Royal Wedding 2011 in Kenya

Upcoming nuptuals

Although it pains me to admit it (for I love to pretend I am really not at all interested in the Royal Wedding) what a relief it is to be assured of one’s own invitation at this late stage.

Okay so I’m talking about watching the televised event at the British High Commission in Nairobi but frankly, beggars can’t be choosers. I think we should be thanking our lucky stars that the current British High Commissioner to Kenya has not been announced ‘persona non grata’ in Kenya like so many others in Africa since Wikileaks has been soiling diplomatic relations worldwide. Only yesterday I heard on the radio that the BHC to Malawi has been ‘expelled’ from Blantyre for putting foot in mouth (in a leaked private cable to William Hague) about the incumbent president. Plus the American Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Ranneberger, has left Nairobi rather quickly and quietly after a remarkably outspoken tenure (I particularly enjoyed the leaked cable where he referred to the Kenyan government as ‘a swamp of corruption’).

On the few occasions that I’ve been to the British High Commission for a function, I’ve always had a niggling fear that I am not actually supposed to be there since the invitations are often slightly vague and I hate to appear pushy.

In order to be invited to the Royal Wedding, we had to follow a complex procedure of being vaguely informed that we were on the list to request an invitation. For ages I wondered if the message to request an invitation had really been intended for us since it was passed on via a friend – I thought she was just being nice and generously inclusive in order to save my feelings. In fact she eventually clarified that we were properly invited.

Then, as time passed, I screwed up my pushyness and put away my general scorn of royal weddings and emailed the BHC. We were duly sent an invitation via email and informed that an official invitation would subsequently arrive in the post. I never received the hard copy though I hear it did enclose a darling engagement photograph of Wills and Kate which I strongly suspect might now be lost somewhere in the void that is my husband’s desk.

Just before Easter (when I realised that it would just be too painful to miss out on the party) I emailed the BHC back saying ‘yes please, we would love to come.’ Does one expect confirmation to follow? If so, I never received one. Admittedly my reply was late, dispatched in a rush just before Easter weekend.

The emailed invitation reads ‘Dress: uniform, morning coat or wedding attire’ – which I assume is somehow ironic. After all this is Kenya so lets face it, there may well be some wearing kikois rather that wedding attire.

We met up with a sweet friend of my husband (who is my Dad’s age) at Barney’s cafe, on the way back from Meru.

‘So, you’ll be wearing your morning coat I assume?’ we enquired when he told us he would be there.

‘Nonsense,’ he said. ‘I’m just turning up ‘as is’ man.’ (when you’ve lived here a while, you start saying ‘man’ at the end of each sentence).

So that seals it. I will now mothball my husband’s top hat for another year and prepare to brazen it out when we find our names are not down on the entry list .... all dressed up with nowhere to go would be too unbearable.

If I learned anything from living in Kenya, it is that all and sundry will gladly turn up to a free party (as long as it’s not raining – in this case, one can’t possibly leave the house) so tomorrow is bound to be a colourful affair.


(p.s. some friends went to Rutundu log cabins on Mount Kenya over Easter weekend where Wills and Kate got engaged.  They said it was lovely.  For us residents its a sort of self-catering fishing/walking/picnicing holiday with a treacherous access road up the mountain (K&W went by helicopter).  Apparently they've doubled the price to stay there since the royal engagement, but it's still just about doable for locals if you can face the 4x4 drive and packing all your own food.)



Meru National Park at Easter, KWS bandas ...

Meru Elephant

So. Meru....

We were excited about our trip to the KWS Murera guest house in Meru. Put it this way, my husband packed bird seed and salt to put down for the animals in the hopes of drawing them to our little house. It sounds like he’s 100 years old; he is in fact 41.

I organised the food. Packed far, far too much. Enough for a week at least. Managed not to forget the Easter eggs. We then picked up our fabulous take-away stew, chapatis and curry from Barney’s in Nanyuki en route, which alone would have fed us for the four days, and continued on our way.



