Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Kenya. The name Nairobi comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyorobi, which means "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun".

Founded by the British in 1899 as a simple railway depot on the track from Mombasa to Uganda, the city grew rapidly to become the capital of British East Africa in 1905, and eventually the capital of the republic of free Kenya in 1963. Nairobi is also the capital of Nairobi Province and Nairobi District. The city lies on the banks of the Nairobi River, in the south of the nation, and has an elevation of 1,661 meters above sea level.

Nairobi is the most populous city in East Africa, with an estimated urban population of 3-4 million. According to the 2019 Census, in the administrative area of Nairobi, 4,397,073 inhabitants lived, in an area of 696 km². big in africa Most of its inhabitants live in poverty.

Nairobi is today one of the most prominent cities in Africa, both politically and economically. Home to many companies and organizations, including the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Nairobi is an established hub commercial and cultural. The Globalization and World Class City (GaWC) Study Group defines Nairobi as a prominent social hub.

History

It was founded in 1899 by the British on a marshy site, as a town on the railway line between the strategic Indian Ocean port of Mombasa and Kampala on Lake Victoria. The name of the city comes from a nearby river. Due to its location at the foot of the first mountain ranges of the Great Rift Valley, the operations center for the construction of the railway through it was established in it, thus growing to become a small city.

In 1905 it was declared the capital of the British East Africa Protectorate, taking over from Mombasa. At this time, Indian immigrants created the bazaar, which became the main agricultural market in the area. The city grew to reach city status in 1954.

The U.S. Embassy after the 1998 attack.

After the end of World War II, an independence movement called the Mau Mau developed and organized a rebellion against British rule. Jomo Kenyatta, the later president of Kenya, was jailed for his involvement even though there was no evidence linking him to the rebellion. Pressure exerted by the local Kenyan population led to the independence of Kenya in 1963, with Nairobi as the capital of the new republic. After its independence, the city developed rapidly.

In August 1998, the US embassy in Nairobi was attacked by Al-Qaeda with a series of bombings, killing more than two hundred civilians. Today the site of the attack is a memorial park, in homage to the victims.

In January 2007, the seventh edition of the World Social Forum was held in Nairobi, in which the residents of Karagocho found an opportunity to expose their living conditions to the world.

Geography

The city is located at the coordinates 1°17′S 36°49′E / -1.283, 36.817 and covers about 150 km². It is located at 1661 meters above sea level.

Nairobi is located between the cities of Kampala and Mombasa. Being near the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley, it occasionally experiences minor earthquakes and tremors. The Ngong Hills, located to the west of the city, are the most characteristic geographical feature of Nairobi. Mount Kenya is located to the north of Nairobi and Mount Kilimanjaro to the southeast; both mountains are visible from Nairobi on a clear day.

The Nairobi River and its tributaries flow through Nairobi County. Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai has fought to save the Karura Forest, located to the north of the city, which was threatened by attempts to build houses and other infrastructure.

The western suburbs of the city stretch for about 20 km, from the Kenyatta National Hospital in the south, to the United Nations headquarters in the Gigiri neighborhood in the north. The city has its center in City Square, in the center of the financial district. The buildings of the Kenyan Parliament, the Holy Family Cathedral, the City Hall, the Court of Justice and the Kenyatta International Conference Center are located around the square.

Plastic pollution has reached massive proportions in Kenya. In Nairobi alone, almost 500 tons of this waste is dumped daily, according to data from 2021. Some of the waste ends up in the intestines of livestock, on the surface of rivers or in drains, causing flooding in rainy periods.

Climate

Nairobi is located at an elevation of 1661 ms. no. m., so it has a moderate climate, which according to the Köppen climate classification, is mild summer (Cwb), similar to Addis Ababa. Despite being in Ecuador, the altitude causes the afternoons to be cold, especially in the winter months of June/July, when the temperature is above 10 °C. The hottest and sunniest period of the year are the months of December and March, when the average temperature hovers around 20 °C during the day. The maximum temperature is 24 °C.

There are two periods of moderate rains. The coldest part of the year is just after the first rainy season, until September. Being Nairobi close to the Equator, the differences between the seasons are minimal. The seasons are classified into rainy and dry. The synchrony between sunrise and sunset does not vary much throughout the year.

