Which mountain range contains Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest mountain?

Mount Kenya belongs to the Eastern Rift mountains of East Africa.

Mount Kenya is an extinct stratovolcano rising to 5,199 metres, making it Africa’s second-highest mountain after Kilimanjaro. It lies in central Kenya, just south of the equator. Its highest summits are Batian and Nelion, with Point Lenana being the highest summit normally reached by trekkers.

The mountain formed in the tectonically active East African Rift system. Erosion later carved its volcanic cone into a rugged massif with sharp pinnacles, valleys, and glaciers. Mount Kenya National Park and Natural Forest became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Mount Kenya is often incorrectly placed in the Rwenzori Mountains, which lie on the Uganda–Democratic Republic of the Congo border and contain Mount Stanley. It is also distinct from Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The broad phrase “Eastern Rift mountains” describes Mount Kenya’s geological setting, while Mount Kenya itself is a standalone volcanic massif rather than part of a long continuous chain like the Alps.