and commerce
as a memorial to the revered Mahatma
Gandhi.
In order to avoid duplication of effort, the
Gandhi Memorial Academy Society agreed
to merge its plan with those of the colonial
governments in East Africa to form the Royal
Technical College of East Africa in April 1954.
The new institution opened its doors for the
first intake of students in April 1956.
A working party under the chairmanship of the
Vice-Chancellor of the University of London,
Sir John Lockwood, was formed and, through
its recommendations, the Royal Technical
College of East Africa was transformed and
became a university college under the name
Royal College Nairobi, on 25th June, 1961.
offered non-university courses were turned
The new college in Nairobi was still entitled into campuses or constituent colleges of the
to a special relationship with the University University of Nairobi.
of London, whereupon it started preparing
students in the faculties of arts, science, UoN has undergone a major restructuring
and engineering for degrees awarded by the since 1983, resulting in decentralisation of
University of London. On 20th May 1964, the faculties and divisions through the creation of
Royal College Nairobi was renamed University six separate colleges. Further expansion has
College Nairobi as a constituent college of resulted in the establishment of campuses
the inter-territorial Federal University of East both in and outside Nairobi.
Africa, and henceforth the enrolled students
were to study for degrees of the University In addition to the regular, evening and
of East Africa rather than the University of weekend programmes, classes are conducted
London. at the university’s Extra Mural Centres located
in provincial headquarters and other major
In 1970, as the three countries of the then urban centres. The University is proud of
East African Community grew further apart its distinguished record of achievements
in their socio-economic and political outlook, in teaching, research, development and
University College Nairobi transformed itself consultancy while strategising for a greater
into the first national university in Kenya and future as the East, Central and Horn of Africa
was renamed the University of Nairobi. Rapid centre of academic, research and professional
expansion, both in the number of students excellence.
from all the three East African countries
and the physical facilities, followed and
continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Tel: +254-20-318262
Several institutions within Nairobi that had www.uonbi.ac.ke
Best of Kenya 167
 Maseno: A Fountain of Excellence
Education and Training

Vision
To be a Centre of Excellence in training, research and development.

Mission
The Mission of the University is to foster and develop academic
excellence in basic and applied research at all levels of study by training
practice-oriented manpower, who can contribute effectively to social,
intellectual and academic development in the community, the nation and
the community of nations.

Core Values • Excellence in all its endeavours

• An equal opportunity institution which is open to all
qualified persons without distinction of ethnic origin, sex,
sect or creed and no barrier based on any such distinction
being imposed upon any person as a condition of his/
her becoming or continuing to be a professor, lecturer,
graduate or student of the University, or his/her holding
any office therein
• Integrity, transparency and accountability in all its
undertakings Maseno became a full-fledged University
in 2001, 11 years after its establishment as a Constituent
College of Moi University. After seven years of existence
the University now boasts a number of well-conceived
faculties, schools and academic departments offering
a variety of degrees and diplomas in the arts and social

168 Best of Kenya

 sciences as well as the biological and
physical sciences.
Maseno University’s motto is, “a fountain
of excellence”. It has been a reservoir of
knowledge since its establishment as a
constituent college of Moi University. It is
arguably the only institution of higher learning
around the world that is situated astride the
Equator.
The sprawling twin main campuses of the
university, referred to as College Campus and
Siriba Campus, are situated adjacent to each
other on opposite sides of the road around
25 kilometres from Kisumu City along the
main highway to Busia and on to Uganda.
They are located among the picturesque
rocky hills and lush green valleys of an area
known as Maseno, close to the shores of
Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water
lake in the world after Lake Superior.
As one of the fastest growing public
academic institutions in Kenya, Maseno
University has recently established a third
campus – City Campus – which is located in
the central business district of Kisumu City.
Academic programmes
The University offers market-driven academic
and professional programmes that include the
latest in information technology and computer
applications. Technological, structural, and
methodological innovativeness is at the core
of all academic programmes at the University.
It is worth noting that all degree programmes
at Maseno University have the component of
IT (information technology). This is to keep
pace with current trends in the world, where
IT skills are indispensable in the job market.
It therefore does not matter whether one is
taking Physics or Eco-tourism, Hotel and
Institution Management or History, at Maseno
University; the programmes are all with IT
component. This has advantaged Maseno
University graduates a great deal in the job
market.
The Faculties and Schools at the University
currently include the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences; the Faculty of Education;
the Faculty of Science; the School of
Environment and Earth Sciences; the
School of Public Health and Community
Development; the School of Development
and Strategic Studies; and the School of
Graduate Studies.
Maseno University is the only public
academic institution that does not carry out
two separate programmes for regular (or
government sponsored) and the so-called
“parallel” (or self-sponsored) students as they
are known in other Kenyan public universities,
since both attend the same classes under the
same academic staff. The University simply
refers to the self-sponsored as “direct intake”
students.
Apart from the programmes listed below,
plans are underway for the establishment of
the School of Medicine and the School of
Fisheries and Marine Engineering.
Physical expansion
One of the most imposing recent additions
to the fast expanding Maseno University is
the Kisumu City Campus, situated at the
very centre of the lakeside metropolis. It is an
impressive 14-storey structure that Maseno
University recently acquired.
The City Campus also houses an annex
known as the Maseno Information
Technology Centre (MITC), which offers a
wide variety of IT and computer courses. The
MITC is the largest and most sophisticated
IT and computer centre in Kisumu City at the
moment. It attracts a large number of full-
time and part-time students.
Maseno University is also the only institution
of higher learning in Kenya that can boast
ownership and management a tourist class
hotel, the Kisumu Hotel, within the lakeside
city. It has excellent accommodation and
conference facilities capable of hosting
up to 120 guests. The modern conference
complex, just behind the hotel, offers a
number of meeting halls and equipment that
can host several meetings and conferences
simultaneously. The Conference Complex
can hold up to 600 conference delegates.
New projects
Among the new projects currently in
progress are: the expansion of student and
staff accommodation facilities through the
construction of innovative self-contained
living quarters where students will have their
own built-in kitchens and the expansion of
lecture halls, science laboratories and office
space.
The University also has a number of
educational as well as income generating
projects. They include a large well maintained
farm for various crops, a medium-sized
dairy plant, a poultry enterprise, a large tree
nursery, a forest for wood and a botanical
garden for plants with medicinal value. Plans
are at an advanced stage to start a bio-fuels
research and production centre for both the
University and the surrounding community.
The foundations have already been laid for
the construction of a giant library that will be
among the best in the world.
Administration
Maseno University has a well defined
administrative and academic structure under
the guidance of the University Council, which
is ably headed by its Chairman, Prof. Nimrod
Bwibo, MBChB (EA), MPH (Berkeley), FAAD
(USA) MRCP (London), Hon.D.Sc (Egerton),
EBS.
The administration of the University is headed
by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Frederick N.
Onyango, Fil.Kand and MSc (Uppsala),
PhD (London, UK), FKNAS, EBS, MBS, SS.
Under the leadership of Prof. Onyango,
Maseno University has registered numerous
achievements that include expansion of
both the human capacity base and physical
facilities. Maseno University is undertaking a
number of projects that are of direct benefit to
the surrounding community.
The forward looking and energetic
administration under the leadership of Prof.
Onyango is constantly seeking various means
Best of Kenya 169

