Kenya has a diverse population with over 40 ethnic groups and multiple languages. The document discusses differences and similarities in Kenya's history, communication styles, beliefs, and social structure. It traces how coastal regions experienced influence from Arab, Indian, and European traders earlier than the interior. Kenya is now a diverse, multi-party republic, though it maintains traditions of respect for elders and community orientation.

1. Sample of Making Acquaintances: Differences and Similarities
(Country: Kenya)
DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
Historical Background
Kenya is a country made up of many different languages,
ethnicities, races, and cultures. Because
its geography isolated the interior from the coastal regions until
the mid-19th century, Kenya’s
modern history is also divided (Horrobin, 1971). Over fifteen
hundred years ago in the interior of
Kenya, agriculturist Bantu language speakers from Western
Africa arrived, followed by the
pastoralist Nilotic speakers from North Africa (Editors of Time-
Life, 1987). These peoples would
remain in the interior with little contact outside of the areas
they settled until the arrival of
Europeans in the mid-1800s (Horrobin, 1971).
Along the coastal areas of Kenya between 200 and 1490c.e.
Indian, Indonesian, Persian, Arab,
Chinese, and even Roman sailors had made contact and traded
with the locals (Horrobin, 1971).
Eventually, many of the Arab and Persian traders settled in
these regions perpetuating Islam, and
the Swahili culture and language (Horrobin, 1971). The
prosperity of the coastal trade eventually
attracted the ill-fated attention of the Portuguese around 1500.
The Portuguese conquered, and
then ruled coastal Kenya until the mid-17th century, bringing
Christianity to the people (Editors of

2. Time-Life, 1987). The Portuguese were later ousted by the
Omanis who ruled from the early
1700s, returning Islam to the coast, until they slowly lost power
to Great Britain by 1898
(Horrobin, 1971). The British built roads and railroads to the
interior finally unifying the
country’s geography but bringing an influx of European settlers
(Finlay, Fitzpatrick, Fletcher, &
Ray, 2000). Colonial rule under Great Britain resulted in an
attempt to wipe out the African
culture, discriminate and suppress Kenyans in favor of the
British and European settlers. Over the
next 60 years, Britain would first oppress, but then later slowly
allow, through a series of violent
protests, the country to return to majority African rule. In 1963,
Kenya declared independence
and now functions as a republic (Horrobin, 1971).
Communication Styles
The official languages of Kenya are English and Kiswahili
(Horrobin, 1971). Because of the
diversity of the people, the total amount of languages spoken,
mostly African tribal languages, is
62 (“Kenya: Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette,” n.d.).
The largest of these groups are the
Bantu language-based Kikuyu, Luhya, and Kamba peoples,
followed by the Nilotic based
speakers: Luo, Kalenjin, and the famous Maasai peoples (“The
World Factbook: Kenya,” n.d.).
Oral histories and folklore are the traditional methods of
preserving the history of the various
ethnic groups and have only recently begun to be preserved in
writing in English and Kiswahili,
using Latin script (Sobania, 2003). Nonverbal communication
styles include close proxemics
(even with new acquaintances), shaking of hands when greeting
anyone, and demurring eye

3. contact as a sign of respect and non-aggression (Finney, 2001).
Another important aspect of
communication styles for Kenyans is that they are a very
contextual society and when speaking
they will be neither direct nor frank (“ Kenya, Greetings,” n.d.).
They try to retain or build cordial
relationships and therefore want to couch anything they say
with the most amount of tact (“Kenya
Etiquette Tips,” n.d.).
Beliefs
While over 82% of Kenyans practice Christianity, roughly one-
third of those belong to “over 200
or so African independent churches” (Editors of Time-Life,
1987 p. 8). This reflects Kenyans’
desire to combine traditional African belief systems with
Christian belief systems. Traditional
beliefs focus on the here and now, the community, and health
and moral order in the present,
whereas Christianity focuses on the afterlife, the individual, and
salvation (Sobania, 2003). The
other dominant religion is Muslim, concentrated in the coastal
areas (“ The World Factbook:
Kenya,” n.d.). Kenyans place great emphasis on family and
kinship, respect for the elderly, and
cooperation among family members over individuals (Finney,
2001). Among rural areas,
Kenyans hold a subjugated belief towards nature, and until
colonialism and the introduction of
cash crop economy, did not rely on surplus farm production or
over-hunting of their territories
(Editors of Time-Life, 1987).
Society Structure
Kenya is a group oriented society and “Harambee” a Bantu word

