Kisumu
Discover Kisumu
Kisumu is a port city in western Kenya; located on a bay on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria at an altitude of 1,131 m (3,711 ft). It is the headquarters of Kisumu County and after Kampala, the second largest city in the Lake Victoria basin. The city was founded by the British as "Port Florence" in 1901 as a stop on the railway between Mombasa and Uganda. A year later, the city was renamed Kisumu, from a Luo word meaning "market, trading place".
Taste of Kisumu...
Aside from the town centre there are a number of places to eat and drink in the evenings in the Kondele region on Kibos Road and on Jomo Kenyatta Highway with guest houses close by. Aside from the town centre there are a number of places to eat and drink in the evenings in the Kondele region on Kibos Road and on Jomo Kenyatta Highway with guest houses close by. It is common for hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation to be called a guest house in Kisumu Kenya. They are the most common and best value places to stay — hotels seem to ramp up their prices just because they are a hotel — beware. Kisumu is less stressful than Nairobi or Mombasa. However pickpockets are common, especially around Kibuye Market. If you are driving, you should lock the car doors. All public buildings (airport, post office, banks, shopping centers, etc.) are watched by security guards wearing a blue uniform. Private estates are generally guarded as well. All cybercafes have phone booths. The rates to phone abroad are very high in Kenya. It is usually cheaper to buy a Kenyan SIM card in a cybercafe or from a phone vendor. The main cellphone operators are Safaricom, Airtel and telkom. Safaricom has slightly higher prices but has faster Internet.
Climate
Kisumu enjoys a tropical savanna climate. The lowest temperatures (about 12°C at night and 17°C to 19°C by day) occur in August and September. The highest daytime temperatures can reach 37°C in the warm season (December to April). The rain season is from March to May. A secondary rain season occurs in November and December. The dryest month is January. The airport is about 3.5 km from the city. A few taxis and matatu minibuses do the journey between the airport and the city. In 2023, a matatu cost about Ksh 100 and a taxi cost Ksh 500-1000. Some hotels and car rental companies can arrange pickups. Jambojet has a bus to and from Kisumu airport. There are no ferries linking Kisumu with other cities on Lake Victoria. Passenger services from the capital Nairobi via Nakuru resumed in 2021 one time per week. Make sure to have an international driving licence. You can obtain one from the Road Transport Office in Nairobi. Travelling by day is recommended as the roads can be unsafe at night.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe airport is about 3.5 km from the city. A few taxis and matatu minibuses do the journey between the airport and the city. In 2023, a matatu cost about Ksh 100 and a taxi cost Ksh 500-1000. Some hotels and car rental companies can arrange pickups. Jambojet has a bus to and from Kisumu airport. There are no ferries linking Kisumu with other cities on Lake Victoria. Passenger services from the capital Nairobi via Nakuru resumed in 2021 one time per week. Make sure to have an international driving licence. You can obtain one from the Road Transport Office in Nairobi. Travelling by day is recommended as the roads can be unsafe at night. You may encounter police stops. Despite being Kenya's third-largest city the traffic in Kisumu isn't all that bad. You can use the notorious boda boda (bicycle taxi), pikipiki (motorcycle taxis), matatus, buses, or you can rent a car. Most banks in town offer currency exchange between Kenyan Shillings and major international currencies....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Despite being Kenya's third-largest city the traffic in Kisumu isn't all that bad. You can use the notorious boda boda (bicycle taxi), pikipiki (motorcycle taxis), matatus, buses, or you can rent a car. Most banks in town offer currency exchange between Kenyan Shillings and major international currencies. You may have a harder time buying or selling Ugandan shillings, despite the proximity to the border. Aside from the town centre there are a number of places to eat and drink in the evenings in the Kondele region on Kibos Road and on Jomo Kenyatta Highway with guest houses close by. Aside from the town centre there are a number of places to eat and drink in the evenings in the Kondele region on Kibos Road and on Jomo Kenyatta Highway with guest houses close by. It is common for hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation to be called a guest house in Kisumu Kenya.
Where to Stay
It is common for hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation to be called a guest house in Kisumu Kenya. They are the most common and best value places to stay — hotels seem to ramp up their prices just because they are a hotel — beware. Kisumu is less stressful than Nairobi or Mombasa. However pickpockets are common, especially around Kibuye Market. If you are driving, you should lock the car doors. All public buildings (airport, post office, banks, shopping centers, etc.) are watched by security guards wearing a blue uniform. Private estates are generally guarded as well. All cybercafes have phone booths. The rates to phone abroad are very high in Kenya. It is usually cheaper to buy a Kenyan SIM card in a cybercafe or from a phone vendor. The main cellphone operators are Safaricom, Airtel and telkom. Safaricom has slightly higher prices but has faster Internet.
Money & Budget
Most banks in town offer currency exchange between Kenyan Shillings and major international currencies. You may have a harder time buying or selling Ugandan shillings, despite the proximity to the border. Aside from the town centre there are a number of places to eat and drink in the evenings in the Kondele region on Kibos Road and on Jomo Kenyatta Highway with guest houses close by. Aside from the town centre there are a number of places to eat and drink in the evenings in the Kondele region on Kibos Road and on Jomo Kenyatta Highway with guest houses close by. It is common for hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation to be called a guest house in Kisumu Kenya.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Kisumu is less stressful than Nairobi or Mombasa. However pickpockets are common, especially around Kibuye Market. If you are driving, you should lock the car doors. All public buildings (airport, post office, banks, shopping centers, etc.) are watched by security guards wearing a blue uniform. Private estates are generally guarded as well. All cybercafes have phone booths. The rates to phone abroad are very high in Kenya. It is usually cheaper to buy a Kenyan SIM card in a cybercafe or from a phone vendor. The main cellphone operators are Safaricom, Airtel and telkom. Safaricom has slightly higher prices but has faster Internet.