Medicines in Kenya: Cure or Poison?

This Drug available at most hospitals here is prescribed under
restriction in the United States. The medicine is often
prescribed in non-deserving situations in the country.

Many of us do not like medicines or visiting health centres, not that we have a choice. When one is sick, they have to visit a health centre. It's at the health centres that one is given medicines, drugs that are expected to cure the ailment.

Prevention, we are told, is better than cure. For this reason, some of us will visit the health centres for preventive drugs - maybe we are a malaria prone area and are trying to limit our exposure to it.

Looking at the health sector in Kenya, it is far from reaching the health for all status. The country , like many of it's neighbours, faces an acute shortage of doctors. The number has steadily been rising over the years as the government tries to train more doctors to bridge the shortfall. However, bridging the shortfall has been made difficult by many countries that are ready to pay a premium for Kenyan Doctors, hence luring them away from the country.

Mombasa road to get Footbridges as accidents kill one

Metroscope Engineering has been contracted to conduct surveys across the Nairobi - Mlolongo stretch of the Mombasa Highway. The survey started on Wednesday 15th and till Friday 15th and was carried at various spots including Bellevue/South B, Parkside Towers/Ole Sereni , General Motors/Enterprise Road, Imara Daima amongst others. It is not known who has commissioned the survey though at the time. This though is likely to be the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) which has taken a more active role in improvement, maintenance and construction of urban roads in the country. In Nairobi, the City Council of Nairobi (CCN) is also supposed to be in charge of roads though has been playing a lesser role over time. Other agencies in charge of roads in the country include the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERA) while the Kenya Roads Board (KRB) plays a wider role in highways. KURA, KERA KRB all fall under the national government while CCN is under local authority.

Completion of the survey is expected to lead to selection of busy passenger-vehicle interaction spots for construction of foot bridges. Metrsoscope is expected to give costs of the project after the survey. Road users have for long complained about the absence of foot bridges across the international highway. The only foot bridge on the road is at Nyayo Stadium round about.

The lack of foot bridges has led to at least one death weekly as passengers are knocked down by speeding motorists. Notorious spots are General Motors/Enterprise junction, Bellevue/South B, Parkside Towers and Capital Centre in that order.  Passengers crossing at Tegla Lorupe junction have been lucky with lower rates due to junctions at General Motors , Cabanas and the General Motors fly over that slow vehicles down. Speeding Matatus have been the biggest culprits followed by trucks.

Dar mpaka moro (part 2)

This post has been continued from Dar mpaka moro (part 1)

Exchange Rates: 1 Tsh = 0.58 Kshs , 1 Ksh =17.2 Tshs (note to divide rather than multiply fractions/decimals)

Arusha is the capital of the East African Community, and might be referred to as Tanzania's third most significant city. Arusha also marks the end of Tanzania's dry region, quite small compared to Kenya's expansive Northern and Eastern regions.

You will also notice the presence of Traffic lights at major junctions and round abouts, a difference from Kenya's preferred police controlled junctions. However, motorists will at time jump the lights. Be warned though that Traffic Police might be present and will not hesitate to fine you. Overlapping , a common aspect of road behaviour in Kenya is taken seriously in Tanzania, it may land you a Ksh. 10,000 fine and/or a jail term.

Our bus did not stop over at Arusha, which though is quite a large town. Arusha is on the slopes of Mount Meru, one of Tanzania's many mountains. The drive to Moshi takes you closer to the Coast, but still closer to more mountains, this time the Kilimanjaro.

farmland with the Usambara ranges in the background

Driving onwards from Moshi gets even more scenic as you encounter the Usambara ranges. It is more magnificent resemblance to our Aberdares. though this time round you drive closer to the ranges. This gives you the opportunity to see the clouds kissing the endless peaks.

