Karibu Kenya! Facts about my second home

I've been living here in Kisumu in southwestern Kenya for a month now. Kenya is located in the east of Africa and has everything to offer. The national colours are black, red, green and white. Actually, it would have to be even more, because the bright colors of Kenya look alike: the golden beaches and the turquoise waves of the Indian Ocean; The dust of the red savannah falling on elephants and buffaloes, and in the distance of the Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, the White Peak of the Roshan Mountains, 5,892 metres above sea level, right behind the Tanzanian border, the blue lakes and geysers of the African Gravenbruch and the emerald green Turkana Lake crossing the cramped desert of the North.

There is no other place like this in Africa. The equator cuts the land and divides it into two unequal halves: the fertile south with its large cities, where the vast majority of the population lives, and the dry, wide north, where nomads migrate and are the purpose of the country.

Kenya has a population of 50 million and an area of 580,367 km2. Austria would thus win 6 1/2 places in Kenya. The capital of Kenya is Nairobi, with a population of 4.4 million. The second largest city - Mombasa - is located on the Indian Ocean and the third largest town - Kisumu - on Lake Victoria. There are forty different tribal groups in Kenya, some of which are: Maasai, Luo, Wa Swahili, Somali, Pokot, Luhya or Kamba. Each tribal group has its own language, but the official languages of Kenya are English and Kiswahili. The people here speak English fluently and quite well. It is not uncommon for the two languages to be connected. Therefore my new term “Swenglish” – Kiswahili and English.

With more than 4 million people, the Luo tribe is one of the largest ethnic groups in Kenya. Luo translates as "people from the swamps". They live on the shores of Lake Victoria, mainly in the western part of the country. The Luo population has a rich history, culture and traditions that have influenced the social, political and economic landscape of Kenya. An oral legend says that the Luo people migrated from the Sudan region to Kenya in the 15th century. The Luo language belongs to the Nilotic language family and is also spoken by Massai, Kalenjin, and Dinka, as well as other ethnic groups in East Africa.

Traditionally, the Luo were mainly fishermen, whose main business was fishing. They lived in Lake Victoria and in the rivers that cross their surroundings. The fish they caught was not only a source of food, but also a valuable commodity. In addition, the Luo were engaged in agriculture by cultivating field fruits such as maniok, sorgo, maize and beans. They also had livestock, such as cattle, goats and sheep. The community was divided into clans, each with its own name and totem.

Daily life here begins fairly early and ends fairly late. Early in the morning, the streets are full of people moving in all directions. The whole thing then leaves behind and in the evening the same spectacle takes place as in the morning. Fruit, vegetables, fish and also some household products can be bought, in addition to the supermarkets, also on the streets at small stalls. They are much cheaper and their products are often of better quality, especially when it comes to fresh products. In Kisumu mainly fish is eaten, as we are directly on Lake Victoria. The main meals include many chicken dishes. It comes with chips, rice or ugwahli. A dream for a vegetarian! The waiters' eyes are always mega when they find out that I don't eat fish or meat. That's why I live here in a fruit and vegetable paradise. From fresh avocados, to pineapples, bananas, melons, onions, juicy carrots, tomatoes, there is everything here. At the moment, however, there are no avocados, as it is not the season for it, accordingly we also eat very regional and seasonal, one would say. I quickly found out that a lot of Uganda is being imported from Kisumu. The food is also much healthier and more varied in Uganda, as there are actually many very good grown areas there.

Kisumu is located on the third largest lake in the world, in a very hilly landscape. Behind the highest hill country is the famous Rift Valley, which stretches through Tanzania to Mozambique. We are here pretty close to the equator, so the sun rises and sets at the same time every day. Currently we are in the rainy season, which means a short rainfall per day is preprogrammed, but it usually lasts no more than 30 minutes.

The people here are extremely friendly and helpful and not prejudiced at all. Which, of course, helps a lot if you walk through the streets as an “Interraical Couple”. I never felt uncomfortable when we walked through the city for two, as no one looks unpleasant or disrespectful. For the people here, this doesn't seem to be a problem at all. They probably think of their part, but they would never let you feel it personally.