Partner Country of the Month: Kenya

Karibu Kenya, welcome to Kenya! This country on the coast of East Africa is known for its fantastic nature and wildlife. Lions, elephants, and other large animals roam the savannah in Kenya's numerous national parks and reserves. An exchange at TU Dresden's new partner university - our second cooperation on the African continent - won't be your run-of-the-mill Erasmus party life. Instead, you can completely immerse yourself in everyday life among Kenyans. Curious to experience warm Kenyan hospitality and the country's wild mix of modernity and tradition?

With the "Partner Country of the Month" campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the countries, regions and partner universities of TU Dresden that aren’t necessarily the first to come to our students' minds when thinking about a semester abroad.

General facts and figures about Kenya

Capital: Nairobi
Population: 51.5 million
Official language: Swahili and English
National holiday: Jamhuri Day on December 12th (Day of the Republic)
Currency: Kenyan shilling (shortened to KSh or Sh); 1€ = KSh 141/67 (141 shilllings, 67 cents)

You can find further facts, figures and information on Wikipedia, on the website of the German Federal Foreign Office, or e.g. on wikivoyage.

Small language course Swahili (local name: Kiswahili)

Hello – Jambo
How do you do? – Habari gani? Answer: Good – nzuri
What’s your name? – Jina lako ni nani?
Take it easy, don’t rush – Pole pole
Okay – Sawa
Welcome / you’re welcome – Karibu
Thank you (very much) – Asante (sana)
Goodbye – Kwa heri (an eine Person) / Kwa herini (an mehrere)

Kenya is a multilingual country. As in most of Africa, the national borders were drawn during colonial times and do not correspond to cultural and linguistic boundaries. Every Kenyan belongs to one of over 40 tribes that have their own territories, customs, and languages. When Kenyans of different ethnic backgrounds meet, Swahili serves as the lingua franca that bridges the linguistic gap.

Swahili is a Bantu language, forming part of the most widely spread language family in sub-Saharan Africa. Originating on the coast of East Africa, Swahili now has around 200 million speakers (mostly second-language), making it the largest of Africa's more than 2,000 languages. Swahili is one of the first African languages for which language technology applications such as spellcheck and machine translation have been developed.

English is the language of choice for official purposes in Kenya, including university education. At our partner university, all courses are taught in English, so there are no additional language requirements for studying abroad in Kenya. If needed, you can join the preparation course for a period abroad at TUDIAS to brush up your English.

Knowing a bit of Swahili is of course still a good idea and will put a smile on people’s faces. You already know a few words, like safari (journey, travel) or jenga (to build). While there is no Swahili course in Dresden, you can use online resources such as Swahilipod101 (relatively cheap) and Kiswahili-Kurs.com (free, starting from German). Duolingo can also help with some basics.

Did you know that ....?

Kenya dominates Olympic middle- and long-distance running, with Kenyan athletes regularly coming out on top? Kenya even had a streak of winning all Olympic gold medals in men’s steeplechase from 1984 to 2016, nine times in a row! The majority of runners are Kalenjin tribe members, who are often remarkably tall and slim – good characteristics for efficient running. Their high-altitude lands in western Kenya provide perfect training conditions. And last but not least, running presents a rare career option besides farming.
Nairobi is the world's only capital city that contains a national park? The city's skyline provides a dramatic backdrop to the savannah landscapes of Nairobi National Park, which begins just seven kilometres from the city centre. Although this national park is comparatively small, it contains a wide variety of wildlife and is famous for its lions and rhinos. Unfortunately, the expanding city poses a threat of habitat loss to the park's wildlife.
Kenya runs on >70% renewable energy? Hydropower and geothermal energy make up the largest shares. Kenya's location on the Great Rift Valley is very favourable for geothermal energy, as the two tectonic plates drifting apart provide a boundless energy source. Kenya is also home to the largest wind farm in Africa, and in off-the-grid places, mobile solar panels are very popular.

in Kenya, religion plays an important role in everyday life? Around 85% of Kenyans are Christian, and going to church regularly is a matter of course. Islam is present at about 10%, and it’s especially common in the coastal regions. Traditional African spirituality remains strongest among those tribes who have kept their traditional way of life. African beliefs also often get mixed into Christian religion.
Kenya might not exist for much longer? It forms part of the East African Community, an economic organisation of eight countries that strive towards the eventual goal of merging into a single sovereign state. This proposed East African Federation would be the seventh largest country in the world and the third most populous, only surpassed by China and India.
Hakuna matata from "The Lion King" was inspired by a Kenyan tour guide? The film's production team travelled to Kenya in 1991 to take inspiration from the landscape and wildlife, picking up the Swahili phrase on the way. Hakuna matata (no worries / problems) is often used to assure tourists that they are in a safe place in Kenya. Many names in "The Lion King" also come from Swahili, such as simba (lion), pumbaa (naive, silly) and rafiki (friend).

Cooperations with Universities in Kenya

You can find all cooperations of TU Dresden in our database. Under Questionnaires, the experiences of previous exchange students can help you with impressions of our partner universities. Asking professors in your own faculty who might have direct contacts to your partner university of choice is also a good idea. Here you can find the contact persons and application deadlines for your faculty.

