What is the second-highest mountain in Africa, located in central Kenya?

The second-highest mountain in Africa, located in central Kenya, is Mount Kenya.

Mount Kenya is an extinct stratovolcano near the equator, about 150 kilometers north-northeast of Nairobi. Its highest summit, Batian, rises to 5,199 meters, placing it below Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro but above every other mountain in Kenya. Nelion reaches 5,188 meters, while the more accessible Point Lenana stands at 4,985 meters.

The mountain formed through volcanism associated with the East African Rift and was once far higher than it is today. Repeated glaciation eroded its summit and carved valleys into the slopes. Although its glaciers are small and shrinking, the mountain’s forests and highland wetlands remain an important water catchment for surrounding communities.

Mount Kenya also has major cultural importance. The Kikuyu traditionally regard it as a sacred mountain associated with the deity Ngai, while Meru and Embu communities maintain their own cultural connections to it. The area became a national park in 1949 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.