KWS Murera guest house



When we arrived at the banda, I stepped out of the car to find a sweaty sheen immediately forming on my top lip. It was much hotter than I’d expected. I think I had the chills of Mount Kenya in mind (we drove round it), so had backed sweaters, wellies, jeans. In fact I should have been thinking coast (mosquito nets, shorts, flipflops).

‘I thought you said it was going to be cold!’ My daughters’ said accusingly while peeling off layers.

The KWS guest house located near the main entrance gate was unprepossessing. Sort of brown, functional, not all that welcoming but I was not deterred. The (office?!) furniture was arranged in rows along the walls underneath a huge white notice board and the bedrooms were small with very uncomfortable beds. The biggest disappointment for my husband was that the house looked out over a rubbish pit, a manhole cover and some preliminary trenches dug out of the ground, presumably foundations for some future structure. My husband gamely put out his bird seed and salt nonetheless and we put the furniture in a more cosy arrangement (dropping a rather heavy sofa on my eldest's foot in the process). 



View

  I made tea. We sweated some more.   Slightly unsure that we'd survive the full 3 nights, I Googled a few other places to stay and made some calls about availability in other lodges for our last night but gave up when I found everything within a reasonable radius was full and anyway, I was being too negative – my husband said that we should just get on with it. The children seemed happy in any case. We took a lovely evening game drive and returned to bare, white low energy lightbulbs and the sound of a very crackly radio blaring from a bar in the village behind broadcasting more ranting dialogue than songs. It was loud enough to keep the children awake and my husband, assuming it was somebody’s personal radio nearby, took Stanley, our KWS house caretaker to task about it.  Then, when he drew a blank via Stanley (whose small house adjoins the banda), my husband tore off to the main gate to complain. Thankfully the radio was switched off at about 11.30pm, though I’m sure this was nothing to do with my husband’s efforts.  The bar was probably closing anyway.  The night was sultry as if rain was threatening.  Eventually it came in the early hours of the morning and with it a welcome fresh breeze but I must admit, I didn't sleep well.



reorganised furniture



We looked at the visitors’ book that was full of flattering comments on how fabulous the house was, how Stanley was such a great help and also a great cook and how everyone loved it all. Over our 4 day stay and after a fraught first evening, Stanley was then conspicuous for his absence almost throughout (we gave his baby some easter eggs). We wondered if we had missed a trick and feared we might have tainted the whole experience by getting off on the wrong foot. To make matters worse, the birds and animals were still being shy and not at all interested in the salt and bird seed.

‘Give me this house for one month and I would transform it.’ My husband said as we sat on our office chairs overlooking Stanley’s line of washing. ‘The first thing I’d do would be clear all this and give it a view.’

On Sunday we went to meet friends at Elsa’s Kopie for lunch. It was so luxurious and heavenly that my husband had his belated KWS breaking point.

‘What the hell are we doing in that banda when we could be here?!’

However, by this time, I was resigned.

‘What were we really expecting?’ I asked. 'And in any case, everything was booked.'

We did go and check out the other KWS Kinna bandas (to make sure we hadn’t made the wrong choice) – but, even though they were fully booked, they too looked a little down at heel, perhaps not helped by the long dry spell Meru had been experiencing.  There were pond skaters on the swimming pool that we'd had high hopes for and after picking our way across a thorny wasteland to have a look at it, past the single forlorn looking broken sunbed; all our 3 girls unanimously announced that they would not be going in. Other friends who have visited raved about the Kinna bandas, so perhaps we caught them at a bad moment.  (A highlight for them was in fact ‘showering’ in the overflow from an outdoor elevated rusty water tank one morning outside our guesthouse – oh and the Elsa’s Kopie swimming pool too of course).

So, in summary. Although the Murera guest house was clean and private (with a good size fridge/freezer and stove - two gas rings working), it was soulless, noisy because of the nearby bars/village and totally lacking in a view. We have visited the KWS bandas in Mount Kenya (satisfactory) but we hear that one of the ones in Tsavo has an excellent view over a waterhole/salt lick visited by tons of game. Other friends went to the KWS fishing bandas in the Aberdare’s and said they are good too.  Both of the former, well inside the park so no risk of blaring radios from nearby bars.

