Kenya is one of Africa's friendlier outlines: a broad block with a straight southern border and a smooth Swahili coast. The catch is the north, where Lake Turkana bites in and the Somali border runs off on a long diagonal.
The shape at a glance
Kenya is a broad mass, nearly square and just wider than tall, straddling the equator on Africa's east coast. The south is a straight line along Tanzania, the east a smooth Indian Ocean coast, and the northeast a long diagonal border running up toward Somalia. The northwest holds the Lake Turkana notch, and Lake Victoria dents the western edge.
Step by step
- Start with a broad box, only slightly wider than tall.
- Draw the south border dead straight along Tanzania, ending at the coast below Mombasa.
- Run the east coast as a smooth gentle curve along the Indian Ocean.
- From the coast's top, send the northeast border on a long diagonal up and east along Somalia.
- Close the top with Ethiopia's wavy line, then bite the northwest corner with the Lake Turkana notch.
- Dent the west edge where Lake Victoria meets Uganda.
Mistakes that cost you points
- Drawing the Somali border vertical instead of the long northeast diagonal.
- Forgetting the Lake Turkana notch, which is Kenya's clearest interior signature.
- Curving the Tanzanian border — it is one of Africa's straight lines.
- Making the coast jagged when it is smooth all the way to the Somali corner.
Place it on the map
Kenya sits on the equator between Somalia to the northeast, Ethiopia to the north, Uganda across Lake Victoria to the west, and Tanzania to the south. Its Indian Ocean coast faces due east below the Horn.
Pro tip: Get the diagonal right: the Somali border sets the country's entire northeast profile. Draw that line first, and the rest of Kenya practically traces itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you draw Kenya from memory?
- Start with the overall box — is Kenya wider than tall or the reverse — then place its signature feature first and build the rest of the outline around it. Finish with the coastline details, then compare against the real border in a free practice round to get a 0-100 score.
- How hard is it to draw Kenya?
- Kenya rates as medium difficulty. A tidy broad block with a smooth coast — the Lake Turkana notch and the Somali diagonal are the two features that matter.