East Africa Tourist Visa :How to get an East Africa Visa

What is the East Africa Tourist Visa?
The East Africa Tourist Visa ia a visa that allowd you to travel between Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda with the same multiple entry visa. This visa is the result of a joint initiative made by the Heads of States of the respective partner countries to boost regional travel and create opportunities for tourists to explore the diversity of East Africa.

Who can apply for the East Africa Tourist Visa?
A foreigner who wants to visit simultaneously the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Uganda for tourism. The visa will be issued at any of the diplomatic representations of Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, at the immigration offices of the respective countries or on line where applicable.Type of visa: An East Africa Tourist Visa is multiple entry visa and shall be valid for 90 days.

How to Apply for the East Africa Visa.
Applications for this visa shall be lodged at any of the diplomatic representation of the Republic of Kenya, Republicof Rwanda and Republic of Uganda, at the Immigration Offices of the respective countries or online where applicable.• Rwandao For those beginning their trip in Rwanda, you can apply through the Rwanda Online Visa Application System. Under “Type of Visa” select “East Africa Tourist Visa.” For more information contact your local Rwanda embassy.• Kenyao For those beginning their trip in Kenya, you can find information on the visa application process on the consular section of your local Kenya embassy’s website.• Ugandao For those beginning their trip in Uganda, you can find information on the visa application process on the consular section of your local Uganda embassy’s website.Dependents: All persons must apply in their own right.Travel document: Any genuine acceptable travel document valid not less than 6 months.Visa Fees: 100 USDValidity of Visa: 90 daysSingle or Multiple Entry: Multiple entryThe holder of the East Africa Tourist Visa shall enter from the country that issued the visa and move within the two other countries without applying for another visa or paying for another visa fee.The holder shall also be allowed to move out of the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Uganda; and return without having to pay for another visa. This will only be applicable in the period of 90 days.Visas issued for specific countries can only be used for that particular countryWork or No Work: Work is not permittedVisa Extension: An East Africa Tourist Visa shall not be extended.

What are the application requirements?
1. One clear colored passport size photo with white background recently taken without glasses, caps and scurf; (the photo should be attached to the application form by use of glue stick. Stapling and clipping the photo to the application form is not advisable).2. A complete filled application form3. Visa application letter addressed to the issuing authority of the concerned countryRESIDENTS: VALID RESIDENT PERMITResidents living in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda do not need to apply for visa. Travel has been made easy. Residents nowneed only a valid resident permit to explore the diverse cultures, landscapes, wildlife, activities and experiences available in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

East Africa visa Online application
On 1st July 2015, the Kenyan government launched an online visa application. Anytravellers visiting the country have to apply for their visa online via the portal www.ecitizen.go.ke and present a copy of their E-visa upon at the immigration.Due to the short notice, travellers arriving in July and August are also still able to obtain their visa directly at the border, without an online confirmation. However, effective 1st September all visitors to Kenya will be required to apply and pay for the visa online.Also remember:You will need to scan and upload your passport and passport photo.Payment has to be made via Visa card, Mastercard or other debit card.Download and print the eVisa from your eCitizen account. This should be presented to the immigration officer at the port of entry. Passengers who cannot present a printed copy of their eVisa might be denied entry.The visa process takes at least two working days up to one full week.The visa processing fee is non-refundable. Incomplete applications will be rejected.The possession of an eVisa is not the final authority to enter Kenya.

Rwanda
Online via the Rwanda Immigration website. Similar to the application for the single entry visa but make sure to select the East African Tourist Visa.

Uganda
Upon arrival at the border, no (online) application in advance is required. The visa can be paid directly in cash.

Mike Sonko: First Senator of Nairobi County

Who is Mike Sonko?
Mbuvi Gidion Kioko Mike Sonko commonly known as Mike Sonkoor simplySonko(Shengfor "rich person" or "boss"), is the immediate former Member of Parliament for Makadara Constituency,Kenya. He was elected on September 20, 2010 in a by-election

His Birth and Background
Mike Sonko was born on February 27 1975. Sonko spent his early years in crime, from mugging people in the streets of Mombasa to becoming a major international drug lord. He is a notorious jail breaker, having escaped from Shimo La Tewa Prison under unclear circumstances. His thuggish, often garish mode of dressing has only reinforced this imageof a gangster.

Before Parliament
Before Mike Sonko joined parliament, he used to operate a fleet of matatus (Public vehicles) in Eastlands.

His Family
Family ManMike Sonko is married and has three daughters namely; Saumu, Salma and Sandra.

