Six things about Kenya that will amaze you

1. Did you know that other than a flag and anthem, Kenya has other unofficial national symbols? Kenya has never officially adopted a flower as its national symbol but we have an unofficial one. The book “Orchids of Kenya” by Joyce Stewart showed that 265 types of orchids are native in Kenya. Kenya is a large exporter of flowers, especially tropical orchids. That is why some have suggested that the tropical orchid could function as the national flower. Apart from the flower, the acacia tree has blossomed to be the national tree of Kenya. Fairly common, even thriving in arid parts of the country, it is sometimes called an 'umbrella tree'.

The lilac breasted roller known as Coracias Caudatus in Latin is one of the most beautiful birds on the planet. Beautifully coloured with a green head, lilac throat and breast, a blue belly and even brighter blue wing feathers, the lilac breasted roller is an African bird belonging to the roller family of birds. It is the national bird for Kenya. For you to know but not only remember is that the lilac-breasted rollers are believed to mate for life. The male's courtship displays include stunning flight dives with a rolling or rocking quality as well as loops and twists.

2. You probably assumed that Lake Victoria is Kenya’s largest lake but that title belongs to Lake Turkana. This most northerly of the Rift Valley lakes, whose northern coast borders Ethiopia, is undoubtedly the least hospitable, but absolutely most fascinating. Formerly referred to as Lake Rudolf, Lake Turkana also called “the Jade Sea” because of its remarkable jade colour that contrasts with the harsh environment of purple and black volcanic rock.

3. Kenya is known as a paradise of a thousand birds. This is because it is home to 1,132 species of birds. In less than 24 hours, 342 of those can be seen in one park, an official world record that Kenya set for the greatest number of bird species spotted in a day. What’s more, over half of these bird species can be found in Nairobi National Park, conveniently located a stone throw away from Nairobi’s Central Business District.

4. You definitely know the Big Five. Then there is the Ugly Five, and also the Marine Five – all of which are found in Kenya. To run us through these, the Big Five, which are so-called because they are considered most dangerous of the wild animals are: elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and buffalo.

But did you know that Kenya is also home to the Marine Big Five? Deep in the Indian Ocean is a thriving marine ecosystem lined with coral reefs, majestic islands, and under the surface, animals bigger than any of the land’s Big Five. These include the humpback whale, the great white shark, the orca, the giant manta ray and the tiger shark. Even the great blue whale was recently spotted more than 30 times on the Kenyan coast.

While you are digesting that, Kenya is also home to a unique grouping who despite their unique name are an equally important grouping of the African animals. The members of this most exclusive of club of the Big Ugly are the hyena, wildebeest, vulture, warthog and the marabou stork.

5. For an easy way to learn about Kenya’s historical capital, there’s a Kenyan version of Monopoly known in Swahili as Kumiliki. It is made out of soapstone that is locally used for creating beautiful carvings. The 50-50 Kenyan Board Game is an exciting, entertaining, fast-paced, word guessing game, celebrating over 50 years of Kenya’s culture.

Kenya does not pride itself only on board games; it also has produced original video games. Bungoma Hangman, for instance, is inspired by the man from Bungoma who hang on a chopper that was transporting dignitaries to the home of slain businessman, Jacob Juma.

Nairobi X is about a fictional character called Otero who is an elite GSU Recce Squad member. Otero emerges as the sole survivor in a special operation tasked to defend his country. Its plot also revolves around an imminent attack on Nairobi by an unknown alien colony.

Kuku Sama, on the other hand, is an arcade game where the player controls a flying chicken to avoid forks and grills.

6. Because of its rich archeological discoveries, Kenya can confidently lay claim to being the Cradle of Mankind; Koobi Fora in the north is one of the sites where many important findings of early forms of man have been made within Kenya. To add to this title, Kenya is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are exclusive places that are recognised as being of great physical or cultural significance:

• Fort Jesus, Mombasa

• Lamu Old Town

      Other UNESCO World heritage Sites include:

• Mount Kenya Forest
• The Sacred Kaya Forest, South Coast
• Lake System in the Great Rift Valley (County?)
• Lake Turkana