Nairobi: Overview

Nairobi is a spirited city with a hint of danger.

Kenya's capital is cosmopolitan, lively, interesting and pleasantly landscaped. Its central business district is handily compact and it's a great place to tune into modern urban African life. Unfortunately, it's also a great place to get mugged. Security, especially at night, is a definite concern.

Originally little more than a swampy watering hole for Maasai tribes, Nairobi grew with the advent of the railway and had became a substantial town by 1900. Five years later it succeeded Mombasa as the capital of the British protectorate. Today it's the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg.

Fast Facts

Population

2,500,000

Currency

Name: Kenyan Shilling
Code: KES
Symbol: KSh

Electrical Plugs

British-style plug with two flat blades and one flat grounding blade
240V 50Hz

Languages Spoken

Official: Swahili, English

Time Zones

GMT/UTC +3 

Country Dialing Code

+254

Weights & Measures

Metric

Kenya - Pick & Mix Chapters

Kenya - Pick & Mix Chapters

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Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.

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