65 Fascinating Facts About Nairobi: Green City In The Sun

Most news and media organizations of Kenya are located in Nairobi.

Most schools in Nairobi either follow the British curriculum or the Kenyan curriculum. However, the Rosslyn Academy and International School of Kenya follow the North American curriculum.

The largest and capital city of Kenya is Nairobi. The name Nairobi is taken from 'Enkare Nairobi,' a Maasai phrase that means 'cool water,' referring to the Nairobi River flowing through the city. As of the 2019 census, the city had 4,397,073 citizens within its limits, whereas the metropolitan region had 9,354,580 citizens.

This city is called 'The Green City in the Sun' because of its warm climate and foliage. The British East Africa Colonial Authorities established Nairobi as a rail depot on the Kenya-Uganda railway in 1899. In 1907, this city replaced Mombasa as Kenya's capital. Nairobi became independent in 1963 and the Republic of Kenya's capital city.

Facts About Nairobi

Nairobi holds the status of full administrative county. The Nairobi City Council is the only local council, and there are 17 constituencies in Nairobi County. This city was discovered as a railway town, and the Nairobi railway station still has the Kenya Railways' headquarters close to the city center.

• The population of Nairobi is 4.5 million as of July 2020.
• Nairobi has the Elephant and Rhino Orphanage or the Elephant and Rhino Nursery, run by David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to rehabilitate orphaned rhinos and elephants.
• This city has been declared as one of Africa's top 10 destinations.
• Matatus in the city make use of route numbers. These numbers were invented in 1934 by Kenya Bus Service.
• Most Kenyans use three languages - Kiswahili, English, and Sheng.
• Sheng language is a mix of vernacular languages, Kiswahili and English. It originated in Nairobi.
• Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is a hub for the fourth-largest airline in Africa, Kenya Airways.
• Citizens of Nairobi are referred to as Nairobians. They are creative and love fashion and parties.
• Nairobi hosts Kenya National Archive and Kenya National Theatre.
• The continent's second oldest and Africa's largest exchange is the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
• More than 100 important international organizations and companies and thousands of businesses in Kenya are located in Nairobi.
• Nairobi manufactures goods like beverages, processed food, building materials, textiles, and clothing.
• The city is a transport hub and a tourist destination with a huge tourist industry.
• The first literary journal of Kenya is 'Kwani?' which was established by Nairobian writers.
• Film-making is quite a new industry in the city, with Judy Kibinge, director, and Njeri Karago, the producer, making way for others.
• By participation and viewership, football is Nairobi's most popular sport.
• Basketball and Rugby are also quite popular sports in the city.

Nairobi's History

The initial site of Nairobi was a deserted swamp. When the Uganda railway was developed, Sir George Whitehouse discovered this site for a camping ground, shunting ground, and storage depot for the laborers employed on the railway.

• Sir George Whitehouse preferred this region because of its location before Limuru escarpments steep ascent, enough water supply, temperate climate, and high elevation.
• Arthur Church was first commissioned in 1898 to create a town layout around the railway depot.
• The town layout consisted of the Indian commercial region, staff quarters, ten avenues, Station Street, and Victoria Street.
• Nairobi's population rose to 16,000 from 5,000 from 1902 to 1910 and grew around tourism and administration.
• Nairobi was declared a municipality in 1919 by the British.
• By 1921, the city had 24,000 citizens, and 12,000 were native Africans.
• Nairobi city was the British provincial capital between 1899-1905.
• In the '00s, after the burning of the original Nairobi town and plague outbreak, Nairobi was rebuilt.
• The Mau Mau tribe started a relentless battle in the '50s to remove the British from Kenya.
• After the independence, Jomo Kenyatta was the appointed Prime Minister between 1963-1964. He became the President in 1964.
• Daniel Arap Moi succeeded Jomo Kenyatta after his death in 1978.
• Nairobi hosted the World Council of Churches' fifth assembly in 1975.
• Under British rule, the city grew and started to expand.
• As the region around Nairobi was famous for game hunting, Britain established Nairobi National Park in 1946 to protect animals in East Africa.
• Several foreigners settled in this city by the mid-20th century from many parts of the British Empire, modern-day Pakistan, and India.
• Sudan and Somalian communities are also quite established in this city.