to transform Maseno University into a hub of
research and innovation, not only in Kenya
but throughout the eastern African region.
The University is well placed to play a major
role in development and the uplifting of living
standards of the people of Kenya and other
parts of the African continent.
The Vice-Chancellor is assisted in his
administrative duties by three Deputy Vice-
Chancellors, Prof. Dominic W. Makawiti
(Academic Affairs), BSc (UoN), S1 Teacher
Cert. (KSTC), PhD (Kings College); Prof. Mary
K. Walingo (Administration & Finance), BEd
(Kenyatta) MSc (UoN), PhD (Hyderabad); and
Prof. Stephen G. Agong (Planning, Research
& Extension Services), BSc, MSc (UoN), PhD
(Justus, Germany).
The future
With highly flexible study schemes, Maseno
University is now poised for greater
achievements as it lays out meticulous plans
for a brighter future as an institution for
academic excellence in Kenya and beyond.
170 Best of Kenya
Currently the following are the degree
programmes offered at Maseno University:
Undergraduate programmes
• Bachelor of Arts (with IT)
• Bachelor of Business Administration (with
IT)
• BA in Sociology and Anthropology (with IT)
• BA in Interior Design (with IT)
• BA (Communication and Media Technology
with IT)
• BA (Drama and Theatre Studies with IT)
• BA in Urban and Regional Planning (with IT)
• BA in Development Studies (with IT)
• BA in International Relations and
Diplomacy (with IT)
• BA in Political Science (with IT)
• Bachelor of Arts in Music (with IT)
• Bachelor of Arts in Textile, Apparel Design
and Fashion
• Studies (with IT)
• Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies (with
IT)
• Bachelor of Arts in Economics (with IT)
• Bachelor of Arts Education with IT
(Sandwich/Regular)
• BSc in Biomedical Sciences and
Technology (with IT)
• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of
Surgery (MBChB) (with IT)
• BSc (Applied Statistics with IT)
• BSc (Actuarial Sciences with IT)
• BSc (Computer Science and Technology)
• Bachelor of Science in Information and
Communication
• Technology Management (BScICTM) at IAT
• BSc Education (with IT)
• BSc (Horticulture with IT)
• BSc (Eco-tourism, Hotel and Institution
Management with IT)
• Bachelor of Science (with IT)
• Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and
Dietetics (with IT)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (with IT)
• Bachelor of Environmental Science (with IT)
• Bachelor of Earth Science (with IT)
• Bachelor of Special Needs Education (with IT)
• Bachelor of Arts Education with IT
(Sandwich/Regular)
Postgraduate programmes
• Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning
& Management
• PGD in Computer Science
• Postgraduate Diploma in Education
• MA in International Relations
• MA in Political Science
• MA in Human Resource Management
• MA in Social Development & Management
• MA in History
• MA in Kiswahili
• MA in Linguistics
• MA in French
• MA in Religion
• MA in Theology
• MA in Geography
• MA in Philosophy
• MA in Literary Studies
Maseno university quality policy
Maseno University is committed to quality
through teaching, research and development;
providing timely services to foster and
develop academic excellence in basic and
applied research at all levels of study by
training practice-oriented manpower, to
contribute effectively to social, intellectual
and academic development. The University
is committed to communicating exhaustively
with its customers, and internally with
its employees, to continually improve its
services, products, processes, methods, and
work environment to ensure each customer
is receiving the highest quality service or
product at the committed cost and on time.
In order to realize this commitment the
University Management will monitor and
review its quality performance from time to
time through implementation of an effective
quality management system based on the ISO
9001: 2000 standard.
• MA in Music History
• MA in Music Education
• MA in Creative and Performing Arts (Music
and Theatre Studies)
• MA in Women in History
• MA in Ethnomusicology
• MA in Economics
• MA in Project Planning & Management
• Master of Business Administration (Thesis
option/Project option)
• MPH in Management of Health Systems
• MPH in Epidemiology and Population
Health
• MPH in Health Promotion & International
Health
• MSc in Urban Planning & Environmental
• Management
• MSc in Biomedical Science & Technology
• MSc in Community Nutrition &
Development
• MSc in Cell & Molecular Biology
• MSc in Aquatic Sciences
• MSc in Theoretical Physics
• MSc in Chemistry
• MSc in Agro Forestry
• MSc in Plant Biochemistry & Physiology
• MSc in Plant Taxonomy & Economic
Botany
• MSc in Plant Pathology
• MSc in Microbiology
• MSc in Genetics
• MSc in Plant Breeding
• MSc in Plant Ecology
• MSc in Pure Mathematics
• MSc in Applied Mathematics
• MSc in Applied Statistics
• MSc in Horticulture
• MSc in Hospitality Management
• MSc in Developmental Botany
• MSc in Environmental Horticulture
• MSc in Floriculture
• MSc in Olericulture
• MSc in Physiology and Biochemistry
• MSc in Pomology
• MSc in Soil and Water Management
• MSc in Zoology
• MSc in Family Development and
Technology
• MSc in Physics
• MSc in Urban Environmental Planning and
Management
• MSc in Nutritional Science
• MSc in Apparel Design
• MSc in Textile Sciences & Conservation
• MSc in Fashion Merchandising
• MEd in Educational Psychology
• MEd in Planning & Economics of Education
• MEd in Creative Arts Education
• MEd in Language Education
• MEd in Educational Administration
• MEd in Special Education
• MEd in Curriculum Studies
• MEd in Pedagogy
• MEd in Educational Technology
• MEd in Guidance and Counseling
• PhD in International Relations
• PhD in Planning
• PhD in Philosophy
• PhD in Religion
• PhD in Music History
• PhD in Music Education
• PhD in Ethnomusicology
• PhD in Economics
• PhD in Linguistics
• PhD in Kiswahili
• PhD in French
• PhD in Planning and Economics of
Education
• PhD in History
• PhD in Business Administration
• PhD in Special Needs Education
• PhD in Biomedical Science & Technology
• PhD in Public Health
• PhD in Community Nutrition and
Development
• PhD in Horticulture
• PhD in Mathematics
• PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology
• PhD in Chemistry
• PhD in Botany
• PhD in Aquatic Sciences
• PhD in Physics
• PhD in Biomedical Science and Technology
• PhD in Educational Communication &
Technology
• PhD in Curriculum Studies
• PhD in Special Needs Education
