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Participant Guide

Natural Hazards, Climate Change, and Cross-Border Displacement in the

Greater Horn of Africa: Protecting people on the move

Nansen Initiative Greater Horn of Africa Regional Consultation

21-23 May 2014

Boma Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

This information sheet provides background information for the 2014 Nansen Initiative Greater Horn of Africa

Regional Consultation.

MEETING Location and Venue: The meeting will be held at the Boma Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. The hotel is

located 13 kilometres from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and 7 kilometres from the Nairobi City

Centre. Contact details for the hotel are:

THE BOMA HOTEL

Red Cross Road, off Popo Road (off Mombasa Road), Bellevue, Nairobi

Tel: +254 20 390 4000

Email: sales@bomahotels.com

Web: http://www.bomahotels.com

Duration of the meeting: The meeting will last for two and a half days, starting on Wednesday 21 May 2014 at

08.00 and ending on Friday 23 May 2014 at 13.00.

BEFORE THE MEETING

Passport and visa requirements:

� Participants should have a passport valid for at least six (6) months from the point of travel. The

passport must have three (3) blank pages for visa endorsement at the immigration point of entry.

� Visa requirements for entry into Kenya differ according to nationality. Visas can be obtained from

Kenyan embassies in the country of departure, or at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in

Nairobi. Nationalities from the following countries: Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda will obtain a visa

at the point of entry. Participants from non-East African countries will be required to pay for their visa

at a fee of 50 USD. Participants will be refunded the visa cost fee on submission of a visa receipt and a

copy of the visa endorsed on their passports.

� Somali Nationals must obtain a referred visa prior to travel. The referred visas will be processed for

participants in Nairobi. Participants should send a scanned copy of their passport and a scanned

passport size photo. Participants will also need to fill in a form that will be sent to them by the

organizers. Processing a referred visa takes five working days.

� You will also carry with you the invitation letter and the conference program to facilitate the issuance

of Visa.

Tickets: The Consultation secretariat will share with each participant a proposed travel schedule. Participants

will depart on Friday 23 May, in either the afternoon or the evening. Participants from South Sudan will depart

on Saturday morning due to non-availability of flights on Friday, and participants from Somalia will depart on

Sunday morning due to the non-availability of flights on Friday or Saturday.

Government of Kenya

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All participants should send a scanned copy of their passport to the following e-mail address

(joyce.kwatemba@nrc.no) before the issuance of tickets to ensure that names are correct.

Arriving in Nairobi: Nairobi is served by the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which is approximately 13

kilometres from the Boma Hotel. Arrangements for airport pick-up and drop-off will be made for all

participants. NRC’s preferred taxi company, Princess Taxis, will have all the arrival and departure details.

� Look out for a paging board with your name printed on it

� Contacts for Princess Taxi: +254 72 658 1555

� Princess Taxis have a taxi booth at the airport located on the left hand side as you come out of the

international arrivals exit.

Registering with your Embassy: Participants are free to register with their embassy.

DURING THE MEETING

Accommodation: Accommodation has been booked at The Boma Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

Participants will receive a Daily subsistence allowance (DSA) that they can utilize to pay for their dinners and

incidentals. Lunch will be provided on the conference days (i.e. 21, 22 and 23 May). Participants can choose to

have dinners at The Boma Hotel, or to explore other dining options.

Conferencing: The Consultations will take place at The Boma Hotel: Look out for signage to the meeting hall, or

ask any hotel attendant for the location.

Language: The official conference language will be English.

Registration: On the first day of the meeting, participants will register their names and pick up their name tags

and meeting folder at the registration desk which will be located outside the conference room.

Enquiries during the meeting: Throughout the meeting, participants can seek assistance at the registration

and information desk, located at the back of the conference room.

Meals and refreshments: Mid-morning and mid-afternoon tea and coffee will be served during the meeting

days. Lunches on the days of the meeting will be provided. Participants DSA will cover their lunches on the

non-conference days, and for all dinners.

Dietary requirements/special needs: Most dietary requirements are readily accommodated by the hotel.

Please advice the organizers of any dietary needs that you would like considered.

AFTER THE MEETING

Extras: Participants are reminded to pay for their extra bills including laundry, telephone charges, extra

beverages and any room service costs at the hotel before checking out.

Departure: The meeting ends at midday on Friday 23 May. Flights will be booked where possible to depart on

Friday afternoon/evening out of Nairobi.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON KENYA

Weather and Dress: The month of May has average high temperatures of 250C and lows of 14

0C. Moderate

and light rains are expected during the month. Participants are therefore advised to carry warm clothing.