Nairobi's Geographical Facts

Nairobi city is 270 sq. mi (696 sq. km) big. This city is located between Mombasa and Kampala cities. It occasionally experiences minor tremors and earthquakes as the city is adjacent to Rift Valley's eastern edge.

• This city lies around 300 mi (480 km) northwest of the major port of Kenya, Mombasa.
• The most important geographical feature of the city area is the Ngong Hills on the west of Nairobi.
• On the north of the city is Mount Kenya and on the south-east is Mount Kilimanjaro.
• Nairobi River, with its effluents, flows through the City-County joining River Athi on the county's eastern edge.
• Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize winner, fought to save northern Nairobi's indigenous Karura Forest as it faced the threat of getting replaced by infrastructure.
• The western suburb of Nairobi is 12 mi (220 km), stretching from the UN headquarters in the north to Kenyatta National Hospital located in the south.
• Central Business District's City Square is in the center of Nairobi.
• The City Square is surrounded by Kenyatta Conference Center, Nairobi Law Courts, Nairobi City Hall, Holy Family Cathedral, and Parliament buildings of Kenya.
• The city lies 5,889 ft (1,795 m) above sea level.
• The climate of Nairobi is classified as a subtropical highland climate as per the Koppen climate classification.
• Series of constituencies divide the city, each represented in the National Assembly by Parliament members.
• The north-central regions consist of a population with upper-middle and lower-middle-income
• The far eastern regions of Nairobi consist of lower-income areas.
• Over 90% of citizens work in the city's metropolitan region in the informal and formal sectors.
• Several Somali immigrants live in the Eastleigh neighborhood called 'Little Mogadishu.'
• The estimated population in the Kibera slum is 185,777 and was believed to be the second-largest slum in Africa, which was later proved wrong.
• Large-scale skyscrapers and real estate projects are coming up in Nairobi. The significant buildings are Prism tower, Britam Tower, and Le Mac Towers (Westlands Nairobi).

Nairobi's Main Attractions

Nairobi's tribal culture and history are brought to life in its magnificent museums and many art galleries. It is also one of the cities with a national park located within city limits. Because of Nairobi's prominence as a focal point of safari tourism, the city is informally called the 'Safari Capital of the World.'

• Nairobi has a lot of green spaces, dense tree cover, and several parks.
• The southern side of Nairobi has Nairobi National Park, and you will also catch the background of Nairobi's skyline.
• Nairobi National Museum shows the natural history and cultural exhibits with fossils recovered from Lake Turkana, over 900 stuffed mammals and birds, local art exhibits, and ethnic displays of Kenyan tribal groups.
• Around the corner of Nairobi National Park is the Giraffe Centre, where you can meet the endangered species - Rothschild's giraffes.
• Central Park is next to Uhuru Park and has Jomo Kenyatta's memorial and the Moi monument. More open spaces are Nairobi Arboretum, City Park, and Jeevanjee Gardens.
• Malls located in the city are Two Rivers Mall, Rosslyn Riviera Mall, Garden City Mall, and the West Gate Mall.
• One of the world's most extensive urban forests is Karura Forest Reserve.
• At the foot of Ngong Hills, Karen Blixen Museum was the home of the famous author, Karen Blixen.
• The living museum called Bomas of Kenya honors Kenya's tribes.
• You can tour the Kazuri Bean Factory. In Swahili, Kazuri translates to 'small and beautiful.' This factory is located close to the Karen Blixen museum.
• The internationally acclaimed Kenyatta International Conference Center offers you a 360-degree view from the viewing deck on the rooftop.
• You can visit the Ngong Hills. In Maasai, 'Ngong' translates to 'knuckles,' named because of the formation of these green hills.
• The Railway Museum honors the railroad history of Kenya and its effects on the development of the nation.
• National Archives has information on everything in Kenya's history. It displays the country's tribal culture, art, history, and politics.
• A tour around the Kibera slum will fund projects to better the people and benefit the local community.