• PhD in Psychology
• PhD in Guidance and Counseling
• PhD in Educational Administration
• PhD in Evaluation of Educational
Programmes
Tel: +254-057- 351620
www.maseno.ac.ke
Maseno is a top university as exemplified
by its recently being placed seventh in
performance contracting among the over 150
Kenyan corporations that signed Performance
Contracts with the Government of Kenya.
If only the universities in Kenya are to be
considered among the corporations, then
Maseno University is third. The University
has won awards in the Total ECO-Challenge
Kenya project for three consecutive years
for protecting our environment by planting
trees. All these achievements are within a
short span of seven years of the University’s
existence as a fully fledged Institution of
Higher Learning. Moreover, with regard to
Quality Assurance among the East African
universities, Maseno University was recently
ranked second according to criteria set out by
the 22 participating universities.
Best of Kenya 171
 The rise and rise of the Catholic
Education and Training
University of Eastern Africa
The biggest private university in the eastern Africa region and it
is still growing in terms of student numbers, faculties, facilities
and campuses.
What began as a humble college of theology with only 22
students has not only developed into the Catholic University of
Eastern Africa (CUEA) with a sterling reputation to match, but
also a standing that is anchored in the quality of education the
institution offers and the international composition of its student
community.
Popularly known by its acronym of CUEA, the university has
vastly expanded its physical facilities and capacity to meet the
challenge of growing student enrolment, itself a clear indication
of the confidence the students and communities have in the
institution’s academic programmes.
These programmes are grounded in the varied and changing
demands of society and Church for which CUEA seeks to train
personnel. The programmes are also anchored in the objective
172 Best of Kenya
of provision of quality and holistic education that adequately
prepares students for such service. They are also in tandem
with CUEA’s scripture-based theme of consecrating students in
the truth as did Jesus with His disciples.
When launching the University’s year-long Silver Jubilee
celebrations in February 2009, the Vice-Chancellor, the Rev
Prof John Maviiri, was clear that the difference CUEA alumni
are making in societies and church in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania,
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe attest to the
quality of education offered by the university.
CUEA seeks to prepare leaders who are distinguished both
by their academic and professional expertise and by high
moral standards. The various faculties dedicate themselves
to educating and training students in scientific methods
of research, both in theory and practice,
to enable graduates to contribute more
meaningfully to the cultural, scientific and
economic development of societies.
The eight countries which CUEA serves
are members of the regional Association of
Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern
Africa (AMECEA), but students and staff are
drawn from as far afield as Nigeria, South
Africa and beyond, giving the university its
enviable international character.
This is important in the sense that CUEA
students are exposed to cultures that are as
rich and as diverse as their own. This enables
them to get a better understanding of their
fellow countrymen and women as well as
their neighbours, African brothers and sisters
and the international teachers who train them
to think and how to solve challenges and
problems that beset them, their communities
and countries.
In this regard, it is also important to note
that while CUEA is a Catholic university, its
students and staff are drawn from varied
religious backgrounds. The University’s policy
is to admit all applicants irrespective of their
religious backgrounds as long as they meet
the requirements set by the institution for
admission. However, students are expected
to respect Catholic teaching and practice.
CUEA in 2004 established the Office of
Academic Linkages, which has seen the
University forge beneficial partnerships with
reputable institutions around the world and
with key associations such as the Association
of African Universities (AAU), International
Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU),
Association of Commonwealth Universities
(ACU), Inter-University Council of East
Africa (IUCEA), International Association
of Universities (IAU) and the Association of
Catholic Universities and Higher Institutes of
Africa and Madagascar.
CUEA has invested heavily in information
communication technology (ICT) in its
endeavour to have this sector support
academic excellence and promote global best
practice in the University.
The autonomous ICT Department was
inaugurated in September of 2007 in line
with CUEAS’s Strategic Development Plan
of 2001 to 2011 to raise the status of the
University’s ICT systems and ensure that
CUEA remains relevant and competitive in the
higher education sector. This is why the ICT
Department is at the forefront of new media
development for CUEA.
Indeed, CUEA aims at becoming a paperless
institution and to become leaders in
innovation in the education sector. This
is a vision that is driven by the Integrated
Management System (IMIS) which covers the
three primary areas of academics, library and
finance. students while students are able to readily
access lecture materials and lecturers in a
The IMIS system helps CUEA manage virtual classroom.
various library processes, including book
borrowing, cataloguing and inventory. It As part of CUEA’s 25th anniversary
has improved revenue collection through celebrations and as a pointer to its future, the
enhanced debt collection. Thanks to IMIS the University opened the ultra-modern KSh300
University’s business processes have been million Kozlowiecki Hall at the centre of its
vastly improved and been documented both new campus, which houses lecture halls,
manually and in electronic format. science laboratories and Kenya’s largest moot
court, among other facilities.
Again owing to IMIS’s e-learning system,
lecturers are able to post notes, assignments Tel: +254-20-891601
and course projects as well as chat with www.cuea.edu
Best of Kenya 173
 KU Honoured as Best Managed Centre of
Education and Training