4. meaning “to pull together” or
mutual assistance is practiced widely (“Kenya: Language,
Culture, Customs and Etiquette,” n.d.).
This is especially true for the family and extended family,
which is the center of Kenya’s
collectivistic society. Monogamous statutory marriages account
for 40% of all marriages and
60% are customary or Muslim marriages, of which 16% are
polygamous (“Gender Index:
Kenya,” n.d.). Families include parents, children, grandparents
and often extended relatives or
village members (Sobania, 2003).
Kenya is also a patriarchal society with a wide gender
inequality in favor of men (“Kenya,
Greetings,” n.d.). Men hold the majority of positions of
authority in politics, at work, in the
family and men are almost exclusively the landowners. In
village or rural settings, which account
for over 2/3 of the population, men are the members of the
elders, provide protection, and tend
herds (Sobania, 2003). Women do most of the farming, provide
all home maintenance, and child
rearing (Sobania, 2003). Children are highly valued, but are
expected to obey and show respect to
their elders without question (Finlay, Fitzpatrick, Fletcher, &
Ray, 2000).
The Republic of Kenya is a highly diverse nation with over 40
ethnic groups, multiple political
parties, and free elections (Finlay, Fitzpatrick, Fletcher, & Ray,
2000). Like elders, political
leaders are given great respect (“Kenya: Language, Culture,
Customs and Etiquette,” n.d.). Kenya
is a also hierarchal society- a country of mostly “ wanachi”-
workers, laborer, domestics, and
farmers or herders, and “wabenzi”, meaning literally those who
drive a Mercedes-Benz (Sobania,

5. 2003, p.2).
Reasons for Codes of Cultural Behavior
Do
1. Greet Kenyans by shaking hands each time you meet them. In
addition, it is considered
respectful to grasp your right wrist when shaking the hands of
an elderly, or higher ranking
person. Lastly, when meeting members of the opposite sex, it is
polite for a man to wait until a
woman offers her hand first (“Kenya, Greetings,” n.d.).
Reasons: Shake hands because Kenya is a
particularistic culture with situation –specific interactions that
are expected in social settings.
Shaking hands shows that you respect their common etiquette
rules. Grasping the wrist of the
elderly or higher ranking person is important because Kenya is
a collectivistic linear culture,
which means they consider the well-being of the group to be
paramount and they respect and
defer to those considered in a higher authoritative position. By
doing this you show the required
respect and that you are willing to put the group needs of social
well-being ahead of your
individual needs. Men should wait until a woman offers her
hand before shaking because Kenya
is both a hierarchical society with strong emphasis on status
differences between individuals and
an ascription valued society which places great importance on
inherent qualities such as gender or
religion. In Kenya’s hierarchical society, women are lower
socially than men and it is considered
respectful for them to approach the superior male. Kenya’s
ascription values highlight the
importance of honoring the differences in the various
backgrounds of women. Some may be