Having been a little intimidated at first, Meru National Park definitely grew on us and the drive there was easy. I’m not sure if we’ll be back soon though, as I fear that we’ll have to splash out on Elsa’s Kopie next time.  It might take us a little time to save up.

The Murera guest house was still 8,000/- per night, which is still a fairly significant amount.  However, as a budget option


Some more General info on Meru National Park

Meru National Park used to be the ‘go to’ park for visitors back in the day, most probably as a result of Joy Adamson’s bestseller book published in 19602 and subsequent film ‘Born Free’ which told the story about her (and George’s) tame lion named Elsa, who was reared by them inside the park and died there too. At one time, Meru was even more popular than the Masai Mara (which seems inconceivable today). Meru Park then experienced a nasty period of poaching and Somali Shifta invasion/banditry that sadly went on for enough years to put most people off going altogether. The road around Mount Kenya and the one that accesses the park then fell apart, to the point where the journey was agonising and so only the most intrepid, or those that could afford to fly in, visited the park.

Over the past ten years, international organisations have invested heavily in the park, KWS has the security issue well in hand and visitor numbers are steadily rising but not so that you would particularly notice (still much less visited that Masai Mara or Amboseli). Another bonus is that the road is now smooth tarmac all the way to the Meru Park gate, so it’s possible to get from Nanyuki to Meru is a little over two hours (from Nairobi, allow 6 hours).

Over Easter weekend we saw a few other cars but while on game drives it felt like we almost had the vast park to ourselves, in fact scarily so...I was afraid of getting lost or having car failure and being stranded indefinitely. Although the park is well signposted with map reference numbers etc, we soon decided to hire a KWS guide to accompany us in our car until we got our bearings. The park borders the Tana River, but one of its best features are the many streams that run cross it (16?), which means that while it can be hot and dry, there is always water for the animals. However, it’s bushy, so animals can be hard to spot. A highlight for us was finding ourselves in amongst a herd of 14 mature elephants crossing from one side of the road to the other, grazing as they went.

Packing lists and forward planning for Kenya holidays

Packing nightmare

SO... we are taking our lives in our hands going to a Kenya Wildlife Service self catering banda this weekend.  I actually should be packing, shopping and cooking right this minute.  Florence, who does quite a lot of cooking in our house (especially things that can be made in advance) has been highly inconveniently ill this week, so the sense of panic in my bones has been rising.  Luckily a friend of mine saved the day yesterday by suggesting I order some ready-made cooked stews from a lovely cafe in Nanyuki called Barney's.  Pure genius!  I put my order in last night - no idea what it's going to cost and actually, at this point, don't care?!  Today I need to remember to make an easter cake and pack easter eggs - to avoid crushing disappointment on Sunday.  Even though I have now written this down, there is a real chance that I'll still forget.

It occured to me that there should really be a packing list, at least for planning food - for these Kenya weekends/weeks away as so often you are miles from any shop, might not even have a phone reception and invariably arrive to realise you have left half a dozen absolutely necessary items at home (Calpol for the kids, shampoo, ear drops, chargers, an umbrella).  

A friend of mine who arrived in Kenya a year ago told me that she fell into a state of panic at the prospect of a week away where she would have to organise her own food without the help of a handy Woolworths (SA) or Marks and Spencer (UK) type of place where you could buy ready-made convenience food.  She appealed to a mutual friend of ours who is the proverbial Domestic Goddess (the DG even makes her own jam and harvests her own honey from a hive in her garden).  The DG very kindly drew up a menu plan for the friend for the entire week, including kids meals.  Our friend dutifully followed it word for word.
'The DG should publish that menu plan and charge for it.' My friend said, 'It absolutely saved my life!'

