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Nairobi
Exploring Nairobi

The cosmopolitan capitol of Kenya, today home to 1.5 million people, began as a swampy tent city at the turn of the century. Until the late 1800s it was nothing more than a watering hole for the Maasai. Then came the Mombasa to Uganda railway and its 32,000 indentured Indian laborers. By 1900, Nairobi had become a town with substantial buildings and a permanent population. In 1907, the fledgling town became capital of British East Africa.
Like most modern cities, Nairobi has crowded markets and trading areas, middle class suburbs, and spacious mansions for the rich and powerful. It also has vast overcrowded tenements and slums, exploitation, and high unemployment. Between these two worlds, the city offers big screen film, theaters, restaurants, bookshops, cafes and bars full of tourists from all over the world. Nairobi’s City Center is in the area bounded by Uhuru Highway, Haile Selassie Ave., Tom Mboya Way, and University Way. Bus stations and train stations are within an easy walk of the City Center. Uhuru Park sits to the west of City Center and, just beyond, are some of the city’s better middle to top-range accommodations. Travelers are cautioned not to walk in this area at night as Uhuru Park and its environs have been described as a mugger’s paradise! Also west of the park are a number of government ministries, hospitals, and a popular youth hostel. Budget travelers will find more moderately priced accommodations clustered around Latema Road, on the fringe of the River Road. The middle class suburbs of Ngong and Hurlingham sprawl out beyond the western boundaries of the city. Prominent warning signs, patrolling security, and high fences visibly underscore the economic disparity and crime concerns that characterize parts of Nairobi.
The University of Nairobi, Kenya’s National Museum, and the International Casino dominate the area north of City Center. One of Nairobi’s original colonial hotels, The Norfolk, is also located here. Aga Khan Hospital and the Parklands, a suburb dominated by many of Nairobi’s Asian minority, are located north-east of the city. Due east of this area are the African suburbs of Eastleigh and Pangani along with the country bus station.

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