Academic Excellence
Kenyatta University was in 2008 ranked by the Government of Kenya as the
best- run public university thus confirming its position as a leading academic
institution providing quality education and training in the region.

The Chairman of Council, Prof. Onesmo ole-MoiYoi (4th right) and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olive Mugenda (centre holding the trophy) pose for a group photograph
with members of staff and students after the University was declared the best State Corporation in Performance Contracting out of 124 state corporations in the
2006/2007 performance contract evaluation.

Over the years, KU has earned an enviable reputation for being a centre of excellence in research, teaching, learning and exemplary
service to society. Also In June 2008, Kenyatta University became the first public university in Kenya to obtain the internationally
recognised ISO 9001:2000 certification in Quality Management Systems (QMS).

As a result of this, academic programmes offered at Kenyatta University are some of the most sought-after courses, not only in
Kenya, but throughout the East and Central African region.

174 Best of Kenya

Prof. Olive Mugenda, PhD, EBS, Vice Chancellor,
Kenyatta University, made history by becoming
the first woman VC of a public university.
The appointment of the VC was through a
competitive process.

History

Kenyatta University traces its history back to

when it was a colonial military barracks known
as the Templer Barracks. In 1965 Templer
Barracks was converted into Kenyatta
University College, primarily a teacher training
institution. Kenyatta University College (KUC)
was elevated to a constituent college of the
University of Nairobi in 1970.

In 1985 KUC was inaugurated by the then

President, Daniel Moi, and was renamed
Kenyatta University. This was done through
enactment of the Kenyatta University Act by
the Kenya National Assembly. Its separation
from the University of Nairobi was the start of
a major shift in focus from an institution that
primarily trained graduate teachers to a fully
fledged university offering other programmes
as well.

The rapid development witnessed at KU

in the last few years is grounded in its ten-
year Strategic and Vision Plan (2005-2015).
This visionary document outlines clearly the
University’s ambition to remain competitive,
and an endeavour to help achieve the national The Kenyatta University monument – The Fountain of Knowledge.
goals of eradicating ignorance and providing
highly skilled and competent manpower in
various fields.

Academic Programmes

Kenyatta University is the second largest

university in Kenya. The University offers
various certificate, diploma, undergraduate
and postgraduate programmes in its fourteen
(14) Schools, namely;

• School of Education
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• School of Health Sciences
• School of Business
• School of Economics
• School of Pure and Applied Sciences
• School of Applied Human Sciences Views of the new Northcoast Beach Hotel. It will be used for practical training for the students in the School
• School of Engineering and Technology of Hospitality and Tourism.

