Kenya Shopping Guide

Do you want to go for Kenya Shopping? Learn More on this page. Shopping in Kenya is a major visitor pastime and has the advantage of being fun since, with the street and market vendors, haggling and bargaining are expected.

Most hotels have a gift shop where you can purchase African art and other items.

While on your safari or your city tours, you will pass and stop at small Kenyan art stores where you can purchase the art directly from the artisan or the cooperative store.

Other Pages of Interest in Nairobi

Whenever possible, we recommend that you purchase African art directly from the artist; this way, you have a personal touch with the artisan, and it also gives the artisan the much-needed entrepreneurial confidence.

When shopping in Nairobi, the main shopping areas as far as visitors are concerned, are contained within a rectangle no more than a kilometer on its longest side and bounded in the west by Uhuru Highway, in the north by University Way, followed in a southerly direction by Moi Avenue and completing the rectangle by City Hall Way.

Within this area there are two markets, the City Market, and very near to that, a craft market, sometimes called the Blue Market off Tubman Road. The City Market has a wide selection of crafts as well as a dazzling display of fruits, vegetables and flowers.

Kenya crafts are known worldwide particularly the carving of the Akamba and the soapstone carvings, often abstract, of the Gusii. The famous Kenya woven sisal basket, kiondo, has become so popular in the west that some countries, as far away as the Philippines, have begun to imitate it.

There are scores of sophisticated craft shops, where the price is higher than the markets but so also is the quality. African Heritage is the best known of these and has created an international reputation not only for crafts but also for clothing and design.

In the suburb of Langata is Utamaduni, a collection of 17 shops plus a restaurant all under one roof. The shops sell everything from fabrics to furniture and there are craftsmen creating their work on the spot.

"The Out of Africa City Tour" to the Giraffe Center and the Karen Blixen Museum. It is also quite near the new Ostrich Park (a mini Ostrich Farm) and also a craft center. Apart from crafts, gemstones are also great buys, although in this case buying in the street is definitely not recommended.

Fine specimens of locally cut malachite, sodalite, fluorspar, bluelace agate, haematite and jasper as well as petrified wood are all easily obtained.

Two stones stand out for their rarity and their value: Tanzanite, a brilliant sapphire-like gemstone and Tsavorite, a match for any emerald. Both these stones sell in Kenya for half their New York price. Other local gemstones include rubies, amethysts and malaya garnets.

Law prohibits the sale of all game trophies, and objects made from them, so the 'elephant hair' bracelets that you are likely to be offered in the street are illegal or made of plastic, more likely the latter. The 'lion claw' jewelry is more likely to be made of camel hoof.

Overall in the Kenya shopping realm, Kenya exceeds any visitor's artistic and cultural preference.

Where to Shop in Kenya

City Market

Has dozens of stalls open daily, selling woodcarvings, drums, spears, shields, soapstone, Maasai jewellery and clothing.

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Books First

Well-stocked bookshop outlet with separate café, in the Nakumatt supermarket.

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Bahati Book Centre

Bookshop.

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Bombolulu Workshops & Cultural Centre

This nonprofit organisation produces crafts of a very high standard and gives vocational training to hundreds of physically disabled people.

You can visit the workshops and showroom for free to buy jewellery, clothes, carvings and other crafts, or enter the cultural centre to tour mock-ups of traditional homesteads in the grounds, where various activities take place.

Bombolulu matatus run here from Msanifu Kombo St, and Bamburi services in either direction also pass the centre.

The turn-off for the centre is on the left about 3km north of Nyali bridge.

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Main Market

Mombasa's dilapidated 'covered' market building, formerly the Mackinnon Market, is packed with stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables.

Roaming produce carts also congregate in the streets around it, and dozens of miraa (leafy twigs and shoots chewed as a stimulant) sellers join the fray when the regular deliveries come in.

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Malindi Handicrafts Cooperative

A good place to buy handicrafts is this community project on the outskirts of Malindi.

It employs numerous local artisans, and the woodcarvings are of a high quality.

To get there, turn off the main road to Mombasa near the BP petrol station; the centre is 2km along a dirt road, opposite the community clinic.

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Akamba Handicraft Industry Cooperative Society

This cooperative employs an incredible 10,000 people from the local area.

It's also a nonprofit organisation and produces very fine animal woodcarving.

Kwa Hola/Magongo matatus run right past the gates from the Kobil petrol station on Jomo Kenyatta Ave. Many coach tours from Mombasa also stop here.

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Spinners Web

Works with workshops and self-help groups around the country.

It's a bit like a handicrafts version of Ikea, with goods displayed the way they might look in Western living rooms, but there's some classy stuff on offer including carpets, wall hangings, ceramics, wooden bowls, baskets and clothing.

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Nakumatt - Lifestyle

The principal supermarket chain in Nairobi and Kenya as a whole, Nakumatt invariably has a huge selection of Kenyan and Western foods and other products.

The brand-new Lifestyle store spreads over several floors, with departments stocking all kinds of useful household and outdoor goods.

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Maasai Market

Busy, popular Maasai markets are held every Tuesday on the waste ground near Slip Rd in town.

Souvenirs on offer include beaded jewellery, gourds, baskets and other Maasai crafts, but you'll have to bargain hard.

The market is open from early morning to late afternoon at both venues.

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Gallery Watatu

If you want fine Kenyan art, this is a good place to check out what's happening prior to investing your hard-earned.

There's a permanent display here and many of the items are for sale, but be prepared to part with at least around KSh20,000 just for something small.

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Kibuye Market

The Kibuye Market is a huge outdoor affair that draws people from all around the district each Sunday.

Everything from second-hand clothes to furniture and food can be found spread out along the road, a couple of kilometres north of the main market.

