After Kenya's December 2007 elections, we followed the news of the subsequent mayhem and violence with growing concern. My husband and I were both born there and think of it as “home”, plus we have family members living around the Nairobi area. We also have many friends who are in the travel and tourist industry, as well as running their own businesses and we knew that they, and their employees, were all suffering badly. The stories of tribal violence that reached us through our own personal contacts were horrific and uncharacteristic of the Kenya that we know (although car-jacking and violent house break-ins have been a regular occurrence in Nairobi for years). For once, the international television media weren't exaggerating what was going on. My niece also reported stories of western expats who flooded the local supermarkets in a frenzy of panic buying. They were snatching cans of food and bottles of water out of each others hands or trolleys, their most primitive survival instincts having taken over. The up-country towns like Kericho (where I grew up), Kisumu and Eldoret were the worst hit in terms of tribal clashes, burning of homes and killing. In Nakuru, about 100 miles northwest of Nairobi, there are camps housing some 300,000 displaced people as a result of all that. None of them want to return to where they had come from. Kisumu, on Lake Victoria and the capital of the area that Raila Odinga comes from, has apparently been trashed – ironically by its own people. Although there were tribal clashes and killing in some of the slum areas of Nairobi, the Capital remained relatively calm. By the time we arrived there in mid March, it was as though nothing untoward had happened. Thika, a town just north of Nairobi where we usually stay with my father-in-law, is a Kikuyu town and we talked with a businessman who had provided sanctuary for employees from the Luo & Abaluhya tribes. Thankfully, Kofi Annan has been successful in his role as an intermediary to get the opposition leaders to sort themselves out. A new Constitution has been drawn up and a Coalition Government established with Mr. Kibaki as the President and a newly created post of Prime Minister for Mr. Odinga. However, many people that we spoke to felt that the healing was only superficial. They felt that there were still rumblings of anger and discontent, some of which relate to long-standing and complex unresolved land ownership issues and aspirations. Resettling the displaced people remains a significant problem. During the troubles, Kenya had understandably been announced as a “no go” area for tourists. At a time that is normally the high season, European and American tourists canceled their trips; the safari lodges and beach hotels were virtually empty. Special deals were offered over the Easter weekend so that Kenyans could afford to use the places that are normally the reserve of tourists. Several tour operators have had to completely close down their camps and lodges and lay-off staff, until the tourists return. Other employees have had to take obligatory pay cuts. The knock-on effect on the people is immense as the tourist industry employs some 250,000 of people, not to mention the huge hit that the economy has taken. That is the bad news. The good news is that Kenya has now been given the green light for tourism to resume. The next few months (not withstanding the rains!) will probably be a very good time to go there before the tourists come flocking back as you will have the privilege of having the game parks almost entirely to yourself. They are normally teaming with too many mini buses and every lion and cheetah in sight gets surrounded by several of these at a time. Kenya is still a beautiful country with a superb selection of hotels, game lodges, tented camps and luxury “designer” beach and safari homes to choose from. It also has style in abundance and Kenyans of all origins are generally very welcoming to visitors. Although Nairobi has become another of the world's traffic nightmares, and it can now take you up to 3 hours to get from the airport across town, it is astonishing to find that none of the drivers hoot their horns. There is no road rage, the local mini-buses (matatus) weave their way in and out of the traffic, trying to get their customers to work or home as quickly as they can, but no one gets mad at them. If you catch the eye of any of the passengers in a traffic jam, they usually smile and shrug their shoulders as if to say: “What can we do? We are all in the same boat!” Traffic lights usually work, but drivers frequently ignore red lights. On the major artery through Nairobi, Uhuru Highway, police control the traffic at the large roundabouts during the rush hours. In a massive rainstorm one night, we got caught in a deadlock of buses and “matatus” where there were neither traffic lights, nor policemen. We watched, impressed and amazed, at the patience and tolerance of everyone there. Eventually, an individual took control at a junction as a self-appointed traffic marshal and the traffic began to move. Kenya's road network has needed attention for the past 20 years and if I was going to Kenya for that once-in-a-lifetime holiday, I would strongly consider flying to the various destinations, and not driving. Kenya has a highly developed light aircraft industry and there are regular daily services to all the major game parks. Vehicles are then available at the destinations for your game drives. You will save hours of time that you would otherwise spend being bumped around in a mini bus as it negotiates its way around potholes and rough, corrugated dirt roads. If you are concerned about medical care, Kenya also offers a life-saving facility very few countries have: its Flying Doctor Service run by African Medical & Research Foundation. Whether you are a tourist, business traveler or local resident, you can join; full details are available on the AMREF website. There are two good major hospitals in Nairobi, namely the Nairobi Hospital, and the Agha Khan Hospital. Kenya was on the brink of “blowing it” but fortunately it was rescued and paradise, for the time being, has been preserved. However, travelers should still be vigilant of their personal safety and possessions, and when in Nairobi keep car doors locked. Rioting may have stopped, but distraction theft hasn't. __