Best of Kenya 175

Education and Training
The architectural impression of the proposed post-modern Library. Construction is ongoing.
• School of Agriculture and Enterprise
Development
• School of Visual and Performing Arts
• School of Law
• School of Environmental Studies
• School of Hospitality and Tourism
Management and
• Graduate School that co-ordinates all
postgraduate programmes.
Modes of study
The University offers a wide range of
programmes through various modes of
learning which suit different categories of
learners. These are
• Full-time residential programmes.
• Open/distance learning,
• e-learning,
• school-based,
• part-time
As a result of flexibility in these learning
modes coupled with the enhanced
infrastructure in the University, the enrolment
of students has grown from 6,000 in 1999 to
over 25,000 in 2009.
Ten (10) reasons making KU the University
of Choice
1. World-Class University Education
2. Excellent Career opportunities for our
graduates
3. Impressive physical environment
conducive for learning, research and
social life
4. Flexible modes of learning
5. Diverse Student and Community Support
Services
6. Teaching Excellence
7. Modern state-of-the-art learning
resources and study facilities
176 Best of Kenya
8. Highly Competitive, industry-current
programmes
9. Growing Campus Network
10. Strong Emphasis on Innovative Research
and Knowledge Transfer
Current Initiatives
The expansion of Kenyatta University has
been truly phenomenal especially in the
past three years. It is worth noting here that
the University recently acquired a hotel, the
Northcoast Beach Hotel to be used as a
training facility for the students in the School
of Hospitality and Tourism and as a source of
the much needed income to the University.
ICT Infrastructure
KU has a campus-wide fibre-optic
technology ICT infrastructure that includes
a campus network based on, wide access
to the internet for both students and staff
to facilitate research, communication and
learning. Another milestone in ICT at the
University is the completion in 2009 of a
3-storey 600-seater Students’ Computer
Centre, with brand new state-of-the-art
computers.
School of Health Sciences
With the establishment of the School
of Health Sciences and programmes in
medicine, pharmacy and Public Health, the
University has completed the construction
of the Human Anatomy Laboratory that also
houses the Thika Road Funeral Services.
The University has also made substantial
progress towards the establishment of a
teaching and referral hospital which will be
the first of its kind in the region managed
by the University for teaching, research and
referral.
Infrastructure development
Last year, the University also completed the
construction of a Science Laboratory to be
used by students in the Pure and Applied
Sciences. In the same year, the University
constructed the Arts Complex – a facility that
hosts lecturers’ offices, computer laboratories
and lecture theaters. At the moment,
various projects are underway including the
construction of the Students’ Centre, the
School of Engineering complex, a new state-
of-the-art automated library and more lecture
theatres and hostels.
VISION AND MISSION
Our Mission
To provide quality education and training,
through knowledge generation, research,
innovation, creativity and community service.
Our Vision
To be a dynamic, inclusive and globally
competitive centre of excellence in the
provision of quality education and research
for sustainable development.
Our identity
Kenyatta University is a community of
scholars committed to the generation and
dissemination of knowledge, and cultivation
of wisdom for the welfare of society.
Our Philosophy
Sensitivity and responsiveness to societal
needs and the right of every person to
knowledge.
Key priority areas of the University’s
Strategic Plan (2005-2015)
1. Academic Programmes for Sustainable
Development
2. Enhancing Research, Science,
Technology and Innovation for societal
development
3. Increasing Access and Equity in higher
education
4. Quality and Relevance of Academic
programmes
5. Institutional Management and Capacity
Building
6. Information and Communications
Technology (ICT)
7. Improving Physical Infrastructure and
Facilities
8. Customer Focus Internal & External
9. Financial Sustainability
10. Monitoring and Evaluation of Institutional
performance
The new Human Anatomy Laboratory and the Thika Road Funeral Services.
Kenyatta University’s Core Values

(i) Truth: Kenyatta University will encourage

freedom of thought and expression
of opinion. Intellectual and moral
commitment to the pursuit of truth will
continue to guide research, dissemination
of knowledge and interpersonal
relationships, both locally and
internationally.
(ii) Excellence: In an effort to achieve its
vision, Kenyatta University is determined
to produce graduates capable of meeting
the challenges of the 21st Century.
(iii) Creativity: To cope with the constant
change and challenges, the University will
endeavour to cultivate creativity among
staff and students. Creative people are
flexible, adaptable and imaginative in
anticipating and responding to situations
as they unfold.
(iv) Self-Reliance: The University will strive
to ensure that its graduates become
independent workers, thinkers, job
creators and well-grounded individuals
in line with vision 2030. In addition,
the University will strive to create an
independent financial base, as well as
having an innovative and well motivated
workforce.
(v) Innovation: The heart of innovation is
continuous renewal and betterment of
existing situations. Innovation will be a
key driver for institutional competitiveness
and service. Kenyatta University will use
innovative approaches in teaching and
learning, in an effort to transform learners
into creative thinkers.
(vi) Relevance:. Kenyatta University is
determined to make its academic
programmes relevant. The aim is to
address regional and global challenges
and to play a significant role in national
development, with specific reference
to the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) and Vision 2030 targets.
(vii) Equal Opportunity: Kenyatta University
will strive to be an equal opportunity
institution where all persons are regarded
equally in terms of student admission,
staff-recruitment, resource allocation and
promotions.
(viii) Professionalism: . Kenyatta University
will promote professionalism at all levels
of its operations so as to realise its vision
and mission.
(ix) Moral Integrity: Kenyatta University will
strive to enhance interpersonal relations
among staff and students.. The key
values that the institution will strive
to institute include integrity, honesty,
tolerance and mutual respect.
(x) Democratisation: This will be enhanced
through inclusive participation in
decision-making and management. The
principles of responsibility, accountability
and academic freedom will be promoted
at all levels.
(xi) Corporate Governance: Kenyatta
University will adopt efficient and
effective business principles The
University will strive to institutionalise a
corporate culture in the management of
resources, and in all the decision-making
processes.
(xii) Institutional Culture: To distinguish itself
as a world-class institution, Kenyatta
University will enhance a culture in which
Students in the new Student Computer Centre.
staff and students are responsibly self-
driven as a consequence of internalising
self-prescribed institutional values as
indicated in the Strategic and Vision Plan.
(xiii) Competitiveness: Kenyatta University
aspires to be a University of choice in
terms of attracting quality staff, students
and financial support.
(xiv) Academic Freedom: Kenyatta University
is a community of enquirers where
intellectual liberty to pursue truth
to its logical conclusion is upheld.
The institution is committed to the
enhancement of academic freedom.
(xv) Respect for diversity: Kenyatta University
recognises, respects and encourages
diversities emanating from religion, race,
culture, gender, ethnicity, political and
ideology.
For more information, contact
The Vice-Chancellor
P.O Box 43844-00100, Nairobi.
Website: www.ku.ac.ke
Email: vc@ku.ac.ke
Tel: (+254-20) 8710901-19 Ext.57200
DL. (+254-20) 812676/813459
Fax: (+254-20)8711575