Dar express stops for lunch at a point called Highway. Highway is more of 3/4 way to Dar hence lunch is at about 3 pm or 10 am depending on which side one is going. The place serves fries, roast beef, rice , alcohol and soft drinks. Fries and roast beef will set you back Tshs 3,000. Other buses plying the route should stop at a more halfway mark.

Great thing about driving along the road is that it does not get busy until you take the turn into the main Dar highway. The rest of the road is quite clear , you will mostly encounter long distance buses, trucks and local matatus.

Even more of the Usambara ranges

You will also note that Tanzania has quite a number of weigh bridges on their highway. In contrast to Kenya's weigh bridge stations that look like temporary structure that may be gone tomorrow, Tanzania has permanent well constructed structures. Trucks and passenger vehicles are required to go through the weigh bridges. The process however is quite efficient, you will not see long stretches of vehicles like happens at the Mariakani and Mlolongo weigh bridges in Kenya's Mombasa Highway. The weigh bridges also have a digital scale that is displayed in a position that the driver and other passengers can see, it 's just not something happening in some room. From what I gather, passenger vehicles undergo the weight checks to check on overloading.

A weigh bridge in one of Tanzania's provinces. All matatus
are required to go through all weigh bridges along their way

In addition, long distance passenger vehicles in Tanzania are required to pass through various bus stops along the way. This means that your bus will have to weave in and out of bus stops without picking passengers. On top of paying excise fee for the different regions, the bus is supposed to fill in a time sheet that checks the speed - the bus should not take less than a specified duration between two stops. While some stops may be strict, it appears a bribe can fix  this - explains why Nairobi - Dar takes less than 16 hours. For stops that are strict on time, your bus may have to kill time by extended stops along the way before arrival.

The Chalize Water Intake works

Despite seeming endless, the Usambara ranges eventually come to an end. The greenery however will continue as you approach Coast province. Tanzanias is quite forested, with several areas still preserving their precolonial vegetative cover - this poses as a mouth waterer to some of the visiting Kenyans who see the untapped cash value ranging from timber to charcoal. Coconut palms are also quite common in the country , extending all the way from the coastal strip to the slopes of the Usambara giving the country a West African feel. Afternoons can also be quite rainy as you approach Coast province.

The river at the Chalize Water Intake

Once you get into Coast province, you will join the Dar - Morogoro highway and traffic will be much denser due to the congruence of in  and out bound traffic between Dar and all the provinces. This is expounded by Dar been situated at the coast rather than in the center of Tanzania. The road network leading to Dar is not as developed as that of Nairobi with the dual carriage situated right inside the city. Reports indicate that the Airport road is quite a nuisance taking about 2 - 3 hours to get to and from the Airport. Luckily, I did not get to use the route.

At Tshs 3,000 , you can purchase Fries and roast beef at the
Highway stop over. Arrival from Nairobi is at 3 pm while from
Dar is at 10 am

Ubungo is the final terminus where all passengers are dropped. It is quite an expansive terminus, many times larger than country bus. Though well maintained, one is to be ware of con men - Tanzanians  make more sly conmen than you will find in Kenya. However, ask the driver to direct you to a kibanda hotel - forgot it's name - if you are been picked. There are also taxis available.

View of Mountains and A Sisal plantation from the
Highway Lunch stopover

Getting around Dar can be through matatu, taxi or the faster tuk tuk. Tuktuks are known as Bajajas - the initial model was named Bajaj -  and are safer to take compared to Kenya. Motorists in Dar drive better than Kenyans - probably due to stringent enforced rules, culture and working traffic light system. Bajajas can however be as costly to foreigners as taxis , especially when using them from a place - eg the mall, Ubungo -where they easily determine you are a foreigner. Confirm with hosts typical fares to avoid been overcharged.

Tanzania has quite a well maintained highway network. Other than the Arusha - Namanga stretch which was under construction, the rest of the 9 hour journey to Dar had very little presence of potholes, nothing that would take more than a day or two to fix.

