Media & Culture

Media & Communications
The main English language newspapers are Daily Nation, The Standard, East African (weekly), The People's Daily and Kenya Times. Taifa Leo is the only Swahili-language daily, published by the Nation Media Group, the biggest media company in the country.

The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) operates TV channels in English and Swahili and also broadcasts Metro TV, a Nairobi station targeting the youth. Nation TV and Kenya Television Network (KTN) are the other prominent TV stations, while the privately owned networks are Citizen TV, Stella TV and Family TV (a Christian channel).

Radio is the most popular form of broadcast media, predominantly for news. KBC provides radio services in English, Swahili and 15 other indigenous languages. Metro FM, Capital FM, Kiss FM, East FM, Radio Citizen and Rehema Radio are the major radio networks.

The mobile-cellular companies are Zain, Kencell, Safaricom and Telkom Kenya while the major internet service providers are Africa Online, Wananchi, and Swift Global.

Art & Culture
Kenya is a diverse country, with more than 42 ethnic communities and all tribes have their own different language, cultures and practices. The most prominent tribes include Swahili, Kikuyu, the Luyia and the Luo, Pastoralist and the most well-known Maasai, the nomads with cattle herding as their way of life.

Kenyan art focuses on sculptures, masks and paintings which reflect the life, environment, and traditional rituals of the people. Paintings are particularly significant to the rich and vibrant art scene of the country. Dance is also an important part of the Kenyan culture with each tribe having its own distinct style.

Originally, the traditional music of the Maasai tribe for ceremonies and victories developed in the country. Kenya now has a variety of music styles, mainly the imported popular music, afro-fusion, benga and Kenyan popular music (comprising Swahili sound and the Conglonese sound), besides the different regional styles. The guitar is very popular and is used extensively in all forms of music. Lately, the influence of western hip-hop has led to the emergence of modern popular music which includes the Genge and Kapuka.

The majority of population is Christian (Protestants and Roman Catholics), followed by Muslims. The other significant religions are Hinduism and Sikhism. The official language is English while the national language is Swahili (also known as Kiswahili). There are also a number of ethnic languages spoken in various regions including Embu, Yaaku, Samburu, Kikuyu, Luo and Somali.

Sports and Recreation
Football is the most popular sport but Kenya is known for its excellence in long distance athletics. The country is also famous for its golf courses ranging from mini golf to 18-hole courses. The other popular sports include tennis, squash, cricket, rugby union, boxing, horse- riding and polo. Kenya is home to the world famous Safari Rally, believed to be one of the toughest rallies in the world.

With its scenic beauty and abundant wildlife, Kenya is one of Africa's major safari destinations. The coastal areas provide exciting water sports such as scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, water skiing, swimming and surfing.