His Wealth
Mike Sonko’s wealth is traced to Mombasa where he was born and educated. There, his father ran a property and real estate agency, Pelly Properties, which he co-owned with another businessman.
At the time, his father and business partner split Pelly Properties. Mike Mbuvi’s father started Gidson Properties where the young man, fresh from school, was the sales and marketing manager. Sonko relocated to Nairobi in 1994 where he bought eight matatus, which plied the Kibera route. He bought morematatus, which plied route 42 to Dandora and Umoja. He operated matatus in Dandora and Umoja from 1994 to 1997. “I was also buying and selling plots and residential houses,” says Sonko.After 1997, he bought minibuses and began operating his matatu business in Buru Buru where his first minibus was christened ‘Ruffcuts’. He later bought two buses, one double-decker, for a tours and travel business.Because of helping the youth when in trouble with the police, and ensuring the arrest of a senior traffic policeofficer due to harassment and alleged extortion, among other things, he became the chairman of the Eastlands Matatu Association. There were more than 5,000 matatus, under him. He gained popularity in 2007 after going to court when Eastlands matatus were denied access to the Central Business District. The Government then decreed that the matatus stop at the Muthurwa market and bus terminus.Mbuvi said he has since diversified his business. He bought Club Casurina in Buru Buru as well as cyber cafes, salons, boutiques, and phone and accessories shops in Nairobi.

His Education
After completing primary school at Kikowani Primary School in Mombasa, Mbuvi started getting more involved in his father’s business. At the time he was a student at Kwale High School, Kwale County. “My father was a developer and used to sell beach plots at the Coast to European buyers. He made good profits because he bought the plots cheaply,” Mbuvi told The Standard On Sunday. He said he made Sh5 million working for his father when he was in Form Four in Kwale High in 1991. Despite qualifying to go to university, he decided business was his calling. Instead, he took a course in Business Administration and Management at Edxcel International School in Mwanza and Pwani Business College.

Mike Sonko Election to Senate
Mbuvi became the First Senator of Nairobi after it was announced that, with 808,705 votes, beat his closest competitor,Margaret Wanjiru of the Orange Democratic Movement, who had garnered 525,822 votes, in theNairobi senatorial election of 2013

Mike Sonko's contacts
Mike Sonko Contacts – Mike Mbuvi Sonko Contacts
Parliament Buildings Parliament Rd. P.O Box 41842 – 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
EMAIL: mikemsonko@gmail.com
EMAIL:mikemsonko@yahoo.com
TEL:0722886600
TEL:0739111999
Mike Sonko Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeSonko
Mike Sonko Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mike-Sonko-148950081810015/

Best Time to Visit Kenya- When to go Kenya

Deciding when to go to Kenya is a perennial question for visitors. There’s no simple ‘best time to visit Kenya’ as good conditions vary across the country, and one person’s ideal weather will be another’s disappointment. Having said that, most visitors will find something positive about the weather through most of the year. Whatever the ambient temperature in the shade, when the sun is out – which is a good deal of the time, and often from dawn until dusk for weeks on end – it is always fierce: you’re on the equator, and you’ll know all about it if you neglect the sunscreen.

Kenya's Climate
By and large,Kenya's climate is warm all year round, with plenty of sunshine, cools nights and mornings.But while most parts of Kenya exhibit more or less the same climatic conditions, when traveling across different parts of Kenya, you will experience varying weather patterns due to Kenya's differing topographical dimensions.
Below is a breakdown of Kenya's weather:
It's normally sunny and dry from December  -February
Long rains from April to June
Short rains from August -November

What is the best time to visit Kenya?
July or August is excellent for safari, but it is also the high season. This is when the wild beast migration is on in the Mara. However at the coast, it will be cooler, and can be wet. When it rains at the coast it is usually for a few hours, and then the sun is usually out.
The coastal areas offer a diversity of marine species, and some pelagic species and marine mammals migrate through the area. From the end of June to December, humpback whales may be spotted. Fishermen seeking high excitement may prefer to visit the ocean shores of Kenya from August to October for yellowfin tuna. Marlins arrive in December and remain until March.
For flamingo lovers, we recommend visiting Lake Nakuru during the hot, dry season in January and February, and in Lake Bogoria, the ideal time is around October, both to be visited just before the arrival of the long and short rains respectively. The abundance of algae in the lake attracts millions of flamingos.

The great migration
Many travellers visit Kenya to see the great wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara. Linked to annual rainfall patterns and the growth of new grass, this remarkable migration of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra is a constant movement of huge, nomadic herds. In Tanzania, it can be seen throughout the year: you just need to know where to look. The migrating herds enter Kenya for a much shorter period, roughly from July or August until October – though recent years have seen major arrivals as early as June, and late-stayers still in the Maasai Mara region until November or even later.

