Veganism in Kenya

When you celebrate something in Kenya, you do so with meat. From a traditional BBQ of beef to the more daring consumers of crocodile and ostrich meats. There isn’t a huge number of local vegans in Kenya, though you will find a small Rastafarian (mostly vegan) community of a few hundred people with occasional outdoor kitchens selling some vegan food (see Religious Dietary Traditions article).

In mainstream restaurants you’ll usually be able to find a reasonable number of vegetable-based dishes. Explaining what you need is not hard since most speak English and are very hospitable (see Kenya VEGAN WORDS page).

If in Nairobi, you’ll be able to choose from a couple of dozens of vegan or vegetarian restaurants, but once in the countryside or in the great outdoors, you’ll be hard up to find something other than “Ugali” (cornmeal) porridge or cakes with some vegetable fry. If you are on a tour, as most tourists going to Kenya are, make sure that your tour operator knows exactly what you do not eat. They will aim to please and most reports from vegan tourists are positive even though the diet may not be very varied. If in doubt, or staying for an extended period of time, bring some stuff from home to fill in the occasional corners when you are tired of rice, cornmeal or potatoes (see LOCAL FOOD page).