"KENYA, JAMBO" a Kenya Travel Page by Acirfa

Kenya has it's very own culture.

Nairobi, the Capital of Kenya (Translated from it's Masaai name, means 'place of cool waters', hence the Brits chose it to site the base camp for the railway line from Mombasa to Lake Victoria.), is like any other city of the world, thriving and bustling with business and technology, however, leave it and just a few hours out of town life is lived in a traditional way.

Cattle are cared for by young herders and warriors dress in their distinctive red Maasai or Samburu robes. Animals are kept in boma's to protect them from wild animals during the night.

Modern and traditional live side by side here in Kenya. It could be somewhat sad, as anywhere in the world, to watch the traditions of the people dying and being replaced by modern techniques, however, these people do have an ability to bring with them into the future their customs and not leave them to the past. This is what makes their culture so special and unique.

You may board a modern day matatu and find sitting there a Maasai or Samburu warrior with his elongated ear lobes and spear, who is tuned in fully to the World football match that is taking place and being aired on the radio. This is evidence of their ability to bring the present and past together.

Kenyans are used to change and embrace it well. This is probably down to their long history of new cultural influences impressed upon them, both from nomadic people and sea borne traders.

As in many of the East African countries, ie., Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi and South Africa, Swahili is spoken. This language is taught and is used as a common denominator amongst the tribes, allowing them to interact easily.It is a Bantu dialect which has been altered by the intergration of words from other languages, particularly Arabic and some Portuguese is obvious too.

'Swahili' means "the coast" and was introduced by the Arabs and used to describe the coastal people.

Aside from Swahili, the people also speak English and their own local language too.