Getting started.

From  Nigeria to one of the East African territory called Kenya is a migration from the hot climate  to the high altitude of the land of the Masai. Making that decision to relocate or go test the waters  away from your comfort zone is a decisive step  you  have  to ruminate carefully before gathering your luggage.

IF YOU HAVE MADE UP YOUR MIND  TO GO CHECK OUT KENYA, THEN THERE ARE THINGS YOU MUST KNOW.

I recall an incident at the international airport at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during my stop over after a 5-hour flight from Lagos. It was about 9p.m (7p.m Nigerian Time) I was seated waiting for the 2 hours connecting flight to Nairobi, which usually departs Addis Ababa at 11.15p.m, arriving Nairobi at 1.20a.m. I saw another passenger who is in his mid 20's and recalled seeing back at The Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, he was looking so LOST.  About some 30mins later, he brought out his passport, which confirmed me to me he is a fellow Nigerian. I greeted him "Guy how far?" relief washed over him as he looked at me-the only thing familiar to him!

l later got to know he was a first-time traveler, everything so new to him. In the course of our wait he told me how an agent helped him "package" his visa and flight for N182,000.00! WHAT! 

HOW COULD HE HAVE PAID N30,000.00 FOR VISA AND THE FLIGHT TICKET FOR N152,000.00? 

The reality of life is we pay for what we do not have knowledge of and others may choose to exploit on that.

For the Kenyan Visa. It is Visa on Entry for holders of the Nigerian passport though many especially first time travelers are always apprehensive, scared they may have issues with  the Nigerian Immigration officials at our ports of  departure here in Nigeria be it Lagos, Abuja , Enugu or worse still by Kenyan  immigration on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. 

Whether you are getting it in Nigeria or at arrival in Kenya, it is a fixed rate of $50 (N8,500!) This first-timer lost N21,500 on visa alone for his lack of knowledge. The ticket he paid  N152,000.00 for, is the same ticket l paid N126,400.00 for!  Do the mathematics.

I asked him if he came with an ATM card on he showed me his UBA Verve card, which does not work in Kenya, so he was stuck money-wise! Out of charity I  adopted the method of having his contact in Nigeria pay into my bank account in Nigeria and I give him the equivalent here in Nairobi Kenya and l tell you it was most inconvenient!

It is cheaper to be well prepared as you set out to achieve whatever you have set a goal on.