I tend to shun too much forward planning and do things in a blind panic once darkness has fallen.  It's not an approach that I'd recommend.  I realised this when we gatecrashed another friend's Masai Mara safari.  Her organisational skills highlighted the fact that mine were woefulling inadequate - thought had evidently been put in on her part, and time.  To give you an idea, her kids had torches (batteries working), she had a portable dvd player to entertain them during evenings while we had grown-up supper, plus a cool box full of sundowner drinks and snacks (crisps, biltong etc) and thermos coffee mugs and biscuits for early morning drives - so civilised!  We had a blast - riding on their generosity! (see previous post entitled 'Masai Mara' 27/10/10)

Briefly - we did have a 'beach list' for picnics in Dar es Salaam when we lived down there.  On the list were things like; beach chairs, mat/picnic blanket, drinking water, sandwiches, boiled eggs, hot water for tea, coffee, milk, suncream, towels, armbands, ball, dog bowl, dog water, first aid kit/sting cream for jelly fish .....   It took us about three years to get around to compiling the list.  The idea was to stick it onto the fridge but problem was that whenever we went for a picnic (this was actually just about every single weekend) we never knew where the wretched list was.  Hot and flustered rows invariably ensued between my husband and I in the tropical heat and driving to the beach was then in furious silence.

For a while I carried around my own mini first aid kit.  When a Mum sent out an appeal that a small child needed calpol, arnica or sting cream in an emergency, I'd excitedly shout out that I had some.  I'd then shuffle around in my handbag for ages, only to discover that whatever was required in that instance, was the one thing that I didn't have.  This happened to me yesterday when my daughter got stung by a bee.  Hopeless.

My problem is attitude.  Rather than taking pride in being organised or aspiring to be a Domestic Goddess, I'm surly and resentful about how much work is involved and the fact that as the matriach, I must take on the mantle of preparedness, all on my own.  I'm my own worst enemy.  On that note, I'd better sign off.  A million things to do!

In the meantime, Happy Easter!!

Holidays in Kenya - Top tips

Back home, I know that people spend a lot of time planning holidays far in advance, sometimes years in fact.  I'm sure it's due to the long cold and dark winters that have to be endured over there but I remember holiday punctuation points on the yearly calendar tend to take on great importance.  I remember working in an office and almost mentally lurching from holiday to the next - wishing my life away in the meantime.  In England, skiing and/or one or even two hot holidays per year might not be uncommon whereas for expats here in Kenya, an annual trip home to visit friends and family is the only certainty in the whole year. (some go 'home' every other year).

Since here in Kenya we get great weather all year round, the urgent need for a dose of Vitamin D is less desperate.  Perhaps the fact that there are so many incredible places within driving distance means that I'm horribly bad at planning. I tend to assume that we can pop here or there any time we like - then try booking at the last minute only to find myself disappointed when hotels/self catering houses etc are all full.  This Easter weekend is a case in point, but I haven't given up yet...

I also fail to budget for holidays.  This is a mistake.  Even though there are world famous parks and beaches on our doorstep in spite of being a resident the cost of visiting these places can be eye wateringly steep.  Even when you drive your own car, park and conservancy fees plus the price of lodges, quickly add up.  I always worry that money spent on a holiday is a waste but I think I need to change this mindset and embrace adventure a little more just like I did when I was back in England.

You would think that after 12 years living East Africa, I'd be an expert on holidays around here but since I'm an inveterate commitment-phobe, I'm floundering.   In spite of this (and also in an attempt to convince myself of course) I'll share a couple of top holiday tips for Kenya that I must actively try to take on board myself.

1. Accept camping as an option - even if the thought of it makes your blood run cold.  Break yourself in gently by doing camping in groups either as part of organised events or with friends.  There's safety in numbers - events often lay on extra facilities (loos, showers, food).  Say yes rather than an ever cautious 'no', then worry about the reality of what you've let yourself in for later...it's generally turns out to be more fun that you fear.

2. If you are travelling on a budget, KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) bandas in national game parks are really not all that bad.  They are generally clean and well kept, above all they offer great value for money in some of the most famous parks.  You will have to bring your own food, but this needn't be as horrific as it sounds, a frozen stew that can just be warmed up, UHT milk on your cereal or bucket loads of instant noodles won't kill you.