Tanzania is quite different from Kenya in many aspects, probably a result of the German colonization before handing over to the British after their World War II loss. However, their insistence on been part of the South African trade bloc rather than the Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa (COMESA) may be more of a reason. First, as you may have noticed, their buses are quite different from ours.

A variety of long distance buses in Tz. All are the
Scania Marcopolo range

While we have the traditional Scania models, most of Tanzania are of the Scania-Marcopolo model, a fabricator based in South Africa . The Chinese are also making in roads though with a similarly shaped Yutong Bus. Buses plying the provinces (Tanzania is quite large) will be smaller and consist of the common Nissan Diesel (UD) flavour that is also a bit prevalent in Kenya. Passenger vehicles plying local routes will mostly be the Toyota Coaster and its variants (Rosa). There will also be smaller Nissan Caravans that seat 18 people, and not 14 as happens in Kenya. The Nissan Caravans also tend to have an elevated roof - think more of a loaf-of-bread shape. Trucks, not the trailer-pulling ones will also be Nissan Diesel or Mitsubishi - however, the Tanzanians appear to prefer their trucks with very tall bodies.

The Toyota Corolla will feel quite lonely in Tanzania where the preferred vehicles are the longer Camry and Mark II  and Mark X. The fact that many Tanzanian motorists cannot afford the bigger Range Rovers , Land Rovers and other SUVs has not stopped them from owning a large car.

Cashew nuts are quite abundant in the country and are available cheaply at the coast. Note though there are companies that specialise selling them at a premium to travellers on the buses. Traditional (Kienyeji) chicken is easier to find than "grade" chicken. The chicken is prepared in a spicy recipe that gives it a red  coat , the spices can be quite sharp - not hot - though. The chicken can also be characteristically tough. As for breakfast, it sis recommended that you try "supuu and chapati". This is available in many open air vibandas. Here you will have the privilege of sharing your meal with tens of flies - this is Africa. The soup is made from pieces of beef and mostly bone.

When it comes to alcohol, Tanzania has a very wide collection of it ranging from the best of Kenya, South Africa and Tanzanian beer. This include Tusker and Tusker Malt, Castle , Windhoek, Serengeti and Kilimanjaro. If I am not wrong, Nile special from Uganda should be available too. Another notable presence will be Redds Lite special which comes is a long neck bottle. sadly though, I did not get to sample any of the alcohol and have no idea of the pricing. There is also some Tanzanian wine whose name I forgot and of course Konyagi, the infamous Tanzanian Vodka.

Soft drink drinkers will also be glad not to be left out in the wide variety that Pepsi and the Coca Cola company present. Pepsi and its brands have quite a presence with Coca cola appearing as the underdogs.   Even better news is that soda in Tanzania comes in longer 350 ml bottles, an extra 50 ml and all this at a price of 500 Tshs.

Cocacola however take the day home been the sole supplier of bottled water in the country. I promise you that you will not find any other bottled water brand  other than Kilimanjaro water. Even Dasani forefeits appearance to the nationalistic sounding brand.

Shoppers will be quite pleased to visit the new Mlimani City, carved off the University of Dar-es-salaam. Mlimani City consists of a mall, a conference centre and an office park. The mall commands a presence of various South African stores including Game, Shoprite and Mr. Price. The Mr. Price is as stocked as the one on Nairobi's The Junction. Game meanwhile is a supermarket that gives any of our Nakumatt stores a run for shelf variety. Be warned though that the pricing at the mall is a bit steep compared to even upmarket malls in Nairobi.

Dar has quite cheap housing, in fact the houses come at a throw away price. With bad access roads, many neighbourhoods in Dar are unplanned, though have better units than Nairobi can offer. Furthermore they come with spacious living rooms at about 50% - 60% what it will cost you in Nairobi. The catch though is that rent in Tanzania is paid annually, and not monthly!

