What is the capital of Africa's Kenya?

The capital of Kenya is Nairobi, the country’s largest city and a major East African economic centre.

Nairobi grew from a railway settlement established in 1899 during construction of the Uganda Railway. Its location between the coast and the interior made it an important transport and administrative hub. The name is commonly linked to the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning “place of cool waters,” referring to the area’s historic streams and springs.

Nairobi became the capital of the British East Africa Protectorate in 1907 and remained Kenya’s capital after independence in 1963. Today it houses Kenya’s Parliament, State House and Supreme Court, as well as regional offices for major international organisations, including the United Nations Environment Programme.

A distinctive neighbouring fact is Nairobi National Park, a protected wildlife area on the edge of the city. This sometimes leads to confusion with Mombasa, Kenya’s historic Indian Ocean port and second-largest city, but Mombasa is not the national capital.