Thika

Hello, 
Curiosity leads me to ask; why Thika?  It is an unusual choice for an expat.  We have a property in Thika, as its my wife's local town.  have you been before?  Your questions about library, health food stores, etc make me think not?

The expat community is quite small and probably the best place to meet them is Thika Sports Club, which is an ex colonial members only (plus guests) golf club.  I am not aware of a book store, health food shop, or library in the town.  For books, Tuskys Supermarket has a small selection of books, but for 'proper book stores', head for Nairobi.  Likewise for health food stores - not really a traditional Kenyan 'thing'.

Security needs to be a serious consideration and I would suggest that living in the rural surroundings of Thika would place you at considerable risk.  There are some pleasant estates outside the My recommendation would be one of those, at least until you get to know the area thoroughly.  Are you renting or intending to buy?

More later when I have returned from work!

You are right, I have not spent time in Thika. I will be staying there for 2 weeks in September to try it out.
I have spent time in Kenya for 3 years, for a month at a time, with an American medical group providing services for the Masai in their villages.  I want to experience Kenya on my own, without being embedded in a North American group with a specific purpose.
I do not like living in a big city, yet I know I will probably need access to Nairobi. I like the area around Thika and was hoping to live in a rural environment with access to Thika and Nairobi when needed.
I expect to rent. Are there places for rent in those estates you mention?
If so, do you know what kind of rent is charged?
I know there will be a lot of adaptations to make if I do this.
Maybe you have more thoughts?

The issue with living in a rural location is that word soon gets around that a mzungu is living in the area.  To most Kenyans, Mzungu = money..........a myth that just won't go away.  While most are well intentioned, some are not.  We used to live a bit out of town in Ngiongwa, before the area became very built up.  There tended to be quite a few robberies in the area, particularly neighbours who came home after dark and we spent quite a bit on security, but were then robbed ourselves.  After some more attempted break-ins, we sold the property and moved to Bendor Estate, which is gated, yet quiet.

Rents on our street are, I believe around Ksh 70,000 to 90,000 per month.

You could consider Thika Greens, a gated golf estate, which is out of town.

Bear in mind that Thika is an industrial town and known for associated air pollution.  The town itself is incredibly congested on most days, partly due to inadequate roads in/out.  We are looking to sell our property there.  In 2015, we bought a property in Nyeri, which is smaller, quieter and more rural.  Definitely worth considering other places IMHO

Nyeri sounds more to my liking but it seems so far away from Nairobi. How long does it take to get there on a bus? I will have things I need to do in Nairobi with associates.
Thanks for your warning about security. Will I only find a library, book stores, health food stores in Nairobi?

There is an efficient shuttle service to/from Nairobi.  It takes around 2 hours (150km approx) and costs around Ksh 500.  It all depends how often you need to go to Nairobi.

Libraries:  There is a library in Nyeri - no idea what its like.

Bookshops:  There are a couple, I believe - I sound really ignorant, but when we bought our house in Nyeri (from a Scottish expat) it came with contents, which included a large number of books.  The best bookshops are still to be found in Nairobi though.

Health food stores:  I am not really sure why you would need to access one  - the traditional Kenyan (Kikuyu) diet is incredibly healthy and its easy to grow some of the ingredients!  The Naivas supermarket in Nyeri sells a small range of seeds, nuts and so on.  There is 'Richmond Biomed' in Nyeri, but never been.   Health foods tend to be imported and therefore pricey and on the whole, unnecessary and a waste of money.  The western 'need' for health foods and supplements is largely a case of consumerism and clever marketing, at work.  If you have a healthy and balanced diet, you'll be fine.  However, For proper western style heath food stores, the closest would be 'Healthy U' in Thika Road Mall, outside Nairobi.  'Healthy U' have branches in most of the upmarket malls in Nairobi, selling imported supplements, 'green' detergents, soaps, shampoos and so on, but boy are they expensive.  You can also shop online.

'Doing things with associates' - just to make you aware that ANY sort of work activity, including unpaid is illegal without a work permit, so whatever you do with associates, better be kept 'under the radar'.  The recent drive by the government has focussed on foreigners 'taking advantage of Kenyan hospitality', and has raised the profile of the requirement for foreigners to have the correct visa/permit to be in Kenya.

Thank you for that reminder about the quality of food in Kenya.
Here in North America it is very poor and full of chemicals and sugar.
I buy organic whenever I can, but even then there's little flavour because the soil is so depleted.
I won't be able to grow my own if I'm living in an apartment.
I have noticed that vegetables in Kenya actually taste like vegetables I remember in my childhood.
That's encouraging!
Thank you also for that reminder that even unpaid work is considered illegal.
Can one not donate one's time to something that interests you?
Is that not customary in Kenya?

