Overland Kenya Travel
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Contents
- 1 Visiting Kenya
- 2 Entering Kenya with a Car or Motorbike
- 3 Driving in Kenya
- 4 Gas and Diesel price in Kenya
- 5 Safety and Security Considerations
- 6 Camping in Kenya
- 7 Navigation
- 8 Special Overland Travel interests
- 9 Vehicle Maintenance
- 10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Kenya
- 11 References
- 12 Helpful External links
Visiting Kenya
Visiting Kenya is an experience that should be on everyone's bucket list. It is a lot safer than many conclude and its outskirts are quite serene. Border crossings are relatively straight forward. The Maasai mara should definitely be visited, and i found that there are some pretty good campsites in Naivasha and Nakuru. The DSWT elephant orphanage is also a great place to visit as they rescue injured and orphaned elephants and rehabilitate them!!
Entering Kenya with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: June 2013
Required Paperwork
(To check if you need a travel Visa for Kenya, application instructions and fees see: Kenya Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
- Carnet de Passage
- Original Vehicle registration
Process at border
Independent travelers will need to clear immigration first prior to starting customs clearance with the vehicle. A valid Carnet de Passage is required, along with 3rd party insurance.
Cost of entry
$40 for foreign vehicle road tax
Permitted length of stay
- 1 year is permitted for foreign vehicles entering Kenya with a Carnet de Passage. USE OF UNREGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLES ON OUR ROADS
- 3 months is permitted for foreign vehicles entering Kenya on a TIP (Temporary Import Paper) which is issued at the border.
Extension of stay
To be confirmed.
You can leave your car at Jungle Junction in Nairobi.
Jungle-Junction (along 'Amboseli Rd.,' in 'Lavington,' near the crossing 'Gitanga Rd.' and 'James Gichuru Rd.') Tel. +254-0-722-752865 / 0723-392014, E-mail; jungle_junction_nairobi@yahoo.com GPS Location S1 17.325 E36 45.634
Quote Horizonsunlimited.com/hubb “JJ Is accomodation in Nairobi - nice big house with rooms available and also able to camp there. Very good facilities (wifi etc) and good place to service your bike or do repair work. Chris (the owner) is very knowledgable with BMW (ex BMW mechanic), and I'm sure he knows his way around other bikes too. Relaxed place and lots of other overlanders there to get some good info too.”
Exiting with a vehicle
Exiting the country involves customs clearance for the vehicle followed by immigration.
Driving in Kenya
Recommended books for Overlanding in Kenya
Travel insurance for Kenya
World Nomads offer the most flexible Travel Insurance at the best prices for multi-country / multi-year trips. You can buy, extend and claim online, even after you've left home.
Vehicle insurance requirements
3rd Party insurance is mandatory and is issued by COMESA. Additional information can be found on Africa Overland Insurance
Cost of insurance
See the prices listed on the COMESA Insurance page.
Where to purchase insurance
Insurance can be purchased via insurance brokers at one of the four major border crossings alternatively an insurance broker in Nairobi will be able to sell 3rd party insurance.
Driving license
International Driving Permit is required.
Driving side of road
Left hand side of the road, with majority of vehicles being right hand drive.
Left hand drive vehicles can be driven in Kenya without a problem, but they can not remain in the country long term - i.e. drive in and drive or ship it out.
Mandatory items in vehicle
2x Safety warning triangles, first aid kit, 2x fire extinguisher
Roads
General Road quality
The general road quality will be bitumen in varying conditions from new to severely potholed. All minor roads will be gravel.
Road signs
Road signs are limited with the occasional speed sign, warning sign and distance sign.
Toll roads
There are only a few Toll roads for private vehicles. Large trucks are required to stop at weigh bridges and are required to pay tolls to proceed.
Bribery in Kenya
In certain government agencies, Bribery is often expected especially with traffic police. Independent travelers should avoid paying bribes and patiently negotiate an exit strategy.
See the Bribery tips page for general advice.
Checkpoints
Very few checkpoints exist for private vehicles however random police checkpoints are spontaneous and usually have no impact to the independent traveler.
Traveling with pets
To Be Confirmed.
Gas and Diesel price in Kenya
Last updated: May 2017
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Unleaded | €0.83 EUR per Liter[1] |
| Diesel | €0.75 EUR per Liter[1] |
Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency
Gas shortages are known to occur in rural areas of Kenya. Distance between petrol stations can be as long as 200km.
Gas and Diesel Quality
Diesel quality is low grade. petrol is only up to 93RON.
Safety and Security Considerations
Driving at night
Driving at night should not be encouraged due to the roadworthness of local vehicles, wild and domestic animals.
Vehicle parking
Vehicles should not be parked on the street due to theft. look for parking in secure areas.
Special driving considerations
To Be Confirmed.
Security advisories and information
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for Kenya - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in Kenya
Organized camping in Kenya is very popular. The average price is roughly $10.00 USD per person. Wild or bush camping is possible and encouraged however the independent traveler might find the population density to high to bush camp without visitors.
Camping guide books
To Be Confirmed.
Drinking water
Regular tap water is safe to drink however it is encouraged to filter any ground or rain water.
Paper maps
Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Kenya
- Michelin North East and Arabia 954 or 745 Map.
- African Adventure Atlas (National Geographic) is an alternative.
GPS Maps of Kenya
Review Tracks4Africa
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Kenya
- iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.
To Be Confirmed.
Special Overland Travel interests
- National Game Parks: Masai Mara
- Remote lakes: Lake Turkana
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
To Be Confirmed.
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Kenya
Buy
Unknown.
Sell
Unknown.
References
- Kenya Tourism website - Magical Kenya
Helpful External links
- Overland Live Blog - Vehicle Insurance - Africa Overland Insurance
- Independent Overland Website - The Africa Overland Network
- Kenya: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to Kenya - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Kenya travel guides at wikivoyage
- Kenya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