Nairobi average climate parameters
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	29.8	30.5	30.9	29.0	26.8	28.1	32.7	32.5	30.0	29.0	27.9	27.6	32.7
Average temperature (°C)	25.5	26.7	26.8	25.0	23.6	22.5	22.0	22.7	25.0	25.7	24.0	24.4	24.5
Average temperature (°C)	18.0	18.8	19.4	19.2	17.8	16.3	15.6	15.9	17.3	18.5	18.4	18.1	17.8
Temp. medium (°C)	10.5	10.9	12.1	13.4	12.1	10.0	9.2	9.1	9.7	11.3	12.7	11.7	11.1
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	3.3	2.2	6.7	7.8	7.9	4.4	1.1	2.9	3.9	5.5	6.7	6.2	1.1
Rains (mm)	58.3	49.8	92.2	242.3	189.5	38.6	17.6	24.0	31.2	60.8	149.6	107.6	1061.5
Days of rain (≥ 1 mm)	4	4	8	16	13	5	3	4	4	7	14	9	91
Hours of sun	288.3	266.0	266.6	204.0	189.1	159.0	130.2	127.1	180.0	226.3	198.0	257.3	2491.9
Source No. 1: Hong Kong Observatory (1961-1990) and World Meteorological Organisation
Source No. 2: BBC Weather

Districts

Nairobi urban plan.

Kibera neighborhood.

There is a wide variety of living standards in Nairobi. Most of the wealthy Kenyans live in Nairobi but the majority of Nairobi's people are middle class. It has been estimated that half of the population lives in the slums that cover only 5% of the city area. The growth of these slums is the result of poorly planned urbanism and the unavailability of low-income residents to pay loans.

Kibera is one of the largest slums (favela) in Africa and is located west of Nairobi. ("Kibera" is the Nubian word for "forest"). The slums cover 2 km² and are situated on land owned by the government. It has an estimated population of between 700,000 and 1 million inhabitants. In which 80% of young people are unemployed.

Many people who do not live in Nairobi's slums live in relatively good housing conditions. Large houses can be found in many neighborhoods, especially in the west of Nairobi. Historically, British immigrants have settled in the Langata and Karen neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods with upper-middle income residents include Parklands, Westlands, Hurlingham, Milimani, and Nairobi Hill. City Square, the central part of the city, is characterized by its wide avenues and its skyscrapers.

Nairobi view from the International Space Station.

The centre of Nairobi houses a good proportion of Kenya ' s highest buildings.

Demographics

Nairobi has experienced one of the highest growth rates in all of Africa. Since its founding in 1899, Nairobi has grown to become the largest city in East Africa, despite being the youngest city in the region. Nairobi's growth rate is currently 6.9%; Nairobi's population is estimated to reach 5 million by 2015.^{[citation needed]}

Demographic developments in Nairobi, from 1906 to 2009.

Culture

National Parliament building with the statue of Jomo Kenyatta in the foreground.

Nairobi is a cosmopolitan and multicultural city. Since its founding, Nairobi has maintained a strong British presence, with a heritage of colonial rule. This can be seen in the large number of neighborhoods with English spelling, such as Hurlingham and Parklands.

In the middle of the 20th century, many foreigners from other British colonies mainly from India and Pakistan settled in Nairobi. Most of these immigrants who arrived were workers who built the Kampala to Mombasa railway and ended up settling in Nairobi after its completion. Communities from neighboring Somalia and Sudan have also settled in the city.

Nairobi has a large number of churches, mosques, temples and gurdwaras. Major sites of worship include the Holy Family Cathedral, All Saints Cathedral, the Ismaili Jamat Khana Mosque, and the Jamia Mosque.

Economy

Nairobi is home to the Nairobi Stock Exchange, the fourth largest African stock exchange by volume traded, and the fifth largest in terms of market capitalization as a percentage of GDP.

Nairobi is home to several multinational offices in Africa, including General Electric, Young & Rubicam, Google, Coca-Cola, Airtel, and Cisco Systems.

