Which capital of Kenya takes its name from a Maasai phrase meaning “cool waters”? Nairobi is the Kenyan capital associated with the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, commonly translated as “cool waters.”
The name refers to the Nairobi River, which flows through the area. In Maasai, enkare means “water,” while Nairobi is commonly explained as a rendering of a phrase describing the water as cool. The river and its surrounding wetland helped make the location a useful stopping point before the modern city developed.
Nairobi grew rapidly after the British established a railway depot there in 1899 during construction of the Uganda Railway. Its position between the port of Mombasa and the interior made it an important administrative and commercial center. Nairobi replaced Mombasa as the capital of the British East Africa Protectorate in 1907.
Kenya became independent in 1963, and Nairobi continued as its national capital. The city is sometimes confused with neighboring East African capitals such as Kampala, Kigali, and Dodoma, but those belong to Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania respectively.