Kenyan Road Condition

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Kenyan Road Conditions

Foreigners may encounter road conditions in Kenya that differ significantly from those in the their countries. Drivers are required to have a valid license that must include a picture of the holder. A foreign license may be used for upto 90 days, but only after it has been endorsed by the local Transport Office in Nairobi.

The major crossing point between Kenya and Tanzania is Namanga Town, which is open 24 hours a day. Other crossings include Lunga Lunga and Taveta. The Ethiopian border post of Moyale has become increasingly dangerous to cross due to civil fighting. For those with four-wheel drives, a more popular and adventurous route to the west near Lake Turkana is quite popular. It is important to ask the locals for advice before trying this route

It is important to be very careful in towns and villages and not leave your vehicle open and unattended. Most of the local people are poor and this might tempt them to steal. You should have no problem sleeping outdoors in designated camping areas or remote places along the way, but get into the habit of locking your things up before you go to sleep.

There are a lot of local and international car rental companies in Kenya. Have a look at our Kenya Car Rental options. In Kenya, one drives on the left side of the road. Excessive speeding is common. Unpredictable driving habits, poor vehicle maintenance, and lack of basic safety equipment on many vehicles are daily hazards.

When there is a heavy traffic jam either due to rush hour or because of an accident, drivers will drive across the median strip and drive directly toward oncoming traffic. There are often fatal accidents involving long-distance, inter-city buses, or local buses. Also, vehicle travel outside major cities at night should be avoided due to poor visiblity.

Rail is a reliable form of public transport. Passenger services run from Mombasa to Malaba via Voi, Nairobi, Nakuru and Eldoret. It is essential to book tickets two to three days in advance. Kenya has a good network of public transport including buses, as well as minibuses but none are very safe as drivers tend at times to overload and overspeed. You also have the option of us hiring a private 18 seater bus or shuttle. Though the prices are a bit expensive, the ride is more comfortable and safer.

There are over 63,000 km of highways in Kenya, of which 8,000 km of which are paved. Roads are generally in good condition, but deteriorate in times of long rainy seasons. During the rainy season, many unpaved roads are passable only with four-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance

Wanderlust Safaris uses customised 7-seater minibuses, especially adapted for safari work. They have sliding windows, roof hatches and high ground clearance to improve all around visibility and photography. On long journeys and sometimes rough roads, the safari microbus provides a superior degree of comfort and manoeuvrability. We recommend that clients should be offered guaranteed window seats, with on more than seven passengers per vehicle.