Kenya

Arguably, Kenya is the “darling” of tourists who are brave enough to “explore” Africaand to find out for themselves the myths and reality of life on a continent that always receives negative mediareport overseas. Other tourists are attracted to Kenya because Hollywood movies based on Africa and set in Kenya(e.g., Out of Africa ) have depicted the romanticized life of Europeans/Whitesettlers/expatriates in the “deep” and “remote” African frontier. Thus, those with astereotypical picture of Africa acquired from Western television screens expect to find an extremely undevelopedcountry. But arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi reveals a relatively well‐developedcity that is very much integrated into the world capitalist system/economy. With a relatively strong economyKenya has been successful in attracting both tourists and foreign investors. This article attempts to provide aclearer picture of the business climate in the country. Among other issues, it highlights the fact that thecountry has enjoyed peace and political stability while many of its neighbors remain deeply entrenched in warsand ethnic conflicts. This has resulted in some degree of economic prosperity that has eluded many countries insub‐Saharan Africa. While highlighting the numerous investment opportunities especially in thetelecommunications sector, the article also sheds light on some of the challenges that confront foreign investorsand how to tackle them. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.