Our Kenyan partner university: University of Embu

University of Embu is a great choice if you want to really immerse yourself in a different culture and make a lot of friends with the local people during your semester abroad. There are few international students. Everything is right there on campus: Student dormitories, the cafeteria and lecture halls, as well as meeting spaces for the various sports and hobby clubs. Perfect for a lively student life.
Embu lies on the southeastern foothills of Mount Kenya, after which the country is named. Around 65,000 people live in Embu, the provincial capital of Embu County, which is the territory of the Aembu tribe. The university students, however, come from all over Kenya. If you think that it's always hot in Africa, you are wrong. Embu has a pleasant average temperature of 20°C all year round. Moreover, Embu is known for its jacaranda trees, which turn the town into a sea of purple blossoms in autumn.

Don't miss...

mountain landscape with a snow-covered peak

Mount Kenya National Park. Very close by our partner city lies the second highest peak in Africa. Just 20 kilometres from the equator, this extinct volcano rises 5,199 metres into the air, its highest peaks covered by snow and glaciers. The mountain flanks are covered by a unique spectrum of vegetation, including cloudforests and alpine bamboo. You can hike up the mountain in a multi-day tour. If your finances or your fitness are not up for that, a day trip is also worthwhile. For reasonable prices, see e.g. Castle Forest Lodge (a guide is necessary due to the wildlife).

two women in traditional clothing and beadwork jewellery

In the women's village of Umoja, men are only allowed to visit. The village was founded by Samburu tribe women fleeing from domestic abuse and forced marriages. Today, Umoja is a place of refuge, a centre advocating for women's rights, and a good place to learn more about Samburu culture. The women offer tours of their village, perform traditional dances and sell vibrant handcrafted beadwork jewellery.

Markets and street food. Small sales stalls are everywhere in Kenya, with plenty of delicious street food to discover. Popular options are nyama choma (grilled meat) and samosas (fried pastries with a savoury filling, of Indian origin). Or how about some viazi karai (spicy fried potatoes)? The fresh fruit is also very tasty, like mangoes with chilli salt, bananas, pineapples or coconuts.

Go on a safari. With more than 40 national parks and reserves, Kenya has no shortage of opportunities to see the fascinating wildlife up close. A particular famous reserve is the Maasai Mara, where the annual great migration of millions of wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras and antelopes takes place. Which park you should visit is, however, also a question of price and preference – in any case, it's best to go in low season.

Let's get cooking...

Kenyan dishes are often not typical of Kenya specifically, but of East Africa. Even so, there is a lot of regional variation, partly because most Kenyans mainly work for subsistence, growing their own food. In areas where the land is fertile, fresh vegetables are often on the menu. The dry north of Kenya, on the other hand, is better suited for herding livestock, and meat is more affordable there. In the richer coastal regions, the variety of ingredients and dishes is greater.

Ugali takes centre stage in Kenyan cuisine. This dense porridge made from maize flour is the number one staple food, usually accompanied by side dishes such as bean stew, sautéed greens, or a mash of potatoes, peas, and maize. Shaped by hand into a spoon-like shape, ugali also serves to scoop up saucy stews - that's right, people usually eat with their (well-washed) hands.

Maharage ya nazi (kidney beans in coconut milk)

This hearty bean stew is a typical dish of the East African coast. Over the centuries, the Swahili people living there cultivated lively trade relations with the Middle East and India, which is still reflected in the spices used in Swahili cuisine. Coconuts (nazi) are also a common ingredient of the coastal regions. Maharage ya nazi is served with rice, ugali or chapati (flatbread).

Ingredients:

500 g kidney beans (canned)
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
small piece of ginger or 1 tsp ginger paste
1 tbsp oil
120 ml tomato puree
1 tsp salt
240 ml coconut milk
300-400 ml water
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp pepper
2-3 tsp cilantro

Preparation:

Drain excess water from the can of cooked beans.
Finely chop the onion, the piece of ginger and mince the garlic cloves.
Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and stir fry till it becomes soft and translucent.
Add ginger and garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the powder spices and the tomato puree. Cook till the tomato puree is thick and not watery.
Add salt and beans. Mix well. Add 1 cup water and let the beans simmer for 5 minutes.
Add coconut milk and let the maharage simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Mix well, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve hot. Ufurahie chakula chako!

(Many thanks to mayuris-jikoni.com!)

Contact and further contact persons

Have you had great experiences in Kenya? Do you have tips for places and things that should not be missed? We would be happy to share your experiences either here, on Facebook or, if you want, in an online information event for other TUD students. Get in touch with us:

Advice on studying abroad

Ms Federica Serra

Infocenter/ Study abroad; TUDworldwide: America

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Contact Information

International Office

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Visiting address:

Fritz Foerster Bau, Office 161 Mommsenstraße 6

01069 Dresden

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Postal address:

TUD Dresden University of Technology International Office

01062 Dresden

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Office hours:

Tuesday:: 09:30 - 11:30; 12:30 - 14:30
Thursday:: 09:30 - 11:30

Please register at the SCS (FOE, floor 0).

Office hours by phone:

Keine Sprechzeit zwischen 14.-18.10.2024.

Do you want to get first-hand information?

Would you like to know more about Kenya? Ask our regional ambassadors - TUD alumni who are active in many countries around the world and can give you information and advice for your stay.

Getting in touch is very easy: On this interactive world map, markers indicate the cities where our regional ambassadors live. There is a short profile with contact information for each one.