About 2 million people, or half of Nairobi's population, live in slums. The latter occupy only 5% of the residential part of the city. Living conditions are difficult: poor access to drinking water and health care, poor sanitation, and constant threats of eviction. For example, in October 2021, the Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum was bulldozed to make way for a road widening, leaving 40,000 people homeless overnight.

Places of interest

The museum dedicated to the Danish Karen Blixen is located in the original house of this famous author of Africa-attractive dark world, a novel that would gain popularity after its film adaptation by Sydney Pollack called Out of Africa.

The National Museum of Kenya has a large collection of prehistoric artifacts, including the complete remains of a male Homo erectus.

Another attraction is the Jomo Kenyatta Mausoleum, the National Theater of Kenya and the National Archives of Kenya. Art galleries in Nairobi include the Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Art (Ramoma) and the Mzizi Arts Centre.

In Nairobi there is a highly variable environment of natural spaces for the protection of biodiversity.

Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park was inaugurated in 1946. The park is only 7 km from the city center, with an area of 120 km² it is home to a wide variety of animals, currently more than 80 species of mammals and more of 500 birds. The park is fenced on three sides, the fourth side is bounded by the Athi River. Most of the park is made up of one open level. The park is home to black rhino, Masai giraffe, buffalo, wild hogs and Thomson , Grant's gazelle and predators such as lions, leopards, panthers and hyenas. You can also commonly see more species of jackal, wildebeest, antelope and zebra.

National park with the city of Nairobi on the horizon.

Daphne Sheldrick's Orphanage

The elephant orphanage can be found here and can be reached via the Magadi Route, which with the removal of the entrance fee to the national park makes it an even more attractive area. This place is a protection site for orphaned elephant calves due to poaching. Elephants can be watched at play while nurses and biologists conduct lectures on these animals.

Langatta Giraffe Center

This giraffe center is maintained by AFEW (African Fund for Endangered Wildlife), it is situated in the Langatta district. It is the main attraction for children because of its way of cohesion with the feeding of the animal in the Rothschild giraffe attraction, where you can have more face-to-face communication in a tower. It starts 1-2 km long on a primeval forest trail. Also the data on plants and animals are provided by the center through brochures.

Transportation

Congestion on roads and highways is a problem in Nairobi, which is why the state government has planned several projects, among which it is in process for the new railway network Syokimau Rail Service whose main station san Bypass Road is finished. The Nairobi Network Rail Commuter Sh24b regional railway project would be the first objective of the economic plan that the president is carrying out, called Economic Vision Plan 2030, which aims to promote the development of these currently poorly organized and critical means of transport, in addition to reducing transportation costs due to the rapid movement of goods and people in the region, also increase trade, improve the socio-economic well-being of Northern Kenya and increase the country's potential in attracting investment from around the world.

Airports

Nairobi is mainly served by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. It is the largest airport in East and Central Africa, and handled more than 4.9 million passengers in 2008. The airport is a major transit hub for passengers and tourists flying to the attractive natural areas of East Africa, and for other smaller cities in East Africa and Central Africa. The airport is located 20 km from Nairobi's central business district. The airport also directly services intercontinental passengers from Europe and Asia.

Wilson Airport is a smaller and busier general aviation airport, located in a south-central suburb of Nairobi West. It deals with small aircraft that generally operate in Kenya, although some offer services to other African destinations.

Santa Maria Airport was the first and oldest airport in Kenya, currently a military base.

Matatu

It is the most popular means of transportation in the city, it belongs to the minibus company. The etymology of matatu is "three cents for a ride" (currently with higher cost). It is the easiest form of transportation to other regions of the city or the country. What gave it current fame was its decoration on the body to the taste of the owners, highlighting on one occasion the face of Barack Obama.

Due to the competitiveness between the operators, this medium has a history of accidents due to reckless speed, some had even equipped their vehicle with digital device systems to attract users. In 2004, this medium began to be regulated to give it greater security, forcing owners to paint with a yellow stripe and incorporate seat belts into the car, and other regulations that at the time created great controversy.

Buses

Buses are becoming more common in the city. There are four major bus companies that operate the city's routes:

SmartBus

SmartBus-Kenya is the latest bus operator in Kenya serving Nairobi and surrounding areas. Currently, the company operates buses to Kitengela, Kiserian, Rongai and Ngong. Passengers to gain access to the vehicle have to carry a smart card.

