Thursday, March 1, 2012

FAQs regarding re-location to Nairobi Kenya

the answers are gathered from multiple people working in Kenya and then consolidated


1. How good are the living conditions - can it be comparable to the Tier I (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai) or Tier II (Nagpur, Cochin, Mysore) cities in India?

* (opinion 1) Its good clean city, infrastructure and facilities compared to Pune/ Nagpur.

But Nightlife and entertainment compared to Mumbai. Lots of restaurants and hang out places, and fun loving crowd.

* (opinion 2) Nairobi is just a replica of Bangalore. Good weather and hectic traffic

2. How good are the schooling facilities at Nairobi? Are any Indian Schools available?

* Yes Schooling is good, Catholic schools and Asian Schools are there apart from local.
Indian School OSHWAL ACADEMY and AGHA KHAN SCHOOL is there.

3. What is the academic year followed at Kenya? Like June to April in India.

* June to April

4. What is the cost for a good 3 bedroom apartment for rental in safe neighborhood?

* 35,000 Ksh to 45,000 Ksh in a good locality;

Apartments with security services Budget 15,000 to 25,000 Ksh (.61 INR = 1 Kenya Shillings)

5. How are the general living conditions for the following:

* Living - 15,000 ksh Grocery
* Transport - Use company car /Taxi depending on distance
* Medical treatment - Hospitals are good. Insurance is available and is costly than INDIA
* School education - UK education system & Kenya board
* Telephones - 5 Mobile operators & Internet providers
* Food and restaurants - Very good Indian restaurants too.



6. Can you please provide some inputs on the income tax details for salaried Indian expats?

* 30 % Tax deducted at source on basic and commissions. Not yet found any tax savings Instrument for expats.
Some companies pay net figure after all the tax deductions.


7. Are earnings and savings eligible for repatriation from Kenya without many restrictions? Will there be any taxes and withholding fees for remittances into India?

* Remittance is no issues; not taxed, charges for remittance Ksh 2000 to HDFC /ICICI etc
* Indian banks are there Bank of India / Bank of Baroda, HDFC has partnership with local bank.
* Some companies pay expat salary in USD and partly in Ksh for local expenses.

8. I understand that there are over 100,000 Indians at Kenya. What type of occupations are these persons largely involved in?

* Business & Trading.

9. What is typical working hour in Kenya?

8 AM to 5 PM ......extends to 6 PM.

10. Does the apartment have the following amenities:

a) 24 hour security - Yes

b) 24 hour guaranteed water supply - Yes

c) 24 hour power supply backup - Yes

11. Are there Indian families in the locality / apartment where my wife/kid can mingle and spend time during the day when I'm at office?

Yes a big Indian community.

12. Does the company have some sort of initiative for families of expatriates (like some associations for wives, etc)?

No, but huge Indian communities, wives make friends faster and lots. They go for aerobics/yoga.

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