3. Since our holiday times are now regulated by school, as a rule of thumb, book early to avoid disappointment.  If you want a house on the Kenya coast in high season (ie Christmas/new year), then book at least 6 months, even better, a year in advance.  Don't worry, you can always cancel later if your situation changes.

4. If a holiday costs more during peak season, then consider the premium you pay might actually be worth it.  Don't always be a cheapskate like me, only to find yourself stuck at home for all public holidays with a husband saying 'why aren't we going away like everyone else?'.

4. Read as much as you can about places to go and talk to friends to find out where they have visited.  There are always new places to stay, special rates offered at certain times of year etc.  Make sure you are in the know.

5. As an expat, since you are undoubtedly often playing host to visitors.  Use your own friend and family network to get the favour paid back by staying in friend's houses where possible. (cheeky!!)


We recently stayed at El Karama lodge in Laikipia since it offered more reasonable rates than other privately owned/rather exclusive ranches in that area.  The set up was small (7 bandas) and very pretty, though it was hard to see game because the ranch was still waiting for rain and I guess that a lot of the animals had migrated out of the area in search of water.  If I had one complaint it would be that the hosts were conspicuous for their absence.  I think that a small, intimate set up like that requires a jolly front-of-house face to guide you through activities on offer and how to make the most of your holiday.  We had to ferret out the owner when we found we had a flat tyre that we needed to fix.  It was very peaceful without any mains power but with three children and as batteries for DS games and laptops (for showing dvds) gradually ran out we found ourselves twitching slightly to get back to civilisation...


Next stop was the fabulous Mike's Camp on Kiwayu Island for a very jammy trip to write about the place for Destination magazine (see link on right for Destination's own website).  I was called in because someone else had dropped out and it was all pretty exciting, if a little last minute and manic.  I had to leave my husband and kids at home (husband, gutted not to be able to make it because of work commitments), then at the last minute was able to take my Mum who was visiting from UK.  I spotted Colin Firth with his wife and kids at Wilson Airport as they boarded the Kiwayu bound Safarilink plane with us.  The actor was wearing sunglasses along with a look that very obviously said, 'I know I'm a celebrity but please, please, please don't talk to me right now.'  Meanwhile his bubbly Colombian wife was shouting 'Colin darling, this way!' and we all got on the same (12 seater) plane!

Knowing that Kenya is famous for honouring the anonymity of celebs (Kate and Wills obviously - they got engaged here on Mount Kenya- but also Angelina and Brad et al) I pretended to be cool and not bother the chap (in spite of the fact that it was very exciting to see him just after he'd won his Oscar).   My mum and I sat in the front of the plane admiring the view and by exercising a huge amount of control, I managed not to crane around my neck and look behind me every five minutes.

So pleased with my celebrity spot was I, that I when I got to the Kiwayu Island to a lodge called Mike's Camp, I couldn't help bouncing in excitedl,  announcing to all who would listen that I'd seen The King's Speech actor on the plane.  The lodge proprietor said cooly, 'Oh yeah, I think he's popping over here tomorrow - his wife is interested in Eco camps.  She wants to take a look around.  You'll probably see them again.'

When I saw 'Colin' once again at the Mike's Camp beach hut the next day, Mike embarrassingly introduced me to Colin by saying 'I think you guys met on the plane.'!?!?!  'Colin' understandably looked mystified.  I blushed, cover blown and mortified, so mumbled something about heading straight out to do some snorkeling.

You can read more about the Kiwayu visit in the May issue of Destination.  The Destination editor was understandably gutted that I hadn't managed to 'bag' an exclusive celeb interview with Col.  Perhaps journalistic skills don't run naturally in my veins but I still hold out hope for future writing assignments, however last minute...let's face it, at this rate, it's the only way I'll ever get around to going away anywhere!..


p.s.  Has anyone noticed how the new fuel prices have kicked in?  I bought 5,000 shillings worth of petrol the other day and only got just over half a tank!! Oh dear!

