This post will give you a brief breakdown of the transportation options in Kenya. Remember, on overland safaris, you will be riding on the safari truck. On private safaris, you will be driven in a vehicle such as a Landcruiser or minivan. This is good information to have though.

International Flights

Nairobi is a major hub for Africa, as well as the busiest airport in Kenya. There are currently 31 airlines flying from 66 countries to Nairobi, as of October 2024. 

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) is the major airport in Nairobi. There are also international airports in Mombasa (Moi International Airport, MBA), Eldoret (Eldoret International Airport, EDL) and Kisumu (Kisumu International Airport, KIS). 

There are a number of major airlines that operate flights to and from Nairobi, such as Qatar Airways (my favorite airline), Air France, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways (thumbs up), Turkish Air (another thumbs up), Oman Air (a third thumbs up), Emirates, and KLM. There are many other regular carriers. Frankfurt to Nairobi via Lufthansa and Doha to Nairobi via Emirates are extremely popular routes. 

Domestic Flights

There are a few airlines that fly domestically. Kenya Airways owns the most routes. In addition to the airlines listed below, there are also routes operated by Uganda Airways, Rwandair, and Emirates.

Fly540 (+254 722 540 540, www.fly540.com)

Jambojet (+254 711 024 501, www.jambojet.com)

Kenya Airways (+254-20-3274747, www.kenya-airways.com)

Buses and vans are easily the most popular form of transportation in Kenya, from getting around the city of Nairobi, to traveling all the way across the country. The roads are efficient and cover the majority of Kenya.

Bus lines

Busways: Western Kenya and the coast

Coastline Safaris: Western and southern Kenya, and Mombasa

Dreamline Executive: Nairobi, Mombasa and Malindi

Easy Coach: Rift Valley and Western Kenya</span>

Modern Coast Express: Nairobi, Mombasa, Malindi and Western Kenya

Other Options

In addition to air, trains, and buses, public transport in Kenya is varied and plentiful. You can always catch-

Boda-boda: Also known as Boda or piki piki. They are simply motorcycle based taxis.

Taxi: Taxis are a popular mode of transportation.

Matatu: The name matatus comes from the Kikuyu word mang’otore matatu, meaning ‘3 cents’, the standard fare for most trips when the service originated. Now, passengers can expect virtually any vehicle to work as a shared taxi in Kenya, from old cars to 20-seat minibuses. The most common matatus are white Nissan minivans, which are often just referred to as ‘Nissans. Matatus are the locals favorite means of transportation and can be found all across the country.

The train system in Kenya is operated by the Kenya Railways Corporation. There are two railway lines in Kenya; the metre-gauge railway and the new standard-gauge (SGR). 

The metre-gauge network of rail lines is in abject condition; it runs to the Uganda border and originally connected Mombasa to Uganda. The construction of this railway is shown in the movie The Ghost and the Darkness.

The new Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway ends in Suswa but runs parallel to the metre-gauge Uganda railway. The SGR has a route length of about 480 kilometers and a total length of 605 kilometers.

The new train (SGR) was built and financed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation. It is now officially operated by the Chinese-owned Africa Star Railway Operation Company. 

Kenya currently pays $1 million per month to China, on the $4.5 billion construction loan. The SGR is also the first step in a plan to build the East Africa Railway, connecting Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan.

Mombasa- Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway

Mombasa Terminus-Mariakani-Miasenyi-Voi-Mtito Andei-Kibwezi-Emali-Athi River-Nairobi Terminus

Metre Gauge Railway- Nairobi Terminus-Nairobi City Centre