6. Muslim, which means they may never shake hands with a man
who is not a relation, and allowing
a woman to approach first, avoids the embarrassment of offering
a hand that cannot be shaken.
2. Address men as “bwana” and men obviously over 35 years
old as “mzee” to show respect.
Women of all ages are to be traditionally addressed as “mama”
(“ United Nations Office at
Nairobi,” n.d.). Reasons: Using Kenyan traditional terms of
address is important because they
value collective collateral relationships. This means the
individual is part of a social order that
values harmony and politeness. Using Kenyan terms shows a
willingness to be polite and put
others at ease, helping bring harmony to everyone. Using
“mzee” to address elder males is
important because Kenya is a linear society which expects
unquestioning respect to someone
considered in higher authority, such as males over 35 years old.
It is also important because
Kenya is an ascription based society which places higher status
based on gender and age and
therefore expects others to show respect to older males.
3. Always politely and patiently ask after your acquaintance’s
health and the health of their
family, ideally by using the Swahili term “Jambo?”, or “How
are you?” (“Kenya: Language,
Culture, Customs and Etiquette,” n.d.). Reasons: Kenyans are
collectivistic which means
individuals put group needs above their own, and Kenyans’
family groups are the most important.
You honor their group by inquiring after them. Kenyans also
have a present relationship to time.

7. The conversation they are having with you is the most important
thing at that moment. They also
have a polychromic relationship to time, which means they
believe the time, no matter how long,
spent building human relationships is not limited and wholly
worthwhile spent in conversation
with you. Being patient and thorough in this initial conversation
shows you value them as they
value you.
4. When invited to dinner at a private home, it is polite to bring
the hostess a gift such as flowers
or a dessert, and in rural areas it is polite to bring sugar or tea
(“Kenya Etiquette Tips,” (n.d.).
Reasons: Kenya is a particularistic, high-context culture. This
means there are situation-specific
patterns or rules of social situations that are followed such as
bringing a gift to a hostess. In
addition, Kenya’s high-context culture means there are rules of
behavior that are expected but not
explicitly spoken. This means bringing an appropriate gift such
as non-personal and useful items
are considered the most polite and appreciated even though no
specific examples are written out
in society.
5. When dining, use formal table manners, wash your hands
before and after dinner, and do not
start eating until the eldest male at the table has begun eating
(“Kenya: Language, Culture,
Customs and Etiquette,” (n.d.). Reasons: Kenyans have a
collateral relationship orientation which
value politeness and group harmony. Formal table manners and
washing hands show politeness
and a willingness to not cause any embarrassment to the host
group. In addition, deferring to the
eldest male is important because Kenyans also have an
ascription orientation which values the

8. inherent qualities of the individual based on, in this case,
gender and age. This means the eldest
male has a higher status among the group therefore you and the
group honor him by letting him
eat first.
Don’t
1. Do not take photographs of people without getting their
permission first. In addition, be
prepared to pay for the privilege (“United Nations Office at
Nairobi,” n.d.). Reason: This is
important because some of Kenya’s ethnic groups have a high
uncertainty avoidance which
means that anything uncertain to them is considered a threat.
Some indigenous people may
believe a photo can steal their souls (“ United Nations Office at
Nairobi,” n.d.). Tourists should
avoid threatening them by simply asking permission before
photographing. In addition, collateral
relationships are valued in Kenya which means each person is
part of the social order and in that
order politeness is important. By asking permission, you are
showing the correct politeness. It is
important to be prepared to pay to photograph a Kenyan because
they are also a particularistic
culture-based society. In this instance, situation specific
patterns- thousands of tourists visiting
over decades- have developed an expectation of a certain
interaction- that of the tourists paying to
photograph people. This is especially true in the rural areas
where poverty can be extreme and
tourism is a large part of the local economy.
2. Do not dress sloppily or wear revealing tops or short bottoms
in places other than the beach, as