"I won't be able to grow my own if I'm living in an apartment."  As your preferred location   is rural, it is less likely that you would be living in an apartment, I'd have thought. 

Both Thika and Nyeri have large markets, selling fresh produce.

"Thank you also for that reminder that even unpaid work is considered illegal.
Can one not donate one's time to something that interests you?" 

It's not just considered illegal, it is illegal and will state the same on your visa.  You can do something that interests you, as long as it isn't work, paid or unpaid, so sports, leisure activities are fine. 

This isn't about what is customary, it's about the potential for a foreigner, possibly with the means to financially support themselves, doing work, paid or unpaid, that could possibly be carried out by an educated Kenyan, who then remains unemployed. 

There is a history of, say large charities. giving jobs to foreign workers, where they could have made more effort to source from the local workforce.  On top of this, there is a suggestion that western charities/companies perceive Kenyans as lazy, corrupt etc.  The current government has now taken positive action to redress the imbalance.

It was my intention to live in a rural environment but I cannot afford the rents you were suggesting as likely on estates with the security I'd need - so I'm having to re-think.
I am in complete accord with not taking work that Kenyans can be doing.
I'm intending to continue as a Canadian, paying Canadian taxes, with my very small tour business and maybe some long distance work for the organisation I already work for.
Would that be considered 'working in Kenya'?

If you are distance working, say online, and you are paid in your home country, then that is acceptable to the Kenyan government.  You are on shakier ground if your tour business involves tours to/within Kenya, as it could be argued that you are (albeit indirectly) deriving an income from Kenya, which involves your active participation.  The other thing that could be considered would be whether you are potentially taking work away from a Kenyan tour operator.

Government officials can be very petty over these small details, if revealed, and it could be the difference between success and failure of a Class K visa application.  A few years ago a bribe would have been hinted at, to 'overlook' these awkward details, but this is increasingly unlikely.

Regarding accommodation; Bendor is one of the best estates in Thika, hence the prices.  The more I think about it, the more I struggle to think of somewhere in the Thika environs, which would be both rural/semi rural and safe for you.  Since the highway between Thika and Nairobi was completed, Thika has expanded rapidly into the surrounding countryside, with a bit of a mishmash of property styles, people etc.  You can expect anywhere within easy travelling distance to Nairobi to have relatively higher rental costs.

It really is best that you visit and see for yourself.  Until you are familiar with the area, its best to get around by taxi, or Tuk Tuk.  What dates in September will you be there?  There's an outside chance that we will go for the first 2 weeks in Sep.

I'll be arriving Sept 8 and leaving Sept 25.
It would be good to meet if that's possible for you and your wife.
I'm booked in at The Amazing Work and Play Hotel (also called The Coconut it seems) on Kenyatta Highway from Sept 9.
I'm expecting to have some time with my friend during the first week but then he has to take a group on safari so it will be good for me to experience being on my own.
I intend to get a Kenya SIM card for my iphone and then I can give you that number, but I'm wondering how public this conversation is.
No one else has contributed anything but I don't know for sure that this is private.
Sarnia

Hello again, this is a public forum, so it's not a good idea to post phone numbers and other private details.  You can private message people from their profile page. 

No other contributors probably because Thika isn't particularly an 'expat place'!

I know where that hotel is.  It is right next to the largest supermarket in Thika.  The Coconut Grill is the pub/club that is on the ground floor.  I don't know how noisy it is at night though.

My wife definitely going to Kenya, but likely to be spending the majority of her time in Nyeri and her stay will overlap with yours by 2 days only.  I am not sure whether I will go at this point - have a few essential things to do here, which can't be postponed, plus the ticket prices!  I will make a decision in a few days.

Make sure your phone is unlocked.  You need ID when you buy a SIM, usually a passport.  If you intend on returning, to Kenya, you can register for M-Pesa (on the Safaricom network), which is a mobile based cashless payment and banking platform.  You can top up your account via a money transfer service (Work Remit & Western Union certainly support M-Pesa transfers).  Most retail outlets accept payment by M-Pesa. It saves the need to carry large amounts of cash.   You can keep the phone connection and account active once back home, by sending a text or two from time to time and topping up every 3 months.

I replied to this believing I was replying to Longonot, whoever that person might be.
The 'conversation' continued until it became evident that the person I was communicating with was not Longonot.
This is very concerning. How did this happen?
Did I do something wrong?
I have seen 'conversations' in the past and I thought that's what I was participating in.
Will someone please explain?