Safety and Security: The situation in Nairobi is generally calm, although in the past month there have been

cases of terror attacks and insecurity. Possible risks that visitors are exposed to include: crime, terrorism, road

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traffic accidents and mob violence from intermittent unrest. Crime in Kenya features incidents of robbery,

carjacking, mugging and petty theft that frequently occur after dark in urban centres. The following are basic

rules of precaution:

� Be alert at all times; avoid walking alone, on side streets and in downtown areas after dark.

� Do not allow yourself to be distracted. Aggressive street vendors, pan handlers and even street

children may be attempting to divert your attention in order to increase your vulnerability to crime.

� Do not accept food and drinks from strangers, victims have been known to be drugged then robbed.

� Be particularly wary of people hanging around outside hotels; it is a favorite place to track tourists

and steal from them.

� When in your vehicle, keep the windows up and car doors locked. Do not open the windows or doors

at any point should someone signal that there is something wrong; it’s a common trick to gain access

into the vehicle.

� Only carry ATM or credit cards when you need them.

� Visit ATMs at well-lit and populated locations like shopping malls and do so during daylight hours.

� Do not wear expensive jewellery and keep close watch on purses, luggage, laptops etc. Secure a

laptop in the boot compartment if you intend to leave it in the car.

� When confronted by a criminal, do not resist. Keep your hands up and inform them that you are not

armed and will cooperate. If you must reach down to unlock your door or unfasten your seatbelt, let

them know what you intend to do. If you comply, there is a better chance that you will be released

unharmed.

� Avoidance of high-profile targets, crowded places such as public transport terminals and high-profile

events. High-profile targets include shopping malls, hotels, nightclubs and restaurants owned or

patronized by Westerners and, lately, prominent Government and military locations. In instances

where such locations cannot be avoided, it is advisable to visit during off-peak hours when numbers

of people are low.

� Road traffic accidents are more prevalent on the highways linking major towns due to poor roads and

dangerous driving. Within Nairobi however, one should watch out for aggressive driving, low

observation of traffic rules and drunk driving.

Currency: The currency in use in Kenya is the Kenyan Shilling. It is illegal to import/export the currency. Visitors

may bring in as much foreign currency as they wish and take it out again when they leave. Foreign currency

may be changed at banks, Forex bureaus and at hotels. The current exchange rate from the Central Bank of

Kenya is approximately 87.5 to the US Dollar as of 19 May 2014, although it may vary during the time of the

meeting.

Time: Local time is GMT+3

Electricity: Electricity supply for domestic use is generally 240 V. All installations are British standard and

sockets are three rectangular pins. Obtain an adaptor to suit this format if you intend to use personal electrical

apparatus.

Telephone services: Kenya has four mobile service providers; Safaricom, Airtel, Orange and Yu. The most

widely used networks are Safaricom and Airtel. SIM cards from these networks are easily available at an

approximate cost of 2 USD. Top-up cards for airtime are also easily available and in denominations of Kshs 50,

100, 250, 500 & 1000.

Health: Doctors and dentists are available in Nairobi and there are good specialist medical facilities.

Pharmaceutical facilities are also adequate should you need to buy medicine over the counter. It is however

recommended that visitors bring sufficient supplies of specialized drugs they need regularly as well as carry

medical insurance.

� Malaria: Mosquito repellent lotions and long-sleeved clothing and socks while outside at night may

be used as precautionary measures.

� Vaccinations: Any person entering Kenya from or over a yellow fever or cholera-infected area must be

vaccinated against these diseases and must have a valid international certificate of vaccination.

� Tap water: Tap water is mostly unsafe to drink unless it is boiled or sterilised. Bottled mineral water,

both local and imported, can be purchased in hotel shops and supermarkets.

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CONTACT PERSONS FOR THE MEETING

Mr. Saboor Atrafi

Communications, Events, and Public Relations Officer

Nansen Initiative Secretariat

1219 Chatelaine, Geneva

Switzerland

Phone: +254 706 223 420

E-mail: saboor@nanseninitiative.org / abdulsa@unops.org

Ms. Joyce Kwatemba

Program Assistant

NRC

Horn of Africa Regional Office

El Molo Drive, Off James Gichuru Road

Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254 (20) 434 8246-7

Mobile: +254 716 430 333 / 735 501 450 (O)

Mobile: +254 722 539 558 (P)

Email: joyce.kwatemba@nrc.no

Ms. Anne Ndung’u

Horn of Africa Consultation Coordination, Nansen Initiative

NRC

Horn of Africa Regional Office

El Molo Drive, Off James Gichuru Road

Nairobi, Kenya

Mobile: +254 710 569 689

Email: Andungu@nanseninitiative.org