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Souvenir Shops

There are numerous posh souvenir shops and a curio market along Uhuru Rd and Mama Ngina Rd near the old town.

Avoid the shell vendors around Uhuru Park - the shells on sale here are mostly plundered from the national park.

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Nakumatt Supermarket

Close to the Likoni ferry, with an astounding selection of provisions, drinks, consumer goods and hardware items - just in case you need a TV, bicycle or lawnmower to go with your groceries.

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Banana Box

Among the rather less altruistic commercialism of the Sarit Centre, Banana Box works in conjunction with community projects and refugee groups and offers modern uses for traditional objects.

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Triangle Curios Market

Near the Sarit Centre in Westlands, this is a cheaper collection of stalls at a road junction.

There are lots of genuine tribal objects such as Turkana wrist knives and wooden headrests.

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Elmenteita Weavers

Visit Elmenteita Weavers and you'll see weavers producing hand-woven rugs, carpets, kangas (printed cotton wraparounds), baskets and the like. Prices reflect the high quality.

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Craft Stalls

The various Craft Stalls near Kisumu Hotel are some of the best places in Kenya for soapstone carvings. Quality varies but there are some gems to be found.

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Nakumatt - Downtown

The principal supermarket chain in Nairobi and Kenya as a whole, Nakumatt invariably has a huge selection of Kenyan and Western foods and other products.

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Nakumatt - Village

The principal supermarket chain in Nairobi and Kenya as a whole, Nakumatt invariably has a huge selection of Kenyan and Western foods and other products.

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Undugu Craft Shop

Another good charitable venture, this nonprofit organisation supports community projects in Nairobi and has very good-quality crafts.

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Expo Camera Centre - Westlands

Hires out SLR cameras and lenses. Stocks of film are pretty poor outside Nairobi so stock up here before you go on safari.

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Elite Camera House

Reductions for bulk purchases. Stocks of film are pretty poor outside Nairobi so stock up here before you go on safari.

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Umed Mode

Cheaper than some but still reliable, if you catch the right special offer you can get a safari suit really cheap.

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Baraka Gallery

For upmarket souvenirs from all over Africa, Baraka Gallery has a fine selection, but stratospheric prices.

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Fedha Foto Studio

Stocks of film are pretty poor outside Nairobi so stock up here before you go on safari.

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Fotoland

Stocks of film are pretty poor outside Nairobi so stock up here before you go on safari.

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Expo Camera Centre - City Centre

Stocks of film are pretty poor outside Nairobi so stock up here before you go on safari.

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Mombasa Tailoring Mart

This place is recommended for tailored African-style shirts and full safari suits.

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Mama Lucy Supermarket

Mama Lucy Supermarket is handy for self-caterers.

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Watamu Supermarket

Watamu Supermarket is handy for self-caterers.

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Text Book Centre - Kijabe St

One of the best bookshops in East Africa.

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Text Book Centre - Westlands

One of the best bookshops in East Africa.

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Book Villa

New, discounted and second-hand books.

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Dairy Line Ventures Cheese Shop

Dairy Line Ventures Cheese Shop.

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Uchumi - Comet House

Main supermarket chain in town.

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Uchumi - Downtown

Main supermarket chain in town.

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Barrels Wines & Spirits

Convenient central off-licence.

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A-1 Supermarket

Reasonable central supermarket.

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Westland Sundries Bookshop

Westland Sundries Bookshop

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Izzipoint Supermarket

Izzipoint supermarket.

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Mani Books & Stationers

Good for newspapers.

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City Grocers

A well-stocked shop.

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X-treme Outdoors

Camping equipment.

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Kenya Canvas Ltd

Camping equipment.

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Malindi Grocers

Malindi Grocers.

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Supermarket

Supermarket

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Bookpoint

Bookshop.

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Westland Sundries Bookshop - Westlands

Bookshop.

Main Market

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Kisumu's Main Market is one of Kenya's most animated, and certainly one of its largest, now spilling out onto the surrounding roads.

If you're curious or just looking for essentials like suits or wigs, it's worth a stroll around.

Shopping in Mombasa Kenya

Books First

Well-stocked bookshop outlet with separate café, in the Nakumatt supermarket.

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Bahati Book Centre

Bookshop.

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Bombolulu Workshops & Cultural Centre

This nonprofit organisation produces crafts of a very high standard and gives vocational training to hundreds of physically disabled people.

You can visit the workshops and showroom for free to buy jewellery, clothes, carvings and other crafts, or enter the cultural centre to tour mock-ups of traditional homesteads in the grounds, where various activities take place

__________________________________________________

Main Market

Mombasa's dilapidated 'covered' market building, formerly the Mackinnon Market, is packed with stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables.

Roaming produce carts also congregate in the streets around it, and dozens of miraa (leafy twigs and shoots chewed as a stimulant) sellers join the fray when the regular deliveries come in.

__________________________________________________

Akamba Handicraft Industry Cooperative Society

This cooperative employs an incredible 10,000 people from the local area.

It's also a nonprofit organisation and produces very fine animal woodcarving. Kwa Hola/Magongo matatus run right past the gates from the Kobil petrol station on Jomo Kenyatta Ave.

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Nakumatt Supermarket

Close to the Likoni ferry, with an astounding selection of provisions, drinks, consumer goods and hardware items - just in case you need a TV, bicycle or lawnmower to go with your groceries.

__________________________________________________

Umed Mode

Cheaper than some but still reliable, if you catch the right special offer you can get a safari suit really cheap.

__________________________________________________

Mombasa Tailoring Mart

This place is recommended for tailored African-style shirts and full safari suits.

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Barrels Wines & Spirits

Convenient central off-licence.

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A-1 Supermarket

Reasonable central supermarket.

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City Grocers

A well-stocked shop.

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City Bookshop