For the weekend, Dar has a lengthy beach, including  a peninsula and they are dotted with affordable restaurants. Your typical Nairobi club will be located at the beach.The resorts however do get congested as night falls.

Further adventure can be via a 2 hour boat ride to Zanzibar Island, or perhaps a visit to one of 2 marine parks just off Dar's beach.

Dar has a more lively night life than Nairobi. In fact, one can easily lose track of time as streets remain busy while many outlets will remain open late into the night, even in residential areas. Bajajas will also be available well into the night

The weather is hot and humid, just like Mombasa. June is the coolest month with quite pleasant weather, though heavy night/afternoon rains.

Dar is quite an enjoyable city,  a well deserved break.

Dar mpaka moro (part 1)

Briefly about Dar
Dar es salaam is an expansive city on the Indian Ocean coast. The city has a peninsula (for the geographically challenged, its a piece of land that juts into the ocean) and a few large islands which are protected marine parks. The Tanzanian government and the people appear to be appreciative about Nature and protect it well. There is also the famous resort of Zanzibar which is tow hours away. In comparison, Mombasa appears restricted by the islands and the Likoni channel which have restricted northward development of the city. Dar es salaam is on the mainland, and even appears to have a larger harbor. You are likely to spot more ships near Dar es salaam, probably due to the harbor and distance from the pirate stricken shores of Somalia.

Dar es salaam, once the capital of Tanzania is quite distant from many areas in Eastern Africa. Dodoma is now the country's capital, but Dar remains the financial and social capital.

Nairobi to Dar by Road

Dar Express Bus offers a daily service between Nairobi and Dar

Catching a bus from Nairobi to Dar will set you back by Kshs 3,500 if you choose Dar Express coach, though there are other options which cost Ksh 3,200, not much of a difference. Dar Express is the most reliable of all and has a single bus that leaves Nairobi at 6:30 am, boarding time 6:00 am. Kampala Coach and Akamba all charge Ksh 3,200. Akamba departs at 8.00 am while Kampala Coach may have varied departure times, crew told me that the Kampala - Dar es salaam bus arrives and departs at about 2.00 am in Nairobi, though I have spotted one of their buses leaving Nairobi for Dar at about 6:30 am. Spiders is another choice, and may have various departure times and be cheaper, though it reportedly comes with the inconvenience of stopping on more stops than there possibly are on the route.

You may think the costs are a  bit steep, but they are early indication of the long journey to Dar. The second indication will be the early departure times. One should be prepared for the 13 - 16 hour road drive.

Another point for travelers to note is the departure times, I was seated next to a passenger who had missed the previous days bus by a few minutes. The departure times are strict and am not sure about refund policies, so watch your sleep. The three bus companies mentioned all pick and drop off passengers at or off River Road.

The journey from Nairobi to Namanga is a bit rough starting off Nairobi, past the Airport as one branches onto the Athi River. The tarmac on this patch has completely worn out to expose the rugged ground that is used to manufacture cement, and may be a bit dusty. A road link from the Eastern Bypass is currently under construction, and so is the Mombasa highway stretch passing by Athi River. However, it is not clear whether the road from the high way to Athi River is part of the plan.

Athi River - Namanga stretch has been recently tarmacked , though still under construction. At the moment, only a few kilometers towards Namanga are still under construction. Kenya and Tanzania agreed to repair the Arusha - Nairobi Highway as part of opening up of the East African Community.

The scenery gets drier and hotter as you descend into Kajiado. The road has a notable right-angled Z turn just as one approaches Kajiado. The area after Kajiado is sparsely inhabited with scrub land and forest. You may spot a few relatives of the antelope, though I doubt if you will spot a lion.

Nairobi is quite close to the border with the journey taking about 3 hours. It also marks the first stop made by Dar Express bus. At the border, all have to alight for exit and entry stamping of their passports. East African residents do not require an entry Visa into Tanzania, though you will require a Yellow Fever Vaccination.

