Ethiopia Kenya
Ethiopia 
KenyaLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Ethiopia and Kenya share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Kenya
- Drive on the left.
- Carry licence, IDP and passport.
- Wildlife and pedestrians near roads.
- Police checkpoints are routine.
What to see when you arrive in Kenya
- the Maasai Mara National Reserve
- Amboseli National Park with Kilimanjaro views
- Lake Nakuru's flamingos
- the beaches of Diani and Mombasa
- Nairobi National Park
Once you're driving in Kenya
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
A valid foreign licence printed in English (or Swahili) lets a tourist drive for up to the 90-day visitor period; if the licence is in any other language an International Driving Permit is required, and police checks expect both the IDP and original licence.
Tolls & road charges
Kenya's main toll is the Nairobi Expressway (Mlolongo-JKIA-Westlands), priced by entry/exit pair from about KES 170 up to KES 500 for a car; pay cash at manual lanes or use an ETC tag, while most other highways are toll-free.
Parking in the cities
Nairobi CBD parking requires a county daily parking fee (payable via the county M-Pesa paybill or attendants); unpaid or wrongly parked cars are clamped or towed, and guarded private lots are safer.
Fines & camera enforcement
Speeding, seatbelt and phone offences draw fines under the Traffic Act; if stopped, always insist on an official receipt and the cited section rather than paying roadside, and ask to go to a police station if pressured.
If you have an accident
Call 999 or 112 for police and ambulance; report the accident and obtain an OB (Occurrence Book) number at the nearest police station, which insurers require, and never offer cash to officers as bribery is illegal.
Driving in the capital
Nairobi traffic is intense with roundabouts replacing many lights and unpredictable matatu minibuses; corridors like Mombasa Road, Thika Road and Waiyaki Way jam badly at peak hours.
Sources: icabs.co.ke · tollguru.com · globalpetrolprices.com · internationaldrivingpermit.org