Country guide

Kenya

Destinations

Visa & entry

eu passport	eTA required (Kenya abolished traditional visas Jan 1, 2024, replaced with Electronic Travel Authorisation). Fee USD 32.50, applied at least 3 days (up to 90 days) before travel via etakenya.go.ke. Grants up to 90 days stay, single entry (with re-entry allowed to other East African Community states while valid).
us passport	eTA required, same terms as above (USD 32.50, up to 90 days stay).
uk passport	eTA required, same terms as above (USD 32.50, up to 90 days stay).
entry or eco taxes	No separate entry/eco tax identified beyond the eTA fee itself this pass; park/reserve entry fees (e.g., marine parks near Diani) are separate and not verified this pass.
digital nomad visa	Null - no Kenya digital nomad visa verified this pass.
tax residency days	Null - not verified this pass.
notes	Proof of accommodation required for the eTA application; yellow fever vaccination certificate required if arriving from a yellow-fever-endemic country.

Money

currency	Kenyan Shilling (KES)
card acceptance	Accepted at hotels/larger establishments in tourist areas (Mastercard, Visa, Amex, JCB, Diners, UnionPay, Discover per Wikivoyage); cash and M-Pesa dominate day-to-day transactions, especially outside resorts.
atm networks fees limits	No-fee ATMs reported: Ecobank, Co-operative Bank, NCBA, GT Bank, Sidian Bank, DTB, I&M, National Bank. Fee-charging ATMs (KES 400-700/withdrawal): Standard Chartered, ABSA, Stanbic, Equity, Bank of Africa, KCB, Family Bank.
local instant payment	M-Pesa (mobile money) - described as 'next to cash, the most popular payment method, much more common than debit/credit cards' in Kenya; can be used by tourists for many transactions including park entry fees, though full tourist registration process/requirements were not independently confirmed this pass.
scams	Individuals impersonating police officers or private security guards to steal valuables, passports, or vehicles - always demand ID from anyone claiming authority (per UK FCDO advice). Drink-spiking risk reported - avoid accepting drinks from strangers (per UK FCDO advice). Bag-snatching at transport hubs (per UK FCDO advice). Fraudulent roadside checkpoints used by carjackers, particularly at night (per UK FCDO advice).
tipping	Null - not independently verified this pass; tipping for guides/instructors/restaurant staff is commonly reported as customary in Kenya's tourism sector per general regional knowledge, not sourced this pass.
cash tips	M-Pesa is reportedly also used for informal tipping given its ubiquity - general inference, not independently sourced this pass.

SIM & internet

operators ranked for coast coverage	Safaricom Airtel Kenya Telkom Kenya
id required for sim	Yes - Kenyan law requires valid ID for SIM card registration (applies to tourists using passport). SIM card cost reported at KES 50-100.
starlink status	Null - not independently re-verified this pass; Starlink is widely reported elsewhere (general market knowledge) as licensed and operating in Kenya since 2023, but no primary source was successfully confirmed in this research pass.
notes	Data bundle reference pricing (2023, Wikivoyage): Airtel 5GB ~KES 500; Telkom 'Mambo' plans from KES 100/3GB - may be outdated by 2026, treat as indicative only.

Insurance

kite excluded by standard policies	Not independently re-verified this pass; kitesurfing commonly classified as an excluded 'extreme/adventure sport' by basic travel-insurance policies industry-wide - general knowledge only.
recommended	Specialist kite/watersports rider or a policy explicitly listing kitesurfing as covered; medical evacuation cover strongly advised given Kenya's rural/coastal healthcare gaps.
evacuation note	AMREF Flying Doctors / similar air-ambulance evacuation membership is commonly recommended for Kenya travel/safari/coast trips in general travel guidance - not independently sourced this pass (attempted fetch failed on a malformed URL).

Health

vaccines	Yellow fever vaccine recommended for travelers 9 months+; NOT generally recommended in Nairobi, the former North Eastern Province counties (Mandera, Wajir, Garissa), or most former Coast Province counties (relevant: Diani is in Coast region, an exception area) - but IS required (proof needed) for travelers arriving from a country with yellow-fever transmission risk. Also recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B (under 60), Typhoid, routine vaccines (MMR, polio, flu), Meningococcal (meningitis-belt areas in dry season), COVID-19.
mosquito disease seasons	Malaria risk present in all areas below 2,500m elevation, including coastal/game park regions (Diani included) - recommended prophylaxis: atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, or tafenoquine. Central Nairobi urban core has only rare cases (insect-bite precautions sufficient there).
tap water	Not safe untreated anywhere in Kenya including Nairobi - boil, use purifying tablets, or filter; avoid swimming in freshwater in areas of poor sanitation (schistosomiasis risk) per CDC.
emergency numbers	112 and 999 (police, fire, medical).
hospital standard	Null - not verified this pass; general knowledge suggests private hospitals in Nairobi/Mombasa are reasonable standard, rural coastal clinics more limited - not sourced this pass.
pharmacy notes	Null - not verified this pass.

Driving

idp needed	Kenya recognizes the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP. UK photocard licenses valid for up to 3 months without an IDP; beyond that, both an IDP (1968 version) and the home license are required (per UK FCDO advice).
road safety	Driving standards reported as often poor; accidents involving long-distance buses/minibuses common due to poor maintenance and speeding (per UK FCDO advice). Avoid nighttime driving where possible.
rental traps	Null - not independently verified this pass.
4x4 contexts	Null - not independently verified this pass (commonly referenced for safari/game-park travel, less relevant to Diani coastal kiting).
police stops	On-the-spot fines from traffic officers are common but technically illegal; request proper documentation rather than paying informally (per UK FCDO advice). Also watch for fraudulent checkpoints used by criminals impersonating police (see scams above).
notes safety	Avoid walking alone in isolated areas even by day near Diani; dress conservatively away from resorts (coastal areas predominantly Muslim) (per UK FCDO advice).

Regulation

kite rules national	Null - not verified this pass.
drone rules	Null - not verified this pass.
protected areas	Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park listed as a protected marine area near the south coast (Diani region); Malindi Marine National Park and Watamu Marine National Reserve also exist further north - specific access/kiting restriction rules not verified this pass.

Calendar & costs

school holidays	Null - not verified this pass.
currency	KES

Kite bag on airlines flying here

airline: Kenya Airways
policy: Null - could not load Kenya Airways' sports-equipment baggage page this pass (404 on attempted URLs).
source: https://www.kenya-airways.com (specific baggage sub-page not located this pass)

Full airline table →

Open questions

Confirm Kenya Airways' kite/sports-equipment baggage fee and size limits.
Confirm current Starlink licensing/availability status in Kenya from a primary source.
Confirm tipping norms and M-Pesa tourist onboarding process (can a foreign visitor register an M-Pesa line without a Kenyan ID/local phone number, or only use agent cash services?).
Confirm any specific kitesurfing access rules or restrictions for Diani given nearby marine protected areas (Kisite-Mpunguti).
Confirm drone rules (KCAA - Kenya Civil Aviation Authority) for coastal recreational flying.
Confirm cost-of-living figures - Numbeo query was rate-limited during this research pass.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikivoyage.org · gov.uk · wwwnc.cdc.gov · +1