Best of Kenya 177

 Your Breadbasket and Science
Education and Training

Innovation Partner
JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
It is often said that the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology (JKUAT) is the academic symbol of Kenya’s ambitions to join
the ranks of the industrialized and technologically advanced countries. It
is an institution of higher learning with a short but rich history of research,
innovation and high productivity. Students at JKUAT are at the cutting
edge of Kenya’s technological advancement; an academic institution for
entrepreneurs and industrialists.

Three years ago, JKUAT inaugurated its own enterprise
company – JKUAT enterprise Limited – whose main purpose
is to promote and encourage industrial and business ventures.
The University is now engaged in a number of profitable
industrial and business venture producing a number of highly
valued products for the local and international markets, ranging
from computer assembly (under the brand name Emado) and
design of software (EstateXpress and NOVA University ERP) to
the production of fruit juices and mushroom spawns (seeds).
The University’s engineering faculty has made a number
of breakthroughs, including the design and production of
simple tractors and trailers for the small-scale farmer to
motorized bicycles and other transport equipment. Only a
few of the products and machinery have gone into full-scale
mass production but there is high potential to propel Kenya’s
industrialization process through collaboration with private
enterprise.
Situated in Juja, 36 kilometres northeast of Nairobi, along the
Nairobi-Thika Highway, JKUAT started in 1981 as a middle-
level college (the Jomo Kenyatta College of Agriculture and
Technology [JKCAT]) by the Government of Kenya, with the
assistance of the Japanese Government. In 1978, President

