What is the capital of Kenya?
Nairobi stands in the Kenyan highlands at about 1,795 metres, and is the only capital city in the world with a national park inside its boundaries.
Nairobi is the capital and seat of government of Kenya, a role it has held since 1907. Kenya itself has an estimated population of 57,532,493 (2025).
Nairobi is also the largest city in Kenya, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Nairobi at a glance
| City population | 4,397,073 (2019 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 10,400,000 (2019 estimate) |
| Country | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Capital since | 1907 |
| Largest city in Kenya | Nairobi |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (EAT) |
| Currency | Kenyan shilling (KES) |
About Nairobi
Nairobi began in 1899 as a depot on the Uganda Railway.
Nairobi has been the capital of Kenya since 1907, Nairobi replaced Mombasa as the capital in 1907 and became the capital of independent Kenya in 1963.
Mombasa was the capital of British East Africa until Nairobi replaced it in 1907.
Nairobi is Kenya's largest city and East Africa's main commercial and financial hub.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Nairobi.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Kenya?
Is Nairobi the largest city in Kenya?
What is the population of Nairobi?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Kenya on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.