Public Kenya Communication and Conversation Etiquette

You are Here: › Kenya Communication Manners

Traditional Kenya Communication Manners differ from those of other African people in Africa. Learn more about conversation in a Kenya style at this site.

Communication Style

• Conversations tend to be polite, beginning with ‘How is your work?’ ‘How is your home?’ ‘How is your family?’ and is often injected with good doses of humour and laughter. The communication style is usually non-confrontational and polite.

• Kenyans will rarely be direct when speaking with anyone except the closest of friends. They prefer to hide their true feelings, especially when speaking on financial matters.

• Kenyans prefer to maintain peace than to confront someone about a problem they are having.

Kenya Communication - Personal Space And Touching

• Conversation generally takes place at arms length after shaking hands. However, it is common to see men who know each other well, walking and talking whilst remaining hand in hand. This is accepted and in no way seen as strange or homosexual behaviour (homosexuality is illegal ). It is less common to see men and women/couples hand in hand or displaying any affection in public.

• Touching when speaking is kept to a minimum for business contacts and is usually reserved for close friendships. Good friends, including those of the same sex, will converse with an intimate amount of touching, hugging, stroking – mostly in a nonsexual way but with great affection for the other person.

• Kenya is an extremely open and friendly society, so if you know someone well, touching a shoulder or arm in conversation is common, as is plenty of laughter.

• Many Kenyans, particularly those from the village, grow up in often crowded households and have very few personal possessions – everything is shared – so they don’t necessarily have concern for another person’s belongings or space.

• Kenyans tend to be very affectionate people, and do not value personal space very highly. It is not unusual for very good friends (male or female) to be seen holding hands, hugging, caressing each other affectionately, etc. while they walk or talk together.

Kenya Communication and Eye contact

• In certain areas one might not initially make direct eye contact with an elder or more senior person. However this is becoming out dated. The norm is to converse with direct eye contact.

Kenya Communication - View of the time

• ‘Africa Time’ is very flexible. It is common to be late or for services to fail to run completely. Kenyans generally take this with good faith, accepting delays as just part of life and beyond their control. Westerners often find it hard to adjust and can come across as demanding and impatient in comparison.

• In a work situation, employees will usally arrive on time, often early, having left more than ample time for their journey as they will be factoring in unseen delays with public transport and along the always bad roads. Heavy rain can slow things down to a standstill.

Kenya Culture | Akamba | Bantu | British Colonialists |

Crafts | Cultural Business Meetings | Cultural Communication | Cultural Eye Contact | Cultural Gestures | Gift Giving | Cultural Law | Cultural Music | Cultural Space | Cultural Time | Kenya Art | Kenya Festivals | Kenya Gender Issues | Kenya Gestures | Kenya Greetings | Kenya History | Kenya Language | Kenya Literature | Kenya Modern Culture | Kenya Music |

Kenya National Anthem | National Dress Cord of Kenya | Kenya People | Kenya Respect | Kenya Taboos |

Kenya Television and Culture | Kenya Cultural Origins | Kenya Student Rules | Kikuyu People | Luo in Kenya | Masai  People | Samburu People | Student Class Rules | Banyankole People | Masaba  People | Madi People | Lugbara People |

Lango People   | Bakiga People   | Karamajong People ›  | Kakwa people ›  | Kadam People ›  |

Jie People   › | Ik People › | Bahororo People   › | Hima People › | Dodoth People › | Basoga People › | Banyoro People › | Bakonzo People › | Batwa People › | Basamia Bagwe people › | Banyole People › | Bagwere People › | Bagisu People › | Baganda People › | Bafumbira People › | Ateker People › | Aringa People › | Bamba people › | Alur people › | Japadhola People › | Acholi Peoole   › | Toro People › | Kumam People › | Baruuli Banyala People › | Songora People   › | Sebei People › | Nubi People › | Oropom People › | Samburu people › | Elgeyo People › | Orma People › |  Okiek People › | Njemps People › | Nandi People › | Mijikenda People › | Meru People › | Masai People › | Luo People › | Mbeere People › | Luhya People › | Kuria People › | Kipsigis People | Kikuyu People › | Kalenjin People › | Kubras People › | Iteso People › | Gusii People › | Giriama People › | Gabbra People › | Embu People › | El molo People › | Tutsi People › | Tugen People › | Turkana People › | Terik People › | Taveta People › | Taita People › | Swahili People › | Somali People › | Segeju People › | Isukha People › | Rendile People › | Duruma People › | Pokot People › | Pokomo People › | Marakwet People › | Digo People › | Choyi People | Daharo People › | Boni People › | Arrow People › |




New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.




































Recent Articles

  1. Garam Masala Appetizers ,How to Make Garam Masala,Kenya Cuisines

    Sep 21, 14 03:38 PM

    Garam Masala Appetizers are originally Indian food but of recent, many Kenyans use it. Therefore, on this site, we will guide you on how to make it easily.

    Read More

  2. The Details of the Baruuli-Banyara People and their Culture in Uganda

    Sep 03, 14 12:32 AM

    The Baruuli-Banyala are a people of Central Uganda who generally live near the Nile River-Lake Kyoga basin.

    Read More

  3. Guide to Nubi People and their Culture in Kenya and Uganda

    Sep 03, 14 12:24 AM

    The Nubians consist of seven non-Arab Muslim tribes which originated in the Nubia region, an area between Aswan in southern

    Read More