Life just keeps on happening - hurrah!

You would be forgiven for assuming that I have been suffering from writer’s block but in fact, over the last two weeks, a number of exciting things have happened. Quite a lot merits blog worthy explanation, some doesn't but I'll bore you with it anyway. Well...for now, just to fill you in...

I’ve had my parents staying

Been horribly lost (followed by slightly restless) in Laikipia

Headed off to a deserted beach in Kiwayu without kids (but with my mum)

Been introduced to a world class celebrity (blushed, ran away)

Decided I’m the most terrible person to go on holiday with as I'm always fidgeting about what to do next.

Been taking my daughter to tennis camp, getting emotionally involved when she fails to get her over-arm serves into the box to the point where I find myself telling the coach how to do her job.  (worth noting here that I am and always have been an abysmal tennis player and not sporty at all.  Smack wrists for falling into competitive mum trap!)

Have been weighing up whether to upgrade this website (thanks to a v kind/techie reader who has been helping me). Watch out for a fab new format - more than just a blog....

Writing stuff for other websites and magazines

Talking to an architect about finally modernizing our house.  The tiny, dark 1930s kitchen just has to go.

Entertaining other people’s children and being grateful when they (occasionally) do the same for me

Haircuts and dentist trips (considering having a mid-life crisis over whether to get ridiculously expensive 'incognito' braces myself - sad)

Wondering what the hell to do over the long Easter weekend other than gorge on chocs. 

Receiving inevitable knock backs on my book/memoir proposal.  Oh dear, join the masses expat wife!

Considering taking low paid, full time job and finding myself in a right old twit for 24 hours until I decided against doing it.

Counting down days of school holidays left.  Mediating (in a shouty way) in childrens arguments as they bicker endlessly

Watching media madness take hold in UK over the upcoming Royal wedding (from afar) and wondering if I really should accept a fabulously kitsch invitation from the B High Commission to dress up and watch it all on their big screen.  Will it be a festive riot, or totally cringe worthy? (at the very least, good blog material I guess) - bah humbug!  Hasn't Kate got straight teeth?!  Am watching too much TV!


Where to start?

Well, my guess is that you’d like to know about the celebrity first....

Two words.... Colin....Firth...  Yes, I spotted him in Kenya!

Cost of living for Expats in Nairobi/Kenya

Have been travelling!! Travelling within Kenya but it's remarkable because it's the first time I've been out of Nairobi since New Year - shock horror! Off again tomorrow!  Will be back to updating the blog regularly next week and telling you all about it.
In the meantime, here's a 'Cost of Living' piece I wrote for the Kenya section of a website Expat Arrivals - (see sidebar for link).  Sorry it's a bit formal, just thought it might be interesting for anyone scouting about for information prior to moving here to Kenya.   -I got a bit carried away, as usual!  Apologies in advance to any other blog readers for whom this post is not relevant - Normally I'm picking your brains for information! 


Cost of Living for Expats in Kenya


There is a common misconception that living in poverty stricken Africa must be dirt cheap. Though there are many living in substandard conditions on very low incomes, this image has largely been fuelled by the international media. On arrival you will be surprised to find that there is a burgeoning middle class here. Many capital cities in Africa have glittering shopping malls with cinemas and restaurants dotted in amongst the street hustle and honestly, this is where many expats mingling with wealthier Africans, will find themselves.

Xpatulator ranks the cost of living in Kenya as comparatively low amongst other international countries with Nairobi sitting at 260 out of the 300 locations calculated; However, I think that, since most expats live in the capital, this figure is misleading. If you were to eek out a simple existence in the countryside where there is little to buy then life in Kenya would be cheap but this is rarely the case.

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. It is also considered regional capital of East Africa which means that several international companies and organisations are based here. Due to the comparatively good healthcare, schools and shopping in Nairobi, you even find expats consultants basing their families here while they travel to work on projects in comparatively riskier countries in the region, such as Somalia and Sudan.