Taxi

Taxis are readily available in most parts of the city. These are expensive compared to matatu and buses, but they are a safer and more convenient form of transportation. They stop outside most hotels, at taxi ranks in the city center, and in shopping malls.

Roads

Nairobi uses the highway service that links Mombasa with Kampala (Uganda) and Arusha (Tanzania). These are intended to facilitate the movement of automobiles on a daily basis in and around the metropolitan area. However, driving in Nairobi is difficult. Most of the roads are paved and there are signs showing directions to certain neighborhoods. The city is connected to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Mombasa Road, which passes through the industrial area, South B, South C and san. Rongai san, san, and Karen are connected to the city center at Langata Road, located in the south. Lavington, Riverside, san and others are connected by Waiyaki Way. San is connected by Thika Road, Jogoo Road, and the Outer Ring Road.

Some highways connect the city with other major cities, such as Mombasa, Machakos, Voi, (A109), and Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Namanga Border (Tanzania) (A104).

Nairobi has a reform process for the main roads, where their network infrastructure will be upgraded. New highway systems, flyovers and bridges would reduce the levels of congestion that make current infrastructure incapable of coping with the surge in economic growth in recent years. It is also an important component of Kenya's Vision 2030 and Metropolis Nairobi plans, the latter funded with aid from China.

Education

Main entrance to the University of Nairobi.

Nairobi is home to several prestigious universities. The University of Nairobi is the oldest university in Kenya, it was founded in 1956, as part of the University of East Africa, but became an independent university in 1970. The university has approximately 22,000 students. Kenyatta University is situated 23 km from the center of Nairobi, on an area of more than 1000 acres of land. The university was established in 1985 after a long struggle for the State, which began in 1963. Strathmore University started in 1961 as an Advanced Level school. The college began admitting accounting students in March 1966 and thus became a university. In January 1993 Strathmore College merged with Kianda College and moved facilities. In 1969 the United States International University campus was established in Nairobi. A university that has campuses distributed around the entire globe. Daystar University is a liberal Christian university located in Athi River, south-east of Nairobi. The Nazarene University of Africa located in Ongata Rongai, minutes from the Kenyan capital is a private Christian university sponsored by the International Nazarene Church. The mission is to provide an education oriented in Christian values.

Sports

Football

Several professional soccer teams based in Nairobi participate in the Kenyan Soccer League and its lower divisions, as well as the FKF President's Cup. AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia have a strong rivalry, being the most popular and successful teams in the city and the country, counting until the 2012 season with twelve league titles each. The confrontation between these two squads is known as the "Nairobi derby".

Rugby

The city has several rugby union teams that participate in the Kenya Cup and the Enterprise Cup, such as Homeboyz RFC, Impala RFC, Kenya Commercial Bank RFC, Kenya Harleqin F.C., Mean Machine RFC, Mwamba RFC, Nondescripts RFC and Strathmore University RFC. The Nondescripts RFC is, together with the Kenya Harlequins, the oldest of them, being founded in 1923, and historically it is the most successful in the country. Originally it was made up solely of white players, but over the years it has fielded more and more native Kenyan players. The Mwamba RFC, founded in 1978, emerged precisely as a counterpart to that team, being the first for indigenous Kenyans. This team quickly gained great popularity at the national level and developed a rivalry with Nondescripts RFC. The Mean Machine RFC, founded in 1977, represents the University of Nairobi and is another of the most popular in the country, particularly among young people.

The league known as the Eric Shirley Shield is the one immediately below the Kenya Cup in the Kenyan system, and is mainly attended by alternative teams from those squads that are in the first division. The Eric Shirley Shield is divided into two groups based on the geographical location of the teams; those from Nairobi are included in group A, the one from the east of the country.

Religion

According to the census, 95% of those interviewed are religious, but 56.8% attend religious services.

Christians

-Prostetants- 60.5% -Catholics- 21.8% -Orthodox- 7.8% -Mormons- 5.7% -Others- 4.2%

Featured Characters

Twin cities

• Denver, United States, 1975
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Predecessor: Abu Dhabi

Headquarters of the Sessions of the Committee on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity 2010

Successor: Bali