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It is not for no reason that Kenya is one of the top destinations in Africa—it is jam-packed with beautiful and diverse landscapes, from a tropical coastline dotted with miles of white sand beaches and coral reefs, to spectacular national parks with endless opportunities for safaris. Kenya also contains one of the most colourful arrays of tribal cultures anywhere in Africa. Kenya’s Rift Valley contains prehistoric fossils and other evidence that have continued to delight archaeologists all over the world, ever since Louis Leakey carried out his famous ‘digs’ in the area. Kenya is also one of the most tourist-friendly countries in Africa, despite the political tensions prevailing there.

Kenya is totally geared for the tourist with extensive tourist infrastructure that make it is wonders accessible, and friendly villagers in the countryside who will make your trip an enjoyable one.

The most powerful man in the world, US President Mr Barack Obama is of Kenyan descent. Though Barack Obama has never lived in Kenya his father was very much Kenyan. The Kenyans are justifiably very proud of this fact.

Sailing by ‘dhow’ is an experience not to be missed when in Kenya. Don’t do it if you intend to get anywhere in a hurry. On the other hand, if you are looking for that lazy, drifting boat ride experience, with nothing above you except a blue sky or the stars at night, the message is loud and clear—“GO BY DHOW”! If you are lucky, you may even be treated to an impromptu meal of grilled fish on the dhow, but generally it is a good idea to take drinking water and some food with you. Dhows can be boarded from Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu.

Historically Speaking

Historians believe that our forefathers roamed the area around Lake Turkana in Kenya at least 10-12,000 years ago. The skull and bones of a 2.5 million year old man’s fossil, later named homo habilis, were found by the Leakeys in this area. Similar invaluable evidence has been found about Stone Age civilizations here, establishing the Rift Valley as the Cradle of Mankind. From 5,000 to 3,000 BC, Kenya was inhabited by hunter-gatherer groups, the ancestors of the Boni, Wata and Wariangulu people.

Modern-day tourists are not the first strangers to recognize the wonders of Kenya—migration to this country from all over Africa began from early times, lasting till about the 19th century. The migrating groups include the Cushitic people, the Bantu-speaking people from West Africa and the Nilotic speakers from Southern Sudan attracted by the rich and fertile farm and grazing land. The Kenyan coast has also been witness to shiploads of ancient and medieval tourists, the first recorded evidence being a description of Mombasa by the Diogenes the Greek in 110 AD.

The beginning of the Golden Age of Islam meant the arrival of the Arabs and Persians from about 250 AD, right until the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century. The Portuguese rule proved to be violent and repressive unlike the previous settlers. The first and most illustrious of the Portuguese was Vasco da Gama who, in search of a sea route to India, stopped in Mombasa in 1498, and sacked the town 2 years later. By 1720, however, the unpopular Portuguese had been driven out by the Arabs who retained control of the East African coast until the arrival of the British and Germans in the 19th century.

The Colonial period in Kenya had a quiet start, with the Mazruis of Mombasa inviting British protection against the Omanis. The Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) was set up in 1887 with its headquarters in Mombasa. Following this, the British domination of Kenya was steadily enlarged, helped by the construction of the railway. There was bound to be organized political activity resisting colonial rule, and this came in the form of the first pan-Kenyan nationalist movement—the East African Association—led by Harry Thuku.

But the name that is probably synonymous with the Kenyan nationalist movement is that of Jomo Kenyatta’s. Kenyatta became president of the Kenya African Union (KAU) in 1947 and gained prominence as the one leader who could successfully unite the various ethnic and political factions in Kenya. Before this was unilaterally achieved, however, armed resistance to colonial rule started in the form of the Mau Mau uprising, which lasted from 1952 to 1956. The sheer cost of suppressing this rebellion, which included imprisoning Kenyatta, and the weight of world censure convinced the British government that they had definitely overstayed their welcome in Kenya.

Kenya achieved full independence in 1961, with Kenyatta becoming President. The Kenya African National Union (KANU) fused with other parties, to emerge as the only ruling party. There was opposition to the Kikuyu tribe-dominated KANU by other tribes and factions, especially the Luo tribesmen led by Oginga Odinga. Kenya under KANU was becoming increasingly authoritarian, and till 1992, no other party was allowed to contest elections. Kenyatta died in 1978 to be succeeded by Daniel Arap Moi, who has ruled until 2002 until Mwai Kibaki took over.

Habitat

The equator runs through Kenya! Otherwise, the country can be divided into four geographical zones: the spectacular Rift Valley and central highlands, western Kenya, the hot and muggy but scenic coastal belt, and the semi-arid northern and eastern parts.

Kenya’s flora and fauna are luxurious, and are responsible for drawing several million tourists looking for the ‘Big Five’—lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino. Other species you are likely to encounter are cheetah, gazelle, giraffes, zebra, warthog, flamingo, rock hyrax, ostrich and vulture. In particular, the awe-inspiring annual migration of wildebeest at the Masai Mara National Reserve is not to be missed. The slopes of Mount Elgon and Mount Kenya are covered with abundant vegetation including bamboo, groundsel trees and giant lobelias.

The tourist industry, while providing much needed foreign revenue, can also be the source of environmental problems in many African countries. This is the case in Kenya too, where expansion in size and number of national parks has added to the problem of land availability for the locals. Also, irresponsible tours and tourists have wreaked havoc on the national parks’ ecological systems. Poaching remains a serious problem too. The controversial sacking of Richard Leakey as the man in charge of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) a few years ago has had adverse effects on the anti-poaching efforts of the government. Kenya’s scarce forest cover, at 2%, is also a cause for concern.