If you are employed in the tourism industry or farming (tea/coffee/vegetables/flowers) then you might be based outside the capital however these expats are more the exceptions rather than the rule.

Local Economy

There is some local manufacturing (clothing, building materials, processed food, beverages and cigarettes) but the economy is fairly heavily reliant on tourism and rain-fed agriculture. A combination of frequent periods of drought, followed invariably by equally devastating flood and foreign office travel advisories due to a fairly precarious political situation, mean that the economy is vulnerable to cycles of boom and bust.

The Telecommunications industry is also very strong in Kenya, having undergone a rapid period of expansion. Kenya is a world leader in new telecom technologies such as telephone banking. The majority of Kenyans own a mobile phone.

Another undeniably large sector of the local economy is occupied by the Aid industry and this is growing. Many Donor headquarters have been moved from Northern Africa or South Africa to Kenya because it is more strategically placed for the distribution of aid to the continent. To give you an example, there are 9,000 employees at the UN headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi.

As well as the UN, many of foreign embassies have large aid missions whose sole purpose is the distribution of foreign aid funding, ie. DFID (UK), USAID, DANIDA. Historically many of these consultants were based out in the field but now consultants tend to be based in the capital making trips out into the field from time to time.

Cost of Living

Accommodation would typically cost a third of an expat salary. Food is relatively cheaper to buy than more developed countries, as long as you are ready to buy local where possible and don’t get too carried away buying imported goods. The cost of eating-out also compares favourably against other capital cities. Clothes and shoes are expensive to buy unless you are willing to shop at the city’s numerous second hand markets.

It’s worth noting that when analysing your salary, you should bear in mind that there are some expenses that would not be incurred in the Western world.

Security

Most households/apartments (including many Kenyan ones) employ night security/guards. If you are living in a town house complex/apartments/gated community, security costs are often rolled into your rent. If you are living in a house within a separate compound, then you must pay for your own security. With back-up support, panic buttons plus the cost of one or two guards, security can cost up to 500 UK pounds per month, this might equate to say a maximum of 10% of your salary.

(I find that employing night watchmen is hard.  If you are interested in this topic then put in a search on this blog and you'll find endless posts on 'our ex-night watchman/askari')

Public Transport (or lack of)

Most expats would not commonly use the public transport system which comprises exclusively of buses and mini-buses (matatus) in varying states of un-roadworthy-ness. There is no city tube and the country’s rail system is in tatters.

The answer? Everyone owns a car (many are four wheel drive) and as a result the city is almost in gridlock. Cars are horribly expensive to buy since they are all imported. Unless you are tax exempt (ie an embassy or aid worker) then an import duty of 25% is levied on the value of every car brought in, on top of that there is another 16% VAT charged. Cars of more than seven years old are not allowed to be imported into the country.

(see previous post on Matatu Culture by using Blogger Search function at top of this page)

Healthcare

A handful of Nairobi hospitals (Aga Khan, Nairobi Hospital, Gertrude’s Garden) offer almost world class private healthcare which is comparatively cheap. The Government subsidised Kenyatta Hospital has a less impressive record. Without the long waiting lists of the UK NHS service or the crippling cost of USA medical care, then Nairobi offers something of the best of both worlds. You actually get medical tourists arriving here. However, as a precaution, many expats take out fairly costly comprehensive medical insurance that allows them to be repatriated to their home country in the event of accident or terminal disease.

(see previous post entitled 'Plastic Surgery in Kenya' - if it's at all reassuring, I have also had my appendix out and a baby here in Nairobi!)

School Fees

International and upper end private schools in Kenya where pupils are mixed, (ie. Expat/White, Kenyan and Asian) charge fees that are only slightly less than those of UK private schools and can add up to over 25% of your salary if you have two or more children.  It’s worth calculating how much you will need to spend on school fees before being posted to Kenya. Occasionally expat packages will cover school fees but this kind of deal is getting increasingly rare.

(Check out the Africaexpatwivesclub.forumotion.com forum (direct link on sidebard of blog) for more info on Nairobi schools.)