Staying warm on safari
One of the biggest surprises for most first-time visitors to Kenya is the experience of a chilly game drive on safari, especially early in the morning. If you remember your school geography, you’ll know that for every 100m you climb from sea level, you can reckon on a drop in temperature of 0.6°C (6°C per 1000m). In Mombasa, and along the rest of the coast, the thermometer rarely ever drops below 20°C, even just before dawn, while in Nairobi, up at 1660m, temperatures can drop to well below 10°C at night in July and August, even though daytime highs in the shade at that time of year get into the mid-20s. When you’re on safari in higher-altitude areas – the Maasai Mara, Laikipia and the Samburu reserves – you should be prepared with layers of clothing for your early morning game drive, the end of the afternoon game drive and for night drives if they are available. You need to take account of the wind chill in open vehicles, too, which can make if feel like 5°C or below, especially if you’re driving at 30kph or more. Some people take gloves, and it’s certainly not a bad idea. If you’re on safari at the somewhat lower altitudes of Meru, Tsavo East, Tsavo West or Amboseli national parks, you’ll find temperatures are a little higher – just enough to make a fleece about the only warm clothing you’ll need at the cooler times of day.

Agriculture in Kenya| Farming in Kenya

Agriculture in Kenya
Agriculture in Kenya has greatly improved in the past few years because of the advent of technology and other necessary infrastructures.Initially, most Kenyan farmers merely engage in subsistence farming to provide food for their family while very little is made available in the market.Growth in agricultural output has no doubt been on the rise as farmer are stepping away from subsistence agriculture and embracing modern civilization - investing in large scale farming and ultimately increasing agricultural productsThe Kenyan soil and climatic condition is very suitable for the production of wide verities of crops, there are over a hundred different food crops produced by farmers in Kenya on yearly basis which includes yam, maize, millet, sorghum, beans, potatoes, rice, onions garbage, carrot, pear, cocoa, cocoa yam, okra, vegetables and very many others.


In terms of employment, agriculture is by far the most important sector of Kenya's economy, engaging about 70% of the labor force. Agricultural holdings are generally small and scattered; farming is often of the subsistence variety, characterized by simple tools and shifting cultivation. These small farms produceabout 80% of the total food. About 30.7 million hectares (76 million acres), or 33%of Kenya's land area, are under cultivation. Kenya's diverse climate, from the tropical areas of the coast to the arid zone of the north, make it possible to produce virtually all agricultural products that can be grown in the tropical andsemitropicalareas of the world. The economic benefits of large-scale agriculture are recognized, and the government favors the formation of cooperative societies and settlements to encourage industrial agriculture. Large-scale agriculture, however, is not common. Despite an abundant water supply, a favorable climate, and wide areas of arable land, productivity is restricted owing to lowsoil fertilityin many areas and inefficient methods of cultivation.

Kenya Main Agriculture Cash Crops
Cash crop farming is one of the leading economic activities in Kenya , Kenya a country located within the tropics is preferably suitable for the growth of most crops available in the word. Agriculture is said to be the pillar of Kenya’s economy followed by tourism and other sectors hence thefollowing are some of the cash crops grown in Kenya;
TEA
This is one of the most cultivated crops in Kenya and has served as a stable economy in the following areas of the country; Kericho, Bomet, Nyeri, Mt. Elgon, vihiga, Limuru, Kitale, Kirinyaga and various other small scare areas. Tea produced in Kenya is processed and used both in Kenya and the international market with most of it being exported to Europe, Iran and Middle East.
SUGARCANE
Sugarcane is a crop that can only be supported in countries within the tropics hence giving Kenya the required advantage. In Kenya sugarcane is grown mostly in the western region and the cost region with some of the areas being: Mumias, Kakamega, Nzoia, Webuye, Muhoroni, Uasin gishu and other small areas.
MAIZE
Maize is both a cash crop and a subsistence crop with most areas of the country planting the crop, some of the large scale maize producing countries include Trans Nzoia, Trans Mara, Kitale, Uasin Gishu, Lugari andparts of Kakamega.
MIRRA
Mirra has of late been deemed as a rejected crop following the controversies that were created by the international ban in the European market last year including Britain which was Mirra’s main market abroad hence this has since jeopardized the lives of many people in Meru county. It has since remained uncertain whether the ban will be lifted despite plansto appeal the ban.
PYRETHRUM
This is one of the few horticulture crops being planted in Kenya and due toits nature where it can only be grown under certain temperatures’ it is cultivated only in Lake Victoria, North Rift Valley, South Rift Valley and Mt. Kenya region.
COFFEE
Coffee is an important cash crop to Kenya’s economy as it earns foreign exchange. The crop is mainly grown in high altitude areas like Mt. Elgon and Mt. Kenya regions.This crops have been grown in Kenya for a long time and are considered by many as a source of livelihood within the country due to lack of white collar jobs.