"it became evident that the person I was communicating with was not Longonot."  How do you make that out?  I can assure you that i am not impersonating anyone, but you are posting on a public forum.  It even says 'forum' on the link at the top of the page, which by definition is not a private messaging facility.  The idea of the site is for people to ask questions or share experiences for the benefit of others, without putting personal contact information, or advertising. 

It just so happens that on this occasion, no one else has anything to say on Thika, but anyone could have jumped in with a comment. 

As directed above, you can send individuals private messages too.

Yes, I realise this is a public forum and I asked further questions about living in Thika and got replies from Longonot.
Then you, still writing as Longonot, wrote the following:
If you are distance working, say online, and you are paid in your home country, then that is acceptable to the Kenyan government.  You are on shakier ground if your tour business involves tours to/within Kenya, as it could be argued that you are (albeit indirectly) deriving an income from Kenya, which involves your active participation.  The other thing that could be considered would be whether you are potentially taking work away from a Kenyan tour operator.

Government officials can be very petty over these small details, if revealed, and it could be the difference between success and failure of a Class K visa application.  A few years ago a bribe would have been hinted at, to 'overlook' these awkward details, but this is increasingly unlikely.

Regarding accommodation; Bendor is one of the best estates in Thika, hence the prices.  The more I think about it, the more I struggle to think of somewhere in the Thika environs, which would be both rural/semi rural and safe for you.  Since the highway between Thika and Nairobi was completed, Thika has expanded rapidly into the surrounding countryside, with a bit of a mishmash of property styles, people etc.  You can expect anywhere within easy travelling distance to Nairobi to have relatively higher rental costs.

It really is best that you visit and see for yourself.  Until you are familiar with the area, its best to get around by taxi, or Tuk Tuk.  What dates in September will you be there?  There's an outside chance that we will go for the first 2 weeks in Sep.

That's when I seemed to connect with someone else.
Your thoughts?

Yes..........and this and all the subsequent posts have been written by the same person.........me.  I simply don't understand where you are coming from.

I am in no way questioning your authenticity. 
I have always been impressed with your replies to people's questions with more knowledgeable detail than anyone else's and written well by someone well educated.
I have printed some of them to refer to later.
I answered your question about when I would be in Thika, sending a reply.
Your reply of August 15 did not appear in my emails. We were having some problems with emails locally at that time.
It is apparent now that the person who did answer was not you.
It was William W. who gave me his personal email address so that we could communicate and arrange to connect.
I assumed he was you since Longonot is not likely to be your real name but one used for the Forum.
His language style was different and I felt immediate concern, yet concluded there could be all kinds of different reasons for it and not to automatically be suspicious while also being cautious.
Then, when I wrote complimenting him on something Longonot had written, he said that wasn't him and that he was not Longonot.
As I write this I am realising that you are right.
He 'jumped in' on the conversation without my realising he was a different person.
I was expecting an answer from you that didn't come. (I have it now.)
The conversation up until then had been solely between the two of us since, as you said, no one else was contributing.
I did not realise he was someone different.
That all said, now that it is solved I am greatly relieved.
William seems friendly and we will likely connect when I'm in Thika.
Sometimes such things happen out of serendipity.
Meanwhile - do you still think you might be in Thika when I am there?
Have you decided about making the trip?
My iphone is unlocked and my local friend can help me with M-Pesa and getting a SIM card and everything that entails.
I hope you won't let this misunderstanding prevent us from continuing to communicate.
I have never engaged in a public forum before, nor do I engage in social media.
How can I send you my personal email address?
Sarnia

I can't see any other correspondence on this thread apart from our exchanges.   I would also never put my own or anyone elses personal details on this forum. 

Be cautious of people you don't know, offering help - sometimes they are doing it for money, for instance.  Maybe if you decide to meet him, go with someone you know and trust.

My wife travels to Kenya this morning, I have a few things to do in the UK, plus my mother had an accident two days ago, so am going there to assess the situation.  That and the sheer cost of the tickets, arranging time off work etc means that I am fairly unlikely to be travelling now.

SIM & M-Pesa - there is a Safaricom shop at the airport.  Ideal, as you need your passport to register.  Alternatively, there is a large Safaricom shop in Thika Town centre.  Purchase and registering is a very simple process and the staff will also install the SIM and set you up.  You shouldn't need anyone to help you - the staff are excellent - its useful to have maybe Ksh 1000 on you to top up the phone when you register.  The SIM costs something like Ksh 100 - not a lot anyway. 

Private messaging can be done by clicking on a persons profile.  There is a link to send private messages.