these are compare and contrast questions i have been asked often throughout the journey. all answers are only my opinion and do not necessarily pose true data
best traditional food
UGANDA matoke (green bananas) with leafy vegetables and groundnut sauce
best fruits
UGANDA jack fruit, pineapples, and papayas
poorest population
KENYA mostly slum areas and outlying village regions
most hiv and aids
UGANDA, although kenya seemed to yeild more sickness overall
least hiv and aids
TANZANIA mostly due to high literacy rates
languages
swahili in KENYA and TANZANIA, luo in kenyan village, lugandan in UGANDA
swahili was the easiest and most beautiful and comparable to spanish, while luganda was extremely difficult and comparable to chinese
best clothing
kenyas have the most unique fashion but tanzanians provide a rich cultural influence in their dress where girls never leave home without a kanga around her waist and boys often wrap a traditional cloth around their neck, UGANDA has many women wearing their traditional silk cloth though
music on the radio
ugandans love their music scene and their music is amazing. they have a rich culture of rap, hip hop, r & b and reggae that they mix with their mother tongue to make their tunes packed with upbeat and lively uniqueness. tanzanian and kenya music is good but you often see the western influence in the way they dress and topics they sing about. when you find a good traditional song there is a great beat to' dance to but its hard to find a new artist who isnt mimicking a western artists....especially kenyas as they LOVE the usa
children's music
UGANDANA children can really sing and dance better than other schools i have visited. they can manipulate their body movements and sway to any beat with ease. and their personalities really break out with dance and drumming.
night life
tanzania has the best dance club in moshi town where i stayed. with 3 areas for stages and a dancefloor surrounded by a raised balcony the scene gets hot all night long. bubbles, fog, and confetti fill the air above as hoards of volunteers and local youth dance from 10pm til 5am every friday and saturday to tunes from all over the world. kenya held the best club for watching a live band, although the bands were from the congo, simmers night club and restaurant in nairobi kenya provided different congo bands each night of the week where the bands played lingala and rhumba music for 5 hours through the night. great dancers perform on stage and the bands really get involved with the crowd
best transportation system
UGANDA, everyone gets their own seat but in TANZANIA everyone happily shares laps
worst transportation system
KENYAS wont even stop fully to let you in and out of the vehicle and they rip you off by changing prices by the hour for your ride
safest for visitors
TANZANIA
most dangerous areas
KENYA
corruption
very little corruption due to common swahili language in TANZANIA, very high corruption in KENYA due to tribalism
most tradition living standards
UGANDAS has traditional homes and methods for cooking and daily life, but the maasai communities in TANZANIA really lived a raw life in mud huts and wear traditional cloths
religion... mostly all were christian or muslim
KENYANS pretend to be more religious than they are. UGANDANS eat breathe and pray religious influence...TANZANIA and UGANDA however hold the most traditional of religions where the magicians, scorerers, and medicine men often do ceremonies for fortune telling and prosperity
animal encounters
KENYAS maasai mara region where i went on safari had a large lion of magnificent stature
UGANDA had some amazing birds like the crested crane (their national animal)
TANZANIA provided me an up close experience with a large owl of magnificent beauty
sight seeing
TANZANIA is like a hidden gem where visitors can check out mount kilimanjaro the tallest mountain in africa, the deepest lake in africa Lake Tanganyika, a world heritage site The Ngorogoro Crater, and the serengeti forest which is one of the largest in the world. of course the Nile river in UGANDA was to die for
favorite place to visit
pangani island on the eastern shore of TANZANIA and by the ocean
favorite community
Muslim community on Pangani island in TANZANIA, also the congolese refugee groups i met with in KENYA
favorite event
UGANDAs graduation parties are a big deal. you can find an entire family pitching money together to celebrate the education of a member of the community for an event usually lasting for 12 hours. the value of education is held as such a valuable skill that parties often have 200+ guests filled with lots of entertainment, food, dessert, and of course dancing from 11pm til dusk provided by dj's and huge speaker systems. i was invited to about 5 of these during my stay and participated in at least 4 of them. soo much fun!
most shocking aspects, travel and bribing
transportation in africa is crazy. you will find a mini bus fit for transporting 15 people yet its completely crammed with over 30 passengers, some hanging on the bumper on the back or out of the door. babies are thrown into the hands of strangers while the mothers stand squeezed until its her turn to alight, chickens lay uncomfortably at your feet and the roads are a whole other issue. potholes are just a bump in the completely rough roads that are rarely smooth. speeding is common and often the spedometer doesnt work anyway. no reason to use stop signs as you come and go when there is a foot of space to stick your front end in as you wait in the crowded lines of local transport vehicles. theres an unspoken organization as the drivers seem to know when they should go and when they should yeild. drivers travel on the side of the road that is the most smooth weather traffic is oncoming or not you will often move in zigzag pattern across your pathways. boda bodas which are motorbikes in UGANDA weave in and out of vehicles and even on the sidewallks as they often transport 3 passengers who cling for lives on the rear of the bike seat. remember that anything moving weather on foot, bike, or in motorcar, you will be hit if you dont move, all are equal
bribing is a common occurance in all nations but in KENYA you will find it can be used in any situation. weather you need to get a parcel at the post office and want to skip your paperwork, or you are driving passengers without windshield wipers, any conflict can be resolved for a small bribe, just offer an official officer a soda and some sweets or pass up a dollar or two and you will be on your way.... of course this is meager compared to the horribly corrupt KENYAN government where large bribes are found around every corner of the judicial system
most friendly
TANZANIANS they will often walk with you just so they can talk even if they are headed in the opposite direction
most cheeky
KENYANS are always looking for a way to manipulate a situation in their favor
places i miss
UGANDA family at kin house, TANZANIAN night clubs
next year i head out to the same countries for short visits, but will spend most of my time travelling lower regions and will go to BOTSWANA, ZAMBIA, AND MALAWI, hopefully if i have time i will travel to NAMIBIA as well.
thanks for reading, if you have any questions email me and i will add it to this list
kenaafrica@gmail.com
-sister kena achieng mbabazi