Kenya Agriculture exports
According to Economy Watch, Kenya's exports include agricultural products, petroleum, tea, coffee, fish and cement.Kenya's largest partner in exporting is the United Kingdom. Other partners include the U.S., Netherlands, Uganda, Tanzania and Pakistan. Produce and tea are the major exports in Kenya, with tea being the most exported item. Tea is responsible for approximately 21 percent of Kenya's exported goods.
Kenya is known as a trade deficit country, meaning that they import more they export, due to negative factors such as weather and international prices. Economy Watch asserts that Kenya should diversify its trade to improve its balance of trade. Its current dependence on agriculture and tea only serves to limit the economy. Agricultural products, in addition to being major export items, employs the majority of the country and supplies raw materials for manufacturing, another important export. It also generates tax revenue, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Kenya's exporting industry has had many setbacks due to issues such as demand exceeding supply, deregulation and demand fluctuation. Although agriculture is crucial to Kenya's economy, only one-tenth of the country is currently used for agriculture as of 2014, due to the lack of water and other negative environmental factors. The Kenyan government is aware of these conditions and works to improve them.

Problems of Agriculture in Kenya
Agriculture in Kenya could use a little push at strategic points if success is to be achieved, there is a need for the education of farmers, most farmer in Kenya who engage in subsistence agriculture have very little knowledge of the operational method of the improved agricultural system If farmers in Kenya are provided with the necessary tool and adequate resources, there would be gross improvement in Kenyan agricultural sector; the land would be properly utilized and this would greatly reduce the high level of food stuff importation and ultimately increase employment rate.There are lots of problem hampering the production of food crops in Kenya and rearing of animals, chiefly among them is electricity. Over 40 percent of Kenya perishable goods get spoilt after harvest due to the lack of electricity needed for the storage and processing.Electricity is needed for the running of large farm equipment, most Kenyan farmer simply chose to stick with manual labor as the cost of running machines with alternative source of power is often steep.Another problem facing agriculture in Kenya is the lack of good roads needed forthe transportation of harvested crops from the farm land to the main roads, most farms in Kenya are located about a mile away from the main road and the only entrance to these farms are mostly a path beaten by the foot of men.Kenya Farmers also encounter the problems of funds needed for running a farm and construction of farm houses and proper storage system.

Religion in Kenya and Different Types OF Worship

Religion In Kenya and Worships
Religion in Kenya plays a major role in the life of the people, to some it is their candle light, it gives them insight, wisdom, knowledge and faith is increased through the study of scripture, books and prayers.In Kenya, religions helps us remain in line and stay focused. A religious leader is feared, respected and loved. He could mediate in situation that defy several means. Below are a list of religions in Kenya according to a census conducted in 2009.

Religions in Kenya (2009 census)
1.Catholic Population– 9,010,684
2.Protestant Population– 18,307,466
3.Other ChristianPopulation– 4.559,584
4.Muslim Population– 4,304,798
5.Hindu Population– 53,393
6.TraditionalistPopulation– 635,352
7.Other Religion Population– 557,450
8.No Religion Population– 922,1289.Don’t Know – 61,233

Christianity as a Kenyan religion
Christianity is the most popular and most advertised religion in Kenya. It was introduced in Kenya in the middle of the nineteen century by devote missionaries from British, Christianity was one of the things introduced into Kenya by British among many others things.The missionaries came preaching the message of Christ, ministering to the people and also healing the sick, this was what actually pulled the crowed to them in the first place.

Churches in Kenya are predominately Christian, though many different denominations and congregations exist within the population. Overall, more than three quarters of the population identify themselves as Christian (eitherProtestantor RomanCatholic).
Churches in Kenya are majorly classified into any of the below catergories:-
1.Roman Catholics Church
2.Anglican Church
3.Full Gospel Churches
4.Presbyterian Church of East Africa
5.Africa Inland Church
6.Methodist Church
7.Baptist Church
8.Pentecostal churches

Islam as a Religion in Kenya
Islam is the second widely practised religion and the followers include the Sunni, Shia and Islamia. Muslims are about 10 per cent of the population.Although Islam has spread throughout Kenya, the largest number of Muslims is found in the coastal region and North—Eastern Province.Other parts of the country also have sizeable number of Muslims.Kadhi’s courts have legal jurisdiction over personal law for the Muslims marriage, divorce and inheritance.

The Traditional Religion
Finally we have the traditional religion in Kenya, as much as the message of Islam and Christianity have taken over the major part of the country, the previous indigenous worship could not be properly annihilated. This indigenous religions are simply the worship of inanimate objects, the worship of rocks, trees, or some mysterious animals like lions or a huge python which they believe to be their source of strength or spiritual guide.Before the advent of The modern religions (Christianity and Islam) This gods (as they are called) were seen as a guide and the sovereign authority,