178 Best of Kenya

Prof Mabel Imbuga
Jomo Kenyatta donated 200 hectares of
farmland for the establishment of the college
which is now charting Kenya’s path towards
technological advancement as a leading
local and regional technological academic
institution.
JKCAT admitted its first batch of diploma
students in the fields of Agricultural
Engineering, Food Technology and
Horticulture in May 1981. They graduated
at the institution’s inaugural graduation
ceremony in April 1984. On 1st September
1988, JKCAT formally became a constituent
College of Kenyatta University and the
name officially changed to Jomo Kenyatta
University College of Agriculture and
Technology (JKUCAT).
The institution was transformed into an
autonomous university – Jomo Kenyatta
University of Agriculture and Technology
(JKUAT) – in 1994 through an Act of
Parliament. Since then, JKUAT students’
population has continued to swell from a
paltry figure of less than 2,000 in 1994 to over
15,000 students now, located on the main
campus at Juja, with the three campuses of
Karen, Nairobi and Taita Taveta.
Some students attend lectures at colleges in
the Nairobi and Mombasa central business
districts as well as 32 other centres spread
around the country. Several technology and
engineering research projects are currently
taking place at JKUAT that could prove to
be of great importance, not only to Kenya
but to the entire African continent and other
developing countries. Much of the research
effort is going into the design and production
of cheap but efficient agricultural machinery,
transport equipment and energy apparatus.
The programmes on offer are unique, with
a majority of them market-driven. The
suitability of the courses on the job market
has been well researched in collaboration
with stakeholders who also provide the
much-needed industrial attachment to
students.
This makes JKUAT graduates
exceptionally flexible and easily absorbed
in the labour market. Furthermore
JKUAT has forged partnerships and
linkages with a number of research and
academic institutions locally as well as
internationally, all aimed at enhancing
training and research capacity through
sharing of resources and experiences
for mutual benefit. More than 50 such
collaborations currently exist.
Our Programmes:
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
• Diploma in Food Technology
• B Sc. Food Science & Post harvest
Technology
• B Sc. Food Science & Nutrition
• B Sc. Horticulture
• B Sc. Environmental, Horticulture and
Landscaping Technology
• B Sc. (Animal Health, Production and
Processing)
• B Sc. (Land Resource Planning and
Management)
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
• B.Sc. Electrical & Electronic Engineering
• B.Sc. Electrical and Computer Engineering
• B.Sc. Telecommunication & Information
Engineering
• B.Sc. Geomatic Engineering & Geospatial
Information Systems
• B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering
• B.Sc. Mechatronic Engineering
• B.Sc. Mining & Mineral Processing
Engineering
• B.Sc. Civil Engineering
• B.Sc. Soil , Water and Environmental
Engineering
• B.Sc. Biomechanical and Processing
Engineering
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING
SCIENCES (SABS)
• Diploma in Architecture
• Bachelor of Architecture
• Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
• Bachelor of Construction Management
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
• Bridging Certificate in Mathematics/
Physics/Biology/ Chemistry
• Bachelor of Science Options: Chemistry/
Physics/ Mathematics/Pure and
Applied Mathematics/Statistics and
Actuarial Sciences/ Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology/Botany (Microbiology,
Biotechnology, Plant Pathology)
• B Sc. Analytical Chemistry
• B Sc Chemistry (Business Option)
• B Sc. Industrial Chemistry
• B Sc. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
• B Sc. Biotechnology
• B Sc. Medical Microbiology
• B Sc. Mathematics and Computer Science
• B Sc. Actuarial Science
• B Sc Financial Engineering
• B Sc. Control and Instrumentation
• B Sc Crop Protection
SCHOOL FOR HUMAN RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT (SHRD)
• Diploma in Purchasing and Supplies
Management
Best of Kenya 179
 • Diploma in Business Administration
• Diploma in Mass Communication
• Diploma in Community Development
• Diploma in Marketing
• Diploma in Business Information
Technology
• Diploma in Public Relations, Advertising &
Sales
• Diploma in Microfinance
• Diploma in Human Resource Management
• Bachelor of Purchasing and Supplies
Management
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Business Information
Technology
• Bachelor of Cooperative Business
• Bachelor of Commerce and Business
Prof Ali Mazrui Administration
• Management and Leadership at KIM
• Bachelor of Development studies
• Bachelor of Mass Communication
• Postgraduate Diploma in conflict resolution
and negotiation skills
• Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship
• Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource
management
• Postgraduate Diploma in Management of
Non-Profit Organizations
• Postgraduate Diploma in Project
Management
180 Best of Kenya
INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE &
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICSIT)
AND JKUAT IT CENTRE
• Certificate in Information Technology
• Certificate in Management and
Information Technology
• Diploma in Information Technology
• Diploma in Management and
Information Technology
• B Sc. Computer Science
• B Sc. Computer Technology
• B Sc. Information Technology
INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL MEDICINE
AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE (ITROMID)
• Certificate in HIV/AIDS Management
and Counseling
• Diploma in HIV/AIDS Management and
counseling
• Diploma Clinical Medicine
• B Sc. Medical Laboratory Sciences
INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY (IEET)
Short Courses
• Environmental Impact Assessment and
Environmental Audit
• Environmental leadership Program
• Occupational safety, Health and
Environment
• Biogas Energy Technology
• Cleaner Production, Pollution, and Waste
Management
• Solar Energy Technology
• Energy Management
• Wind Energy Management.
INSTITUTE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH (IBR)
Short Courses
• Certificate in Basic Microbiological
Techniques
• Certificate in Molecular Biology
• Certificate in Bio-informatics
• Certificate in Plant Cell Tissues & Organ
culture
• Certificate in Biosafety & Risk Assessment,
Biopolicy and Bioethics
JKUAT KAREN CAMPUS
• Bridging Certificate in Mathematics,
Biology and Chemistry (Full Time)
• Certificate in Information Technology (Full
time)
• Diploma in Information Technology
• Diploma in Business Administration
• Diploma in Mass Communication
• Diploma in Business Information
Technology
• Diploma in Purchasing and Supplies
Management
• Diploma in Retail Management
• Bachelor of Science in Information
Technology -Stage I
• Bachelor of Science Actuarial Science
• B.Sc. Mathematics and Computer Science
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Business Information
Technology
• Bachelor of Purchasing and Supplies
Management
• Bachelor of Mass Communication
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
JKUAT NAIROBI CAMPUS
• Bridging Certificate in Mathematics (BCM)
• Certificate in Information Technology
• Certificate n Computer Technology
• Diploma in Information Technology
• Diploma Computer Technology
• Diploma in Purchasing and
Supplies Management (part time)
• B Sc. Computer Technology
• B Sc. Computer Science
• B Sc. Actuarial Science
• Bachelor of Science Information
Technology
• Bachelor of Commerce (BCOM - Full Time
• Bachelor of Commerce (BCOM) - Part
Time
• Bachelor of Purchasing and Supplies
Management (part time)
JKUAT TAITA TAVETA CAMPUS
• Bridging Certificate in Mathematics,
• B Sc. Mining & Mineral Processing
Engineering
• Bachelor of Purchasing & Supplies
Management
• Bachelor of Commerce
• B Sc. Mathematics & Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Information
Technology
JKUAT has a wide range of M.Sc and Ph.D.
degree programs in most of its faculties
and departments. Applications should
be addressed to the Director, Board of
Postgraduate Programs, JKUAT, P.O. BOX
62000 00200 Nairobi. Check out our website
for more details. www.jkuat.ac.ke
Our Vision
To be an institution of global Excellence
in Training, Research and Innovation for
Development
Our Mission
To offer accessible quality training, research,
and innovation in order to produce leaders
in the fields of Agriculture, Engineering,
Technology, Enterprise Development, Health
and other Applied Sciences to suit the needs
of a dynamic world.
ISO Certification 9001:2008
JKUAT is the first university in Kenya to attain
the 9001: 2008 ISO certifications in July 2009
for its Quality Management System which is a
bold statement of the university’s commitment
to quality provision of service in line with
international standards. In addition, JKUAT
launched the Quality Assurance Policy in July
2009 again emerging as the first university
in Kenya to do so , to ensure that the quality
of learning, teaching and research activities
maintain the aspiration of excellence in
compliance with dynamic market demands of
the education sector.
Tel: +254-067-52711
www.jkuat.ac.ke
Best of Kenya 181
 Designed to excel, keen to lead
Education and Training

The essence of Makini Schools is excellence in both

academic and co-curricular areas.

