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NidalM Photography  /  Blog  /  Travelography  /  A Desi’s Impressions of Kenya

A Desi’s Impressions of Kenya

Posted by on Aug 26th, 2009 | 25 comments

What can one learn by driving through a country for a week? Well admittedly not too much. But here’s a few snapshots (literally!) of the impressions on one desi photographer :)

The major cities of Kenya resemble – dare I say – Pakistan’s. Very metropolitan, yet with a distinct sense of disorder. The multitude of security systems and barbed wires around homes signal a rather high crime rate (perceived at least).

Yet another reason I had a surreal feeling of being back in Desiland… Rikshas! I choked on my water bottle as this one zoomed past. George thought I was crazy.

Kenyan’s themselves are a warm, hospitable, people. You only need to venture outside the major cities to find that in rural areas, they love tourists. In every town we passed through, kids would jump up and down and wave at our safari land cruiser. And if we waved back, they would laugh in glee. I felt like Enrique ;P

There’s white people there too! Mainly descendants from the colonial era of Kenya, these can be commonly found lounging around malls in major urban areas. Guess geographic diversity doesn’t necessarily imply cultural diversity ;P

OMG DESIS! Brought in as slaves (lol!) by the British to build the railways in the 1800s, Indians have since started many businesses in Kenya and tend to be very affluent (wooo! Desis!). Lesson leaned: Don’t use desis as slaves. We’re not really that athletic, we just procrastinate for a few years and then take over your IT industry.

Agriculture remains Kenya’s major industry, with Tourism a close second. They grow everything from tea and vegetables to wheat and corn, the latter which they use to make the country’s staple: Ugali. As someone who’s tried Ugali, here’s some advice: Clear out your schedule before eating the dough. Like Kabsa, the stuff will put you right to sleep!

Christianity is the dominant religion in Kenya, though much of the religion has been adjusted to fit with the culture of the local tribes, including for example, the acceptance of polygamy. One man I met told me about a guy who had 12 wives. Power to him, I don’t think I’d be able to deal with the first crazy woman ;P

That said, a Masjid is never far away in Kenya and driving across one in a rural town is not uncommon (but it lead to moments of utter confusion when we heard the Adhan in the middle of nowhere on our way to Amboseli!).

It looks like Kenya has been gripped int he epic battle between telecom giants. As part of a marketing scheme, the two leading companies, Safaricom and Zain (yes, the KUWAITI Zain), have chosen to paint the buildings across the countryside in their garish green and seizure inducing electric pink. Someone needs to be shot for this.

Roads? Hah! What roads? Venture outside the main cities and major roads are reduced to something put together by a warthog driving a bulldozer (not a good combination I might add, warthogs dont have opposable thumbs). This results in major head trauma as one’s brains are reduced to mush by constant contact with ones skull. This would also explain my sense of humor, except I’ve been like this since much before I went to Kenya.

Ah, an ingredient in every successful relationship ;P Kenyans LOVE Passion-fruit. Only they drop the ‘fruit’ and call it just ‘Passion’. Leads to some very awkward conversations. For the life of me, I didn’t know how to react when our cook, Daniel, asked me “would you like some passion?”. Whoa buddy, slow down! (You gotta wine and dine me first ;P)

Well thats just a sneak peak into what I thought were some real quirks of Kenyan culture :) More posts coming soon!



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  • http://precognitive.wordpress.com/ Qusay

    Good ones… I hope in this procrastination to bring in the photos… you take over the photography industry :)

  • http://precognitive.wordpress.com/ Qusay

    Good ones… I hope in this procrastination to bring in the photos… you take over the photography industry :)

  • Chiara

    Fabulous! And what with that hot pink building and the passion sauce I'm sure it was it was an especially interesting visit!

    You don't like navigating by warthog paths? Has a warthog ever led you astray before? No, I thought not. LOL :) :P :)

  • Chiara

    Fabulous! And what with that hot pink building and the passion sauce I'm sure it was it was an especially interesting visit!

    You don't like navigating by warthog paths? Has a warthog ever led you astray before? No, I thought not. LOL :) :P :)

  • qurrat

    The rickshaws are different than what they have in Pakistan; at least different from those they have in khi.

    Now, they have the noiseless CNG ones too. :D

    And great photos as always.

    ^_^

  • qurrat

    The rickshaws are different than what they have in Pakistan; at least different from those they have in khi.

    Now, they have the noiseless CNG ones too. :D

    And great photos as always.

    ^_^

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    haha thanks. but give it a few years ;P

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    haha thanks. but give it a few years ;P

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    oh you misunderstand my sentence above! It's not the warthogs I'm against, but I'm totally anti-bulldozer!!!

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    oh you misunderstand my sentence above! It's not the warthogs I'm against, but I'm totally anti-bulldozer!!!

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    Yeah these are covered from all sides and are slightly larger than the Paki ones. But noiseless ricksaws? THIS I ave to see :P

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    Yeah these are covered from all sides and are slightly larger than the Paki ones. But noiseless ricksaws? THIS I ave to see :P

  • qurrat

    CNG ones. They look awkward and non-rickshaw like. :/

  • qurrat

    CNG ones. They look awkward and non-rickshaw like. :/

  • Chiara

    Oh, I assumed the warthogs driving the bulldozers were following traditional paths, and having found the best way up and down an Alp is to follow traditional sheep/goat paths, I presumed the warthogs were right. Obviously bulldozers have no sense of tradition or direction! LOL :)

  • Chiara

    Oh, I assumed the warthogs driving the bulldozers were following traditional paths, and having found the best way up and down an Alp is to follow traditional sheep/goat paths, I presumed the warthogs were right. Obviously bulldozers have no sense of tradition or direction! LOL :)

  • http://www.the-media-junkie.com/ Media Junkie

    haha – love the passion part.

    I loved Kenya too – have relatives in Mombasa.

    Awesome photography. Shall be following this blog.

  • http://www.the-media-junkie.com/ Media Junkie

    haha – love the passion part.

    I loved Kenya too – have relatives in Mombasa.

    Awesome photography. Shall be following this blog.

  • http://www.the-media-junkie.com/ Media Junkie

    haha – love the passion part.

    I loved Kenya too – have relatives in Mombasa.

    Awesome photography. Shall be following this blog.

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    Thanks for stopping by! :)

    We actually spent 2 days in Mombasa at the end of the trip, at a Serena hotel up on north beach. Had a great time there :)

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    Thanks for stopping by! :)

    We actually spent 2 days in Mombasa at the end of the trip, at a Serena hotel up on north beach. Had a great time there :)

  • Chiara

    Oh, I assumed the warthogs driving the bulldozers were following traditional paths, and having found the best way up and down an Alp is to follow traditional sheep/goat paths, I presumed the warthogs were right. Obviously bulldozers have no sense of tradition or direction! LOL :)

  • http://www.the-media-junkie.com/ Media Junkie

    haha – love the passion part.

    I loved Kenya too – have relatives in Mombasa.

    Awesome photography. Shall be following this blog.

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    Thanks for stopping by! :)

    We actually spent 2 days in Mombasa at the end of the trip, at a Serena hotel up on north beach. Had a great time there :)

  • http://www.nidalm.com/blog/ NidalM

    Thanks for stopping by! :)

    We actually spent 2 days in Mombasa at the end of the trip, at a Serena hotel up on north beach. Had a great time there :)

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