Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Global Soil Week 2019

(cliquer ici pour consulter l’information en français)

When and where will the GSW 2019 take place?

GSW2019 will begin on May 27 and end on May 30. The technical segment takes place on May 27th and May 28th, the high-level segment takes place on May 29th and May 30th. Please note that a launch dinner will take place on the 26th May at 6:30 pm at Trademark hotel for those that have indicated attendance at the dinner upon registration for the event.

The GSW will take place at the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), located at United Nations Avenue, P. O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya. For more information when and where workshops and plenary sessions take place, please consult the agenda.

Where will I stay?

Trademark Hotel will accommodate most of GSW participants. It is situated in a shopping mall with many different facilities and shops.

Please find the address below:

Limuru Road

Village Market, Gigiri

Nairobi, KENYA – 00621

      … What do I have to consider if I am funded by GIZ?

Single king bedrooms will be booked for GIZ funded participants, at a cost of 130 USD a night, including breakfast. Rooms will have to be paid at the hotel before your departure.

      … What do I have to consider if I am funded by TMG?

Trademark hotel will accommodate GSW participants. A single king bedroom will be booked for each TMG funded participants after their online registration.

How do I know if I am a non-funded, a GIZ funded or TMG funded participant?

Kindly check your official invitation letter you have received. It indicates whether you are non-funded or funded by either GIZ or TMG.

Where can I stay if I have to organize my accommodation myself?

Besides Trademark Hotel (see Where will I stay? for address) Gigiri, where ICRAF is located, provides many alternative hotel options:

  • Magna Hotel and Suites
  • Guesthouse Comfort Gardens
  • City Lodge Two Rivers
  • Tara Suites

Please ensure to book a room in advance if you are responsible for organizing accommodation yourself.

How will I get from the airport to the hotel and back…

      … If I am a non-funded participant?

  • Hotels usually offer airport transfer. Contact the hotel where you arranged your accommodation if you would like to book this service.
  • You can get a taxi directly at the airport. You will find many of them waiting outside the arrivals department. Price from the airport to the hotel is around 30 USD.
  • Apps like Uber or Little offer the option of booking a taxi with your smartphone and paying through the app or in cash.

      … If I am funded by GIZ?

Airport pick-ups will be organized by TMG for all participants arriving by air. A taxi driver will wait for you with your name on a sign at the airport arrival terminal. Please note that transfers from the hotel to the airport at the end of the conference will be not organized by TMG. Thus, several options are available:

  • Trademark hotel offers airport transfer for 54USD per person per way. Please inform the reception of the hotel during your stay if would like to book this option.
  • You can call a taxi from the hotel, with the help of a TMG staff member if needed. Price from the hotel to the airport is around 30 USD.
  • Apps like Uber or Little offer the option of booking a taxi with your smartphone and paying through the app or in cash.

Please note that the price of the return transfer will not be reimbursed by TMG on receipt, as the lump sum you will receive includes this expense.

      … If I am funded by TMG?

Airport pick-ups will be organized by TMG for all participants arriving by air. A taxi driver will wait for you with your name on a sign at the airport arrival terminal.

Please note that transfers from the hotel to the airport at the end of the conference will be not organized by TMG. Thus, several options are available:

  • Trademark hotel offers airport transfer for 54USD per person per way. Please inform the reception of the hotel during your stay if would like to book this option.
  • You can call a taxi from the hotel, with the help of a TMG staff member if needed. Price from the hotel to the airport is around 30 USD.
  • Apps like Uber or Little offer the option of booking a taxi with your smartphone and paying through the app or in cash.

Please note that the price of the return transfer will not be reimbursed by TMG on receipt, as the lump sum you will receive includes this expense.

 How will I get from the hotel to the conference venue (ICRAF)?

Shuttle buses will be organized by TMG with pick up in front of the Trademark Hotel and drop off in front of ICRAF, every morning and evening of the conference days.

For participants staying at alternative accommodations, please consult your hotel concierge to call a taxi or make use of smartphone apps such as Uber or Little. Walking to ICRAF within Gigiri is also possible and takes around 15 mins.

Which meals will be provided during the GSW 2019?

TMG will organize and provide the following meals for GSW participants:

  • Launch Dinner on Sunday 26th May at Trademark
  • All lunches from Monday 27 to Thursday 30st May (buffet at ICRAF)
  • GSW Dinner on Tuesday 28th May at Trademark

For the other meals, Trademark has a restaurant, Harvest, where meals are offered at price of between 800 to 2500 KSH.

Otherwise, the Village Market offers a variety of restaurants and supermarkets.

Is there a per diem….

      … If I am a non-funded participant

Kindly note that non-funded participants will neither receive lump sums nor per diems.

      … If I am a GIZ funded participant

For GIZ funded participants, a lump sum for local transport and per diem will be paid at the last day of the conference in USD. 

For the lump sum, there is no need to present invoices.

      … If I am a TMG funded participant?

For TMG funded participants, a lump sum for local transport and per diem will be paid at the last day of the conference in USD, including the following:

  • Local transport cost in your home country (home – airport – home)
  • Local transport cost in Nairobi (airport – hotel – airport)
  • Per diem for meals that are not covered by TMG

The calculation will be based on the length of your stay for the conference as well as your destination country.

For the lump sum, there is no need to present invoices.

What entry requirements apply when I am coming from outside Kenya?

      … You might need a Visa

Most travelers need a visa to enter Kenya. The visa can be acquired online, or on arrival. This might entail some waiting time at customs. Please note that is within your own responsibility to arrange your visa. Please see the list of countries that are exempted of visa and the ones who can apply online on the following link: http://evisa.go.ke/eligibility.html

      … You might need a proof of yellow fever vaccination

Kindly note that entering Kenya requires a proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are travelling from a country with a risk of yellow fever (amongst these countries are for instance Benin, Burkina Faso, DRC, Ethiopia, Uganda and Togo). Please note that it is your own responsibility to verify whether this applies to you and to ensure that these measures are taken before travelling to Kenya. Please note that it is your own responsibility to verify whether more travel requirements apply in your case.

How can I retrieve money upon arrival in Kenya?

Currency in Kenya is Kenyan Shillings (KSH). You can exchange your money at the airport or withdraw KSH directly from an ATM at the airport.

 Where can I get a SIM card?

You can buy a sim card at the airport and load it with some internet credit and/and calls and messages. A sim card costs around 500 KSH (5USD), the price of the load depends of your needs, approx. 250KSH to 1000KSH (2,50 to 10USD). We recommend Safaricom.