Note for the folks at home: International communication from Kenya has become easier in recent years. Currently, all of the major mobile phone networks in Kenya (Safaricom, Orange, Airtel, and Yu) allow callers to reach international numbers, usually at an average of 3 shillings ($0.04) per minute. I've been told that, only a matter of years ago, this price was 10 shillings ($0.12) per minute or more. Most mobile phone users in Kenya (myself included) prefer the scratch card method, something Americans would call "pay-as-you-go". After a mobile phone number is purchased (via SIM card), an account must be "topped up" by purchasing credit on disposable scratch cards. These cards, available in shops even in deeply rural areas, have a unique sixteen-digit number that grants its owner an amount of credit (in shillings). As far as I can tell, very few Kenyans (if any) use a pre-paid service plan. The only downfall to the scratch card method is the staggering amount of used scratch card trash strewn about every town in Kenya.