9. conservative dress is the norm (“Kenya Etiquette Tips,” (n.d.).
Reasons: Kenya is a collectivistic-
collateral culture where the emphasis is on the well-being of
others and adherence to group social
welfare and rules of etiquette. Neat, tidy, non-revealing clothes
are considered the social norm,
and tourists who don’t adhere to this show disrespect for
Kenyans’ social rules.
3. Do not get angry, swear, or blaspheme. Kenyans are a polite
and non-confrontational people,
and showing your temper is considered very ill mannered (“
Kenya, Greetings,” n.d.). Reasons:
Kenyans are a highly contextual society and one way this is
manifested is that they do not speak
directly or frankly, even under duress. Because their methods of
communications are very
implicit, they also do not show anger. Also, Kenya is a
collectivistic-collateral culture where the
emphasis is on the well-being of others and adherence to group
social welfare and rules of
etiquette, especially not causing embarrassment. Swearing or
blaspheming would show rude
manners and embarrassment to those around you.
4. Do not speak loudly, whether positive or negative, as it is
considered insulting (“ United
Nations Office at Nairobi,” n.d.). Reasons: Kenyans adhere to a
collectivistic-collateral culture
where the emphasis is on the well-being of others, adherence to
group harmony and being polite
in order to not cause embarrassment. Raising your voice would
violate these cultural values and
disrupt group harmony so you should always speak in a
reasonable voice.
5. Do not point your finger at someone, or call them by curling
up your finger or waving your
upturned palm towards you. All of these gestures are deemed

10. rude. Instead use your head to point
to something and beckon with your palm up (“United Nations
Office at Nairobi,” n.d.). Reasons:
Reasons: Kenya is a particularistic, high-context culture. This
means there are situation-specific
patterns or behaviors that are considered impolite in Kenya such
as the above hand gestures. In
addition, Kenya’s high-context culture means there are non-
verbal cues that are not acceptable,
even if there are no written rules about them. Tourists should
avoid using these gestures because
it would insult the person you are trying to communicate with as
well as those around them.
References
Editors of Time-Life. (1987). Library of Nations: East Africa.
Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books.
Finlay, H., Fitzpatrick, M., Fletcher, M., & Ray, N. (2000).
Lonely Planet East Africa (5th ed.).
Melbourne, AUS: Lonely Planet Publications.
Finney, M.K. (2001). Kenya: Nonverbal Issues. Retrieved April
25, 2013, from
http://acad.depauw.edu/~mkfinney/teaching/Com227/culturalpor
tfolios/kenya/nonverbal.htm
Gender Index: Kenya. (n.d.). Gender Index Website. Retrieved
April 25, 2013, from
http://www.genderindex.org/country/kenya
Horrobin, D. F. (1971). A Guide to Kenya and Northern
Tanzania. New York, NY: Charles
Scribner’s Sons.
Kenya Etiquette Tips. (n.d.). Vayama Country Etiquette.
Retrieved February 18, 2013, from
http://www.vayama.com/etiquette/kenya/
Kenya, Greetings. (n.d.). Culture Crossing Website. Retrieved
February 18, 2013, from
http://www.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.

11. php?Id=7&CID=107
Kenya: Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. (n.d.).
Kwintessential Website. Retrieved
February 18, 2013, from
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-
etiquette/kenya.html
Sobania, N. (2003). Culture and Customs of Kenya. Westport,
CT: Greenwood Press.
The World Factbook: Kenya. (n.d.) Central Intelligence Agency
U.S. Retrieved April 25, 2013,
from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/geos/ke.html
United Nations Office at Nairobi. (n.d.). Cultural Do’s and
Dont’s. Retrieved February 18, 2013,
from
http://dcs.unon.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl
e&id=126&Itemid=172&lang=e
n
REPLY TO DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
Major Value Commonality
Japan and Kenya share a common value in collateral
relationships where group harmony and
politeness in social situations is very important. Kenyans will
not be frank when speaking to
others even if asked a direct question, going so far as to use
metaphors or context to get meanings
across. They do this to extend the most sensitivity to the
listener, rather than risk offending or

12. disappointing them. You mentioned that Japanese also prefer a
softer, non-confrontational style
in communication as well as a more diplomatic approach which
is in line with Kenyan values as
well.
Major Value Difference
There is a major cultural difference between Japan and Kenya in
their relationship to time. You
wrote the Japanese are a past-oriented society believing what
one has done in the past will
determine one’s future. Kenyans, in contrast, are a present-
oriented society. They do not see time
as circular; they are concentrated in the moment and consider
what is happening at the present to
have high significance. An example is when Kenyans meet
someone and spend what other
cultures might consider a very long time to inquire after each
other’s health and the well-being of
their family members.