The Tanzanians are kind enough to inform you that the Yellow Fever vaccination is not just an arbitrary requirement meant to frustrate International travel, but rather a precaution for your own good, given that Tanzanian is just off the endemic Yellow Fever belt. In case you missed one, you can get a Yellow Fever vaccination at the boarder for Kshs. 1,200 at the Tanzanian Immigration Offices. You require a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate if you have previously had the jab. In Nairobi, Yellow Fever Vaccinations are available at the City Council of Nairobi Annex Clinic at Kshs. 1,800 or from Crescent Medical Clinic next to Jamia Mosque and opposite Jamia Mall for Kshs. 1,200. You can also obtain one from Matter Hospital or Nairobi Hospital, though the cost is above Ksh 3,000.

The Border, Con men and customs
At the border, be warned to avoid dealing informally with anyone outside official buildings. This includes changing of currencies or asking for help. You can trade currencies in the Immigration offices on both sides of the border , or at a few banks located in the town and some Forex Bureaus. Beware of the chaps that trade currencies inside the bus, or along the road. Most of them will rob you blind and have been reported to switch wads of plain paper in between notes. This is especially so given that Tanzanian currency is very bulky since 1 Kenya shilling is now trading at 17.2 Tanzanian shillings (1 Tanzanian shilling = 0.058 Kenyan shilling). A Ksh. 1,000 note will fetch you 1 note of Tsh. 10,000 , another of Tsh 5,000 , 2 notes of Tsh 1,000 and a Tsh 200 coin - 4 notes and a coin for 1 note.

The currency is a proper definition of paper money - unlike Kenyan currency which has a more texture like feel, the old currency is more like paper, though its being phased out in favour of newer smaller notes that I did not interact with much.

Also beware of people purporting to give you directions at the border, especially if you are carrying a backpack. Especially on the no-mans-land, you will find people who will direct you to the "bus company's office " to "confirm your ticket" or to "customs" or "immigration" . Some will even pretend to be customs officers , but in plains clothes. Following their directions will lead you to a back alley where you will be robbed clean.

Customs are on both sides of the border, though they only inspect luggage in the bus luggage hold. Luggage in the passenger compartment and that carried by the passengers is not inspected. The East African Community integrated customs must be the reason of the lax custom checks.

One outstanding observation on the border was that the Tanzanian side was manned, rather womaned by some stunning lady on my crossing into the country. They however are not all smiles as they ask you to place your fingers on the finger print scanner. The ladies were however missing on my way back.

Criminals should be aware that the Tanzanian side, on top of taking face photos like their Kenyan immigration counterparts will also add in finger print scans, for all 10 fingers.

Once you are done with customs, you will all board the bus which which will the proceed to your weigh bridge. In Tanzania they take safety and their roads seriously. All provinces have weigh bridges where trucks are checked for loading while public service vehicles are also checked to ensure that they have not exceeded weight limits.

A Tanzanian customs officer will then board the bus and proceed to inspect all for passes before allowing it to proceed. The Kenyan side do not bother with such niceties when you are returning, probably because one can easily walk across the border anyway!

Namanga 

It gets even drier after Namanga as you get into the Tanzanian side. You will spot rocky barren ground, and large water ways. The topography however soon starts changing back to a more greener one, though still dry.  Tanzania is more scenic than Kenya and has several deep V shaped gullies on the road to Arusha. The area resembles a canyon in its young stages of formation.

The police in the united republic are dressed the way our navy is, in white, though the ladies wear wide navy blue skirts. They are also good at staking out and taking bribes, Nyerere will turn in his grave when he reads this.

The road from Namanga to Arusha, similar to the Kenyan side, sis also under construction. It is slighltly lagging behind Kenya's progress, though most of it has been tarmacked. Vegetation will give in to more greenery as you approach Arusha.

(images: Scenery between Namanga and Arusha)

Visit back for part 2