In the car hire industry in Kenya, Off-roading tends to refer to driving that is done on roads that are not tarmacked, that is roads that have a loose top surface of gravel or dust rather than tarmac. This kind of roads are usually outside the periurban circumference of a city or major town in Kenya. Most of this roads have no safety barriers, are narrow and prove challenging especially in the rainy season.
A reputable and professional car rental company will always inform the client about the company policy governing driving offroad. This should be clearly stated in the rental agreement and if not in a schedule. It is important to also be honest about where you intend to drive as all rental cars have a tracking system and the rental company will no if you lied about offroad driving.
Some rental companies in Kenya do not allow offroad driving. Always perform a check before hiring the car as you may be forced to pay unreasonable demands later. The reason most car rental companies DO NOT allow offroad driving is because the loose surface can easily damage a rental car.
When planning an offroad expereince in Kenya always check whether you can hire a 4X4 car on dself-drive. Share the route with the rental company so that they are aware in advance that you will be driving offroad and the pottential kilometers you will cover offroad. If you are really want to experience Kenya's vast countryside, Rift valley and Plains on a 4WD, we often reccomend that you hire a driver or if you want a safari expereince you book a 4WD off-road adventure.