Kenya Transport

Getting there & away

Contents

Land

Ethiopia

Ethiopia currently offers the only viable overland route into Kenya from the north, but owing to security concerns, check the latest situation carefully before attempting this crossing.

From immigration on the Ethiopian side of town it’s a 2km walk to the Ethiopian and Kenyan customs posts. Be aware that a yellow-fever vaccination is required to cross either border at Moyale. A cholera vaccination may also be required.

Buses or trucks connect the border to Marsabit (KSh600, 8½ hours) and Isiolo (KSh1200, 17 hours) along a bone-jarring dirt road.

Tanzania

The main land borders between Kenya and Tanzania are at Namanga, Taveta, Isebania and Lunga Lunga, and can be reached by public transport.

Main bus companies serving Tanzania include the following:

Akamba (020-340430; akamba_prs@skyweb.co.ke; Nairobi) Daily buses between Mwanza and Nairobi (12 to 14 hours).

Davanu Shuttle (057-8142; Arusha) Arusha/Moshi shuttle buses.

Easy Coach (020-210711; easycoach@wananchi.com; Nairobi)

Riverside Shuttle Nairobi (020-229618); Arusha (057-2639) Arusha/Moshi shuttle buses.

Scandinavia Express (020-247131; Nairobi) Daily buses between Dar es Salaam and Mombasa (10 hours), between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi via Arusha (13 hours), between Mwanza and Nairobi (12 to 14 hours) and between Tanga and Mombasa (four to five hours).

Uganda

Numerous bus companies run between Nairobi and Kampala, or you can do the journey in stages via Malaba, or Busia if you are travelling via Kisumu.

Main bus companies serving Uganda include the following:

Akamba (020-340430; akamba_prs@skyweb.co.ke)

Falcon (020-229692)

Scandinavia Express (020-247131)

Air

Most international flights to/from Nairobi are handled by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO; 020-825400; www.kenyaairports.co.ke), 15km southeast of the city. It’s a well-organised place, with two international terminals, a smaller domestic terminal, plenty of duty-free and souvenir shops, internet access and a branch of Java Coffee.

Some flights between Nairobi and Kilimanjaro International Airport or Mwanza in Tanzania, as well as many domestic flights, use Wilson Airport (WIL; 020-501941), which is about 6km south of the city centre on Langata Rd. Mombasa’s Moi International Airport (MBA; 041-433211) handles flights to Zanzibar, but otherwise is mainly used by charter airlines and domestic flights.

Kenya Airways is the main national and regional carrier, and has a generally good safety record. There are good connections from Nairobi to most regions of Africa.

The following airlines fly to and from Kenya, and have offices in Nairobi except where otherwise indicated:

Air India (airline code AI; 020-340925; www.airindia.com) Hub: Mumbai.

Air Malawi (airline code QM; 020-240965; www.airmalawi.net) Hub: Lilongwe.

Air Zimbabwe (airline code UM; 020-339522; www.airzim.co.zw) Hub: Harare.

Airkenya (airline code QP; 020-605745; www.airkenya.com) Hub: Wilson Airport, Nairobi. Kilimanjaro only.

British Airways (airline code BA; 020-244430; www.british-airways.com) Hub: Heathrow Airport, London.

Daallo Airlines (airline code D3; 020-317318; www.daallo.com) Hub: Hargeisa.

Egypt Air (airline code MS; 020-226821; www.egyptair.com.eg) Hub: Cairo.

Emirates (airline code EK; 020-211187; www.emirates.com) Hub: Dubai.

Ethiopian Airlines (airline code ET; 020-330837; www.ethiopianairlines.com) Hub: Addis Ababa.

Gulf Air (airline code GF; 020-241123; www.gulfairco.com) Hub: Abu Dhabi.

Kenya Airways (airline code KQ; 020-32074100; www.kenya-airways.com) Hub: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. Also has an office in Mombasa.

KLM (airline code KL; 020-32074100; www.klm.com) Hub: Amsterdam.

Oman Air (airline code WY; 041-221444; www.oman-air.com) Hub: Muscat. Office in Mombasa.

Precision Air (airline code PW; 020-602561; www.precisionairtz.com) Hub: Dar es Salaam.

Rwandair (airline code WB; 0733-740703; www.rwandair.com) Hub: Kigali.

Safarilink Aviation (020-600777; www.safarilink.co.ke) Hub: Wilson Airport, Nairobi. Kilimanjaro only.

SN Brussels Airlines (airline code SN; 020-4443070; www.flysn.com) Hub: Brussels.

South African Airways (airline code SA; 020-229663; www.saakenya.com) Hub: Johannesburg.

Swiss International Airlines (airline code SR; 020-3744045; www.swiss.com) Hub: Zurich.