Makini’s guiding philosophy is to provide holistic education

based on Christian values in a supportive and pleasant
environment.

Makini excels in academic performance, leading with
impressive results in national examinations and outstanding
performances in sports and other co-curricular activities.
This is not by default but by design. The Makini Schools’
motto – Fanya kwa Makini – is Kiswahili for Work with
Diligence. Every school programme and project is
deliberate, planned and purposeful.
policy formation and the guidance of the School.
The teaching staff is well-qualified and highly motivated.
Teachers are friendly, caring and enjoy their work. Teaching
is pupil-centred. Lessons are focussed and inter-active with
a view to fostering a love for learning. Progress is carefully
monitored at all levels and teachers work closely with
parents.

Makini has an excellent Board of Directors comprising highly Makini is all about pioneering and innovation. It was Makini
esteemed and professional men and women of integrity as that first introduced computers as an educational tool at
well as a very supportive Parents’/Teachers’ Association primary school level in Kenya. The success of Makini is
(PTA). Both the Board and the PTA are very involved in such that many schools, not only in Kenya but also in other

182 Best of Kenya

countries, turn to it for best practices, a
service offered free of charge.
It is a tribute to Makini’s strong mentoring
programme that many of its former staff
have gone on to establish their own
successful schools.
The pursuit of excellence at Makini starts
at pre-school, where the classroom is
reflective of the ethos of learning through
play and practical activity. The primary
school is an exciting, busy and friendly
place for both pupils and staff and ensures
that children learn through experience as
well as having fun.
Makini believes in building high self-esteem
in children and confidence in their abilities
and strengths. It also encourages them to
build friendly and considerate relationships
with one another and with teaching and
non-teaching staff.
Currently, Makini Schools comprise pre-
school; a primary school, a secondary
section and a commercial college. But 30
years ago, it began as nursery school with
just 8 pupils under the leadership of the
late Dr. Pius Okelo and Mrs. Mary Okelo,
the founding Directors. Mrs Okelo is now a
deservedly celebrated and much decorated
icon locally and globally. In 2008, she
was appointed Millennium Development
Ambassador.
Makini is recognized for its consistent
excellent performance in national
examinations and co-curricular activities,
making it a household name in Kenya and
East Africa. From 1985 – the year that
Makini enrolled its first candidates for the
Kenya Certificate of Primary Education
(KCPE) Examinations – results have been
impressive.
It was the start of a history of solid
achievements of which the Makini
community is proud. Makini consistently
heads the examination lists and has
produced top pupils in the country in
KCPE. It made history by becoming the
first – and so far only – school in Kenya to
produce the top girl in the country three
times in a row. In 2000, Makini was not
only No. 1 in the country but also made
history when it won all the trophies in the
Private Schools category at the Provincial
Trophy Awards Ceremony. Since then, it
has been top in the country 5 times and
never been lower than 3rd.
Makini has not only shone academically but
has performed equally well in co-curricular
activities Pupils have represented Kenya
on the national and international scene in
sports such as Rugby, Swimming, Motor
Cross, Tae-kwondo and Chess.
Students regularly win in the annual Music
Festival and Nairobi International Show
as well as competitions in Art, Science
Congresses and Maths Symposia.
The secondary section also does well in
both academic and co-curricular activities.
It has won the award for best mixed private
school in Nairobi three years in a row. It
was also chosen to launch The Global
Travel and Tourism Partnership (GTTP)
programme – the 2nd in Africa.
The College provides professional
qualifications offered by ACCA, CIM and
CIPR. It has also established itself as a
trail-blazer and is the first institution in East
Africa to offer the Chartered Institute of
Public Relations (CIPR) programme.
Makini has won the African Enterprise
Award and was the only educational
institution among the top 100 mid-sized
companies in Kenya in 2008. Makini was
selected as a case study of success at
Columbia University, USA, for their MBA
programme. It is the only school in Kenya
to participate in the Global Fund Project
and facilitated many successful seminars
on HIV/Aids awareness and prevention.
Educational outings form an integral part
of school life. There are visits to parks
and museums, complemented by talks by
artists, authors and motivational speakers.
There are annual trips to countries in Africa,
Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The atmosphere at Makini is a happy
purposeful one. Pupils are cheerful, polite,
articulate and self-confident. They believe
that, once in Makini, they will succeed
and achieve their goals. Consequently, the
School produces high achievers in all fields.
Makini counts among its alumni some of
the best and brightest in Kenya. The Alumni
Association was formed to foster these
linkages.
Kenya’s first woman commercial pilot, Irene
Mutungi, was a Makini product. Freda
Laiboni also became the youngest in Kenya
to receive her pilot’s licence while in Form
4. A former Sports Captain, Leon Adongo,
gained a university scholarship because of
his prowess in Rugby.
The School takes its social responsibility
very seriously and the students are
encouraged to give community service.
Makini sponsors and offers scholarships to
needy children. Students support various
children’s homes and run to raise funds
for charitable causes. They contribute to
famine relief programmes and sponsor
the Rhino Charge and other environment
projects.
Makini promotes the spiritual development
of the children and fosters tolerance for
different religions by encouraging children
to follow the religion of their choice.
The development and training of staff are
integral components of school life. Staff
are encouraged to upgrade their skills and
qualifications and up-date themselves in
their respective areas. Makini conducts
regular in-house seminars and workshops.
Tel: +254-20-3874950
www.makinischool.com
Best of Kenya 183