Around the World

Kenya

Africa – unique, huge, diverse, a mixture of rich cultures, beautiful nature, and history.

Africa – the “cradle of humankind”, the place where modern humans evolved (fossils found in Africa show that the modern humans evolved there about 5 to 10 million years ago and spread from this continent). Africa – a continent with so much diversity that it is difficult to collect its essence into just one country.

There is something for everyone in every African country. While I was looking for a completely new and different experience, I chose…

KENYA

The Republic of Kenya is located in East Africa and borders Tanzania, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda. The country also has a coast along the Indian Ocean to the southeast.

Kenya is one of the few countries which lie directly on the equator. Imagine how exciting it is to stand with one foot in the Southern Hemisphere and the other in the Northern Hemisphere! On that point, the country has an almost constant twelve hours of day and night throughout the year. This determines its pleasant tropical climate too. However, the dry and wet seasons are extreme for the country.

The origin of the name Kenya is not very clear. But let me tell you the story.

Kenya received its name from the tallest mountain in the country – Mount Kenya. It is claimed that when a German Explorer Johann Ludwig Krapf, who actually is the author of the earliest record of the modern name of the country, was travelling with the local Kamba people, he asked about the name of the mountain, and the locals told him it was named “Kiima-Kiinyaa” or “Ki-Nyaa”. The Kikuya people who lived on the slopes of the mountain referred to it as “Kirima Kirinyaga” in their native language, while the Embu people, who also lived on the slopes of the mountain, called it “Kirenyaa”. All three names have the same meaning- “mountain of whiteness” because of the snowy peak of the mountain. The explorer Krapf recorded the name as “Kenia” that time. When the country gained its independence in 1963, it got the name the Republic of Kenya.

The capital of Kenya is Nairobi, where most Kenyans live. It was named after a water hole that was in the area before the city was built. The Masai people called this hole “Enkare Nairobi”, which means “cold water”.

Nairobi has another two informal names. The first is “The Green City in the Sun” because of the greenery and the warm climate in the city, and the second name is “Safari Capital of the World”, which is used because Nairobi is well known as a center for safari tourism.

The Nairobi National Park is situated here, representing the world’s only national park within the city, presenting natural wilderness with wildlife and bird species. The capital of Kenya is a diverse and multicultural city and is a proven center for business and culture too. It is home to thousands of Kenyan businesses and over 100 major international companies and organizations.

xMore than 60 different languages are spoken in Kenya, but the official languages are English and Swahili. The Swahili language is recognized by law as the official language in the country while almost everyone speaks more than one African language. People in Kenya are often especially proud of their native language as it is related with their cultural identity. English is also an official language mostly used for business and education. Thus, many Kenyans speak English extremely well.

The popular slogan from the famous Disney movie “Lion King” - “Hakuna matata” is actually a phrase in Swahili that literally means “no troubles” or “no problems”. The lyrics of the song were written by Tim Rice, who found the famous term in a Swahili phrasebook.

Kenya became independent in 1963 and the present flag was designed. Each color of the flag has a strong meaning and sends a message to everyone who sees it. The red color represents the fight for independence, the black represents the African heritage, the green is for the landscape and the white for peace. The Maasai shield and crossed spears on the flag represent both the country’s heritage and the defense of its freedom.

Perhaps one of the greatest cultural legacies of Kenya is its national parks and reserves. About 8% of the Kenya’s land is protected area for wildlife conservation. The Kenyan government has set up more than 50 reserves and parks to protect the wide wildlife of the country - around 25000 species of animals and 7000 species of plants have been recorded until now, along with 2000 fungi and bacteria. Parks offer complete protection of the natural resources and the only allowed activities within them are for tourism and research work while reserves allow some human activities under strict conditions.

It may be surprising, but in fact, Kenya is the country exporting more tea than anywhere else in the world. It is called “Chai” and it is served with milk and sugar throughout the day. The tea in Kenya is not just a tea, it is considered some of the best in the world because of its distinctive and rich taste and quality.

Kenya’s cuisine is diverse with its mixture of flavors. While different communities have their own native foods, there is some reflection from the Arab, Indian and British cuisine too. There is no particular dish that represents all of Kenya’s cuisine, but the food that are universally eaten in the country are: ugali – a mush made from corn and often served with greens, sukuma wiki –dish made with collard greens and cooked with onions and spices, and nyama choma – a specialty of grilled goat meat.

Fresh fruits are often the choice for dessert, since Kenya grows a lot of amazing fruits as plump mangoes, oranges, bananas, tree tomatoes, plums, passion fruit just to name a few.

Kenyans are really respectful to their food. Living in a country where a big number of the population lives in poverty and experiences food shortage, so it is very essential and respectful to finish everything once it’s on your plate. It is rare to find Kenyans wasting food or water.

“Our children may learn about heroes of the past. Our task is to make ourselves architects of the future.”

-Jomo Kenyatta, First President of Kenya

In this very special column, Victoria Nedyalkova from Year 6 takes us through a journey of a new country every time – location, history, culture, art, music, food, and a lot more. During the pandemic, when many of us have not travelled since many months, Victoria takes us through a virtual tour which not only delights the senses, but also helps us know more about different places and people, understand, and celebrate them better.